Fallen Crusader
A Fallen Crusader is someone who devotes themselves to a malevolent being, or uses the power granted to them by their devotion for nefarious or self-serving purposes.
Although these crusader's are typically evil by the nature of their devotion, it is not necessarily a constant truth. The dunmer are common worshipers of daedra and are not considered evil, although they are frequently misunderstood.
DEVOTIONS
At 3rd level, a crusader devotes themselves by following a way of life that defines them. Here are new options for that feature: the Blackguard and the Unhallowed.
BLACKGUARD
Blackguards are crusaders who care only for their own power and survival. These profane warriors are faithful only to themselves. Anyone desperate enough to follow one of these crusaders does so because, while deceitful, these crusaders command great power. Those who follow them without falling prey to their treachery hope to indulge in wanton violence and accumulate great treasure.
Many of these crusaders pay homage to the daedra, especially Boethia and Mephala. Although the Daedric Princes are reluctant to ally with these champions of chaos, they can find a kindred spirit in a blackguard’s penchant for double dealing and treachery.
DEVOTION SPELLS
You gain devotion spells at the crusader levels listed.
BLACKGUARD DEVOTION SPELLS
Crusader Level Spells
3rd Charm Person, Expeditious Retreat
5th Invisibility, Mirror Image
9th Gaseous Form, Haste
13th Confusion, Greater Invisibility
17th Dominate Person, Passwall
BLACKGUARD'S EXPERTISE
When you choose this devotion at 3rd level, you become proficient in your choice of two of the following skills: arcana, deception, intimidation, and sneak.
Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of these skills.
CHANNEL DIVINITY
When you choose this devotion at 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity options.
Conjure Duplicate. As an action, you create a visual illusion of yourself that lasts for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The illusion appears in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you. The illusion looks exactly like you; it is silent; it is your size, is insubstantial, and doesn’t occupy its space; and it is unaffected by attacks and damage. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 30 feet to a space you can see, but the illusion must remain within 120 feet of you.
For the duration, you can cast spells as though you were in the illusion’s space, but you must use your own senses. Additionally, when both you and your illusion are within 5 feet of a creature that can see the illusion, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, given how uncanny the illusion is.
Poison Strike. You can use your Channel Divinity to make a weapon deadlier. As a bonus action, you touch one weapon or piece of ammunition and conjure a special poison on it. The poison lasts for 1 minute. The next time you hit a target with an attack using that weapon or ammunition, the target takes poison damage immediately after the attack. The poison damage equals 2d10 + your crusader level, or 20 + your crusader level if you had advantage on the attack roll.
AURA OF TREACHERY
Starting at 7th level, you emanate an aura of discord, which gives you the following benefits.
Cull the Herd. You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that has one or more of its allies within 5 feet of it.
Treacherous Strike. If a creature within 5 feet of you misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to reroll that attack against a creature of your choice that is also within 5 feet of the attacker. The ability fails and is wasted if the attacker is immune to being charmed.
You can use this ability three times. You regain expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest.
DIVINE SMITE: DISEASE
Also at 7th level, whenever you use the Divine Smite feature, you can choose to infuse your weapon strikes with disease damage instead of shock.
BLACKGUARD'S ESCAPE
At 15th level, you have the ability to slip away from your foes. Immediately after you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to a spot you can see. You remain invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack, deal damage, or force a creature to make a saving throw. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
ICON OF DECEIT
At 20th level, you gain the ability to emanate feelings of treachery. As an action, you can magically become an avatar of deceit, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:
You are invisible.
If a creature damages you on its turn, it must succeed on a Willpower saving throw (DC equal to your spell save DC) or you control its next action, provided that you aren’t incapacitated when it takes the action . A creature automatically succeeds on the save if the creature is immune to being charmed.
If you have advantage on an attack roll, you gain a bonus to its damage roll equal to your crusader level.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
UNHALLOWED
An Unhallowed is a crusader who has devoted themselves to pursue their dark ambitions or serve a corrupt power. This worship is often devoted to the Daedric Princes that prefer devastation, subjugation, and chaos. Although most crusader's begin their vocation with benevolent aspirations, all that is left within the unhallowed is darkness.
These crusaders are usually found worshiping Boethia, Molag Bal, Vaermina, Mehrunes Dagon, or Peryite.
DEVOTION SPELLS
You gain devotion spells at the crusader levels listed.
UNHALLOWED DEVOTION SPELLS
Crusader Level Spells
3rd Hellish Rebuke, Inflict Wounds
5th Crown of Madness, Darkness
9th Animate Dead, Bestow Curse
13th Blight, Confusion
17th Contagion, Dominate Person
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this devotion at 3rd level, you become proficient in the Intimidation skill and the Poisoner's kit.
CHANNEL DIVINITY
When you choose this devotion at 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity options.
Control Undead. As an action, you can choose one undead creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must make a Willpower saving throw. On a failed save, the target must obey your commands for the next 24 hours, or until you use this Channel Divinity option again. An undead whose challenge rating is equal to or greater than the crusader's level is immune to this effect.
Dreadful Aspect. As an action, you channel the darkest emotions and focus them into a burst of magical menace. Each creature of your choice that can see you and is within 30 feet of you must make a Willpower saving throw. On a failed save, the target is frightened for 1 minute. If a creature frightened by this effect ends its turn more than 30 feet away from you it can attempt another Willpower saving throw to end the effect on it.
AURA OF HATE
Starting at 7th level, you and any friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain a bonus to melee weapon damage rolls equal to your Personality modifier (minimum of +1). A creature can benefit from this feature from only one crusader at a time.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
DIVINE SMITE: SHADOW
Also at 7th level, whenever you use the Divine Smite feature, you can choose to infuse your weapon strikes with shadow damage instead of shock.
SUPERNATURAL RESISTANCE
At 15th level, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons.
DREAD LORD
At 20th level, as an action, you can surround yourself with an aura of gloom that lasts for 1 minute. The aura reduces any bright light in a 30-foot radius around you to dim light. Whenever an enemy that is frightened by you starts its turn in the aura, it takes 4dl0 shadow damage. Additionally, you and any creatures you choose that are in the aura are draped in deeper shadow. Creatures that rely on sight have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures draped in this shadow.
While the aura lasts, you can use a bonus action on your turn to cause the shadows in the aura to attack one creature. You must make a melee spell attack against the target. If the attack hits, the target takes shadow damage equal to 3d10 + your Personality modifier.
After activating the aura, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
