Graveknight
Description
Undying tyrants and eternal champions of the undead, graveknights arise from the corpses of the most nefarious warlords and disgraced heroes—villains too merciless to submit to the shackles of death. They bear the same weapons and regalia they did in life, though warped or empowered by their profane resurrection. The legions they once held also flock to them in death, ready to serve their wicked ambitions once more. A graveknight's essence is fundamentally tied to its armor, the bloodstained trappings of its battle lust. This armor becomes an icon of its perverse natures, transforming into a monstrous second skin over the husk of desiccated flesh and scarred bone locked within.
In death, the graveknight's life force lingers on in its armor, not its corpse, in much the same way that a lich's essence is bound within a phylactery. Unless every part of a graveknight's armor is ruined along with its body, a graveknight can rejuvenate after it is destroyed. A typical suit of full plate graveknight armor has hardness 10 and 45 hit points, though armor with enhancements or made of special materials proves more difficult to destroy. Merely breaking a graveknight's armor does not destroy it; it must be ruined, such as by being disintegrated, taken to the Positive Energy Plane, or thrown into the heart of a volcano.
Combat Stats
- Melee
- +1 greatsword +25/+20 (2d6+19 plus 2d6 acid)
- Ranged
- composite longbow +14/+9 (1d8+11/×3)
- DR
- 10/magic
- SR
- 22
- Defensive Abilities
- bravery +3, channel resistance +4, rejuvenation
- Aura
- sacrilegious aura (30 ft., DC 19)
- Racial Modifiers
- +8 Intimidate, +8 Perception, +8 Ride
Ability Scores
Proficiencies
Weapons: Simple
Special Attacks
channel destruction
devastating blast (6d6 acid, DC 19)
undead mastery (DC 19)
weapon training (heavy blades +2, bows +1)
Special Qualities
armor training 2
phantom mount
ruinous revivification
Feats
Cleave, Critical Focus, Dazzling Display, Greater Weapon Focus (greatsword), Improved Initiative, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Ride-By Attack, Shatter Defenses, Spirited Charge, Toughness, Trample, Unseat, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (greatsword), Weapon Specialization (greatsword)
Special Abilities
Universal Monster Rules
Special Abilities
Feats, Traits & Items
As a standard action, you can make a single attack at your full base attack bonus against a foe within reach. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can make an additional attack (using your full base attack bonus) against a foe that is adjacent to the first and also within reach. You can only make one additional attack per round with this feat. When you use this feat, you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class until your next turn.
You receive a +4 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made to confirm critical hits.
While wielding the weapon in which you have Weapon Focus, you can perform a bewildering show of prowess as a full-round action. Make an Intimidate check to demoralize all foes within 30 feet who can see your display.
You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls you make using the selected weapon. This bonus stacks with other bonuses on attack rolls, including those from Weapon Focus.
Once per round when your mount is hit in combat, you may attempt a Ride check (as an immediate action) to negate the hit. The hit is negated if your Ride check result is greater than the opponent's attack roll.
You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
When you are mounted and use the charge action, you may move and attack as if with a standard charge and then move again (continuing the straight line of the charge). Your total movement for the round can't exceed double your mounted speed. You and your mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent that you attack.
Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent hit by you this round is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn. This includes any additional attacks you make this round.
When mounted and using the charge action, you deal double damage with a melee weapon (or triple damage with a lance).
You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).
When you attempt to overrun an opponent while mounted, your target may not choose to avoid you. Your mount may make one hoof attack against any target you knock down, gaining the standard +4 bonus on attack rolls against prone targets.
When charging an opponent while mounted and wielding a lance, resolve the attack as normal. If it hits, you may immediately make a free bull rush attempt in addition to the normal damage. If successful, the target is knocked off his horse and lands prone in a space adjacent to his mount that is directly away from you.
When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon's damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.
You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.
You gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls you make using the selected weapon.
Skills
Climb +13, Intimidate +25, Knowledge (nobility) +12, Perception +19, Ride +19, Swim +13
- Type
- Undead
- Alignment
- LE
- Size
- Medium
- Environment
- any land
- Organization
- solitary or troop (graveknight plus 12-24 skeletal champions)
- Treasure
- NPC gear (+1 full plate, +1 greatsword, composite longbow [+8 Str] with 20 arrows, belt of giant strength +2, other treasure)
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19
- Aura
- sacrilegious aura (30 ft., DC 19)
- Languages
- Common, Dwarven, Infernal
- Source
- Bestiary 3