New Prestige: Ebon Blade Deathbringers

Description: Deathbringers of the Knights of the Ebon Blade are the ultimate manifestation of death that they have to offer. They are beings of pure dark, destructive might that will go to great lengths with their dark powers to slay their foes. As death knights, same as their lower ranked counterparts of the Ebon Blade, the Deathbringers have no emotion and will do as they please and continue to sate their violent hungers. Though there are some Necromancers who may aspire to become Deathbringers through very dark means, and only if they have the will to do so.

Against the Scourge, and any other force that the Ebon Blade must tackle, Deathbringers master their skills with death and their choice of combat. Deathbringers take their necromantic abilities to new levels and find unique ways to bend their dark runic magic so as to better suit their purposes. These abilities do come at a price to the Deathbringer, though. As they begin to manipulate and distort what they already know, they abandon some of their old knowledge so as to pursue these newer methods. This may mean casting off their plate armor, or even affect some of their older powers so they may uncover newer secrets.

Though they are few in number, the Deathbringers are growing and becoming more influential among the ranks of the Ebon Blade. They are either respected by their death knight counterparts, or feared by their enemies. Even the necromancers that still reside in Acherus may find that the powers of the Deathbringers are much greater than what they ever could imagine that one of the Ebon Blade could aspire to. These Deathbringers bring to the table powerful abilities that are able to carve through their enemies, living or undead, swiftly and even such powers to send one of the living straight into undeath, or turn one of the dead to their will.

Ebon Blade Deathbringers in the World: All Deathbringers are members of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, an organization that came into being just before the start of the War of the Lich King. The majority of this organization fights to destroy what remains of the Scourge, as well as any of the living followers they might have affiliated with them. Though these knights do follow their own endeavors on most occasions. While the death knights that make up this organization may feel no emotion and only wish to inflict harm, they do have a measure of logic that they follow and will not forsake the allegiances that their group holds.

Deathbringers see the Ebon Blade as necessary on Azeroth. They see it as a way to fight their enemies with their own terms, use their own strengths against them. Most Deathbringers see their counterparts as mostly tools, and will use them as they see fit in battle. Deathbringers show no loyalty to their brethren, only to the will to destroy and maim their enemies with whatever means they have. The few Deathbringers that exist make up the elite group of the Ebon Blade, and often serve as the leaders for groups of death knights or other necromancers of Acherus.

Hit Die: d10

Requirements
 * Race: Any
 * Alignment: Any Evil
 * Affiliation: Any, but usually Deathbringers remain apart of the Ebon Blade
 * Base Attack Bonus: +10
 * Skills: Intimidate 10 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks
 * Feats: Magic Energy Control, Toughness
 * Spellcasting: Ability to cast 5th level Necromancer spells or 2nd level Death Knight spells
 * Special: Deathbringers are inducted into being typically after subjecting themselves to brutal training and study. To be inducted into the group of Deathbringers apart of the Ebon Blade, one must prove themselves worthy by completing a difficult quest or show their quality beforehand.

Class Skills The Ebon Blade Deathbringer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (sta), craft (int), craft (trade skill) (int), Intimidate (str), Knowledge (arcana) (int), Knowledge (military tactics) (int), Knowledge (the planes) (int), Knowledge (religion) (int), Profession (spt), Profession (military commander) (spt), Ride (agy), Sense Motive (spt), Spellcraft (int), and Survival (spt)

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + int modifier.

Class Features Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Ebon Blade Deathbringer gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spell Slots per Day: Every time the Ebon Blade Deathbringer gains a level beyond 1st, they gain new spell slots per day as if they had also gained a level in Necromancer or Death Knight before they added the Deathbringer of the Ebon Blade level. They do not gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.

Unholy Mastery: An Ebon Blade Deathbringer gains the opportunity to select a special ability from among those described below. Purchasing many of these abilities requires the permanent sacrifice of class features or armor proficiencies totaling a certain level. Each armor proficiency sacrificed (heavy, medium or light) counts as a 1st level class feature for this purpose. The Deathbringer does not need to sacrifice armor proficiencies in order; they could, four example, sacrifice Armor Proficiency (Light), then Armor Proficiency (Heavy), and retain proficiency in medium armor. Once the character sacrifices such proficiency, she cannot regain it by any means (by multiclassing or by taking feats, for instance). Other (non-armor proficiency) class features count as class features of the class level at which the Deathbringer gained them. For example, a Death knight/Ebon Blade Deathbringer can purchase Anti-Magic Shell (which costs 6 levels) by sacrificing death pact (a 5th-level death knight class feature) and Armor Proficiency (Heavy) (counts as a 1st level class feature).

Necrotic Strike: Once per day the Ebon Blade Deathbringer may declare a necrotic strike against any undead or living creature with a normal melee attack. On a successful hit, the target must make a Will save (DC 10+ deathbringer's level + deathbringer's int modifier) or be slain instantly and turned into a minion of the deathbringer (if the target is a living creature then they become a sentient undead). If the templar misses with their necrotic strike, the strike has no effect but is still used up for that day. Learning this ability requires the sacrifice of a total of 6 levels of class features or armor proficiencies. The deathbringer may take this feature more than once, each time they take it they can use necrotic strike one additional time per day.

Runic Focus: Learning this ability gives the deathbringer one spell slot per day of one level greater than the highest level they could previously cast. The deathbringer's intellect bonus grants them extra spells of this level normally. For example, a 14th level death knight/2nd level deathbringer with 18 intellect would gian one 5th level spell slot, since they previously were able to cast up to 4th level; they gain no bonus spell slots -- their intellect score is not high enough. If the deathbringer is already able to cast 9th level spells, this ability grants them an additional 9th level spell slot.

Learning this feature requires the permanent loss of -2 points of stamina. The character may gain a distinguishing mark to represent this loss, as determined by the player. Examples of distinctive marks are runic tattoos, glowing eyes (usually a metallic color), or the loss of all hair on the body. The deathbringer can take this feature more than once.

Anti-Magic Shell: The Ebon Blade Deathbringer can create a barrier of unholy power around themself once per week as a free action. This effect makes the deathbringer invulnerable to hit point and ability damage, disease, energy drain, paralysis, poison, and all other offensive spells and effects for 3 rounds. using anti-magic shell expends all the deathbringer's remaining spell slots. The deathbringer can use this feature even if they have no spell slots left. Learning this feature requires the sacrifice of a total of 6 levels of class abilities or armor proficiencies.

Lichborne: This ability increases the Ebon Blade Deathbringer's effective caster level by +1 for the purposes of determining level dependent spell variables, such as damage or range, and caster level checks. In addition, the deathbringer's effective level increases by +1 for the unholy strike ability (see below). Learning this ability requires the sacrifice of any armor proficiency or class feature of 1st level of above. The deathbringer may take this feature more than once, and its effects stack.

Desecration: The deathbringer gains the ability to use the negative energy within them to create an area around them of desecrated ground. This area spans 15 ft + 2 ft per deathbringer level. Upon this desecrated ground, all living and undead opponents take a -2 penalty to attack bonuses, -1 to their stamina and must make a DC 10 + deathbringer's level or be rooted in place by skeletal grasping hands for 1d10 rounds that also cause 1d6 damage per round. Using Desecration is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Learning this ability requires the sacrifice of a total of 10 levels of class features or armor proficiencies.

Shadow Infusion: The Ebon Blade Deathbringer's studies of necromancy allow them to adapt any offensive spell they know into an unholy variation of the spell. When casting any damage-dealing spell, the deathbringer may choose to make the spell deal shadow damage instead of the base damage type of the spell. For example, a deathbringer who knows firebolt can cast an unholy firebolt that deals shadow damage instead of fire damage. Learning this ability requires the sacrifice of a total of 2 levels of class features or armor proficiencies.

Death Presence: This ability can only be purchased if the character has the presences class feature (for example, if they have levels in death knight). The Ebon Blade Deathbringer gains access to an additional presence, which they can use in the same way as any other presence, and which expends uses of the activate presence ability normally. While under the effects of this presence, you gain the bonuses of all three of the other presences combined (This means you get the bonus to strength, the bonus to stamina and AC and the bonus to move speed and attacks per round). This Presence also expands these bonuses to allies within 25 ft around them. In addition, all offensive spells cast by the Ebon Blade Deathbringer and their allies adds +1 point of damage per Ebon Blade Deathbringer level. Learning this ability requires the sacrifice of all other presences the death knight has.

Unholy Strike: Once per day, an Ebon Blade Deathbringer may attempt an unholy strike with one normal melee attack. They must declare their intent to use unholy strike before they make their attack roll. If they hit, they deal +1d6 extra points of shadow damage, +1 additional point of shadow damage per Ebon Blade Deathbringer level. Their weapon is considered evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. If the deathbringer misses with their unholy strike, the strike has no effect but is still used up for that day. If the deathbringer possesses this ability from another character class (i.e., death knight), use the total levels of both classes to determine damage and number of uses per day.

Ebon Strike: At 10th level, an Ebon Blade Deathbringer may expend all their unholy strike attempts to make a single, desperate attack. They must declare their intent to use an ebon strike before they make their attack roll. If the attack hits, all damage from that attack is shadow damage, and the attack deals considerable extra damage. Each unholy strike expended in the attack increases the ebon strike's damage by 1d6, +2 points per character level. Their weapon is considered evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. if the deathbringer misses with their ebon strike, the strike has no effect but the unholy strikes are still used up for that day.

Ebon Blade Deathbringer Spell List The Ebon Blade Deathbringer spell list builds upon the character's previous divine spellcasting list, giving deathbringers access to several new spells. All Ebon Blade Deathbringer spells are considered arcane spells, even those usually associated with divine spellcasting classes.