Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

If a character were to die in my group at some point in the campaign would it be possible that I ran a mission so that the rest of the party could reincarnate them as a death knight? Just because it's easier than killing them off and trying to build another character into the story...

In what game system?

D&D, sorry I forgot to mention.

Yes it is entirely possible, though I would refrain from bringing them back as a death knight unless it's an evil character/campaign. In most cases just having the players quest to find a rod of resurrection with one charge left is good enough.

Furthermore you can have the dead character as a spectral apparition, that is a ghost that can't interact with anyone or anything expect the party, so the player will be able to still engage in the adventure.

You could even work a whole story around having a character dead, but as a spectral apparition, if it happens too soon for the characters to realistically find a rod of resurrection or something similar.


Now if this were say, Dark Heresy, then you have an incredibly unique option for bringing them back, a cybernetic resurrection (which is kinda like what darth vader went through)

It's actually pretty hard to kill PCs in 4th, but you can do whatever you want of course. I don't know of any supported 'playable undead' for 4th, but I certainly don't have all the rules they've made.

In general,D&D considers Undead to be evil, so PC support will probably be limited.

Also using monster stats as-is in 4th will likely be difficult.The monsters are statted out with the expectation of being in a single encounter and will probably be a bit bumpy for regular use.

Now, the ting to consider is: does the player want to play a death knight for story reasons or because of the abilities?

If for the abilities, be careful. An overpowered character can ruin the enjoyment for everyone else.

If for the story, consider reskinning, which 4th edition has really embraced. Find a race/class that has the right kid of powers and retheme. I can't think of an 'undead-ish' class, but perhaps Tiefling would work. For race, again I can't think of any perfect fits but maybe a paladin.

You can tweak this to save everyone work as well. Maybe if using the Paladin class, swap 'Radiant' for 'Necrotic' damage types to make it more 'undead-ish.'

The Revenant race is practically built for this. Far better than trying to adapt monster (Death Knight or other undead) stats for use by a PC. 4th is not designed for monsters to work the same way as PCs.

Mannahnin wrote:The Revenant race is practically built for this. Far better than trying to adapt monster (Death Knight or other undead) stats for use by a PC. 4th is not designed for monsters to work the same way as PCs.

Thank you Mannahnin, this is perfect. I'm running a campaign based largely on the rising of the dead so this will fit in nicely.

I still think 'reskinning' a Paladin with Necrotic instead of Radiant might be a good thought, too. Although Radiant would be a neat idea if the character is the 'Undead that exerts will over other undead' type, as many undead are vulnerable to Radiant damage.

Yeah, not a bad thought. A Paladin's (or other warrior class with divine powers, like maybe Avenger or Runepriest) powers are thematically similar to the kind of things one might expect a Death Knight to do; other than commanding undead, of course.

Well it is a good idea, if you are only using the fourth edition fluff to a Death Knight, because in other editions Death Knights became bound to a specific area for a specific purpose, that is, of course, I am remembering all of this I discussed with my DM about this particular creature.

Then again IF you really do not like the character have a druid reincarnate him into some sort of humanoid that would make the character seem like a joke.

I don't believe Death Knights in earlier editions were bound to a specific area or purpose. Sounds like something from a particular campaign or game world. Just checked their original entry (1st ed AD&D Fiend Folio), and it doesn't say anything like that. It says there are only 12 of them, though, created by Demogorgon. And they're able to summon a Nightmare as a mount similar to how a Paladin summons his.

Actually, come to think of it, as I recall there was a big solo module/advenure book in 1st ed in which you play a goodly Knight raised as undead with missing memories, for a specific purpose.

http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Living-Forgotten-Realms-Catacombs/dp/0880385987

Generally in D&D undead are always evil, but I've heard of specific scenarios a few times in which PCs played them with limitations like you're talking about.

scarskull5 wrote:

Mannahnin wrote:The Revenant race is practically built for this. Far better than trying to adapt monster (Death Knight or other undead) stats for use by a PC. 4th is not designed for monsters to work the same way as PCs.

Thank you Mannahnin, this is perfect. I'm running a campaign based largely on the rising of the dead so this will fit in nicely.

Just curious, was the PC a human before death? With the specific look that revenants have I always find it odd when something like a dragonborn or halfling suddenly looks like D.

Nobodys died yet, but if they do I will be turning them revvy.

I always liked the Deadlands take on undead PC's, where you have your own free will most of the time, but, your in a constant battle with the evil spirit keeping you alive over control of your body. And when he does get temporary control, you got some murderin to explain!!

Forgotten Realms may be right, it is my personal favorite to the campaign settings.