Dark Knight class (Final Fantasy-themed homebrew)

http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SkbpUDNfi (June 10 2016 version)

After two years and no less than four scrapped versions (including a very brief incarnation as a fighter archetype), I think my Final Fantasy style dark knight class is ready to see the light of day.

It's a heavy hitter type of class that favours Strength and Constitution, but versatile enough that if you wanted, you could build one for archery or finesse.

Most importantly, I take absolutely no credit for the mechanics behind the dark sword feature, which were taken from Matt Mercer's wonderful Blood Hunter class, presented on Geek & Sundry. I was stuck on what to do with dark sword until I read the class and saw the crimson rite feature.

DESIGN NOTES:

Dark Sword is meant to emphasize the DK's role as a combatant who can both take and deliver hits. However, because their two main offensive class features deal necrotic damage, they're not very useful against certain types of undead (especially incorporeal ones, which are often outright immune to necrotic damage). Because it's so strong, it sacrifices both maximum and current hit points, making it a calculated risk to use if your hit points are low enough.

Dark Wave was originally much more versatile, but I felt it made more sense as a centered-on-user AOE that blasts everything nearby, limiting its usefulness. The fact that you can use it repeatedly at the cost of inflicting damage to yourself is meant to partly make it more useful, but also partly to add to the DK's flavour as a class that burns through its own lifeforce to inflict big damage. Speaking of big damage, I originally had this feature's dice at d10s, and later reduced them to d8s, and even later, d6s because I felt like it was too powerful. The Shadow Knight archetype makes dark wave much more useful, detailed later.

I had a hard time designing Menacing Gaze, and it was originally much stronger. It's gone through a few versions, but I'm most satisfied with this one. It still feels a bit weak and could probably stand to be made stronger. I've considered having it refresh on a short rest, but change it so that if the target succeeds on its save, the use is not considered spent.

Soul of Steel, Touch of the Void, and Resolute Will are there to reinforce the DK's role as a stone-cold badass who can withstand anything and keep going. Desperation and Inevitable Demise are relatively recent additions to the class, and of them, I think I'm least satisfied with Desperation if only because of extremely limited utility. I'm happy with Inevitable Demise, though.

The Blood Knight archetype was the first one I designed and the one that's gone through almost as many iterations as the class itself. This latest version is focused on getting stronger as the battle gets harder, and its two main features, Adversity and Cornered Fury, reflect this. It was tricky to design features that activate at half hit points, because what good are they if you're not at half HP? So instead, I gave them other triggers or lesser benefits so they're still useful even if you're not wounded.

Smell Fear is meant to work with Menacing Gaze, but it's the sort of feature that also relies heavily on allies. I was unsatisfied with it as it was, so I added something thematically appropriate that helps with non-combat encounters. See You In Hell is like a poor man's Retaliation (barbarian berserker feature), but has a potent counterattack. Even if it's not a useful feature, I absolutely love the flavour of it, and I outright stole the name from a dark knight ability in Bravely Default.

Of the three archetypes, Dusk Knight is the one I'm least sure about in regards to balance. I have no idea if this archetype is too strong or too weak. Like the rest of the class, it badly needs playtesting, despite what it looks like on paper. It's full of ideas that I LIKE but that I'm not entirely sure about, and it might not survive the final cut. I do love the idea of the spooky curse-flinging dark knight, though. My main regret is that I couldn't come up with more curses, and I'm not even sure the existing ones are balanced.

Of the three archetypes, I like Shadow Knight best, but it's also the most recent addition to the class. It focuses on getting the most out of dark wave, and I've considered adding a feature that changes dark wave's damage dice from d6s to d8s. I think Death Blossom and Miasma are my two favourite features, especially Miasma because it works well for area denial, which is a relatively uncommon ability.

END DESIGN NOTES

There you have it, my Final Fantasy style dark knight class. I hesitate to call it finished since anything in it is subject to change, but this is the version I'm most satisfied with.