Blackguard

Description: The blackguard epitomizes evil. He is nothing short of a mortal fiend. The quintessential black knight, this villain carries a reputation of the foulest sort that is very well deserved. Consorting with demons and devils and serving dark deities, the blackguard is hated and feared by all. Some people call these villains anti-paladins due to their completely evil nature.

The blackguard has many options available to him - sending forth dark minions and servants to do his bidding, attacking with stealth and honorless guile, or straightforward smiting of the forces of good that stand in his way Fighters, ex-paladins, rangers, monks, druids, and barbarians make for indomitable combat-oriented blackguards, while rogues and bardic blackguards are likely to stress the subtle aspects of their abilities and spells. Sorcerers, wizards, and clerics who become blackguards are sometimes called diabolists and favor dealing with fiends even more than other blackguards do.

Blackguards usually lead legions of undead, evil outsiders, or other monsters to conquer their own doomed demesne or expand their existing territory. Sometimes they serve more powerful evil characters as dark lieutenants. On occasion they operate alone as hired killers or wandering purveyors of ill, destruction, and chaos.

NOTE - In PnP, a requirement of becoming a Blackguard is that 'the blackguard must have made peaceful contact with an evil outsider who was summoned by him or someone else to have contracted the taint of true evil.' Blackguards are also a divine class, and receive their spells from their deity.

Requirements

Alignment: Any evil

Base attack bonus: +6

Skills: Hide 5

Feats: Cleave, Power Attack

Class feature progression

Hit Die: d10

Base Attack Bonus: High

High Saves: Fortitude

Weapon Proficiencies: simple and martial

Armor Proficiencies: Light, Medium, Heavy, Shields (except for Tower Shields)

Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier

Class Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Lore: History, Lore: Local, Lore: Nobility and Royalty, Lore: Religion, Lore: The Planes, Parry, Ride.

Class Progression

Level	Features Gained
1	Use Poison
2	Smite Good x1, Dark Blessing
3	Aura of Despair, Turn Undead, Create Undead (Summon Slot, 10 HD)
4	Sneak Attack +1d6
5	Summon Fiend (Cohort Slot, 10 HD)
6
7	Sneak Attack +2d6, Create Undead (Summon Slot, 15 HD)
8
9	Summon Fiend (Cohort Slot, 15 HD)
10	Sneak Attack +3d6, Extra Smiting

Use Poison

A Blackguard can safely Poison his/her melee weapon without the need to make a Dexterity check.

Smite Good

Once a day, a Blackguard of 2nd level or higher may attempt to smite a good-aligned enemy with one normal melee attack. The Blackguard adds their Charisma bonus to the attack roll and adds 1 extra point of damage per class level.

Dark Blessing

At 2nd level, the Blackguard applies their Charisma modifier to all saving throws.

Aura of Despair

Beginning at 3rd level, the Blackguard radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of them to take a –2 penalty on all saving throws.

Turn Undead

When a Blackguard reaches 3rd level, he gains the supernatural ability to Turn Undead. He may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. He turns undead as a Cleric of two levels lower would.

Summon Fiend

At 5th level, the Blackguard can summon a hellfire hound (upgraded again at level 9).

Sneak Attack

At 4th level, the Blackguard gains the sneak attack ability. This ability functions exactly like the Rogue ability of the same name. The bonus damage is +1d6 at 4th level, +2d6 at 7th level, and +3d6 at 10th level.

Spells

At 2nd level, the Blackguard gains a spellbook. Spells require a base Wisdom score of 10 + spell level to be cast and can be picked in that list.

- - NOTE ON BLACKGUARD CASTER LEVELS: Caster level calculation for Blackguard is: Blackguard levels + (non-Blackguard levels/2) = Caster Level. So a level 30 character with 8 or 9 Blackguard levels will have CL19 while a level 30 PC with 10 Blackguard levels will have CL20. Dragonslayer counts up to 6 of its levels as Blackguard levels, as per its optional Blackguard spell progression. For example a 10 rogue 10 Blackguard 10 Dragonslayer would have CL26.