Trying to make an evil paladin/death knight build

[Zapp Brannigan]

Okay so I wanna make this as a companion and not my main character. Obviously paladins can't be evil or use evil spells. So ive kinda come up with an alternative but I don't understand this game well enough to implement it properly without messing up the character or the idea. So my idea for the class would be a dmapir half cleric and half fighter or a cleric with the crusader subclass. That's about as far as I understand this. Idk if going half and half would work or a crusader subtype would just encompass both easily. Also for the suggestions please keep the classes to 2 maximum. I'm not interested in making a 4 class character. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Schlumpsha]

You're in luck, for modders did implement the Antipaladin class into WotR. Microscopic Content Expansion[github.com] is a faithful adaption to the Paladin's tabletop counterpart. And Expanded Content[www.nexusmods.com] did a homebrew take on it with via the Dark Knight custom class. Both have their own evil spellbook and thematically vile features. The Antipaladin mod has an archetype called Knight of the Sepulcher, which makes you fully undead at 20th level. Can't get more similar to a Death Knight than this.

If you prefer to play without mods, then go with Warpriest. It's basically a Paladin with higher spell levels and far more alignmental flexibility. The class's blessings have the same role as a Cleric's domains. Fun fact: Staunton Vhane in tabletop is actually an Antipaladin. But since that class isn't present in unmodded WotR, Owlcat changed him into a Warpriest instead.

[Drake]

Without mods, evil warpriest is what you want (champion ofthe faith archetype has the smite ability, it will smite your opposed alignment). You could also do a lawful evil fighter/hellknight (or even a warpriest/hellknight), the hellight smite chaos is very potent in this campaign with all of the chaotic monsters, plus with the mythic smite chaos you can get more than one use per day, making it actually useful.
If you want to do some death knight stuff, an evil steelblood bloodrager with the undead bloodline works fine. You could also just do a cavalier with the lich mythic path. The lich path will provide the spells and powers do emulate the death knight part, while the cavalier provides the martial (and mount, that can become undead too, because why not).

[Zapp Brannigan]

Originally posted by Drake:

Without mods, evil warpriest is what you want (champion ofthe faith archetype has the smite ability, it will smite your opposed alignment). You could also do a lawful evil fighter/hellknight (or even a warpriest/hellknight), the hellight smite chaos is very potent in this campaign with all of the chaotic monsters, plus with the mythic smite chaos you can get more than one use per day, making it actually useful.
If you want to do some death knight stuff, an evil steelblood bloodrager with the undead bloodline works fine. You could also just do a cavalier with the lich mythic path. The lich path will provide the spells and powers do emulate the death knight part, while the cavalier provides the martial (and mount, that can become undead too, because why not).

Very interesting, I'm definitely looking for the ability for the anti-paladin/death knight or whatever you wanna call it to do some necromancer spells. Would a steel blooded blood rager give me access to some evil necro spells like the war priest?

[Schlumpsha]

Bloodrager has a couple of Necromancy spells. False Life (Greater), Bestow Curse, Enervation and Vampiric Touch come to mind. It's not much, but you get some.

The Bloodrager spellbook is no comparison to a Warpriest's vast Necromancy arsenal though. For instance, as a Bloodrager you cannot summon undead, or use other iconic spells like Boneshatter and Slay Living. A Warpriest also has thematically fitting Evocation spells for your evil RP build: Unholy Blight, Profane Nimbus and Hellfire Ray in particular should be helpful.

[Zapp Brannigan]

Originally posted by Schlumpsha:

Bloodrager has a couple of Necromancy spells. False Life (Greater), Bestow Curse, Enervation and Vampiric Touch come to mind. It's not much, but you get some.

The Bloodrager spellbook is no comparison to a Warpriest's vast Necromancy arsenal though. For instance, as a Bloodrager you cannot summon undead, or use other iconic spells like Boneshatter and Slay Living. A Warpriest also has thematically fitting Evocation spells for your evil RP build: Unholy Blight, Profane Nimbus and Hellfire Ray in particular should be helpful.

Thank you so much!

[Mr Fred]

A fun suboptimal build that really feel like a deathknight would be a lich with 9 fighter/1 wizard/ 10 hellknight signifier with the order of the gate that reduce arcane failure. You just need 1 lvl in wizard and merge it with the lich spellbook to reach the prerequisite spellcasting for prestige (no other suggestion so far let you merge with lich spellbook).

Hope you dont mind the extra class, I'm kinda like you on that front but never count prestige class in this limitation.

Late game you have all the lich and necromancy spells, youre in full plate and heavy shield (mythral) and got corrupted radiance in hand for a weapon so it really nailed the Lord Soth vibe I was going for.

You can also make a lich 9 fighter/1wizard/10 eldritch knight with no armor and a 2handed weapon that use the archmage armor mythic if you want a better version that require less feat investment but it just doesnt have the same feel to me.