Rynnas was raised to fight. After being orphaned due to war she followed a wagon train until she was left at a church. From there she was trained as an attendant to Paladin. Eventually, her training in the basics was complete and she would lend aid to a keep besieged by the undead. As her company fought their way through the waves of undead Rynnas felt an odd presence was at work. After fighting through the horde her company met up with the survivors and prepared for a counterassault. That is when a powerful force struck and killed all but her in a sinister spell. Laying close to death a voice echoed a chance of salvation into her mind. If she would only extend her hand she could live and battle again. She peered through bloodstained eyes and noted her shattered body before extending her bloodied hand. Immediately she was granted a combination of life yet unlife as her hand now held a foul-shaped longsword. Now she was a Dhampir with a skeletonized arm. Now with a renewed vigor she now raised her blade and subjugated the remaining undead in the name of her patron and now she fights in their name to advance their agenda and goals. She has become a Pale Master, an armored necromancer of destructive power.
Rynnas
Race: Dhampir +2 Cha, +1 Str 35 speed, Ancestral Legacy, Darkvision, Deathless Nature, Spider Climb, Vampiric Bite
Stats (27- point buy)
Str 15 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 9 Wis 10 Cha 12 (base stats)
Str 16 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 9 Wis 10 Cha 14 (racial and feat adjustment)
The three things that I wanted to achieve with this build are:
- Undead Master of Arms.
- Offensive Shade Touch.
- Bone Hardened Defenses.
Race
For the Race of this build, I went with Dhampir but initially, she was a variant human. With this race, she gains +2 to Cha and +1 to Str, an increased walking speed of 35, Ancestral Legacy: Athletics and Perception, Darkvision, Deathless Nature, Spider Climb, and Vampiric Bite.
Background
For Background, I chose Mercenary Veteran. This gives her the skills of Persuasion and Survival, Tool Proficiencies of Vehicles (Land), Dice Set, and the Background Feature of Mercenary Life.
Class
For the Class makeup of this build, I went with a mix of Paladin 1/ Warlock 5 (The Undying). With this combination of classes, she gains a strong set of defensive abilities from the first level of Paladin such as Proficiencies and Lay on Hands, spells and eldritch invocations from Warlock increased access to undead fueled powers from your undead patron, and the ability to marshal a sizable strike force of undead to support you in the field. The key abilities to this build are the spell selections, the feat: Mage Slayer, and the warlock class feature of Among the Dead as well as her Dhamphir abilities. These abilities allow her to work well amongst other undead that prowls the lands, muster troops of undead, and the ability to quickly react to spellcasters who would destroy her minions with their spells. With her new UN-life in front of her, Rynnas serves as a newly minted member of her lich master’s army as a Pale Master.
Paladin 1 is the beginning of this build with the skills of Religion and Medicine, Divine Sense, and Lay on Hands.
Warlock 1 is where Rynnas picks up the features of Pact Magic, Expanded Spell List, and Among the Dead. Among the Dead gives her the spare the dying cantrip, an advantage on saving throws vs disease, and a sanctuary effect against undead targeting her.
Warlock 2 grants her access to Eldritch Invocations. At this level, she picks up Fiendish Vigor and Mast of Many Faces. She will eventually trade this out for Thirsting Blade.
Warlock 3 is where she picks up the Pact Boon of Pact of the Blade. This allows her to create a melee weapon in her hand or transform a magic weapon into her pact weapon.
Warlock 4 where she gains the feat of Mage Slayer. With this feat, she can attack a spellcaster if they cast a spell within 5 feet of them, give the damaged creature a disadvantage on concentration checks to maintain spells, and gains an advantage on saving throws on spells cast on her within 5 feet.
Warlock 5 is the final level for this build with access to a third Eldritch Invocation. Now she has Thirsting Blade and Undying Servitude. Now she gets two attacks with her pact weapon while Undying Servitude allows her to cast animate dead without using a spell slot.
Spells
Warlock
Cantrip
Chill Touch
Green-Flame Blade
Toll the Dead
Spare the Dying
1st Level
Armor of Agathys
Hellish Rebuke
2nd Level
Shatter
3rd Level
Fly
Summon Undead
Vampiric Touch
Equipment
Standard Paladin equipment with a Longsword and Shield.
Character sheet from DND Beyond
https://ddb.ac/characters/76770897/vlGGrJ
