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Graveknight Champion
Once the servant of a deity, the graveknight champion returned as an undead after a life cut short in service to their god.Recall Knowledge - Undead (Religion): DC 36
Unspecific Lore: DC 34
Specific Lore: DC 31
Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level
Changes from being Weak are marked in red below.NOTE: The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.
Weak Graveknight ChampionCreature 14
Uncommon Medium Undead Unholy Source Monster Core 2 pg. 173
Perception +25; darkvision
Languages Common, Necril
Skills Athletics +29, Deity Lore +25, Intimidation +27, Religion +25
Str +8, Dex +4, Con +5, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +6
Items +2 resilient full plate, composite shortbow (20 arrows), greatpick
AC 36; Fort +26, Ref +24, Will +23
HP 255 (rejuvenation, void healing); Immunities bleed, death, disease, fire, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
Clutching Armor [reaction] (arcane) Trigger A creature attempts to move away from the graveknight champion; Effect The graveknight champion's armor animates and attempts to Grab the triggering creature. It makes an Athletics check to Grapple at +29. The armor can continue to Grapple the creature normally. Since the armor is grappling the creature, the graveknight doesn't need a free hand to do so.Reactive Strike [reaction]
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] greatpick +28 [+23/+18] (fatal d12, fire, magical), Damage 3d10-2+16 slashing plus 1d6 fireMelee [one-action] fist +28 [+24/+20] (agile, fire, magical), Damage 3d6-2+16 bludgeoning plus 1d6 fireRanged [one-action] composite shortbow +26 [+21/+16] (deadly d10, fire, magical, range increment 60 feet, reload 0), Damage 3d6-2+10 piercing plus 1d6 fireInnate Divine Spells DC 31, attack +23 (-4 dmg); 7th eclipse burst, execute; 6th fireball, spiritual armament; 5th chilling darkness, divine immolation; 4th fireball; Cantrips (7th) divine lance, light, shield, void warp
Channel Magic [two-actions] The graveknight champion redirects magical energies through its armor, allowing it to deliver magic through an attack. The graveknight champion Casts a Spell that takes 1 or 2 actions to cast and requires a spell attack modifier. The effects of the spell don't occur immediately but are imbued into an attack instead. The graveknight champion then makes a melee Strike with a weapon or unarmed attack. The spell is coupled with the attack, using the attack roll result to determine the effects of both the Strike and the spell. This counts as two attacks for the graveknight's multiple attack penalty but doesn't apply the penalty until after they've completed Channeling Magic. The graveknight champion can't use Channel Magic again for 1d4 rounds.Devastating Blast [two-actions] (arcane, fire) The graveknight champion unleashes a 30-foot cone of energy. Creatures in the area take 9d12 fire with a DC 34 basic Reflex save. The graveknight champion can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds.Graveknight's Curse (arcane, curse) This curse affects anyone who wears a graveknight champion's armor for at least 1 hour; Saving Throw DC 38 Will save; Onset 1 hour; Stage 1 doomed 1 and can't remove armor (1 day); Stage 2 doomed 2, –10- foot status penalty to Speeds, and can't remove armor (1 day); Stage 3 dies and transforms into the armor's graveknight.Ruinous Weapons Any weapon or unarmed attack the graveknight uses gains the effects of a +1 greater striking weapon and a greater flaming weapon rune.Weapon Master The graveknight has access to the critical specialization effects of any weapons they wield.
All Monsters in "Graveknight"
| Name | Level |
| Graveknight | 10 |
| Graveknight Captain | 6 |
| Graveknight Champion | 15 |
| Graveknight Warmaster | 14 |
| Seldeg Bhedlis | 20 |
Graveknight
Source Monster Core pg. 178 1.1Graveknights are undead warriors granted unlife by a cursed suit of armor.
Creating Graveknights
You can turn an existing, living creature into a graveknight by completing the following steps. It's best to build a graveknight from scratch, but if you don't have the time, simply apply the following template. A creature should be at least level 5 before being converted to a graveknight.- Increase the creature's level by 1.
- Increase its attack rolls, AC, saving throws, Perception, and skills by 1, its HP by 5, and its Strike damage by 1.
Graveknight Abilities
A graveknight gains the graveknight, undead, and unholy traits. They lose any abilities that come from being a living creature and any traits that represent their life, such as human and humanoid.Darkvision
Void Healing
Rejuvenation (divine) When a graveknight is destroyed, their armor rebuilds their body over the course of 1d10 days—or more quickly if the armor is worn by a living host (see Graveknight Armor). If the body is destroyed before then, the process restarts. A graveknight can only be permanently destroyed by obliterating their armor (such as with disintegrate), transporting it to the Forge of Creation, or throwing it into the heart of a volcano.
Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious, plus one energy type (same type as ruinous weapons).
Sacrilegious Aura (aura, divine, void) 30 feet. When a creature in the aura uses a vitality spell or ability, the graveknight automatically attempts to counteract it, with the listed counteract modifier.
Devastating Blast [two-actions] (arcane) The graveknight unleashes a 30-foot cone of energy. Creatures in the area take limited use area damage for a creature of the graveknight's level with a basic Reflex save based on a high DC of the graveknight's level. The graveknight can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds. This energy damage is of the same type as that of their ruinous weapons, and Devastating Blast gains the associated trait.
Phantom Mount [three-actions] (arcane, summon) The graveknight summons a supernatural mount, as marvelous mount heightened to a rank equal to half the graveknight's level. Unlike marvelous mount, the steed's AC and saving throw bonuses are all 4 lower than the graveknight's, and the steed has one-third the graveknight's Hit Points (rounded down). If the steed is destroyed, the graveknight must wait 1 hour before using this ability again.
Ruinous Weapons When created, a graveknight chooses one of the following energy types that was relevant to their life or death: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Any weapon the graveknight wields or unarmed attack the graveknight uses gains the effects of the corrosive, frost, shock, or flaming weapon rune, respectively, in addition to a +1 striking weapon rune. If the graveknight is 14th level or higher, their weapons instead gain the effects of the greater versions of both of these runes
Weapon Master The graveknight has access to the critical specialization effects of any weapons they wield.
Alternate Graveknight Abilities
Although the abilities listed above are standard for a graveknight, you can create a more unusual graveknight by substituting one of the aforementioned abilities (except for darkvision, void healing, rejuvenation, or immunities) with one of the following.Betrayed Revivification The graveknight died after being deeply betrayed. Instead of being immune to a type of energy damage, they're immune to mental damage, their weapons deal 1d6 additional mental damage, and their Devastating Blast deals mental damage with a Will saving throw instead of Reflex.
Channel Magic [two-actions] The graveknight redirects magical energies through its armor, allowing it to deliver magic through an attack. The graveknight Casts a Spell that takes 1 or 2 actions to cast and requires a spell attack modifier. The effects of the spell don’t occur immediately but are imbued into an attack instead. The graveknight then makes a melee Strike with a weapon or unarmed attack. The spell is coupled with the attack, using the attack roll result to determine the effects of both the Strike and the spell. This counts as two attacks for the graveknight’s multiple attack penalty but doesn’t apply the penalty until after they’ve completed Channeling Magic. The graveknight can’t use Channel Magic again for 1d4 rounds.
Clutching Armor [reaction] (arcane) Trigger A creature attempts to move away from the graveknight; Effect The graveknight’s armor animates and attempts to Grab the triggering creature. It makes an Athletics check to Grapple using the graveknight’s Athletics modifier – 2. The armor can continue to Grapple the creature normally. Since the armor is grappling the creature, the graveknight doesn’t need a free hand to do so.
Create Grave Squire The graveknight can gift a piece of their armor to another creature, which becomes their grave squire. The graveknight can communicate telepathically with their squire at any distance, see through the squire's senses, and cast suggestion as a divine innate spell through the telepathic link at will; the squire treats their degree of success as one step worse. If the graveknight's main armor is destroyed, the squire's piece expands to cover the squire's body over 1d10 days, after which point it becomes the graveknight's new body. The graveknight can have only one squire at a time and must recover the armor piece to create a new squire.
Dark Deliverance The graveknight has vitality resistance equal to their level.
Eager for Battle (fortune) When the graveknight rolls initiative, they roll twice and take the better result. They’re quickened during their first round after rolling initiative and can use this extra action to Step, Stride, or Strike.
Empty Save for Dust The graveknight’s armor contains nothing more than swirling dust that puffs out from joints in their armor. A living creature that touches or is touched by the graveknight (including one hit by the graveknight’s fist Strike) must succeed at a Reflex saving throw or become contaminated with the dust. While contaminated, the targeted creature is stupefied 1 and gains weakness to the graveknight’s energy damage equal to half the graveknight’s level. The contamination ends after 1 minute or when the creature is doused with water, whichever occurs first.
Graveknight’s Shield (arcane) The graveknight’s curse extends to their shield, or the graveknight’s armor uses a portion of itself to produce a shield. The graveknight has a shield that uses the statistics of a sturdy shield of a level no higher than the graveknight’s level – 1. The shield is quasi-independent of the graveknight and automatically protects the graveknight from harm. When the shield is raised, it automatically uses Shield Block to reduce the damage of the first attack against the graveknight each round without the graveknight needing to spend their reaction to do so. The shield automatically rejuvenates with the rest of the graveknight and must be destroyed in the same manner as the graveknight’s armor.
Portentous Glare (aura, divine, emotion, fear, mental, visual) 30 feet. The graveknight’s visage is one of overwhelming menace. When a creature ends its turn in the aura, it must attempt a Will saving throw. A creature that fails is doomed 1 (or doomed 1 and frightened 2 on a critical failure). The graveknight can activate or deactivate the aura by using an Interact action to open or close their helmet visor.
Graveknight Armor
Wearing graveknight armor is very risky, for the graveknight's essence inevitably kills the host, transforming their flesh into the graveknight's new body. Removing the curse allows a character to remove the armor, but if they ever wear the armor again, the curse returns. If the wearer dies from another cause while wearing the armor, or if the graveknight's rejuvenation completes before the wearer dies from the curse, the wearer immediately progresses to stage 3.Graveknight's Curse (arcane, curse) This curse affects anyone who wears a graveknight's armor for at least 1 hour; Saving Throw Will save; Onset 1 hour; Stage 1 doomed 1 and can't remove armor (1 day); Stage 2 doomed 2, –10-foot status penalty to Speeds, and can't remove armor (1 day); Stage 3 dies and transforms into the armor's graveknight.
Infamous Graveknights
Several of Golarion's most notorious villains are graveknights. The following examples are among the world's most infamous graveknights at large and may inspire or serve as villains in your own games.Lictor Shokneir: Once the Hellknight leader of the notorious Order of the Crux, Lictor Shokneir was disgraced when he refused a royal order to disband his army of butchers. The other Hellknights surrounded him and razed his castle, Citadel Gheisteno, to the ground. However, Shokneir's determination sustains his now-undead form, and he and his undead legions have rebuilt the citadel in all its haunting glory.
The Black Prince: Although the graveknight known simply as the Black Prince was redeemed centuries ago as part of Iomedae's 11 Acts, it is said that the prince's armor remains intact—and that vile forces conspire to reclaim it. If the armor is donned by one of the Black Prince's descendants, the Inner Sea will be beset by a terrible villain indeed.
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