Death knights are usually created by demon lords or evil deities. These evil undead warriors are most commonly raised from the ranks of blackguards, fighters, rangers, and barbarians, but a paladin who falls from grace near the moment of death may also become a death knight. Paladins who become death knights are subject to the same modifications as are presented for the blackguard in Chapter 2 of the Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide.