Hellknight Source Hellfire Dispatches pg. 24You've presented yourself to a Hellknight citadel as a candidate to become a fearsome Hellknight. You believe that all who live must be forced to obey the law, and you adventure as a test of your loyalty, discipline, and courage. You might aspire to become part of a specific order of Hellknights, or you might instead present yourself to any law-abiding authorities as an enforcer and quietly menacing emblem of order.
As such, you begin this career as an armiger. You hope to eventually take the Hellknight Test and battle a devil in single combat to prove your strength and fully join the Hellknight ranks. Until then, you prepare yourself for that day, training with your weapons and armor and meditating on the precepts of the Measure and the Chain.
Once you become a Hellknight, you're considered to be among the fiercest warriors in the Inner Sea region. You become a bastion of law wherever chaos threatens to rear. You've likely officially joined one of the many
Hellknight orders, following their agenda and favoring their preferred weapon. Each order usually operates in a specific geographical region, but it isn't unheard of for a Hellknight from any order to travel across the world to deal with threats.
Instead of focusing on martial prowess, you can follow the path of the Hellknight signifer instead. These powerful and enigmatic Hellknight spellcasters support and sometimes lead their fellow knights on missions to enforce unwavering law. You're formidable in your own right, keeping your emotions hidden behind an unmistakable faceless mask and wielding magic as a force of order and authority.
Additional Feats
Source Player Core pg. 215 Spring 2026, 1st PrintingSome archetypes include a list of “Additional Feats” that appear in other sources. The list includes each feat’s level, which might be different than normal when gained from the archetype. You can take the feat as an archetype feat of that level, meaning it counts toward the number of feats required by the archetype’s dedication feat. When selected this way, a feat that normally has a class’s trait (such as the fighter trait) doesn’t have that class trait.
Click here for the full rules on Additional Feats.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Archetype Dedication Source Character Guide pg. 84 2.0Archetype HellknightPrerequisites Hellknight Armiger Dedication; lawful alignment; member of a Hellknight Order; passed the Hellknight Test
You have forged your body to comply with the commands of your mind—orders steeped in the Measure and the Chain. You gain expert proficiency in
Intimidation (or in another skill in which you’re trained of your choice, if you were already an expert in Intimidation). You gain the armor specialization effects of Hellknight plate, and your resistance from that armor specialization is 1 higher than normal. In addition, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Intimidation checks while wearing your Hellknight plate.
Special You cannot select another dedication feat until you have gained two other feats from the Hellknight or
Hellknight armiger archetypes.
Fighter Source Player Core pg. 147 Spring 2026, 1st PrintingArchetype Hellknight* This version of the Fearsome Brute feat is intended for use with an archetype and has a different level for access than the
original feat.
Fear makes your foes weak and more vulnerable to your attacks. You gain a circumstance bonus to damage rolls for Strikes against frightened creatures. The bonus is equal to double the target’s frightened value.
If you’re a master in Intimidation, increase the bonus to triple the target’s frightened value.
Fighter Press Source Player Core pg. 145 Spring 2026, 1st PrintingArchetypes Blackjacket,
HellknightRequirements A frightened creature is in your melee reach
* This version of the Shatter Defenses feat is intended for use with an archetype and has a different level for access than the
original feat.
Your offense exploits your enemy’s fear. Make a melee Strike against a frightened creature. If you hit and deal damage, the target becomes off-guard until its frightened condition ends. If the target was already off-guard to you when you damaged it with this Strike, it can’t reduce its frightened value below 1 until the start of your next turn.
Bard Cleric Druid Oracle Psychic Sorcerer Witch Wizard Source Player Core pg. 103 Spring 2026, 1st Printing,
Player Core 2 pg. 140 1.1Archetype Hellknight* This version of the Steady Spellcasting feat is intended for use with an archetype and has a different level for access than the
original feat.
You don’t lose spells easily. If a reaction would disrupt your spellcasting action, attempt a DC 15 flat check. If you succeed, your action isn’t disrupted.
Legacy Content
Archetype Source Character Guide pg. 84 2.0Archetype HellknightPrerequisites Hellknight Dedication
You call upon the power of law and make a weapon or unarmed Strike against a foe you have witnessed breaking or disrespecting the law or otherwise acting disorderly. The Strike deals two extra weapon damage dice if the target of your Strike is chaotic. Whether or not the target is chaotic, you can convert the physical damage from the attack into lawful damage.
Legacy Content
Archetype Source Character Guide pg. 84 2.0Archetype HellknightPrerequisites Hellknight Dedication
You’ve trained with your order’s weapon and your Hellknight plate long enough to apply your expertise from other weapons and armor. If you have expert proficiency in any weapon or unarmed attack, you gain expert proficiency in your order’s weapon as well. If you have expert proficiency in any armor or unarmored defense, you gain expert proficiency in Hellknight plate as well.