# Paladin # Oath of Hexes Those who swear an oath of hexes are sworn to witch covens, fey creatures, and occult deities of magic, fate, and death. In exchange, this sacred oath empowers paladins with fickle magic to curse those who would try to tempt fate or escape the ire of the Old Gods. Tenets of Hexes Serve the Occult. Deities with power over the future have infused you with occult magic. Through your oath, you are made a mortal vessel for their inscrutable will. Keeper of Secrets. This world harbors dark secrets which are best kept long forgotten. You stand as the protectors of those secrets, preventing them from falling into the hands of weakwilled mortals who would misuse them to evil ends. Arbiter of Fate. The strands of fate were woven long ago, and it is folly to fight them. Misfortune befalls all. Show No Mercy. Though some think your strange powers are dark or corrupted, you vanquish evil with the very curses and magics that they would use against you. Show no mercy to those who resist their fate. Oath Spells 3rd-level Oath of Hexes feature You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of Hexes Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work. Paladin Level Spells 3rd hellish rebuke, hideous laughter, eldritch blast 5th invisibility, suggestion 9th bestow curse, fear 13th dimension door, polymorph 17th dominate person, mislead Channel Divinity 3rd-level Oath of Hexes feature You gain the following Channel Divinity options: h Curse of Hexes. As an action, you curse one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. When you curse a target, choose an ability score. The chosen creature has disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks using that ability score for one minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious. At the end of each of the cursed creature’s turns, it can make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a successful save, the curse ends. h Curse of Torment. As a bonus action, you curse one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. Searing pain wracks the target for one minute. While suffering this pain, it takes necrotic damage equal to your paladin level at the start of each of its turns. Each time it takes this damage, it can make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a successful save, the pain ends. Bewitching Aura 7th-level Oath of Hexes feature You emit an eldritch aura out to a range of 10 feet. When an enemy hits you or a creature within 10 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to force that enemy to make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, you can magically redirect the attack to another creature of your choice within 10 feet of you and within range of the attack. The new target is hit by the attack and suffers all damage and effects. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet. Reversal of Fortune 15th-level Oath of Hexes feature Whenever a creature scores a critical hit against you, the next time you hit that creature with an attack, that attack automatically becomes a critical hit. Death Hex 20th-level Oath of Hexes feature A creature afflicted by your Curse of Hexes or Curse of Torment becomes vulnerable to all damage. # Oath of judgment The Oath of Judgment is taken by paladins who emulate the kings of old, tempering wrath with law and strength with wisdom. From their throne they wield the powers of judge, jury, and executioner, smiting those they deem their foes. Storm and lightning represent the sudden, irrevocable, and inescapable nature of their judgment. ##### Tenets The tenets of the Oath of Judgement echo the sacred laws of ancient kings, handed down throughout the ages. **Temper Strength with Wisdom**. As a king you must possess both the shrewdness to make sound judgments and the power to enforce them. One without the other is folly. **Majesty.** Your power is that of a king; if you wish to command the respect and authority of a king so too must you bear the responsibility and dignity of a king. **Wrath.** Once passed, your judgment is absolute. Mercy can be given, but not after the verdict has been decided. Only blood can pay for blood. ##### Oath of Judgment Spells 3rd\* thunderwave, command 5th shatter, branding smite 9th call lightning, lightning bolt 13th banishment, guardian of faith 17th destructive wave, banishing smite \*-paladin level ##### Channel Divinity When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. ***Fulminating Smite.*** As a bonus action you imbue your weapon with lightning. Until the end of your turn, your melee weapon attacks become ranged (100 ft.) and deal lightning damage. You can use your Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity for these attacks. These attacks also deal 1d8 bonus lightning damage. When you make a ranged attack in this way, being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. ***Exile***. As an action you can use your Channel Divinity to turn humanoids. Each enemy humanoid within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned until the end of your next turn or until it takes any damage. A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action. ##### Aura of the King Beginning at 7th level, your commanding presence saps the will from your foes. Enemies who begin their turn within 10 feet of you lose an amount of movement equal to half their speed until the end of their turn. At 18th level the range of this aura increases to 30 feet. ##### Eye for an Eye Starting at 15th level, when you are damaged by a melee attack, the attacker must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your paladin spell save DC or take lightning damage equal to half your paladin level. ##### Avatar of Judgment At 20th level you can use an action to channel your wrath for 1 minute, gaining the following benefits: • You have resistance to all damage, and immunity to lightning and thunder damage. • Your melee weapon attacks become ranged (100 ft.) and deal lightning damage. You can use your Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack. • Your weapon attacks score critical hits on a roll of 18, 19, or 20 on the d20. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. # Oath of Karma “And here they say that a person consists of desires, and as is his desire, so is his will; and as is his will, so is his deed; and whatever deed he does, that he will reap.” -Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 7th century BCE Consequences are inevitable, either for a good deed or an evil act. Without regard for the intent, all good deeds must come with a reward, and evil acts must be followed by a proper punishment. All must take the responsibility for the action they have taken, be it a sin or an act of virtue. Followers of Karma believe that they must step in where the laws and customs of men failed. They take the responsibility where others do not dare. Whether it is fair or ugly, truth must not be denied, and consequences must not be avoided. Tenets of Karma Reason: Never rush into mindless actions or emotions. Check your inner self, conscience and experiences to weigh an act before deciding a fate. Use your reason. Responsibility: All acts have consequences; so do yours. Do not run from them, whether fair or foul. You are the architect of your own actions; you are responsible for whatever you have done. Consequence: All must meet a fate for the deeds they do. All consequences are met, whether by the authorities or society, by the strength of your hands, or by the keenness of your blade. Bring the consequences to the world. 22 Subclass Options Duty: You must keep your word. Face what you have promised. Giving a word is also a deed that must be faced. Optional Feature: Bad Karma As an optional rule, when a paladin fails to follow the tenets of the oath they swore, instead of becoming an Oathbreaker Paladin, the aspects of chaos such as powerful djinni, offsprings of leviathan, or great beings from chaotic otherworlds reach out to the paladin and attempt to convert them to their chaotic ways. With this method, the paladin becomes a Chaos Domain cleric at the same level. The ability scores will not change, but everything related to class abilities transforms; for instance, the ability to use divine smite will not work. Oath of Karma Spells of a fight. Whenever you or an ally within your aura drops below half of its hit point maximum, you can use your reaction to give them temporary hit points equal to 1d4 + your paladin level. Additionally, if they take damage from a creature within 60 ft. of you, you can force the creature to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be compelled to fight you for 1 minute and take damage equal to half your paladin level (minimum 1) while in your aura when they start their turn in it. They repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns. If they do not choose to attack you, they have disadvantage on the attack roll. This aura increases to 30 ft. at 18th level. Level 15: Divine Karma: When you heal an ally, you can take the amount as necrotic damage to yourself (can’t be reduced by any means) and gain an extra healing option. You can heal the same creature or another creature within 30 ft. of you an amount equal to the damage you took. This feature works with healing spells or features that target one creature. Level 20: Avatar of Karma: You can use your bonus action to become the Avatar of Karma and gain the following benefits for the next minute. D Within your Aura of Protection, when an ally takes damage, you can expend a spell slot as a reaction to make the damage bounce back to the attacker. The attacker takes half the damage it dealt. Also, if you expend a spell slot higher than 1, every spell level increases this damage by 1d8 radiant. D You are immune to the prone condition. D You have magic resistance. You can’t enter this state again until you finish a long rest. # Oath of pestilence Clad in grime-soaked armor and wielding rusting weapons, the Oath of Pestilence paladin spreads corruption, disease, and filth. Bound by an oath which infests their bodies with all manner of plagues, these heralds of decay lumber forward with unholy toughness and grim resolve. **Tenets of Pestilence** The tenets of the Oath of Pestilence emphasize the role of disease as a purifying element in the cycle of life. **Strength in Resilience.** Surviving hardship and plague make you stronger. Spreading these things causes strength to flourish. **All Things Must Pass.** Death is the natural conclusion of life. There is nothing unnatural or amoral about the ending of life. **Might Makes Right.** The laws of mortals mean nothing to poxes and plagues, they go where they wish and take what they want. So should you. **Oath Spells** You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of Pestilence Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work. Paladin Level Spells 3rd bane, inflict wounds 5th acid arrow, ray of enfeeblement 9th flash fever, stinking cloud 13th blight, confusion 17th contagion, insect plague ##### Channel Divinity When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity options: **Debilitating Fever.** Your touch inflicts disease. Make a melee spell attack against a creature within your reach that isn’t a construct or undead. On a hit, the creature becomes diseased and is incapacitated for 1 minute. At the end of each of the diseased target’s turns, the target can make a Constitution saving throw. On a success, the target is no longer diseased, and the effect ends. Since this ability induces a natural disease in its target, any effect that removes a disease or otherwise ameliorates a disease’s effects apply to it. **Entropic Infection.** You can use your Channel Divinity to weaken a creature against entropic energies. As an action, you can force a creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, for the next minute the creature takes an additional 2d6 damage the first time it takes necrotic damage each turn. During this time, the creature loses resistance to necrotic damage if it has it. ##### Aura of Rampant Sickness Starting at 7th level, you emit an aura of contagion and virulence to a range of 10 feet. When a creature within your aura makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw you can give that roll disadvantage as a reaction. Once you do, you can’t give another roll disadvantage using this feature until the start of your next turn. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet. ##### Disgusting Resilience At 15th level, when you take damage which would reduce you to 0 hit points, you can choose to expend any number of hit dice. Roll those dice and subtract the result from the damage taken. If this reduces the damage to 0, you don’t take any damage. In addition, if you are killed your corpse violently explodes in a shower of pus and gore, dealing 8d6 necrotic damage to creatures within 20 feet of you that fail a Constitution saving throw. ##### Plaguebringer At 20th level, you become an avatar of plague, which gives you the following benefits: • You have resistance to necrotic damage and are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition. • Your hit point maximum can’t be reduced. Creatures of your choice who start their turn within 5 feet of you, or who move within 5 feet of you on their turn, take necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier. Once a creature takes damage from this ability, it can’t take damage from it again until the start of its next turn. # Oath of the vigilante The Oath of the Vigilante is focused on eliminating targets in the name of justice. Although the common folk might call them assassins, they prefer to have some vigilantes in the city. **Tenets of the Vigilante** The following virtues are common to all paladins, even though the situations and laws might be different on each case: **Justice in Your Hands.** Sometimes you must step outside the law to exact justice for keeping peace. **Hunt.** Seek out those who might do harm to the innocent, even if they hide. **Eliminate the Guilty.** The guilty must be destroyed in order for the innocent to live in peace. Oath Spells You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed. Oath of the Vigilante Spells Paladin Level Spells 3rd bane, detect evil and good 5th hold person, zone of truth 9th haste, speak with dead 13th otiluke's resilient sphere, locate creature 17th dominate person, hold monster ##### Channel Divinity When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. Hunter of the Evil. You can use your Channel Divinity to strike with divine accuracy upon a creature. When you make an attack roll, you can also use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses. Smite the Guilty. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer, using your Channel Divinity. Choose one creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on its attack rolls until the end of your next turn. Additionally, the creature can only take an action or bonus action on its next turn. ##### Vigilant Aura By 7th level, you and all friendly creatures within 10 feet of you cannot be surprised. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet. ##### Street Watch Starting at 15th level, while in an urban environment, you can't be charmed and you have advantage on initiative rolls. ##### Eternal Vigilant At 20th level, as an action, you become an entity of true and divine judgment. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits: You have advantage on attack rolls you make against creatures which have attacked you or a friendly creature in the last minute. You can use Smite the Guilty once per round as a bonus action without using your Channel Divinity. # Oath of zeal The Oath of Zeal is taken by paladins consumed by hatred for a specific group or ideology. Zealots, as these paladins are sometimes called, pursue an inquisition against their enemies at all costs. They abandon compassion and honor as impediments to the more important work of ridding the world of those they deem dangerous or heretical. **Tenets of Zeal** The tenets of the Oath of Zeal are serious and severe, as are those paladins who choose to take them. **Uncover Corruption**. Darkness cannot abide the light of day. Wickedness must be revealed before it can be destroyed. **Purge the Heretics**. Heresy is a tumor that spread through the hearts of the innocent. Cut it out at the source. **No Mercy.** The righteous path requires unwavering conviction and unflinching resolve. **By Any Means Necessary.** There is no sacrifice too great when it comes to defeating the wicked. **Oath of Zeal Spells** **Paladin Level Spells** 3rd detect evil and good, hunter’s mark 5th detect thoughts, knock 9th fear, tongues 13th divination, locate creature 17th insect plague, scrying ##### Channel Divinity When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options: **Mark of the Heretic.** You can use your Channel Divinity to mark a creature as a heretic. As a bonus action, choose a creature you can see within 30 feet and a weeping symbol appears on it. For the next minute, your weapon attacks against the chosen creature score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20, and each time the creature’s turn starts you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack against it. **Inquisitor’s Eye.** You can use your Channel Divinity to open your senses to hidden signs of corruption and malfeasance. As a bonus action, you grant yourself advantage on Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Insight), and Wisdom (Perception) ability checks for the next 10 minutes. During this time, you can’t be surprised. ##### Aura of Clarity Beginning at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can’t be blinded while you are conscious. Additionally, creatures and objects of your choice within this range can’t benefit from being invisible. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet. ##### Compel Confession Starting at 15th level, you can cast the zone of truth spell without expending a spell slot. When you cast the spell with this feature, creatures who succeed on their saving throw take 1d4 psychic damage at the start of each of their turns while they remain within the affected area. ##### Apocalyptic Revelation At 20th level, as an action you can reveal the true nature of your enemies to all for 1 minute. During this time, you gain the following benefits: • You have truesight out to a distance of 120 feet. • Creatures who start their turn, or move within, 5 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw against your paladin spell save DC. On a failure, the creature is blinded until the start of its next turn. • As a bonus action on each of your turns you can choose a creature within 60 feet and reveal its weaknesses for all to see. Attacks made against the chosen creature have advantage until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. # Paladin spell list **1st level** Bless Command Compelled Duel Cure Wounds Detect Evil and Good Detect Magic Detect Poison and Disease Divine Favor Heroism Protection from Evil and Good Purify Food and Drink Searing Smite Shield of Faith Thunderous Smite Wrathful Smite **2nd level** Aid Branding Smite Find Steed Lesser Restoration Locate Object Magic Weapon Protection from Poison Zone o f Truth **3rd level** Aura of Vitality Blinding Smite Create Food and Water Crusader's Mantle Daylight Dispel Magic Elemental Weapon Magic Circle Remove Curse Revivify **4th level** Aura of Life Aura of Purity Banishment Death Ward Locate Creature Staggering Smite **5th level** Banishing Smite Circle of Power Destructive Smite Dispel Evil and Good Geas Raise Dead # Samurai sacred path The most potent and disciplined warriors of Soburin wield both magic and steel—you are one such warrior, a master of a blade magically empowered by the spirits of your ancestors. Samurai Doctrine The Samurai Doctrine binds a paladin to the seven codes of Bushido. These warriors are also commonly bound to a feudal lord, doing as their masters bid throughout the prefectures of Soburin (though not all: ronin are masterless samurai who do as they see fit and travel freely). Samurai hold themselves to the highest codes of conduct, treating the code of Bushido as inviolate law, but some frequently warp their interpretations to the very limits of rationalization in order to match their needs. There are usually strong traditions among samurai families that encourage daughters and sons to master the blade as well as the power of their ancestors, making some family names legendary in Soburin. To serve the code of Bushido and die a glorious death are the highest and most important tasks any samurai can hope to achieve. TENETS OF THE SAMURAI **• Benevolence:** In victory you are capable of mercy, and in defeat you are capable of humility. **• Courage:** You resist fear. Bravery is your constant companion. **• Honor:** Mindful of your own standing in society, you respect the abilities, talents, and station of others. **• Loyalty:** You never abandon your allies or knowingly refuse the orders of your lord. **• Righteousness:** Your beliefs are as strong as steel. **• Sincerity:** You do not needlessly conceal your desires or motives. • **Self-Control:** You are always in control of yourself and your emotions. Oath Spells You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed. Paladin Level Spells 3rd expeditious retreat, shield of faith 5th blade attraction, strike within & without 9th ghost needle, haste 13th death ward, resilient sphere 17th geas, legend lore ##### Ancestral Weapon Samurai do not gain the Channel Divinity feature and instead receive the Ancestral Weapon feat (page 221) for free at 3rd level. You gain proficiency in Culture. ##### Iaijutsu Strike Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you learn to draw and strike in one deadly flourish. As an action, you can draw your weapon and attack with it. This attack does 1d8 additional damage per point of your proficiency bonus. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. ##### Dashing Strike At 7th level, you can charge forward and through an enemy, making a devastating blow only truly felt after you have rushed past them. As an action, you may make a single melee weapon attack against your foe in between using your movement. This movement must be in a straight line and take you through the space of the target of your attack. Regardless of if your attack hits, this movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. If your attack hits and your movement both begins and ends outside of your target’s reach, this attack is a critical hit. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain expended uses after a long rest. ##### Unyielding Will At 15th level, you gain your proficiency bonus to Wisdom saving throws. You also gain the ability to make an Honor Challenge. As a bonus action, you can shout out an Honor Challenge against an enemy creature you can see. Until combat ends or one of you gains the incapacitated condition, you receive resistance to all damage from attacks and spells made by creatures other than the target of your Honor Challenge. Any attacks you make against creatures other than your Honor Challenge deal half damage and are made at disadvantage. You can’t use this feature again until you complete a long rest. ##### Unyielding Body At 20th level, you gain immunity to exhaustion. When you make an Honor Challenge, you gain resistance to damage from attacks and spells made by the target of your Honor Challenge, and you gain immunity to damage from attacks and spells made by creatures other than the target of your Honor Challenge. You can’t use Honor Challenge again until you complete a short or long rest.