Sindeloke
2014-10-07, 05:29 AM
I like paladins a lot. I also like skillful, subtle, dexterous characters a lot. So here's my whack at combining the two. Any input is welcome! I'm still very shaky on balance in Next, and I would particularly love ideas for good spells.
Oath of Seeking
Paladins who take the Oath of Seeking are among the most rarely seen - not only because they are fewer in number than other paladins, but also because it is in their calling to remain unnoticed. While other paladins follow evil into the darkest pits, these lone souls hunt it down where it hides in the light. It is their task to discover and depose the tyrant who poses as a benevolent king, and to do so without causing even an hour's chaos in the society he rules or the political circles that protect him. Some call them Gray Guards, others assassins, but they know themselves only as Seekers of the truth and followers of the Light.
http://s28.postimg.org/giy1x5g8t/Nightingale_Archer2.png
Image source unknown
Tenets of Seeking
Five constant principles guide paladins of this oath.
Knowledge. Learn all that you can about all that you can. You never know what lore, skill or secret will someday save a life.
Discretion. Evil gains power through fear and chaos. It is most wholly defeated when no one even knows it was there.
Flexibility. Always be prepared to work with the tools you have; no ally, no strategy, and no weapon is the wrong one if it helps bring an end to a great evil.
Humility. Remember that you, too, can be tempted, misled and mistaken. Always be on guard against pride or rash decisions and have compassion for those who have lost their own way.
Service. Your skills and wisdom are not your own to hoard; they belong to the innocents you protect. Never turn your back on those in need, nor withhold aid from the victims of evil.
Oath of Seeking Spells
3rd : Silent Image, Longstrider
5th : Alter Self, Zone of Truth
9th : Nondetection, Hypnotic Pattern
13th : Arcane Eye, Freedom of Movement
17th : Mislead, Passwall
Holy Range
If you have taken this oath, any paladin spell or class feature that affects only melee weapons (such as Branding Smite or Improved Divine Smite) can also affect any ranged weapon you wield, provided your target is within short range and you are not wearing heavy armor.
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Sacred Subtlety. As an action, you cloak yourself in an aura of divine energy that makes you difficult to pay attention to. Any creature that can sense you must make a Wisdom save; on a failed save, it is no more aware of you than it is of a branch across the path. It will move aside for you, acknowledge you if you're pointed out to it, or even absently answer if you engage it in conversation, but it cannot perceive you as an object of interest or threat and will remember only the barest details of any interaction with you later. This effect persists for a number of minutes equal to 1+your Charisma modifier, or until you either end it as a free action or attack a creature or its allies.
You cannot use Sacred Subtlety if you are wearing heavy armor.
Blessing of Skill. As an action, choose one tool, skill, or weapon (including improvised weapons or unarmed attacks). For ten minutes, you are proficient with that tool, skill or weapon.
Aura of Insight
Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain a bonus equal to 1/2 your proficiency bonus on checks with a single skill or tool you designate. You can change the affected skill or tool during a short or long rest.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Purity of Vision
Beginning at 15th level, you may use your Channel Divinity feature twice before taking a short or long rest. You can also use it to create the following new effect:
Purity of Vision. As an action, you gain 60ft Truesight for a number of rounds equal to 1+your Charisma modifier.
Sacred Shadow
At 20th level, as an action, you can cloak yourself in an impenetrable shadow. For one minute, you are considered totally obscured to all creatures, regardless of their senses. In addition, you cannot be deceived during this effect, and automatically succeed on any Insight or Perception checks against Deception, Stealth, or similar skill attempts by other creatures. Finally, while this effect lasts, any time you deal radiant damage, you deal extra radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. You can't use Sacred Shadow while wearing heavy armor.
Thanks for reading this far. Questions, comments, and criticism are welcome!
Edit 1: Changed "concealment" to "obscured."
Edit 2: More fixing of 3rd editionism, added small damage boost to Sacred Shadow, toned down Aura of Insight.
Edit 3: Slight revision to Sacred Shadow damage boost, formatting, new spells.
Oath of Seeking
Paladins who take the Oath of Seeking are among the most rarely seen - not only because they are fewer in number than other paladins, but also because it is in their calling to remain unnoticed. While other paladins follow evil into the darkest pits, these lone souls hunt it down where it hides in the light. It is their task to discover and depose the tyrant who poses as a benevolent king, and to do so without causing even an hour's chaos in the society he rules or the political circles that protect him. Some call them Gray Guards, others assassins, but they know themselves only as Seekers of the truth and followers of the Light.
http://s28.postimg.org/giy1x5g8t/Nightingale_Archer2.png
Image source unknown
Tenets of Seeking
Five constant principles guide paladins of this oath.
Knowledge. Learn all that you can about all that you can. You never know what lore, skill or secret will someday save a life.
Discretion. Evil gains power through fear and chaos. It is most wholly defeated when no one even knows it was there.
Flexibility. Always be prepared to work with the tools you have; no ally, no strategy, and no weapon is the wrong one if it helps bring an end to a great evil.
Humility. Remember that you, too, can be tempted, misled and mistaken. Always be on guard against pride or rash decisions and have compassion for those who have lost their own way.
Service. Your skills and wisdom are not your own to hoard; they belong to the innocents you protect. Never turn your back on those in need, nor withhold aid from the victims of evil.
Oath of Seeking Spells
3rd : Silent Image, Longstrider
5th : Alter Self, Zone of Truth
9th : Nondetection, Hypnotic Pattern
13th : Arcane Eye, Freedom of Movement
17th : Mislead, Passwall
Holy Range
If you have taken this oath, any paladin spell or class feature that affects only melee weapons (such as Branding Smite or Improved Divine Smite) can also affect any ranged weapon you wield, provided your target is within short range and you are not wearing heavy armor.
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Sacred Subtlety. As an action, you cloak yourself in an aura of divine energy that makes you difficult to pay attention to. Any creature that can sense you must make a Wisdom save; on a failed save, it is no more aware of you than it is of a branch across the path. It will move aside for you, acknowledge you if you're pointed out to it, or even absently answer if you engage it in conversation, but it cannot perceive you as an object of interest or threat and will remember only the barest details of any interaction with you later. This effect persists for a number of minutes equal to 1+your Charisma modifier, or until you either end it as a free action or attack a creature or its allies.
You cannot use Sacred Subtlety if you are wearing heavy armor.
Blessing of Skill. As an action, choose one tool, skill, or weapon (including improvised weapons or unarmed attacks). For ten minutes, you are proficient with that tool, skill or weapon.
Aura of Insight
Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain a bonus equal to 1/2 your proficiency bonus on checks with a single skill or tool you designate. You can change the affected skill or tool during a short or long rest.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Purity of Vision
Beginning at 15th level, you may use your Channel Divinity feature twice before taking a short or long rest. You can also use it to create the following new effect:
Purity of Vision. As an action, you gain 60ft Truesight for a number of rounds equal to 1+your Charisma modifier.
Sacred Shadow
At 20th level, as an action, you can cloak yourself in an impenetrable shadow. For one minute, you are considered totally obscured to all creatures, regardless of their senses. In addition, you cannot be deceived during this effect, and automatically succeed on any Insight or Perception checks against Deception, Stealth, or similar skill attempts by other creatures. Finally, while this effect lasts, any time you deal radiant damage, you deal extra radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. You can't use Sacred Shadow while wearing heavy armor.
Thanks for reading this far. Questions, comments, and criticism are welcome!
Edit 1: Changed "concealment" to "obscured."
Edit 2: More fixing of 3rd editionism, added small damage boost to Sacred Shadow, toned down Aura of Insight.
Edit 3: Slight revision to Sacred Shadow damage boost, formatting, new spells.