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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Oaths of Evil: New Paladin Oaths for Fiendish Approaches



Ivellius
2015-12-12, 10:27 AM
A little while ago I was working on homebrew for more evil options for the existing classes, but as I worked on my "fiendish paladin" oath I decided that there was space to innovate for each of the evil alignments. Although I'm not entirely content with the tenets for the Oath of Damnation (NE) especially, I figured after seeing a post in the D&D Next section I might as well go ahead and release these.

Oath of Damnation
These fallen paladins have dedicated themselves to vileness, forfeiting their soul in the pursuit of power. Whether by trickery or temptation, these paladins are wholly dedicated to spreading evil and often find themselves in service to a powerful yugoloth or evil deity.

Tenets of Damnation:
Power at a Price: The gifts given to me should be expended freely—I use my profane abilities as often as possible and try never to rest while I still have spells or other unused class features remaining.
Slay the Celestial: When in combat, I target paladins, holy clerics, and their celestial allies first.
Protect the Profane: My fiendish patron must be protected at all costs—I submit to its missions, conceal its true name, and hide my affiliation when in public.

Oath Spells: You gain access to the following spells at the paladin levels listed.

3rd – armor of Agathys, arms of Hadar
5th – blindness / deafness, darkness
9th – hunger of Hadar, stinking cloud
13th – Evard’s black tentacles, phantasmal killer
17th – cloudkill, hallow

Channel Divinity: When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options:

Turn the Pure: This ability is identical to Turn the Unholy as described on p. 86 of the Player’s Handbook except that it affects celestials and elementals.
Devastating Smite: When you roll necrotic damage, you can use a bonus action to Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage instead of rolling.

Blackguard’s Blade: Also starting at 3rd level, your Divine Smite class feature deals necrotic damage instead of radiant damage. Additionally, whenever you would deal radiant damage with a paladin spell or class feature, it becomes necrotic damage instead.

Aura of Despair: Beginning at 7th level, creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws to resist becoming frightened as long as you are conscious. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Champion of Depravity: Beginning at 15th level, you can cast the spell protection against evil and good on yourself at will.

Unholy Visage: At 20th level, you can become an avatar of evil. Using your action, you undergo a profane transformation, growing horns, sprouting fangs, and the like. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

You emanate an aura of terror in a 30-foot radius. The first time any enemy creature enters the aura or starts its turn there during a battle, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for 1 minute or until it takes damage. Attack rolls against the frightened creature have advantage.
Enemy creatures that begin their turn within 30 feet of you take 10 necrotic damage.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Oath of Tyranny
Some paladins maintain a strict adherence to law but nevertheless find themselves justifying increasingly evil actions out of a need to maintain order. These warriors often end by pledging themselves to archdevils or evil deities for power, using their unholy abilities to enact their harsh mandates.

Tenets of Tyranny:
Order Indomitable: I must maintain law and order by any means necessary.
Might Makes Right: Only the strongest are merited to make rules for others.
Cruel Castigation: Mistakes deserve punishment, not forgiveness.

Oath Spells: You gain access to the following spells at the paladin levels listed.

3rd – comprehend languages, thunderwave
5th – enthrall, shatter
9th – slow, tongues
13th – compulsion, dominate beast
17th – cloudkill, hold monster

Channel Divinity: When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options:

Subjugating Touch: As an action, you can present your holy symbol and mentally compel a creature’s submission. Choose one creature within 60 feet of you that you can see. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is charmed for 1 minute or until it takes damage. You also gain advantage on Intimidation checks against the creature for the next minute whether it succeeded at or failed its saving throw.
Turn the Disorderly: This ability is identical to Turn the Unholy as described on p. 86 of the Player’s Handbook except that it affects aberrations and fey.

Blackguard’s Blade: Also starting at 3rd level, your Divine Smite class feature deals necrotic damage instead of radiant damage. Additionally, whenever you would deal radiant damage with a paladin spell or class feature, it becomes necrotic damage instead.

Aura of Tyranny: Beginning at 7th level, your loyalty is unshakeable and influences your allies. You are immune to being charmed, and if allies within 10 feet of you become charmed you can choose for them to be frightened of the creature instead. This feature functions if your allies are immune to becoming frightened through your other class features or abilities. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet. This ability ceases to function if you are unconscious.

Baator’s Wrath: At 15th level, when you take damage you can use your reaction to send a wave of hellfire at an opponent. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw or suffer 1d10 + your paladin level in fire damage (half on a saving throw).

Devilkin: At 20th level, you can become a diabolical creature. Using your action, you undergo a profane transformation, sprouting wings, growing claws, and the like. For 1 hour, you gain the following benefits:

Batlike wings unfurl from your back and grant you a flying speed of 60 feet.
You gain immunity to cold, fire, and poison damage.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Oath of Slaughter
Paladins who follow these tenets pledge service to abyssal lords, the demons of chaos who crave violence and bloodshed. Those who have seen them speak fearfully of the extreme bloodlust they display in the whirl of battle.

Tenets of Slaughter:
Blood: I relish in violence, inflicting damage whenever and however possible.
Pain: I delight in causing not only physical but also mental anguish.
Chaos: Disorder and turmoil shall reign.

Oath Spells: You gain access to the following spells at the paladin levels listed.

3rd – dissonant whispers, Tasha’s hideous laughter
5th – crown of madness, Melf’s acid arrow
9th – fear, hypnotic pattern
13th – confusion, hallucinatory terrain
17th – contagion, insect plague

Channel Divinity: When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options:

Turn the Holy: This ability is identical to Turn the Unholy as described on p. 86 of the Player’s Handbook except that it affects celestials and dragons.
Abyssal Pulse: As an action, you present your holy symbol and send a pulse of necrotic energy into your foes. Hostile creatures within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes necrotic damage equal to 2d10 + your paladin level on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that has total cover from you is not affected.

Blackguard’s Blade: Also starting at 3rd level, your Divine Smite class feature deals necrotic damage instead of radiant damage. Additionally, whenever you would deal radiant damage with a paladin spell or class feature, it becomes necrotic damage instead.

Blasphemous Approach: Beginning at 7th level, if an enemy creature within 30 feet of you becomes frightened, you may immediately move up to your speed as a reaction if you end this movement next to the frightened creature. This movement does not prove attacks of opportunity.

Dark One’s Blessing: Beginning at 15th level, you gain this ability as described on p. 109 of the Player’s Handbook.

Abyssal Form: At 20th level, you can temporarily become a demonic creature. Using your action, you undergo a profane transformation, growing spikes, claws, or horns and even vestigial limbs. For 1 hour, you gain the following benefits:

You can cast the spell alter self at will.
You gain resistance to cold, fire, and lightning damage.
You gain immunity to poison.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Mr.Moron
2015-12-12, 10:37 AM
Just a random thought: Generally speaking a Tyrant doesn't conceptualize themselves as such. Like there might be an Oath about tyrannically controlling people but they probably wouldn't conceptualize it that way and even an evil gold wouldn't sell it that way. They'd call it "Oath of Control" the "Oath of Order" or the "Oath of Law". A tyrants propaganda machine (even the internal one they use on themselves), is just better than that.

Waffleworshiper
2015-12-23, 10:49 AM
So, why do the Oath of Tyranny and the Oath of Damnation grant immunity to fear? Paladins get that anyway at 10th level. It kinda seems like a waste of a feature.

Ivellius
2015-12-23, 11:50 AM
Just because I never responded to the first one...


Just a random thought: Generally speaking a Tyrant doesn't conceptualize themselves as such. Like there might be an Oath about tyrannically controlling people but they probably wouldn't conceptualize it that way and even an evil gold wouldn't sell it that way.

Eh, it's Dungeons & Dragons. There were paladin variants in 3e with two of these same names (Tyranny and Slaughter). These names are more descriptive for players, anyway, and that's what's important. (For instance, I doubt Champion Fighters go around calling themselves "champions" all the time, at least as opposed to any other particular label.)


So, why do the Oath of Tyranny and the Oath of Damnation grant immunity to fear? Paladins get that anyway at 10th level. It kinda seems like a waste of a feature.

Honestly because I forgot that was a thing in a few levels, but they still gave other benefits so I'm not sure how it was a waste of a feature. Nevertheless I've updated based on that.