Oath angels

[Millstone85]

To a certain extent, angels feel like the paladin class made into a race.
What if there were subraces of angels shaped after each of the paladin oaths?

Angel of Devotion
An angel of devotion is created when a good-aligned deity performs a special ritual on the slopes of Mount Celestia. Although such an angel is loyal to its creator, it always speaks for Law and Good and may refuse a mission that clashes with these ideals. For this reason, angels of devotion are much more often created and employed by lawful good deities than by neutral good or chaotic good ones.

Angel of the Ancients
An angel of the ancients is created when a good-aligned deity performs a special ritual in the wilderness of Bytopia. An angel of this type holds itself to high standards of discipline but is eager to serve the cause of Good in all its forms. It may grow antlers or moss, have giant butterfly wings or leaves in place of feathers, or manifest other fey traits, sometimes causing mortals to mistake it for a fiend.

Angel of Vengeance
An angel of vengeance is created when a good-aligned deity performs a special ritual in a dedicated area of Arcadia. The most lawful of angels, its lawfulness however comes in the form of a nearly blind obedience to its creator, even when the deity is chaotic good. Angels of vengeance are seldom seen without a mask or heaume and their speech has been described as slightly mechanical.

Angel of the Crown
An angel of the crown is created when a good-aligned deity performs a special ritual in a Bytopian community. The result is unique to the witnesses of the ritual, embodying their shared traditions and values. Angels of the crown are more likely to stray away from the path of righteousness than other angels, but also return more easily to it. They ressemble various humanoids in looks and demeanors.

Fallen Angel
Any angel can fall by breaking the oath that suffused its creation. Some angels then choose a semi-mortal life in the Material Plane, but others truly embrace the fall and are reborn as fiends in the Lower Planes.
Exemplar (Oath of Devotion)
An exemplar is created when a good-aligned deity performs a special ritual on the slopes of Mount Celestia. Although the exemplar is loyal to its creator, it always speaks for Law and Good and may refuse a mission that clashes with these ideals. For this reason, exemplars are much more often created and employed by lawful deities than by chaotic ones.

Guardinal (Oath of the Ancients)
A guardinal is created when a good-aligned deity performs a special ritual in the wilderness of Bytopia. The guardinal holds itself to high standards of discipline but is eager to serve the cause of Good in all its forms, no matter how lawful or chaotic. However, guardinals have an affinity for nature and fey magic, often growing antlers and leaflike feathers, causing certain deities to favor them and some mortals to mistake them for fiends.

Enochian (Oath of the Crown)
An enochian is created when a good-aligned deity performs a special ritual in a dedicated area of Arcadia. The most lawful of angels, its lawfulness however comes in the form of a nearly blind obedience to its creator, even when the deity is chaotic. Enochians are seldom seen without a heaume and speak in a very formal, almost mechanical, manner.

Anathema (Oath of Vengeance)
An anathema is created when a good-aligned deity performs a special ritual in a region of the Outlands touched by Law and Good. More a manifestation of divine wrath than a true creature, the anathema lives only to seek and destroy the enemies of its creator, prioritizing any individual or group the deity has recently designated to it. Anathemas are, ironically, a no-no in many pantheons.

Fallen Angel (Oathbreaker)
Any angel can fall by breaking the oath that suffused its creation. Some angels then choose a semi-mortal life in the Material Plane, but others truly embrace the fall and are reborn as fiends in the Lower Planes.

No real point to this thread. Just sharing a thought.

[pwykersotz]

...that's pretty darned cool. I like it!

[Naanomi]

Not sure I agree with the plane placements per-se (vengeance doesn't feel Byopian to me, more Arcadian) but in principle they are sound. Stat-wise they can just be Paladins of various levels with their 'final form' level 20 ability always on

[Millstone85]

...that's pretty darned cool. I like it!Thanks! :smallsmile:


Not sure I agree with the plane placements per-se (vengeance doesn't feel Byopian to me, more Arcadian)But that's exactly how I did it. Angels of vengeance are created in Arcadia.


Stat-wise they can just be Paladins of various levels with their 'final form' level 20 ability always onIn the sense that you can give a class to angels from the Monster Manual, yeah sure. Each oath would have devas, planetars and solars.

[Naanomi]

But that's exactly how I did it. Angels of vengeance are created in Arcadia.ack sorry, I meant Crown... Byopia has hard working communities of rugged but good individualists; Arcadia is a better fit for grand rulers and those who follow them unquestioningly

[Millstone85]

ack sorry, I meant Crown... Byopia has hard working communities of rugged but good individualists; Arcadia is a better fit for grand rulers and those who follow them unquestioninglyTrue. My first draft actually had a single description for angels of the crown and angels of vengeance, the latter just being more fit for search-and-destroy missions. But then I thought one heartless heavenly host was enough and something different could be done with the other half of Bytopia.

[Naanomi]

If you want to stay up in that 'lawful good' part of the map, maybe Vengeance Angels are made in that part of the Outlands... When the good gods themselves need to rely on energies straying from pure Good and Law in their greater plans?

[Millstone85]

If you want to stay up in that 'lawful good' part of the map, maybe Vengeance Angels are made in that part of the Outlands... When the good gods themselves need to rely on energies straying from pure Good and Law in their greater plans?Interesting but I am not sure. We already have chaotic gods creating lawful angels (That's in the MM.) and angels who are more lawful than good or the converse (That's on me.) so I think involving other energies would be pushing it.

Also, I just realized that Arcadia having two specialised castes of angel is very thematic.

[Regitnui]

And those of us who don't live on the Great Wheel?

I kid. I like the idea who had their for "Angels of the Ancient". That could really be a worthy candidate for a guardinal replacement this edition. Chaotic Good Fey/Celestials with animal features and appropriate wings. Just a potential writeup for one:


Ancient Deva
Born of the natural world, the beings known as Ancient Devas are more concerned with the affairs of nature than civilisation. Though humanoid, an Ancient Deva has more animalistic traits, generally those of animals thought to embody a virtue of some sort; great antlers, hooved feet and a brown pelt (stag); feline features, claws and a shining mane (lion); or grey fur, sharp teeth and a muzzle (wolf).

Few can claim to have seen the higher ranked Ancient angels; Ancient Planetars may appear in fey woods, alongside unicorns, felidar and other divine creatures, while Ancient Solars are each unique. The most commonly seen Ancient Solar is known as Cerunnos the Stag, and only by those who have major dealings with the Fey Courts. Some warlocks have claimed to enter into pacts with Ancient Solars; these few individuals show gifts more like Fey-sponsored pacts or druids than clerics.

[Sigreid]

I like this idea better than the way Angles are currently written. As described in the MM they aren't really Good per se, they are more akin to emotionless automatons doing as their patron commands without regard to consequences or morality.

[Millstone85]

That could really be a worthy candidate for a guardinal replacement this edition.I think the MM might have a few too many anthropomorphic animals already, so I would downplay the animal features and combine them with vegetal ones.


I like this idea better than the way Angles are currently written. As described in the MM they aren't really Good per se, they are more akin to emotionless automatons doing as their patron commands without regard to consequences or morality.It was worse in 4th Edition. Angels could be bought and sold between gods, the same angel possibly going back and forth between good, neutral and evil masters. Although what 4e angels really cared about was keeping the Astral Sea running.

That being said, I do like the idea of some angels being little more than "divine constructs". Just not all of them.

[JackPhoenix]

It was worse in 4th Edition. Angels could be bought and sold between gods, the same angel possibly going back and forth between good, neutral and evil masters. Although what 4e angels really cared about was keeping the Astral Sea running.

That being said, I do like the idea of some angels being little more than "divine constructs". Just not all of them.

I actually liked 4e angels more than the current (and previous) version. Servants of the gods, without other annoying stuff getting in the way of their work. It feels strange for CG gods to have LG angels, or for evil gods to need to outsource to demons and devils, who have their own origin and background.

Making angels distinct from exemplars of alignment (archons, guardinals, eladrin) was a great idea (not that any of those existed in that sense in 4e...I guess they hit with one shot, missed with the other)

5e angels took the worst of both worlds, they are just too generic and boring.

[pwykersotz]

By the way, ever since I read this thread title yesterday, I've had Earth Angel going through my head.

"Oath angel, oath angel, please be miiiine..."

[Regitnui]

I think the MM might have a few too many anthropomorphic animals already, so I would downplay the animal features and combine them with vegetal ones.

The question is what? Plants lend themselves more toward fey and alien than divine...

[JackPhoenix]

The question is what? Plants lend themselves more toward fey and alien than divine...

Fruit and vegetables, propably. They are Good for you, after all...

[ZenBear]

I would swap the Vengeance Angel description to the Crown Angel. Vengeance Angels should be single-minded hunters, dedicated entirely to achieving a singular purpose of annihilating a target designated by their creator. Sometimes they are locked away, held in reserve until they are needed, other times they are roving arbiters meting out justice wherever they go. They are the Mario Kart Blue Shells of the D&Dverse. :smalltongue:

[Regitnui]

Fruit and vegetables, propably. They are Good for you, after all...

Now I'm picturing an orange with it's peels lifted up for wings...

[RedMage125]

By the way, ever since I read this thread title yesterday, I've had Earth Angel going through my head.

"Oath angel, oath angel, please be miiiine..."

Me too! I was gonna post this, just wanted to be sure no one beat me to it....
rats.

[Millstone85]

Making angels distinct from exemplars of alignment (archons, guardinals, eladrin) was a great idea (not that any of those existed in that sense in 4e...I guess they hit with one shot, missed with the other)Well, 4e devils and demons had also largely lost the "exemplars of alignment" aspect. Notably, the Abyss was part of the Elemental Chaos and demons were essentially living entropy. Oh and the alignments themselves were a joke, limited to LG, G, N, E and CE. Now that devils and demons are once again lawful evil and chaotic evil incarnate, it makes sense to me that angels would be made of lawful goodness. What is really missing is their chaotic good counterpart.


5e angels took the worst of both worlds, they are just too generic and boring.They look like angels, which came as a relief to me. And yes, I know it is weird I would say that when I opened a thread about giving them antlers or making them terminators. I guess what I am saying is that the MM gives a good baseline to build on.


The question is what? Plants lend themselves more toward fey and alien than divine...The oath of the ancients is already fey themed and I like my leafy wings idea. Also, the MM sets at least two precedents for celestials with connections to fey deities and realms: the pegasus and the unicorn. Perhaps the powerful chaotic good celestial we need is the draconequus. :smallbiggrin:


I would swap the Vengeance Angel description to the Crown Angel. Vengeance Angels should be single-minded hunters, dedicated entirely to achieving a singular purpose of annihilating a target designated by their creator. Sometimes they are locked away, held in reserve until they are needed, other times they are roving arbiters meting out justice wherever they go. They are the Mario Kart Blue Shells of the D&Dverse. :smalltongue:Alright, I am moving them to the Outlands like previously suggested.