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Beechgnome
2017-03-02, 10:41 AM
I was going to post this a while ago, but the Barbarian Ancestral Path seemed to make it obsolete. Anyway, this was my attempt to create a more tribal paladin archetype, one where the character had to keep the flame lit for a since-vanished people. There's also a bit of a Ranger feel, with favoured enemies.

Criticisms and comments are very welcome.



Paladin: Oath of the Ancestors

You have sworn an oath to uphold the ideals and the legacy of an ancient people, and it is both a solemn duty and a heavy weight.

Sometimes called knights of the old, memory keepers or spirit walkers, Paladins who swear this oath vow to right ancient wrongs and to fight the old battles anew, wherever those fights may take them. A paladin’s oath may reflect direct ancestry, a family tradition carried on for generations. Or perhaps there is no ancestral connection; the character could have uncovered the tomb of a long-lost people and felt the call to take up their cause.

Whatever the connection, no matter how far they travel, these paladins carry their with them the legacy of their people in their words and their songs and sometimes literally, as they adorn their armour and weapons with the hair and bones of those who came before.

Suitable backgrounds: Acolyte, Far Traveller, Hermit, Noble, Outlander, Uthgardt

Tenants

Whether raised as a tribal warrior or a noble from an ancient house, the tenants of the oath share a common respect for the old ways and a desire to keep them burning bright.

Honor the old ways. The traditions of our people should not be forgotten, and must be practised to be kept alive.

Share our stories. Let others know too so that we should not be forgotten.

Remember past wrongs. Mark our ancient enemies, and deliver retribution to those that deserve it.

Rekindle the flame. Our ways may be old, but they may again be new. Be the ambassador for a new age.

Ancient enemies

Choose one humanoid race and one from the following types: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants or undead. If you choose human for the humanoid race, narrow it down to a specific people appropriate to your campaign world (eg. in the Forgotten realms, Illuskan or Shou).

For example, a character might count his people's enemies as those who nearly wiped out his tribe: the Shou people, and the dragons they called forth to carry out the massacre.

These are the ancient enemies of your people; your choices impact one of your channel divinity options, your Aura at 7th level and your Sacred Oath feature at 20th level.

Oath spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin level listed.

Level Spells

3rd Heroism, Fog cloud
5th Enhance ability, Spiritual weapon
9th Speak with dead, Spirit guardians
13th Locate creature, Death ward
17th Dream, Greater restoration

Channel Divinity

At 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity options.

Turn ancient foe: as an action you present your holy symbol and utter a chant that is painful to your people's ancient enemies. Each of your ancient enemies that can see and hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for one minute or until it takes damage and 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. 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.

If the foe is a humanoid, it may make another saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect.

Ancestral ally: A ghostly warrior of your people appears by your side and seems to fight alongside you, giving your blows added potency. For 1 minute, you add your charisma modifier to damage rolls (with a minimum bonus of +1.) The ally also helps to cover your flank; while this effect is active you may disengage as a bonus action.

Aura of Resistance

Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to a type of damage linked to your monstrous ancestral enemy.

Aberration: Psychic damage.
Celestial: Radiant damage.
Dragon: Choose one from acid, cold, fire, lightning or poison damage.
Elemental: Choose one from acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage.
Fey: Choose one from cold or poison damage.
Fiend: Choose one from fire or necrotic damage.
Giant: Choose one from cold, fire, lightning or thunder damage.
Undead: Necrotic damage.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Spirit walker

Starting at 15th level you (and only you) are always under the effects of a pass without trace spell.

Ancestral champion

At 20th level, as an action, you can call forth a misty host of your ancestors to fight alongside you. For 1 minute, you are surrounded by a lightly obscuring fog in a 30 foot radius. Allies inside the fog can see normally, and also gain the benefit of half cover from enemies attacking from outside the fog radius.

Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the fog within 10 feet of the paladin, it takes 10 necrotic damage.

If enemies inside the 30 foot radius of the fog are the ancient enemies of your ancestors, they are also unable to gain the benefits of healing or temporary hit points until they leave the fog.

Once you use this feature, you can't cast it again until you finish a long rest.