Oath of the Hieromancer - Paladin Oath based on M:tG's Gideon Jura

[Vogie]

With the upcoming Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica on the horizon, here's a paladin oath based on Gideon Jura. Let me know what you think!

https://img1.goodfon.com/wallpaper/big/b/fd/gideon-dzhura-gideon-998.jpg


Oath of the Hieromancer

The Tenants of the Hieromancer

Courage - While we delay, they are on the move. Press forward in the face of overwhelming odds.
Compassion - Be the shield for the meek against the cruel
Peace - You are defeated the moment you declared your aggression


Oath Spells


Level
Spells


3rd
Compelled Duel, Shield


5th
Hold Person, Misty Step


9th
Tongues, Protection from Energy


13th
Otiluke's Resliient Sphere, Dimension Door


17th
Hold Monster, Teleportation Circle



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

Immoveable Object (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=455768)
As a bonus action, you can direct your magic to absorb damage. Until the next short or long rest, whenever you use your to expend one spell slots for your divine strike ability, instead of dealing radiant damage to a creature, you gain that many temporary hit points instead. While you have these hit points, you cannot be moved by spells or effects by hostile creatures. If a creature hits you with a melee attack while you have these hit points, the creature takes radiant damage equal to the number of temporary hit points lost.
Grasp of the Hieromancer (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=430552)
As an action you can cause spectral chains to spring up and reach for a creature within 10 feet of you that you can see. The target must succeed on a strength or dexterity saving throw (their choice) or be restrained for the duration. While restrained by the chains, the creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a success, it frees itself and the chains vanish.

Into the Fray (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=446173)
Starting at 7th level, when a creature within 10 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to magically take that damage instead of that creature taking it. This feature doesn't transfer any other effects that might accompany the damage, and this damage cannot be reduced in any way.

In addition, you may add your proficiency modifier to constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage, and your shield may act as a spellcasting focus for your paladin spells.

Retribution (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=401917)
Beginning at 15th level, as a reaction, whenever you or a non-hostile creature you can see within 30 feet of you drops to half health, you can imbue one weapon that you are holding with positive energy for 1 minute. You add your Charisma modifier to attack rolls made with that weapon (with a minimum bonus of +1). Your weapon also emits bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light 20 feet beyond that. If the weapon is not already magical, it becomes magical for the duration.
You can start or end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you are no longer holding or carrying this weapon, or if you fall Unconscious, this effect ends.

Invulnerable Guardian
At 20th level, you become an avatar of defense, which gives you two benefits:

You have resistance to all damage dealt by other creatures (their attacks, spells, and other effects)
Whenever a creature hits you with an attack it takes radiant damage equal to the damage you take from the attack.
If you deal damage to a hostile creature by any means but this feature or with a weapon attack when your Retribution feature is active, neither benefit works against that creature until you finish a long rest.

New Martial Weapon:
Sural || 50 gp || 3d4 slashing || 6 lb. || Reach, Special

The Sural is a long sword made of flexible steel that is worn rather than held. It attaches as though a glove, and while wielded, the hand it is attached to is considered free. It is extremely difficult to wield: When you roll a 20 on a d20 attack roll, you may divide the damage dealt to a target within 5 feet of the target if the original attack roll would have hit the second creature who is also in range; however, when you roll a 1 on a d20 attack roll, the weapon deals damage to the wielder, and any creatures within 5 ft of the wielder, instead.






Notes:
Gideon Jura is a Hieromancer, which, in the MTG Multiverse, refers to "law-magic". His typical loadout is a shield and his sural.
His Oath is based on Gideon flavor text from various cards, and is a bit short :(
All of the abilities are stolen from existing printed material, with a bit of massaging. All Oath spells are picked from various printed paladin lists, save 2, which were taken due to the planeswalking aspect of the character: Teleportation Circle & Tongues. It makes the character feel like a divine Horizon Walker.
Imbued Weapon, taken from Devotion Paladin, allows him to do a charisma-to-damage conversion, but more specifically also allows that glowing weapon effect he's usually seen with. It also allows him to use the weapon as a spellcasting focus for the duration. Moved to 15 as a reaction.
Grasp of the Hieromancer is a refluffed Nature's Wrath from Ancients Paladin, and indicates the magic chains and manacles Gideon can manifest through his spells. That is also why the various Hold spells are in the Oath spell list.
The Aura is mostly the Oath of Redemption aura, with an altered damage reduction rider to allow for Reflexive Defense. I also added a conditional Con Proficiency as a pseudo-warcaster effect.
Reflexive Defense is akin to the Bladesinger's Song of Defense, but instead of using 5x level, I used the Paladin's Divine Smite calculation, in reverse. (This was moved to a channel divinity that creates THP).
Invulnerable Guardian started as the Redemption Paladin's Emissary of Defense feature with a new name, and without the second "half" rider, so you'll be reflecting the half damage rather than 1/4 damage. I've added the ability to use your weapon once the retribution feature is active.
Moved features around and renamed things with feedback.





This is the first of a series. Next: a druid circle based on Nissa Revane (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?572085-Circle-of-Awakening-Druid-Subclass-based-on-M-tG-s-Nissa-Revane)

[Man_Over_Game]

It's actually quite cool and flavorful.

I'd probably add Shield as a spell for the class. It seems like it'd be something it'd use a lot.

I will mention that Gideon's big thing isn't dealing damage, slowing enemies down, or protecting allies. He actually just CAN'T FRIGGIN DIE. He might as well be a humanoid rock. The reason I bring this up is the fact that the very first instance that protects yourself isn't until level 15, and the level 20 feat just effectively does the same thing.

I'd recommend either moving the level 15 feature to replace the attacking level 3 feature (there's already enough Paladin options for murderhobos, but not enough for tanks), or adding a passive ability where you can grant yourself temporary hitpoints rather than damage when using Divine Smite. Maybe add on a clause that when these temporary hitpoints take damage, the offending target takes that much radiant damage (so it's a slower, more efficient and defensive Divine Smite that doesn't work with bursting).

Lastly, the Grasp is really cool, but a little weak. Compare this to Vengeance, which lets you hex a bad guy into giving you advantage to attack them every turn. Maybe changing it into requiring an action to break the chains, or making some kind of half save ability (like, on a save, they are restrained only for the next round) since it costs the paladin a short-rest resource.

The weapon isn't something I'd really agree with, honestly. The fact that it hits specifically allies seems wrong (maybe change it to you and all creatures adjacent to you?). Mostly, though, it just screams out for multiclassing into Hexblade, which already has way too many synergies and shouldn't be a thematic option for a defensive class. Anything that supports multiclassing into options that AREN'T Hexblade is something I give a thumbs up for.

[Vogie]

It's actually quite cool and flavorful.

I'd probably add Shield as a spell for the class. It seems like it'd be something it'd use a lot.

That's easy enough


I will mention that Gideon's big thing isn't dealing damage, slowing enemies down, or protecting allies. He actually just CAN'T FRIGGIN DIE. He might as well be a humanoid rock. The reason I bring this up is the fact that the very first instance that protects yourself isn't until level 15, and the level 20 feat just effectively does the same thing.

I'd recommend either moving the level 15 feature to replace the attacking level 3 feature (there's already enough Paladin options for murderhobos, but not enough for tanks), or adding a passive ability where you can grant yourself temporary hitpoints rather than damage when using Divine Smite. Maybe add on a clause that when these temporary hitpoints take damage, the offending target takes that much radiant damage (so it's a slower, more efficient and defensive Divine Smite that doesn't work with bursting).

That's a good suggestion... did that.


Lastly, the Grasp is really cool, but a little weak. Compare this to Vengeance, which lets you hex a bad guy into giving you advantage to attack them every turn. Maybe changing it into requiring an action to break the chains, or making some kind of half save ability (like, on a save, they are restrained only for the next round) since it costs the paladin a short-rest resource.

It's now Strength-only, and requires an action to break.


The weapon isn't something I'd really agree with, honestly. The fact that it hits specifically allies seems wrong (maybe change it to you and all creatures adjacent to you?). Mostly, though, it just screams out for multiclassing into Hexblade, which already has way too many synergies and shouldn't be a thematic option for a defensive class. Anything that supports multiclassing into options that AREN'T Hexblade is something I give a thumbs up for.

I mean, any weapon-swinging charisma class is better with hexblade. This one specifically, it actually helps with a dip in Barbarian to get the resistances earlier, instead of having to wait until 20. You could very easily make a AGBarb or Bearbarian 3 / Hexblade 2 / Hieromancer 15.

I did, however, shrink it to a stronger whip rather than a definitely-not-greatsword.

[Man_Over_Game]

I really dig all of your changes.

I love the fact that the Immovable Object says you cannot be moved by abilities, and the fact that you can't turn it off until a short rest really makes it a great decision-making tool. It's effectiveness is balanced by the fact that you can no longer Divine Smite for damage. It's a bit clunky (bonus action to gain a buff that doesn't do anything until you spend a spell slot for another feature that lasts until a short rest), but I don't really see any alarming issues from it other than it being mildly awkward.

Great choice on the restraint effect. I liked your original idea with it being Strength OR Dexterity save, as it's a powerful ability as-is, and can easily cripple any spellcaster.

Retribution is kinda odd, as it's a reaction effect that works on a critical hit on anything you see, that "starts" on your following turn. It's important to note that a level 5 character can get up to a 27% crit chance on each attack (Vengeance Paladin + Hexblade + Elven Accuracy). Once they hit level 8, that makes it about 47% per turn with normal actions or 61% with a bonus action attack each turn. It's not exactly something everyone goes for, but definitely possible.

Maybe change it so that when you or an ally takes damage and they're brought to half health or less, you can imbue your weapon as a reaction, and the imbuement lasts a minute? It'd make it a cool game changer effect that really make you look like a hero.




I mean, any weapon-swinging charisma class is better with hexblade. This one specifically, it actually helps with a dip in Barbarian to get the resistances earlier, instead of having to wait until 20. You could very easily make a AGBarb or Bearbarian 3 / Hexblade 2 / Hieromancer 15.


Barbarian may not work too well, since the ability you have that absorbs damage doesn't work with resistances as written, and a lot of the abilities (Compelled Duel, Shield) can't be utilized while raging. In addition, the Barbarian Rage naturally disagrees with the third tenant of Peace, as does the Hexblade which generally focuses around being a perfect weapon (utilizing curses and death on specific foes as a regular resource).

I actually really enjoy this level of talent on homebrew subclasses. This is both mechanically and flavorfully well done, and I look forward to seeing some of your other work in the future.

[Vogie]

Great choice on the restraint effect. I liked your original idea with it being Strength OR Dexterity save, as it's a powerful ability as-is, and can easily cripple any spellcaster.

Okay, I'll switch it back.


Maybe change it so that when you or an ally takes damage and they're brought to half health or less, you can imbue your weapon as a reaction, and the imbuement lasts a minute? It'd make it a cool game changer effect that really make you look like a hero.

Ah, a bloodied condition trigger... I like it!


Barbarian may not work too well, since the ability you have that absorbs damage doesn't work with resistances as written, and a lot of the abilities (Compelled Duel, Shield) can't be utilized while raging. In addition, the Barbarian Rage naturally disagrees with the third tenant of Peace, as does the Hexblade which generally focuses around being a perfect weapon (utilizing curses and death on specific foes as a regular resource).

I actually really enjoy this level of talent on homebrew subclasses. This is both mechanically and flavorfully well done, and I look forward to seeing some of your other work in the future.

While the spells won't work, you would be able to use Immovable Object and Grasp of the Hieromancer while raging, and barbarians do love THP. Something like an Ancestral Guardian Barbarian would certainly work with the tenant of peace, as the rage would be very similar to that feeling of retribution. Also "Mama Bear"-barian sounds amazing.

You're right on the hexblade though - they would likely fall into the Oaths of Conquest & Vengeance, not this. I could see a Celestial or Archfey warlock tie-in.

Also, Thanks! Your feedback is consistently on point, and is very valued!

[Man_Over_Game]

One last thing I realized: The Oath of the Ancients has a nearly identical ability, but doesn't require an action to break. It might not be a very strong Channel, but it definitely shows that our version is too good, considering it has a 10ft range and requires no action to save each turn. I guess you were spot on when it comes to your original version. Sorry about that.

Also, Restrained causes disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. It'd effectively create a feedback loop, making its own effect stronger. That is likely intentional, though, since the Oath of the Ancients allows no changes to the condition despite this.