Oath of the Tempest, Paladin Oath

[Irish Musician]

So, never posted here before and don't really Homebrew a ton, but I had an idea for a Tempest subclass for Paladins. They have them for Clerics, which is awesome, but I though having an "Oath of the Tempest" might be a cool thing for Paladins to get in on as well. So let me know what you think, power of subclass, balance, etc. Like I said, don't really homebrew much, so if something looks out of place, assume it isn't meant to be

*braces for the storm of critiques*

Spoiler: Oath of the Tempest

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Oath of the Tempest

Paladins swearing the Oath of the Tempest feel a call from their god and know their power lies within a storm. Lightning, Thunder, Strong winds.....all of these forces are what a Paladin of the Tempest strive to emulate. Strong. Hard. Steadfast. They are protectors and upholders of Justice. They are Good, and can range from Lawful to Chaotic.

Tenets:

Paladins of this Oath follow the ideals of good and upholding justice: protecting the innocent and punishing the wicked with the power of the Storm. They protect those that need it, and should have it, and rain down Justice on those that might seek to destroy them.

Paladins of this Oath show the world the power they have, both to help the innocent and weak so that may not suffer. But also to destroy and wash away those that may pray on the weak, and who try to escape the punishment they so richly deserve.

Protection: The weak need protection, the storm shall provide it.

Justice: Justice must be served, and power should not be abused. Not matter who holds it.

Might: Learn to control the Tempest within so that the storm will only blow away the unjust, yet will surround the innocent in the calm eye of the storm.

Oath Spells:

3: Thunderwave, Fog Cloud
5: Gust of Wind, Shatter
9: Lightning Bolt, Tidal Wave
13: Ice Storm, Storm Sphere
17: Destructive Wave, Maelstrom

Oath Features

Channel Divinity

Blinding Storm: As an action, you may present your holy symbol to invoke your Channel Divinity to blind evil. A bolt of lightning flashes through the sky, and all enemies within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw or be Blinded for 1 minute or until they take damage. As an action on its turn, each affected creature may make a Constitution check to end the effect.

Tempest Weapon: As an action, you can imbue one weapon that you are holding with the energy of the storm, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, your weapon is imbued with the power of the storm. Each time you attack, you do 1d6 extra lightning damage. The weapon also emits bright, blue 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 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.

Aura of Wind and Fury: At 7th level, the power of the Storm surrounds you. Allies within 10ft of you gain half-cover. If you already have a form of cover, your cover is upgraded. At level 18 the aura increases to 30ft.

Empowered by the Storm: By 15th level, you can control the storm at-will. You can cast a spell from your Oath List half your Charisma modifier times per day rounded down, and not use a spell slot. Minimum 1. These spells can only be cast at their natural levels, they cannot be "upgraded" to higher slots. You regain the use of these non-slots after a long rest.

Master of the Tempest: Upon reaching 20th level, you are so infused with power of the Storm, you control is as nature does. As an action you may gain the following benefits for 1 minute:
- The wind carries you as though you had wings, and you have a fly speed of 60ft
- Enemies that start their turn within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Con saving throw or be stunned for the duration. They can use their action each turn after to make a Con save to not be stunned.
- Your spells from your Oath List can now be cast as a Bonus Action.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest

[AvatarVecna]

*braces for the storm of critiques*

Just a heads up: I know from personal experience that JNA does not react well to puns; In fact you could say that it makes his temper...

*puts on sunglasses*

...explosive.

(yes that's a pun, and it's also an in-joke, which he'll understand)

[Irish Musician]

Well, puns are all I got here.

So he's just going to have to wait till the gale is done.

[Calen]

Overall looks very nice. Might steal borrow this for an NPC in my game.

Blinding Storm: It seems odd that the save to prevent and the save to end are different skills. (Does another spell or skill do this?)

Master of the Tempest: Stunned might be a little OP. Prone instead maybe?

[JNAProductions]

Spells: Good.

Blinding Storm: Should be an auto-save, not a check. Makes it too powerful.

Tempest Weapon: Good.

Aura of Wind and Fury: Disadvantage is too much. Cover is enough (though I would modify that to upgrade cover by one step. None to half, half to 3/4ths, 3/4ths to full.)

Empowered By The Storm: Might be a little much.

Master of the Tempest: Stunned should allow a saving throw each turn.

[Irish Musician]

Overall looks very nice. Might steal borrow this for an NPC in my game.

Be my guest!

Spells: Good.

Thanks

Blinding Storm: It seems odd that the save to prevent and the save to end are different skills. (Does another spell or skill do this?)

Mistake on my part, meant to change that to Con as well!

Blinding Storm: Should be an auto-save, not a check. Makes it too powerful.

What do you mean an auto-save?

Tempest Weapon: Good.

Aura of Wind and Fury: Disadvantage is too much. Cover is enough (though I would modify that to upgrade cover by one step. None to half, half to 3/4ths, 3/4ths to full.)

Oh, that's a good idea, with the upgrading. Because then ranged is it a disadvantage anyway, yeah? So I guess that bit is a little redundant. How about this level of upgrading?
7th - half
13th - 3/4
18th - full and 30ft radius

Empowered By The Storm: Might be a little much.

I originally had it as a full Cha mod times/day. I figured with the half, you are, at most, getting 3-4 more low level spells to cast. I think I forgot to put it on there, but it would only be regained at a long rest. Definitely not a short/long regain.

Master of the Tempest: Stunned might be a little OP. Prone instead maybe?

Master of the Tempest: Stunned should allow a saving throw each turn.

I like JNAP's suggestion here, and agree about it being a little too OP Calen. Lets you still have the Stun, but takes away its OP-ness and gives a chance at overcoming it. Could be next round, could be 5 rounds from now. I like it when you put it in the hands of the dice more.

[JNAProductions]

Be my guest!

Thanks

Mistake on my part, meant to change that to Con as well!

What do you mean an auto-save?



Oh, that's a good idea, with the upgrading. Because then ranged is it a disadvantage anyway, yeah? So I guess that bit is a little redundant. How about this level of upgrading?
7th - half
13th - 3/4
18th - full and 30ft radius

I originally had it as a full Cha mod times/day. I figured with the half, you are, at most, getting 3-4 more low level spells to cast. I think I forgot to put it on there, but it would only be regained at a long rest. Definitely not a short/long regain.


I like JNAP's suggestion here, and agree about it being a little too OP Calen. Lets you still have the Stun, but takes away its OP-ness and gives a chance at overcoming it. Could be next round, could be 5 rounds from now. I like it when you put it in the hands of the dice more.

Auto-save means that, at the start or end of their turn, they get a save. No action required.

As for the aura change... HELL NO! Half cover gives +2 to AC against EVERYTHING. 3/4ths gives +5 AC against EVERYTHING. Total cover means you can't be targeted. Period. So that upgrade means +2 to AC at 7th (pretty powerful), +5 to AC at 13th (overpowered) and TOTAL IMMUNITY TO EVERYTHING AT LEVEL 18!

Plus, you know, no other Paladin aura scales like that. A flat upgraded cover (none to half, half to 3/4ths, and 3/4ths to full) is more than enough, being a +2 to AC against anything and everything.

[Irish Musician]

Auto-save means that, at the start or end of their turn, they get a save. No action required.

As for the aura change... HELL NO! Half cover gives +2 to AC against EVERYTHING. 3/4ths gives +5 AC against EVERYTHING. Total cover means you can't be targeted. Period. So that upgrade means +2 to AC at 7th (pretty powerful), +5 to AC at 13th (overpowered) and TOTAL IMMUNITY TO EVERYTHING AT LEVEL 18!

Plus, you know, no other Paladin aura scales like that. A flat upgraded cover (none to half, half to 3/4ths, and 3/4ths to full) is more than enough, being a +2 to AC against anything and everything.

OOhhhh, I gotcha. Yeah, no-action save. I mean, the other "turns" don't even give you a chance at a save from the initial frightening.

I guess I didn't understand what you said, then. If it doesn't upgrade as you go, what do you mean by an upgrade? What am I upgrading and when? I am probably just not understanding

[JNAProductions]

The aura itself acts as a cover upgrade to every ally in the vicinity.

No cover -> Half Cover -> 3/4ths cover -> Full cover

So allies with no cover are "upgraded" to half cover. But if they manage to get actual half cover, they instead get 3/4ths cover. Does that clarify what I meant?

[Irish Musician]

The aura itself acts as a cover upgrade to every ally in the vicinity.

No cover -> Half Cover -> 3/4ths cover -> Full cover

So allies with no cover are "upgraded" to half cover. But if they manage to get actual half cover, they instead get 3/4ths cover. Does that clarify what I meant?

OOhhhh. So if someone happens to have half cover already, then comes into the aura, it will get upgraded. I see what you mean. I like that and will change the wording to suit that.

[JNAProductions]

*Tips hat.*

Glad to be of service.

[Arkhios]

This might be of lesser importance rules-wise, but don't you find it a bit odd that Tempest supports lawfulness while storms are anything but calm and "disciplined" phenomena? I do find it veeery fiddly, since storms are generally seen quite chaotic things. I'd definitely swap Law tenet to Chaos. One can be both protective while a bit chaotic, they don't rule each other out. Chaotic Good means more like a "Free Spirit", anyway.
It would actually make Paladins of Kord very tempting, as Kord is Chaotic Good deity with Tempest domain (also, my favorite Greyhawk Deity along with St. Cuthbert).

Also worth noting: Paladins in 5th edition are not required to be Lawful Good only :)

[Oramac]

This might be of lesser importance rules-wise, but don't you find it a bit odd that Tempest supports lawfulness while storms are anything but calm and "disciplined" phenomena? I do find it veeery fiddly, since storms are generally seen quite chaotic things. I'd definitely swap Law tenet to Chaos. One can be both protective while a bit chaotic, they don't rule each other out. Chaotic Good means more like a "Free Spirit", anyway.
It would actually make Paladins of Kord very tempting, as Kord is Chaotic Good deity with Tempest domain (also, my favorite Greyhawk Deity along with St. Cuthbert).

Also worth noting: Paladins in 5th edition are not required to be Lawful Good only :)

I agree 100%. Tempest should definitely be Chaotic.

Empowered by the Storm: By 15th level, you can control the storm at-will. You can cast a spell from your Oath List half your Charisma modifier times per day, and not use a spell slot. You regain the use of these non-slots after a long rest.

Half your Charisma, rounded up or down?

==============================

Otherwise, it looks good!

[Arkhios]

Half your Charisma, rounded up or down?

I would put that rounded down, but possibly with minimum 1.

Also, I assume those spells can only be cast at their minimum levels, since no slots are used. That detail should be mentioned.

[Irish Musician]

This might be of lesser importance rules-wise, but don't you find it a bit odd that Tempest supports lawfulness while storms are anything but calm and "disciplined" phenomena? I do find it veeery fiddly, since storms are generally seen quite chaotic things. I'd definitely swap Law tenet to Chaos. One can be both protective while a bit chaotic, they don't rule each other out. Chaotic Good means more like a "Free Spirit", anyway.
It would actually make Paladins of Kord very tempting, as Kord is Chaotic Good deity with Tempest domain (also, my favorite Greyhawk Deity along with St. Cuthbert).

Also worth noting: Paladins in 5th edition are not required to be Lawful Good only :)

Honestly, the character that motivated my making this was Durkon, a cleric yes, but with lots of "storm powers" that he tends to have. So my whole inspiration was a Lawful Good "Paladin".

In all honesty, alignment doesn't mean a strict adherence to the alignment to me, which is why I never specifically made it a requirement. It was just a suggestion. "Lawful" can break the laws, "Chaotic" can follow the laws, etc, etc. I don't like to pigeon-hole characters into a particular alignment, with the exception of having a good or neutral paladin outright killing an innocent or going fairly against that alignment. Then, we'd have to reevaluated their commitment to their god and they may get their powers taken away, and able to redeem them later or something.

So, really, I just put lawful in there because of the character I had in my mind as a Paladin that had the chaotic powers of the storm inside of them, but tried to control and use it for the purposes of the good and lawful.

That being said, A Chaotic Good Paladin of Kord would be an amazing Tempest Paladin! These are all just guidelines to make one, and I encourage people to make it their own whenever they make one

Half your Charisma, rounded up or down?

==============================

Otherwise, it looks good!

I would put that rounded down, but possibly with minimum 1.

Also, I assume those spells can only be cast at their minimum levels, since no slots are used. That detail should be mentioned.

Yes, rounded down of course. I guess since everything is rounded down I didn't even think about it

And good point about the spells being cast as-is. I'll put something in there for that as well!

edit:Also, thank you both for the input!!

[Arkhios]

Honestly, the character that motivated my making this was Durkon, a cleric yes, but with lots of "storm powers" that he tends to have. So my whole inspiration was a Lawful Good "Paladin".

In all honesty, alignment doesn't mean a strict adherence to the alignment to me, which is why I never specifically made it a requirement. It was just a suggestion. "Lawful" can break the laws, "Chaotic" can follow the laws, etc, etc. I don't like to pigeon-hole characters into a particular alignment, with the exception of having a good or neutral paladin outright killing an innocent or going fairly against that alignment. Then, we'd have to reevaluated their commitment to their god and they may get their powers taken away, and able to redeem them later or something.

So, really, I just put lawful in there because of the character I had in my mind as a Paladin that had the chaotic powers of the storm inside of them, but tried to control and use it for the purposes of the good and lawful.

That being said, A Chaotic Good Paladin of Kord would be an amazing Tempest Paladin! These are all just guidelines to make one, and I encourage people to make it their own whenever they make one




Yes, rounded down of course. I guess since everything is rounded down I didn't even think about it

And good point about the spells being cast as-is. I'll put something in there for that as well!

edit:Also, thank you both for the input!!

You're welcome. As a homebrewer myself, I appreciate honest feedback and I try to provide alike to others.

I understand your inspiration now that you said it. However, I might at least change the "Law" tenet's name to something similar which doesn't imply you have to be lawful, per se. While the intention is not to pigeon-hole someone to a particular alignment, a Law Tenet does imply such an alignment as necessary part of the Oath.

Another, perhaps a bit nitpicky note, "everything is rounded down" isn't exactly true in 5th edition (while it tend to be in earlier editions). One example would be Bard's Jack of All Trades (half proficiency, rounded down) compared to Champion Fighter's Remarkable Athlete (half proficiency, rounded up) :)

[Irish Musician]

You're welcome. As a homebrewer myself, I appreciate honest feedback and I try to provide alike to others.

I understand your inspiration now that you said it. However, I might at least change the "Law" tenet's name to something similar which doesn't imply you have to be lawful, per se. While the intention is not to pigeon-hole someone to a particular alignment, a Law Tenet does imply such an alignment as necessary part of the Oath.

Another, perhaps a bit nitpicky note, "everything is rounded down" isn't exactly true in 5th edition (while it tend to be in earlier editions). One example would be Bard's Jack of All Trades (half proficiency, rounded down) compared to Champion Fighter's Remarkable Athlete (half proficiency, rounded up) :)

Oh, well. Learn something new everyday! Didn't know some things were rounded up now. Great. Now I have to remember the few instances that are

And that's a good idea. Not law......hmmm, maybe......something along the lines of Justice instead of Law? Because you can get Justice without having formal Law. That way, Justice can be interpreted in different ways and you'd be able to move more fluently from Lawful, to Neutral, to Chaotic, and have more bend in the wording of the Oath for many different types of aligned Paladins.

[Arkhios]

Oh, well. Learn something new everyday! Didn't know some things were rounded up now. Great. Now I have to remember the few instances that are

And that's a good idea. Not law......hmmm, maybe......something along the lines of Justice instead of Law? Because you can get Justice without having formal Law. That way, Justice can be interpreted in different ways and you'd be able to move more fluently from Lawful, to Neutral, to Chaotic, and have more bend in the wording of the Oath for many different types of aligned Paladins.

Justice sounds good to me :) That's a concept which has been imprinted on paladins all over, regardless of the game :P

[Irish Musician]

Justice sounds good to me :) That's a concept which has been imprinted on paladins all over, regardless of the game :P

Awesome, going to go update that now. Thanks for the work around on that. Was going for Justice, it just didn't come out like that

edit: Alright, updated, let me know what you think!

[Arkhios]

Awesome, going to go update that now. Thanks for the work around on that. Was going for Justice, it just didn't come out like that

edit: Alright, updated, let me know what you think!

My pleasure!

A small typo here and there, but otherwise looks great to me. The feedback from others already covered the other issues I had in mind earlier.
If my DM would allow 3rd party, UA, or homebrew material in his campaign, I might ask him to allow me play with this Oath.