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    Pixie in the Playground
    Join Date
    Nov 2019

    Default The Oath of the Soulsworn: a Sorcadin-inspired Paladin Subclass

    Salvete! I’m LightningStrike and this is my first post on this part of the forum! While I’ve been homebrewing for little while, this is the first I’ve placed online; hopefully I’ll be able to polish up some more of it to share at some point soon.

    Of the three homebrew subclasses I’ve written so far, the Oath of the Soulsworn is the closest to my heart, as well as the one that I’m happiest with. This is for a reason that anyone who’s aware of my single foray elsewhere on the forum might be able to guess! In brief, my introduction to D&D was playing a sorcadin called Brigid in a campaign that is still ongoing; her inner struggles with her identity and power and her determination to do what she believes is right despite it have rapidly made her my favourite character of any I’ve ever created. In many ways, this Oath is a tribute to her and to the strength and freedom that I hope she will one day possess.

    Mechanically speaking, the Soulsworn paladin chooses a damage type at 3rd level that alters many of their Oath Spells and features and can be used for their Divine Smite in addition to radiant damage. They can also temporarily access the sorcerer spell list at a higher level than a regular paladin’s castings or modify their spells with Metamagic through their Channel Divinity.

    You can find a link to a document containing all of this in a neatly formatted and illustrated form here: ‘homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/KHjvG8mtGo_m’. Thanks go to my good friends in real life (and my GM in the former case) Sam and Anna for their advice on balance and language and their general awesomeness. I thoroughly hope that you enjoy the subclass and, of course, welcome your thoughts and constructive feedback to make it as good as it can be!



    Paladins who take the Oath of the Soulsworn are curious cases, for the divine strength that they call upon stands alongside pre-existing magic. They are those touched by the arcane who choose not to pursue it as an end in itself but as a means to the end of helping others, channelling it by sanction not only of their own will but by that of the ideals that they commit themselves to. Whether out of fear of their own strength, a recognition of the need for responsibility to guide their power or a simple desire to dedicate themselves to something more affirming than their magic, these paladins learn to wield arcane and divine energies for the same righteous ends – and so to wield something greater than both.

    Tenets of the Soulsworn

    The tenets of the Oath of the Soulsworn vary on account of the varied natures of those who swear themselves to them but typically emphasise these aspects:

    Acceptance Your power is your own and yours to use. To attempt to abandon it or suppress it will only cause destruction; instead, embrace it and make good of it.

    Cultivation Your power may be tempestuous or erratic but it is also mighty; practise in its use to harness it at its fullest and bring down what is wrong without endangering what is right.

    Forgiveness You may make mistakes and by your nature those mistakes may harm others; heal where and what you can but, beyond that, do not let guilt hold you back from doing further good.

    Hospitality Your place in the world grants you both authority and understanding. Make use of that rare combination; where others are victimised for difference, shelter them and lend them your strength of heart.


    The Power of the Soul

    When you take this Sacred Oath, you choose a damage type from acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, psychic and thunder. This damage type, which remains the same across your career as a paladin (though your DM may offer exceptional circumstances in which it changes), reflects the specific nature of your innate magical power and determines several of the Oath Spells you gain access to as well as being referenced by your features.

    The touch of magic, especially of this sort, always leaves its mark. Consider how your magical nature might have affected you before you began adventuring. Do you think of it a blessing or a curse, something to show off to all comers or to keep hidden for fear of reprisal? Has it harmed those close to you, or kept them safe at a time of danger? Finally, why has it re-emerged now? Perhaps you felt that you could not safely control it without the guidance of your Oath or had put it aside to focus on the path of the paladin – or perhaps it was dormant up to this point, its influence purely psychological or trivial until your divine spellcasting gave it a conduit to manifest in full.

    Arcane Smite

    At 3rd level, you learn to direct the power within you through your strikes as you do with divine energy. Whenever you use your Divine Smite or Improved Divine Smite feature, you can choose to deal damage of your selected type instead of radiant damage.


    Oath Spells

    All paladins of the Oath of the Soulsworn gain the following oath spells at the levels listed:

    OATH OF THE SOULSWORN SPELLS
    Paladin Level
    Spell
    3rd
    shield
    5th
    enhance ability
    13th
    counterspell
    17th
    skill empowerment

    Furthermore, you gain additional oath spells depending on your selected damage type at the levels listed; consult the associated table below:

    ACID
    Paladin Level
    Spells
    3rd
    Tasha’s caustic brew
    5th
    web
    9th
    gaseous form
    13th
    elemental bane, vitriolic sphere
    17th
    greater restoration

    COLD
    Paladin Level
    Spells
    3rd
    ice knife
    5th
    blur
    9th
    sleet storm
    13th
    elemental bane, ice storm
    17th
    cone of cold

    FIRE
    Paladin Level
    Spells
    3rd
    burning hands
    5th
    flaming sphere
    9th
    fireball
    13th
    elemental bane, wall of fire
    17th
    immolation

    LIGHTNING
    Paladin Level
    Spells
    3rd
    witch bolt
    5th
    warding wind
    9th
    lightning bolt
    13th
    elemental bane, storm sphere
    17th
    control winds

    NECROTIC
    Paladin Level
    Spells
    3rd
    false life
    5th
    blindness/deafness
    9th
    slow
    13th
    blight, compulsion
    17th
    enervation

    PSYCHIC
    Paladin Level
    Spells
    3rd
    sleep
    5th
    detect thoughts
    9th
    hypnotic pattern
    13th
    charm monster, compulsion
    17th
    synaptic static

    THUNDER
    Paladin Level
    Spells
    3rd
    thunderwave
    5th
    shatter
    9th
    thunder step
    13th
    elemental bane, freedom of movement
    17th
    far step

    Channel Divinity

    When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how Channel Divinity works.

    Channel the Soul You can use your Channel Divinity to manifest your soul’s full might. Choose a spell from the sorcerer spell list to cast at a spell level equal to or below a third of your paladin level (rounded up). You cast this spell, which is a paladin spell for you. After you do so, you gain a level of exhaustion, as the act of focusing your divine strength of will on your own being taxes you, and cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest. You know the spell that you cast with this feature until you finish a short or long rest and can cast it again with a spell slot of the appropriate level.

    Focus Magic When you cast a spell, you can use your Channel Divinity to shape it. Choose a Metamagic option from the sorcerer class. You use that Metamagic option when you cast the spell, without requiring sorcery points. You also gain that Metamagic option until you finish a short or long rest in addition to sorcery points equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to spend on it (these points are added to any sorcery points you have from another source but can be used only for Metamagic), which last until you finish a short or long rest.


    Aura of Elemental Might

    Starting at 7th level, you learn to channel your soul’s energy into your aura, granting your allies a spark of its power. The first time that each friendly creature within 10 feet of you (including you) hits with an attack on its turn, you deal additional damage of your selected type equal to your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum of 1) to the target.

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


    Soul’s Fortitude

    By 15th level, your soul’s power suffuses you, granting you magical resilience. You are resistant to damage of your selected type. In addition, whenever you take damage from a spell, you reduce that damage by your spellcasting ability modifier.

    Finally, whenever you take damage of your selected type, you can use your reaction to capture its energy and empower your next strike. The first time you use your Divine Smite feature after taking this reaction, up to the end of your next turn, its damage increases by 2d8 (which is either radiant damage or, if you use your Arcane Smite feature, damage of your selected type).


    Exalted Soul

    At 20th level, you fuse the potential of your soul with your divine strength of will, leaving no distinction between the two. As an action, you manifest this fusion at its most complete, gaining the following benefits for one minute:

    • When you would deal radiant damage or damage of your selected type, you instead deal damage that is simultaneously radiant and of your selected type. A creature or object taking this damage is only immune or resistant to it if it is immune or resistant to both damage types and is vulnerable to it if it is vulnerable to either.
    • When you use your Channel the Soul feature, you don't gain a level of exhaustion, can use the feature again before you finish a long rest and can choose to use your Focus Magic feature at the same time. At the start of each of your turns after you use Channel the Soul, you gain another sorcery point. Additionally, you can use sorcery points to cast spells you know or use your Divine Smite feature instead of spell slots, spending a number of points equal to the level of the spell slot that you would normally use to cast the spell or add radiant damage to your hit, up to a maximum of 5th level. You can also add sorcery points to a spell slot to cast a spell or use Divine Smite at a level equal to the slot expended plus the number of sorcery points spent, also up to a maximum of 5th level. Any sorcery points that you gained from this feature are reduced to a maximum of three at the end of the minute.
    • You are immune to your selected damage type and friendly creatures within 30 feet of you are resistant to it.
    • You gain an additional benefit depending on your selected damage type:
      - Acid Each creature of your choice that enters or starts its turn within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw; if it fails, its AC derived from armour or natural armour is reduced by 1. This penalty is accumulative with itself and may be removed by repairing the armour (for armour) or by casting a greater restoration, regenerate, reincarnate, resurrection, true resurrection or wish spell on a creature that it afflicts (for natural armour).
      - Cold Each creature of your choice that enters or starts its turn within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw; if it fails, its speed is halved. This penalty is accumulative with itself and lasts until your Exalted Soul feature ends.
      - Fire Each creature of your choice that hits you with a melee attack, touches you or starts its turn within 5 feet of you takes 10 fire damage.
      - Lightning You gain a magical flying speed of 40 feet. Additionally, whenever you use your Divine Smite or Improved Divine Smite feature, you can cause a different creature of your choice within 30 feet of the target of your attack to take damage equal to half the damage you dealt with your feature; if you use them both at the same time, you calculate the damage dealt to the second creature from the total damage.
      - Necrotic Whenever you use your Divine Smite or Improved Divine Smite feature, you gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage you dealt with your feature; if you use them both at the same time, you calculate the temporary hit points gained from the total damage.
      - Psychic You are immune to the charmed and stunned conditions and only become unconscious if you drop to 0 hit points. Additionally, you add your spellcasting ability modifier to any ability check or saving throw you make with your Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma (this is accumulative with your Aura of Protection feature).
      - Thunder Each time you teleport, you can choose to deal 10 thunder damage to each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you when you arrive at your new location. Additionally, you can use a bonus action to teleport to an unoccupied space within 15 feet of you. If you are mounted on a creature that you summoned with the find steed or find greater steed spell, you can choose for them to teleport with you when you use this bonus action.

      Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
    Last edited by LightningStrike; 2022-03-11 at 06:46 PM.

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