Oath of the Berserker (5e Subclass)
Oath of the Berserker
Oath of the Berserker |
Paladin Subclass
“ | Certainty of death, small chance of success... What are we waiting for? | ” |
—Gimli son of Glóin, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King |
The Oath of the Berserker is a sacred commitment to be at the forefront of every battle, and never run from a fight. These paladins make barbarians look like wimps. This oath is available to paladins of any alignment, but is especially popular among dwarves and followers of chaotic gods of battle.
Tenets of the Berserker
The tenets of the Oath of the Berserker vary widely, but share these basic elements in common.
Boldness. Always be the first into the breach. Never hide behind others. Never let another take greater risk (and greater glory) than you.
Resolve. Always continue on in the face of adversity. Persevere when others fall short.
Buoyancy. Never let circumstances get you down. The greater the risk, the higher your spirits.
Transparency. Your word is your bond. Never deceive the innocent, and rarely the guilty. Choose a fair fight over subterfuge.
Oath Spells
You gain Oath spells at the Paladin Levels listed:
Paladin Level | Spells |
---|---|
3rd | jump, longstrider |
5th | flame blade, enhance ability (Str/Dex/Con) |
9th | dispel magic, haste |
13th | freedom of movement, stoneskin |
17th | flame strike, tree stride |
Channel Divinity
When you take this Oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Divine Challenge. As a bonus action, you make a Charisma (Intimidation) check. Any enemy within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you must make an opposed Wisdom save. A creature that fails the save must either focus its attacks on you or flee as if frightened. An affected creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls for attacks that do not include you as a target for 1 minute, or until you are no longer conscious or in line of sight.
Divine Rage. As a bonus action, you enter a berserk rage. You gain a damage bonus equal to your Charisma modifier on Strength-based melee attacks and advantage on saving throws against enchantment effects. Divine rage lasts for 1 minute, or until you end it prematurely as a bonus action or are knocked unconscious.
Aura of Strength
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet gain a bonus to attack rolls, equal to half your Charisma modifier, rounded up. Starting at 7th level, friendly creatures within 10 feet of you are not hindered by terrain modifiers while you are conscious. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Divine Health
Starting at 7th level, the divine rage in you stops even the most grievous wounds. While raging, all non-magical damage is reduced by your Charisma modifier.
Relentless Rage
Starting at 15th level, your divine rage can keep you fighting despite grievous wounds. If you drop to 0 hit points while you're raging and don't die outright, you can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a short or long rest, the DC resets to 10.
Persistent Rage
At 20th level, divine rage becomes your normal state of being. Once active, divine rage lasts until you rest, fall unconscious, or choose to end it as a bonus action.