Oath of Academia (5e Subclass)
Oath of Academia[edit]
Paladin Subclass Not everyone is suited to the same style of learning and, unfortunately, many students of the arcane discover they have neither the brains of a wizard nor blood of a sorcerer. In an effort to cut down on warlock deals with unsavory extraplanar entities, some archmages developed the Oath of Academia paladin curriculum so that those willing to put their commitment and hard work to the test would be able to access at least some of the magical mysteries of the universe. The fact that the scrawny casters got heavily armed and armored magical bodyguards without needing to build golems was just a side benefit, of course.
To become an Oath of Academia paladin, an initiate must devote themselves body and soul to the cause and protection of education, both their own and that of others. This often sees them employed in centers of learning or research such as wizarding schools and temples of knowledge, but sometimes they act as guards to important documents and artifacts. In any case, to take such an oath means a life of constant improvement and pushing outward the edges of understanding, though often from a support role.
- Tenets of Academia
Armored Archive: Protect and preserve anything that may be of valuable academic study or inquiry, even at the cost of less exceptional interests whose loss won’t impact a broader understanding of the world.
Critical Thinking: When presented with new information, carefully consider it to determine its validity based on source, applicability, and contradictions to your lived experience. To accept things blindly is the path towards ignorance, not knowledge.
Factual Accuracy: Never knowingly spread false information by making sure you can defend your statements with citations and relevant observations. It is better to admit ignorance than conjure falsehoods.
Teachable Moments: When the opportunity to educate or clarify a lack of knowledge about a subject you can contribute your own data to. While sometimes not totally relevant, you never know what bits of trivia might become relevant later.
- Academia Magic
The magic of your oath ensures you always have certain spells ready; when you reach a paladin level specified in the Oath of the Academia Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | comprehend languages, identify |
| 5th | borrowed knowledge, enhance ability |
| 9th | glyph of warding, intellect fortress |
| 13th | divination, staggering smite |
| 17th | legend lore, skill empowerment |
- Active Learner
Starting at 3rd level, you have proficiency in the Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion skill (choose 1). You can choose 1 additional skill to gain proficiency with from these options at 10th and 17th levels. You can add your Charisma modifier to any Intelligence ability check you make with a skill or tool you have proficiency with. You can also use any arcane focus as a holy symbol.
- Arcane Index
Starting at 3rd level, you can call upon your knowledge of the mystic arts for magical versatility. As a magic action, you can expend one of your uses of Channel Divinity to cast any 1st-level spell without a spell slot or material components. The spell must be from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell lists and have a casting time of 1 action or bonus action. The spell uses Charisma as its spellcasting ability.
- Spell Keeper
Starting at 3rd level, you gain 1 additional 1st-level spell slot. You gain an additional 2nd-level spell slot at 5th level, 3rd-level spell slot at 9th level, 4th-level spell slot at 13th level, and 5th-level spell slot at 17th level. Whenever you expend a spell slot, you regain missing hit points equal to its level.
You also learn the guidance cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
- Aura of Deep Focus
Starting at 7th level, your presence bolsters the cranial defenses of your lab partners. You and your allies have resistance to psychic damage and advantage on concentration saving throws while inside your Aura of Protection.
- Mental Health Check
Starting at 7th level, you can prevent spells from falling apart due to caster frailty. When a creature within your Aura of Protection fails a concentration saving throw, you can use your restion to expend one of your uses of Channel Divinity and turn the failure into a success. The creature also regains missing hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
- Tutored Trinity
Starting at 15th level, your devotion to academic excellence has developed in you higher standards of magical vigor. You can add a +3 bonus to your concentration saving throws, Intelligence (Investigation) checks, and spell save DC. If your Intelligence modifier is +2 or lower, you can treat it as +3 whenever you use it. Additionally, when you gain advantage on an Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability check or saving throw, you can reroll one of the dice once.
- Restiricted Content
Starting at 20th level, you finally overcome the mystic limitations that constrain most of your peers. You gain two 6th-level spell slots and learn three 6th-level or lower spells of your choice from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell lists. During a long rest, you can replace one of these spells with a different spell that meets the prerequisites. These spells count as paladin spells for you and use Charisma as your spellcasting ability score.
Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Character Options → Subclasses