Oath of Courage (5e Subclass)
Oath of Courage[edit]
This is a Sacred Oath that can be taken by paladins.
Paladins who take the Oath of Courage ride a fine line between foolishness and bravery, wading into throngs of foes and acting as an invincible beacon to their allies. While many of these paladins have fallen valiantly in battle their last moments are usually nothing short of legendary. Paladins in this order will always be the first onto a battlefield and the last to leave and believe that every battle is winnable no matter how dire the circumstances.
Taking this oath is no small thing though as the power granted to its paladins is from each person’s spirit instead of an overseeing god. Many too foolhardy warriors die before they can awaken their potential and other too cautious warriors fail to truly exemplify the oath and have it fail them when they need it. Most paladins in this order are akin to majestic lions, fighting the good fight no matter the odds.
Tenets of Courage[edit]
Since the strength of this oath is unique to each of its paladins it has no definitive tenets, however the following is a rough collection that most seem to follow.
Be a beacon of hope every battlefield is a grim place, be the light that brings hope to your allies within them.
Be an inspiration to all you meet every person you meet has the spark of greatness within them, it is your duty to help them realize it.
Be brave no matter the situation even against fearful odds you can and will prevail, know this and your allies will as well.
- Oath Spells
You gain Oath spells at the Paladin Levels listed:
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Healing Word, Gift of Alacrity |
| 5th | Enhance Ability, shatter |
| 9th | Haste, mass healing word |
| 13th | Fire Shield, stoneskin |
| 17th | Flame Strike, Mass Cure Wounds |
Channel Divinity[edit]
When you take this Oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
- Unwavering Courage. You can use your Channel Divinity to invest your presence with the warding power of your faith. As an action, you can choose a number of creatures you can see within 30 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). For 1 minute, you and the chosen creatures have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.
- Inspiring Smite. Immediately after you deal damage to a creature with your Divine Smite feature, you can use your Channel Divinity as a bonus action and distribute temporary hit points to creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you, which can include you. The total number of temporary hit points equals 2d8 + your level in this class, divided among the chosen creatures however you like.
Lionhearted[edit]
Starting at 7th level, you gain the ability to continue fighting not just in spite of your wounds, but with their aid as well. If you have less than your maximum hp then you may add half of your charisma modifier to your attack and damage rolls and reduce all damage taken by the same amount and if you have less than half of your maximum HP then this bonus instead becomes your whole charisma modifier. If you have less than 1/10 of your maximum HP then you may make one additional attack on your turn whenever you take the attack action.
Against All Odds[edit]
Starting at 15th level, you develop an uncanny ability that allows you to continue on even while at death’s door. When you are reduced to 0 hitpoints you do not fall unconscious, but must still make death saving throws. Additionally, when you take damage while at 0 hp it only counts as 1 failed death saving throw and you may fail 1 additional death saving throw before dying.
Aspect Of Courage[edit]
At 20th level, as an action, you can cause yourself to become a paragon of the fighting spirit. For one minute, you gain the following benefits:
- you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons.
- your bonuses to attack, damage, and damage resistance from Lionhearted are doubled
- you have advantage on death saving throws and may fail up to 6 death saving throws before dying.
This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
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