Oath of War (5e Subclass)
Oath of War[edit]
Paladin Subclass
The Oath of War calls to paladins who seek glory in battle and the subjugation of their enemies. It isn’t enough for these paladins to establish order. They must crush the forces of chaos. Sometimes called knight tyrants or iron mongers, those who swear this oath gather into grim orders that serve gods or philosophies of war and well-ordered might.
Some of these paladins go so far as to consort with the powers of the Nine Hells, valuing the rule of law over the balm of mercy. The archdevil Bel, warlord of Avernus, counts many of these paladins – called hell knights – as his most ardent supporters. Hell knights cover their armor with trophies taken from fallen enemies, a grim warning to any who dare oppose them and the decrees of their lords. These knights are often most fiercely resisted by other paladins of this oath, who believe that the hell knights have wandered too far into darkness.
- Tenets of War
Duty. Defeat the Enemies of your god, and show them no mercy.
Service. Protect and Serve the servants of your god if your god wishes it.
Honor. Take pride and show honor and worth in the name of your god.
Reverence. Respect your god's race and hold them in the Highest Regard.
- Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed. No spell has its gameplay effects changed (unless otherwise stated), but all applicable should be "flavored" to involve your god.
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | divine favor, heroism |
| 5th | spiritual weapon, warding bond |
| 9th | haste, spirit guardians |
| 13th | resilient sphere, conjure minor elementals |
| 17th | circle of power, flame strike |
- Channel Divinity
When you take this Oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
- Act of War. As a bonus action, you can focus against a creature you can see within 10 feet of you, using your Channel Divinity. You gain advantage on attack rolls against the creature for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious.
- Gods Wrath. As a bonus action, you call upon the aid of your god once again to unleash a powerful beam from the sky in a 30 foot radius centered on a point you choose within range. each creature which is hostile to you must make a constitution throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d6 damage (depends on god) and is frightened. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and isn't frightened. The creature may repeats the save at the start of each of its turns and the effect ends if you are knocked unconscious. The frightened condition lasts for 1 minute or until the creature succeeds its save, whichever comes first
- Aura of Warding
Beginning at 7th level, ancient magic lies so heavily upon you that it forms a ward. You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to damage from spells.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
- Undying Soldier
Starting at 15th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points and are not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Additionally, you suffer none of the drawbacks of old age, and you can't be aged magically.
- Avatar of War
At 20th level, you can use your action to awaken the fighting spirit of fellow warriors within 30 feet. Once per turn, when a friendly creature inside the aura causes damage to a creature with a weapon attack, it causes additional 3d6 damage with that attack.
In addition, for the duration, you have advantage on your attack rolls.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
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