Oath of the Warlord (5e Subclass)
Oath of the Warlord[edit]
Paladins of the Warlord follow in the footsteps of the Warlord of Avernus Zariel, Archduchess of the first and fallen angel of Avernus. Most Followers of this oath share Zariel's belief that they do what is right even when it becomes the decision of what they think is the 'greater evil.' Zariel believes she sacrificed herself to defend heaven from the abyss by falling, as such, her followers also believe they do what they must to protect what they hold dear. The Warlord of Avernus is known for their fowl temper, her poor emotional control impeding her ability to act rationally and pragmatically, as exemplified by her refusal to play politics. As such, followers of this Oath typically choose to settle disputes with the blade rather than words, they hold many things dear, but care not most politics and usually struggle with their anger, or embrace their anger as a part of themselves. Regardless of what the Oath takers of the Oath of the Warlord believe, they all their tenets in the upmost truth, and respect those who also follow their Oath.
- Tenets of the Warlord
Though the exact words and strictures of the Oath of the Warlord vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets:
Wrath. Anyone who sides with, supports or stands near the ones you hunt are just as guilty as them, and they will not be spared.
Terror. Fear is a tool to be used often and with great relish.
Know your enemy Try to collect information about your enemies when possible.
Protector Protect those who you hold dear, even if it makes them hate you.
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | scorching ray, shatter |
| 5th | hold person, spiritual weapon |
| 9th | fireball, revivify |
| 13th | guardian of faith, fire shield |
| 17th | banishing smite, greater restoration |
Channel Divinity[edit]
When you take this Oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Weapon of Hellfire. As an action, you can imbue a weapon that you are holding with fiery energy using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, the weapon deals an additional 1d8 fire damage, emits dim light in a 20-foot radius, and is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical damage as well as the fire damage inflicted by this is not effected by fire resistance. You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you are no longer carrying this weapon or if you fall unconscious, the effect ends immediately.
The extra damage increases to 2d8 at 9th level and 3d8 at 17th level.
Appetite for War. As a bonus action, your thirst for war and bloodshed on the battlefield turns you into a killing machine. If you kill a creature or destroy an object with a weapon attack, you can use your bonus action to immediately make one additional weapon attack.
Aura of Carnage[edit]
At 7th level, any creatures you choose that comes within 10 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened until the end of your next turn and the area encompassed by your aura becomes dim light for them. If a creature succeeds on the saving throw they are immune to the effect for 24 hours. (The save for the aura is = the paladins spell save DC.) At 13th then 18th level, the aura increases to 20 then 30 feet.
Strength through Fear[edit]
At 15th level, you gain advantage on your attack rolls against any Frightened creatures and can add your Charisma modifier to damage rolls for those same creatures.
Avatar of the Warlord[edit]
At 20th level, you take on the appearance of one who can lay waste to all before them for 1 minute.
- You project magical darkness for a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet that you and your allies can see through normally.
- You sprout a pair of black feathery wings and gain a 60ft fly speed.
- You gain 5 temporary HP for every Frightened creature within your aura at the end of your turn.
- Aura of Carnage range doubles for duration and all creatures within the aura range when the Avatar descends whether or not they've already saved the Aura of Carnage Will save DC within the past 24 hours, must make a new one upon activation. The save for the Aura of Carnage DC gains a bonus = STR mod.
You must complete a long rest before using this ability again.
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