The Second Circle: Undead Destroyers (5e Subclass)
The Second Circle: Undead Destroyers[edit]
Paladin Subclass
The Second Circle is a section of a paladin order known as the Circles. The founder of the order, Huntmaster Golmdring, formed the Second Circle not only to call others to assist with his hatred and fear of the dead, but also as a repository of information on all things having to do with zombies, ghosts, liches, necromancers, and whatever else might crawl out from a grave. Paladins of the Circles are typically recognized by long, flowing coats of leather and large, wide-brimmed hats, sometimes coupled with scarves pulled over the face. The attire of the Second Circle is generally colored inky blacks to pale silvers, decorated with crosses, skulls, grim phrases in calligraphy, and other symbols associated with death. To become a paladin of the Circles, one must usually meet with Huntmaster Golmdring and will likely be sent on a minor job to prove their worthiness and, should they show promise, be granted a right to join the hunt. Occasionally, Golmdring may learn of a special individual who would make a fine addition to the order, and may send his conscience to them. They will experience a dream where he will give them directions to the headquarters of the Circles, and will offer them a meeting with him to discuss possible membership.
- Tenets of the Second Circle
The tenets of the Oath of the Second Circle are as follows:
The Dead Will Return To The Grave. Rousing the dead from their eternal sleep is a horrible shame, so grant the perpetrators no mercy.
The Living Will Have Their Closure. The mercy you have saved should be granted to those who have suffered from the dead's return.
Study The Vile Magic, Share Your Findings. When we do not know what we fight, we have already lost.
Live With Cautious Wisdom We face a smart and ruthless foe, who will stoop to any level. Remember this, and never be fooled.
- Oath Spells
You will gain the following spells at 3rd level:
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | entangle, silvery barbs |
| 5th | earthbind, spike growth |
| 9th | pulse wave, spirit shroud |
| 13th | grasping vine, guardian of faith |
| 17th | control winds, wall of light |
- Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at level 3, you will gain the following Channel Divinity options.
- Destroyer's Cross.
- ...Holy blessings, cast in heavy iron...
The Destroyers Cross is a massive crucifix made of heavy metal, with a handle near its base allowing it to be held in a manner similar to a shield. An undead destroyer can use it as a spell casting focus as well as a weapon. You may summon your Destroyers Cross with the use of your Channel Divinity, and it will remain summoned for 12 hours. It has the following properties:
| Weapon | Damage | Weight | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destroyer's Cross | 1d12 bludgeoning | 15 lb. | Heavy, special |
With the use of a bonus action, the Destroyer's Cross can emit a beam of holy energy from its base, granting it the traits of a lance. The holy blade deals radiant damage and can use your charisma for its attack and damage rolls, and will increase to 3d12 if it strikes an undead or undead cultist. Additionally, it will grant the benefits of a shield if the wielder is mounted.
As an action, you can plant the Destroyer's Cross on the ground, causing it to enter "Sanctity Mode". While in Sanctity Mode, the Cross will emit 90 feet of dim light and 30 feet of sunlight, damaging enemies. The Cross's stats in Sanctity Mode can be seen at the bottom of the page.
- Knowledge of The Second Circle
- ...Swallowing my horror, I improvised, adapted, overcame...
The Order of Circles keeps vast amounts of knowledge on their foes, knowledge they are more than happy to share. Upon using this Channel Divinity as an action, you will enter a trance-like state and connect your mind to the Orders archives. You may ask the archives up to five questions concerning undead, and you will receive answers based on what is recorded in the archives. Most undead destroyers use this on their off days.
- The Angel's Wing
- ...A horse of holy iron, to blaze a trail to divine justice...
At 7th level you gain the ability to use your find steed in a new way: to summon an angel's wing. This motorcycle formed of divine metal will be summoned with 300 miles worth of holy fuel. You many restore holy fuel by feeding the Angels Wing spell slots, at a conversion of 75 miles per spell slot level, at a maximum of 675. If destroyed, the Angels Wing will vanish, and can be returned simply by recasting the spell. Additionally, you gain proficiency with land vehicles; if you already had proficiency, than gain expertise instead.
- Veil of Holy Feathers
- ...My very presence would bring peace to the dead...
At 15th level you will exude a minor aura of protection, as well as enhance your Angel's Wing to the Valkyrie Drive. You and any ally within 10 feet of you will reduce any damage from an undead or undead sympathizer (creatures friendly to an undead on a combat or that raised undeads) by 3. At 18th level the aura will increase to 30 feet. Additionally, you may now use the spell find greater steed to summon a valkyrie drive, the advanced second form of the Angel's Wing.
- Cloak of the First Hunter
- ...I would become the terror of all evil...
At 20th level, you may don a cloak of the Huntmaster Golmdring. When you use this ability, you will gain Channel Divinity weapons from both The First Circle: Fiend Hunters, and The Third Circle: Eldritch Slayers for an hour. Additionally, any trait that does extra damage to undead will also do extra damage to fiends, aberrations, and cultist of either. You regain use of this ability after a long rest.
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Destroyer's Cross[edit]
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medium object, unaligned Armor Class 18 + Proficiency (natural armor)
Damage Vulnerabilities thunder
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An enemy who enters or starts their turn within 30 feet of the Cross must make a Cha save (DC 8+Cha+Prof), taking 1d10 + Charisma radiant damage on a failed save, undead and undead cultists/necromancers making the save with disadvantage and taking one extra dice of damage. Furthermore, an undead with an Intelligence score lower than 10 that fails the save will be enraged by the Cross, and will be forced to only target it. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage. The 30 feet of sunlight around the cross counts as difficult terrain for undead. The damage increases to 2d10 at level 7, 3d10 at level 15, and 4d10 at level 19, as well as the Intelligence threshold to draw their attacks will increase to 13, 16, and 19 respectively.
If reduced to zero hit points, the Cross will deactivate and all effects of Sanctity Mode will fade. While held by its wielder, the Cross will regain 15 hit points every hour, and will be unable to re-enter Sanctity Mode until it regains all its hit points.