The
Oath of Devotion binds a
paladin to the loftiest
Ideals of justice, virtue, and order. Sometimes called cavaliers, white knights, or holy warriors, these paladins meet the ideal of the
Knight in shining armor,
Acting with honor in
Pursuit of justice and the greater good. They hold themselves to the highest standards of conduct, and some, for better or worse, hold the rest of the world to the same standards.
Many who swear this oath are devoted to gods of law and good and use their gods’ tenets as the measure of their devotion. They hold angels—the perfect servants of good—as their
Ideals, and incorporate images of angelic wings into their helmets or coats of arms.
Though the exact words and strictures of the
Oath of Devotion vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets.
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Honesty: Don’t lie or cheat. Let your word be your Promise.
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Courage: Never fear to act, though caution is wise.
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Compassion: Aid Others, protect the weak, and punish those who threaten them. Show mercy to your foes, but temper it with Wisdom.
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Honor: Treat Others with fairness, and let your honorable deeds be an example to them. Do as much good as possible while causing the least amount of harm.
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Duty: Be responsible for your ACTIONS and their consequences, protect those entrusted to your care, and obey those who have just Authority over you.
You gain oath
Spells at the
Paladin levels listed.
When you take this oath at
3rd Level, you gain the following two
Channel Divinity options.
Sacred Weapon: As an
Action, you can imbue one weapon that you are holding with positive energy, using your
Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, you add your
Charisma modifier to
Attack rolls made with that weapon (with a minimum bonus of +1). The weapon also emits
bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light 20 feet beyond that. If the weapon is not already
Magical, it becomes
Magical for the
Duration.
You can end this
Effect on
Your Turn as part of any other
Action. If you are no longer holding or carrying this weapon, or if you fall
Unconscious, this
Effect ends.
Turn the Unholy. As an
Action, you present your holy
Symbol and speak a prayer censuring
fiends and
Undead, using your
Channel Divinity. Each fiend or
Undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a
Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage.
A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can’t take
REACTIONS. For its
Action, it can use only the
Dash Action or try to
Escape from an
Effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the
Dodge Action.
Starting at
7th Level, you and friendly
Creatures within 10 feet of you can’t be
charmed while you are conscious.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Beginning at 15th level, you are always under the
Effects of a
protection from evil and good spell.
At 20th level, as an
Action, you can emanate an aura of sunlight. For 1 minute, bright light shines from you in a 30-foot radius, and dim light shines 30 feet beyond that.
Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the bright light, the creature takes 10
radiant damage.
In addition, for the
Duration, you have
advantage on
Saving Throws against
Spells cast by
Fiends or
Undead.
Breaking Your Oath
A
Paladin tries to hold to the highest standards of conduct, but even the most virtuous
Paladin is fallible. Sometimes the right path proves too demanding, sometimes a situation calls for the lesser of two evils, and sometimes the heat of emotion causes a
Paladin to transgress his or her oath.
A
Paladin who has broken a vow typically seeks absolution from a
cleric who shares his or her faith or from another
Paladin of the same order. The
Paladin might spend an all- night vigil in prayer as a sign of penitence, or undertake a fast or similar act of self-denial. After a rite of confession and forgiveness, the
Paladin starts fresh.
If a
Paladin willfully violates his or her oath and shows no sign of repentance, the consequences can be more serious. At the GM’s discretion, an impenitent
Paladin might be forced to abandon this class and adopt another.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a
Long Rest.
