Oath of the Cursed

In your time on the material plane, you worshipped the gods. You walked as an upright warrior-monk, and fought back against the forces of evil. However, before you could finish your business in the world, death found its way to you. Your god took pity on you, your holy quest resonated with them in a way that they decided to save you from your fate. In doing so, you were brought back to life. However, in saving you, they also cursed you – because coming back from the dead comes with a price. For some reason, death decides to temporarily cease its attempts to reach its cold, unfeeling arms around you. Rather death chooses to embrace the people around you. The people you love.

By choosing to take the Oath of the Cursed, you embrace the idea of your slowly fleeting mortality, accepting death for what it is. Your god (or gods) know that they cannot hold you away from the hands of death forever, but as long as you choose to uphold their tenants they will do their best to prolong your life, and keep your curse away from your loved ones. 

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Oath Tenants:

 

Morality. “Even if I am about to die, I’ll continue to uphold my moral code, even as I draw my last breath.” 

 

Selflessness. “My final breath will be drawn, knowing full well that I helped as many people as I could.” 

 

Beauty. “Life is a beautiful thing, and preserving the beauty of things that are still alive should be a priority.”

 

Death. “Everything has a time to die, whether it’s on their bed surrounded by loved ones, or by my sword.”

Channel Divinity

When you take this Oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.  

Exuding Death. As a bonus action, you can use your channel divinity to change the damage type of your divine smite to necrotic damage for one use. 

Guided Strike. You can use your Channel Divinity to strike with supernatural accuracy. When you make an attack roll, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.

Aura of Death

Beginning at 7th level, you have learned to control the Aura of Death that surrounds you constantly. The aura extends 10ft from you in every direction, but not through total cover.

Frightened creatures within this radius take cold damage equal to ½ your paladin level (rounded up), and are frightened. Frightened creatures must take their full action to dash away from you while within the aura. 

At 18th level, this aura increases to a 30ft range.

Mortality

Beginning at 15th level, the complete understanding of your mortality and the acceptance that death could be constantly imminent has improved your senses. You cannot be surprised. 

Champion over Death

Beginning at 20th level, you have mastered your death. Once per long rest, as an action, you can choose to throw away the fleeting sensations of the last bits of your mortal life to fully embrace your undead nature. This feature lasts for one minute. 

• At the beginning of your turn, you regain 1d6 + your charisma modifier hit points
• All creatures within a 30 foot radius must succeed a wisdom saving throw (DC 18), or be frightened for 1d4 rounds. 
• If you fall below 1 hit points during this ability, you can choose to return to one hit point once.