Base Class: Paladin
Oath of the Grave
The Oath of the Grave is a seldom practised tradition, most commonly reserved for the followers of Juvia. Sometimes called winter knights, black knights, or grave knights, these paladins serve as protectors of the sacred passings into the afterlife. They constantly struggle against the forces of undeath, as they see them as the most unholy abominations that blight this land. They adorn themselves with images of death and winter-skulls, ravens, or similar symbols of their patron gods.
Tenets of the Grave
The tenets of the Oath of the Grave have been passed down for generations. This oath emphasizes the passing between the warmth of life to the everlasting cold of death, and punishes those that defile this passing with the unholy raising of undead.
Annihilate the Unholy. The undead and those who foster them are unholy and wicked. Destroy them before they defile more than they have already.
Preserve the Righteous. Death should not come early to those who have led a blessed life. Preserve the righteous, so they may live on without fear.
Let Souls Pass On. Every soul deserves its place in the afterlife. When you see a creature forced into undeath, let its soul go free.
Accept Death. Death comes to all eventually. Accept it and you will find a place in the afterlife.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of the Grave Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | inflict wounds, ice knife |
| 5th | gentle repose, snilloc's snowball swarm |
| 9th | sleet storm, speak with dead |
| 13th | blight, ice storm |
| 17th | cone of cold, destructive wave |
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Icy Repose. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer against undeath, using your Channel Divinity. Each 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 frozen for 1 minute or until it takes damage.
A frozen creature is affected by the petrified condition until the frozen effect ends, at which point the creature is freed and able to act normally.
Vow of Death. As a bonus action, you can utter a vow of death against a creature you can see within 10 feet of you, using your Channel Divinity. You deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the creature whenever you hit it with an attack for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious.
If a creature under this effect dies, it can't become undead.
Aura of Preservation
Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to necrotic damage and have advantage against being possessed by undead creatures.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Soul of Demise
By 15th level, your vow of death has become far more persistent. When a creature under the effect of your vow of death dies, that creature cannot be raised from the dead for the next 30 days, outside of using a wish spell. Additionally, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to mark a new creature.
Reaper of Winter
At 20th level, as an action you can surround yourself with a deathly chill. For 1 minute, swirls of chilling wind surround you in a 30 foot radius.
Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the area, the creature takes 10 cold damage and their movement speed is reduced by 10 feet.
In addition, whenever a creature dies within the area, you regain 20 hit points.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Icy Repose. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer against undeath, using your Channel Divinity. Each 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 frozen for 1 minute or until it takes damage.
A frozen creature is affected by the petrified condition until the frozen effect ends, at which point the creature is freed and able to act normally.
Vow of Death. As a bonus action, you can utter a vow of death against a creature you can see within 10 feet of you, using your Channel Divinity. You deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the creature whenever you hit it with an attack for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious.
If a creature under this effect dies, it can't become undead.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of Devotion Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
|
3rd |
|
|
5th |
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|
9th |
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13th |
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|
17th |
Aura of Preservation
Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to necrotic damage and have advantage against being possessed by undead creatures.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Soul of Demise
By 15th level, your vow of death has become far more persistent. When a creature under the effect of your vow of death dies, that creature cannot be raised from the dead for the next 30 days, outside of using a wish spell. Additionally, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to mark a new creature.
Reaper of Winter
At 20th level, as an action you can surround yourself with a deathly chill. For 1 minute, swirls of chilling wind surround you in a 30 foot radius.
Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the area, the creature takes 10 cold damage and their movement speed is reduced by 10 feet.
In addition, whenever a creature dies within the area, you regain 20 hit points.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.