CotO • Oath of Protection

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Crown of the Oathbreaker © 2022, Elderbrain, Inc.; Authors: Gabor Dan, David Feher, and Tamas Marton; edited by Wrexxal.
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Paladins who swear the Oath of Protection are committed to the cause of protecting people, places, or even beliefs. Their well-grounded – and often narrowly interpreted – faith leads many who take the Oath to serve religious and secular organizations. However, paladins of this Oath have often turned against these very organizations when faced with tyrannical or oppressive regimes. Paladins who follow this path usually train frequently to maintain their capacity to offer aid in all circumstances to those that need it. They also encourage charity and lead by example in sheltering the weak and downtrodden. 

Tenets of Protection. The first monarchs of Aglarion laid down the tenets of the Oath of Protection to protect their royal personages and the realm. However the oath has been shared widely by many faiths since then. Adherents to this oath hold the protection of people, places, and beliefs above all else and usually share these basic principles.

Protect those who protect us. Show respect to and safeguard those that are deserving and to whom you are sworn. Your word is your bond. Knights of the Crown take a special oath in Aglarion that stands above all other tenets: “Protect the Realm, your Sovereign, and the Crown.”

Protect your allies. Keep those who depend on you from harm if threatened by forces greater than themselves. Shield those who are in allegiance with you as a bastion against harm. Join forces with your allies to overcome threats.

Protect those who stand behind you. Lead by example to become a beacon of inspiration to those around you, especially against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Protect yourself if there is nothing left to protect. Fortify your faith so that you may stand firm against that which makes you vulnerable. Be willing to sacrifice even your own life before all others. Tend to your own well-being, so that you may safeguard your charge until the very last.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of Protection Spells

Channel Divinity

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

Vow of Protection. You can use your Channel Divinity to bolster your defenses. As a bonus action, you can utter a vow of protection from a creature you can see within 30 feet of you, using your Channel Divinity. That creature gains disadvantage on attack rolls against you for 1 minute or until you drop to 0 hit points or fall unconscious.

Divine Ward. You can use your Channel Divinity to offer protection to those around you. As an action, you present your holy symbol and each creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you becomes warded for 1 minute. Any creature who targets a warded creature with an attack or a harmful spell must first make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or lose the attack or spell. This effect doesn’t protect the warded creature from area effects, such as the explosion of a fireball. If the warded creature makes an attack or casts a spell that affects an enemy creature, this effect ends. This effect ends on the creature if you are incapacitated or die or if the warded creature is more than 30 feet away from you.

Dedicated Defender

Starting at 7th level, you can deflect attacks against those whom you protect. When another creature damages you or your ally within 5 feet with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage taken from the attack by 1d6 + your Charisma modifier. This reduction increases to 1d8 + your Charisma modifier at 13th level, and 1d10 + your Charisma modifier at 17th level.

Bastion of Self

Starting at 15th level, your faith makes you protected against your foes. Any creature who targets you with an attack or a harmful spell must first make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or lose the attack or spell. Any creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to Bastion of Self for 24 hours. This effect doesn’t protect you from area effects, such as the explosion of a fireball. This effect also ends if you are incapacitated or die.

Divine Protector

At 20th level, your dedication to become a paragon of protection makes you a bulwark against the enemies of your cause and a symbol to those around you. As an action, you recount the Tenets of Protection and gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You gain the benefits of a shimmering field of protection, granting you a +2 bonus to AC.
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical weapons.
• Whenever you or any ally within 30 feet fails a saving throw, you can use your reaction to force the creature to reroll it. You must use this new roll.

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.