Oath of Dusk

An Oath of Vengeance paladin devoted to the Raven Queen

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Is a solemn and relentless avenger who channels the enigmatic powers of their deity to uphold the balance between life and death. They are driven by an unwavering determination to bring retribution to those who defy fate and manipulate death. Drawing strength from the enigmatic forces of the Raven Queen's domain, these paladins become shadowy figures of justice, embodying the mysterious aspects of mortality as they pursue their foes with unyielding resolve. With an aura of darkness and a connection to the spirit realm, they harness their powers to strike down those who disrupt the natural order and safeguard the transition of souls to the afterlife.

 

Tenants of the Raven Queen

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1.      Oath of Eternal Balance: Sworn to the Raven Queen, you pledge to maintain the equilibrium between life and death. You seek to prevent the unseemly disturbance of souls and to ensure the proper transition to the afterlife. Your powers are drawn from the delicate dance of mortality, and you strive to uphold the natural order.
2.      Oath of Soulwarden: As a Soulwarden of the Raven Queen, you dedicate yourself to safeguarding the souls of the departed from malevolent forces that seek to defile or imprison them. Your oaths bind you to act as a guardian of the boundary between the realms, preventing necromantic abuses and guiding souls to their rightful destination.
3.      Oath of Veiled Truths: Taking this oath, you embrace the mysterious and enigmatic aspects of the Raven Queen's domain. You swear to uncover hidden truths, to unveil secrets shrouded in darkness, and to expose lies that threaten the balance. Your powers enable you to pierce through illusions and deceit, revealing the raw reality beneath.
4.     Oath of the Shrouded Hunt: Bound to the Raven Queen's hunt, you become a relentless pursuer of those who would manipulate death or defy fate. Your oath empowers you to track down rogue necromancers and disrupt their unholy schemes. Your skills as a tracker and your innate connection to death magic make you a formidable opponent.
5.     Oath of Eternal Mourning: As a paladin who takes this oath, you become a vessel for the sorrow and grief felt by the departed and their loved ones. You vow to honor their memory, ensuring that their stories are never forgotten. Your powers are fueled by the emotions of mourning, granting you strength to confront the darkest aspects of mortality.

 

The Selection Process

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The selection process for these paladins is a haunting and transformative experience that transcends the boundaries of the physical and spiritual worlds. It begins with a revelation, often through a prophetic dream, a mysterious vision, or an encounter with a raven bearing the Queen's mark. During this moment of connection, the paladin-to-be glimpses the realm of shadows and feels the weight of the Raven Queen's presence, as if a veil has been lifted to reveal the unseen tapestry of fate.

          To formally seal the oath, the chosen individual must venture to a sacred shrine or a place where the boundary between life and death is thin. There, they undergo a rite of passage—a ritual that signifies their willingness to serve as a guardian of the cycle, a sentinel against those who would seek to subvert the natural flow of souls from one realm to the next. This ritual often involves meditating in the presence of crows or ravens, attuning oneself to the whispers of the spirit realm and accepting the Raven Queen's charge.

          Upon taking the oath, the paladin becomes an agent of the Raven Queen's will, granted abilities that reflect her dominion over death and the passage to the afterlife. Among these powers is an uncanny ability to sense disturbances in the balance, a gift that allows them to detect those who would meddle with death's design. This heightened sense enables them to uncover necromantic rituals, uncover hidden crypts, and track down those who seek to avoid the rightful transition to the realm of spirits.

          Clad in dark armor adorned with raven motifs and wielding weapons infused with the power of shadows, the paladin of the Raven Queen becomes a guardian of the realms beyond, standing as a sentinel against the forces that would pervert the sanctity of death. They possess the unique ability to see the residual echoes of departed souls and to discern the intentions behind necromantic energies. With each oath-fueled strike and every invocation of their abilities, they pay homage to the Raven Queen's realm while maintaining the cosmic equilibrium between the living and the departed.

          In a world where the boundaries between life and death can blur, these paladins stand as unwavering defenders of the natural order. As they venture forth, they embody the Raven Queen's tenets of balance, vigilance, and the irrevocable passage of souls—an embodiment of justice that echoes through the realms and resonates with the weight of the afterlife itself

Channel Divinity: Mark of the Raven Queen

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

Abjure Enemy. Your connection to the Raven Queen empowers you to confront those who would subvert the natural order. 

As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer of denunciation, using your Channel Divinity. Choose one creature within 60 feet of you that you can see. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, unless it is immune to being frightened. Fiends and undead have disadvantage on this saving throw.

On a failed save, the creature is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While frightened, the creature’s speed is 0, and it can’t benefit from any bonus to its speed.

On a successful save, the creature’s speed is halved for 1 minute or until the creature takes any damage.

Vow of Enmity. Your connection to the Raven Queen grants you the ability to channel her focus on justice. Your target feels the weight of fate pressing upon them as your eyes glow with a cold, ethereal light.

As a bonus action, you can utter a vow of enmity against a creature you can see within 10 feet of you, using your Channel Divinity. You gain advantage on attack rolls against the creature for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of Dusk Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	bane, hunter’s mark
5th	hold person, find familiar
9th	haste, protection from energy
13th	banishment, dimension door
17th	hold monster, [Tooltip Not Found]

Relentless Avenger: Shadows Pursuit

By 7th level,  Your connection to the Raven Queen grants you the ability to defy fate, pursuing those who would evade justice. When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, you can move up to half your speed immediately after the attack and as part of the same reaction. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Soul of Vengeance: Fate's Resolve

Starting at 15th level, the bond shared with the Raven Queen deepens your Vow of Enmity gives you greater power over your foe. When a creature under the effect of your Vow of Enmity makes an attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature if it is within range.

Raven's Ascendancy

At 20th level, your connection to the Raven Queen reaches its apex, transforming you into the embodiment of her will. Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 hour, you gain the following benefits:

• Wings sprout from your back and grant you a flying speed of 60 feet.
• You emanate an aura of menace in a 30-foot radius. The first time any enemy creature enters the aura or starts its turn there during a battle, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. Attack rolls against the frightened creature have advantage.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.