Oath of the Bulwark

The Oath of the Bulwark is a defiant one, standing in the face of adversity and refusing to budge. Paladins under this oath are often called guardians, bastion knights, or even simply bulwarks. Where most paladins play an active role in seeking out evil to destroy or redeem, these warriors choose to stay behind and serve as valiant protectors to those that need it.

Tenets of the Bulwark

The tenets of the Oath of the Bulwark ensure a paladin will maintain and protect.

Protection. The best offense is a good defense. Strive to defend all corners of your ward.

Preservation. It is not enough to simply protect something. You must also ensure it is well-maintained, to be worth protecting.

Endurance. To hold fast against the dangers of the world, one must be willing and able to withstand such hardships.

Defiance. When you make it your duty to protect, you must not allow yourself to be swayed by fear or temptation.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of the Bulwark Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work.

Oath of the Bulwark Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	heroism, shield
5th	aid, warding bond
9th	glyph of warding, magic circle
13th	guardian of faith, stoneskin
17th	hold monster, wall of force

Channel Divinity

You gain the following two Channel Divinity options. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how Channel Divinity works.

Zone of Repulsion. You can use your Channel Divinity to safeguard a location and prevent it from being reached. As an action, you can present your holy symbol and choose a point you can see within 60 feet of you. That point becomes protected by a magical sphere-shaped field, surrounding the chosen point in a radius out to a number of feet equal to 10 times your Paladin level. The field lasts up to 1 hour, or until you choose to dispel it, no action required.

The field counts as difficult terrain. Any creature that starts its turn within the field or enters it for the first time on a turn must make a Wisdom saving throw, being pushed 30 feet away from the center of the field on a failed save. When you use this Channel Divinity, and as an action on subsequent turns, you can designate any number of creatures you can see to be unaffected by it.

Steady Defense. You can use your Channel Divinity to stand fast against incoming attacks. As a bonus action, you can choose one creature within 60 feet of you. That creature gains temporary hit points equal to 2d8 + your Paladin level. As long as a creature has these temporary hit points, it can only be moved against its will by spells of a level higher than your proficiency bonus.

Aura of Resilience

Starting at 7th level, you emulate an aura that helps to ward yourself and your allies from harm. When you finish a long rest, choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. You gain resistance to that damage type until you choose another one at the end of a long rest. In addition, if a creature within 10 feet of you takes damage of the chosen type, it can use its reaction to gain resistance to the chosen type for that instance of damage.

When you reach 13th level in this class, you gain the following damage type options: necrotic, psychic, radiant, and thunder.

When you reach 18th level in this class, the range of the aura increases to 30 feet, and you gain the following damage type options: bludgeoning, force, piercing, and slashing. In addition, you can now choose two damage types when you finish a long rest instead of one, gaining resistance to both.

Swift Barrier

By 15th level your defensive prowess is mixed with your magical acuity, allowing you to raise magical shields for yourself or others. When you or another creature you can see within 30 feet of you becomes the target of an attack or a damage-dealing spell, you can use your reaction to ward that creature. If the creature is being targeted by an attack, that attack has disadvantage. If the creature needs to make a saving throw against a damage-dealing spell, the creature has advantage on their roll.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Walking Wall

Starting at 20th level, you can muster all of the willpower and fortitude you have, bracing yourself against all danger and holding your enemies back. As a bonus action, you gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You gain a bonus to AC and all saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
• Creatures of your choice other than yourself within 30 feet of you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
• The area within a 30-foot sphere around you becomes difficult terrain for any creature hostile to you.
• When you hit a creature with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also force it to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature becomes restrained until the end of your next turn.

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