Oath of the Protectors

Taking an Oath of the Protectors obligates a paladin to faithfully hold duty, honor, service, and courage as primary tenets; these principles are applied toward protecting a charge, whether it is a person, place, or ideal in which the paladin has sworn fidelity. Paladin protectors are often seen alongside kings, priests, wizards, merchants, and other important figures— ever watchful for threats. Like those who devote their lives to following other tenets, protectors uphold their vows by remaining faithful in their duties—putting the lives of others before their own. While living a structured and disciplined lifestyle, these paladins devote their lives to upholding honor while serving others faithfully.

TENETS OF PROTECTORS

A paladin swearing an Oath of the Protectors isn’t required to worship a deity; however, gods, such as Faerûn’s “Helm,” are well suited to have protectors among their faithful. Protectors’ alignments may vary along with the wording for each oath. Nevertheless, regardless of an individual paladin’s choice of religious faith or alignment, the following tenets are common among these paladins.

Duty. Be diligent in fulfilling your responsibilities. Don’t put personal desires before your sworn obligations. Once your word is given, you’re bound to fulfill the promises you’ve freely given.

Honor. You’re bound by your oath to live an honorable life guided by your beliefs. Don’t swear allegiance to powers, forces, individuals, or organizations that aren’t aligned with your principles. Your reputation matters, which is shaped by your deeds.

Service. Commit your life to serving others. This service may be established by swearing allegiance to a kingdom, guild, faction, or an important cause. A protector may also commit to defending a god’s faith and protect its faithful, holy sites, and interests. The types of service listed here aren’t exhaustive, and may change as needs arise, or obligations are fulfilled.

Courage. Succumbing to fear may hinder protectors from fulfilling their duties. Never willingly choose to put your own welfare above your responsibilities as a protector.

Channel Divinity

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

Sacred Weapon. As an action, you can imbue one weapon that you’re holding with positive energy, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, you add your Charisma modifier to attack rolls with that weapon (with a minimum bonus of +1). The weapon also emits bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light 20 feet beyond that. If the weapon isn’t already magical, it becomes magical for the duration.

You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you’re no longer holding or carrying the weapon, or if you fall unconscious, this effect ends.

Defensive Aura. Using a bonus action, you can use your Channel Divinity to activate a 15-foot radius aura that grants allies within range a +1 bonus to AC.

At 15th level, the bonus increases to +2 and the radius increases to 30 feet.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of Devotion Spells

Interposing Protector

At 7th level, when an ally within 5 feet of you is attacked, you can use your reaction to switch places with the target and make yourself the target of the attack. Your conviction toward protecting others has imbued you with a preternatural sense of danger.

Stalwart Guardian

At 15th level, your conviction toward protecting others grants you exceptional endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but aren’t killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Aspect of the Divine Protector

At 20th level, once in between long rests, you can undergo a divine transformation in which your voice, physique, and countenance seem larger than life.

The transformation lasts for 1 minute and grants you a +2 bonus to your Charisma.

In addition, you gain the following abilities.

• You can extend divine protection to a number of allies that you can see within 30 feet of you equal to your Charisma modifier. Each ally has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage while they are within range. In addition, you can use your reaction to take the damage that an ally within range would take with the resistance to the damage transferring to you for that attack.
• When you cast warding bond, its duration increases to 8 hours, and its protective range increases to 120 feet.
• While you are below half your hit point maximum, you regain up to 10 hit points at the beginning of each of your turns.