The Oath of the Soul Shepherd is not a path that one chooses, but one that they are required to walk. Many that commit themselves to this oath do so not out of a self-righteous desire to serve the will of the dead, but out of sheer desperation after finding themselves repeatedly haunted by the wayward spirits of the deceased, which appear only to them, drawn to their aura, and driving them near to madness. This ability to attract the spirits of the dead is said to be a 'gift' from the harbingers of death themselves, such as Kelemvor, the Raven Queen, or Anubis, and manifests at a young age, to those who they hope have the courage of heart and wisdom of mind to overcome their fear and embrace their reality.

Those that accept this gift and declare their oath are driven to guide these spirits on their path into and through the afterlife, helping them to accept their fates and right any wrongs which might be keeping them from passing onto their the afterlife. If a spirit is too corrupt, or unwilling to accept help, then it is the duty of the shepherd to destroy said spirit and free them from their torment. The Shepherd is a spiritual visionary driven by a sense justice, courage and will. They are bound to their oath not only by their own will, or by the will of the deity they may choose to worship or perhaps condemn, but by the clerics and paladins of their order. Those who stray from the path of the Shepherd will suffer extreme judgement and most likely be hunted and perhaps even killed by the other members of their order.

Tenets of the Soul Shepherd:

Pathway for the Soul. The path that is built in life must be walked in death. Through heart guide those who might stray, through courage keep them at peace, and through wisdom know when they are beyond the point of no return.

Justice for the Passing. When the atrocities of life obstruct one from finding the path to death and beyond, keep nature's order. Use one's tongue, wits, and blades to right the wrongs which prevent the natural soul from passing. Walking the path means to bring peace to the soul.

Servants of the Rested. Once one has begun to walk the path their duty is to lead. Even in death, one does not escape service. The shepherd and the soul must be delivered to their destiny. Service beyond death, for both the guided, and the guiding.

Judgement for the Stray. The lords of the dead know the path upon which the Soul Shepherd has been sent, and those who refuse their will are to be judged. Their oath and their destiny demands punishment for those who refuse to walk the path.

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Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

 

Oath of the Soul Shepherd Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	Comprehend Languages, Hex
5th	Enhance Ability, Mirror Image
9th	Spirit Guardians, Fear
13th	Death Ward, Summon Undead
17th	Legend Lore, Telekinesis

 

Channel Divinity

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

 

Whispers of the Restless. You can use your Channel Divinity to commune with a restless spirit and uncover hidden secrets within 30 feet of you. As an action, you grasp your holy symbol and utter a prayer to the deceased, summoning a spirit bound to the area to commune with. The spirit appears to, and can only be heard and interacted with by you.

• Question and Answer: You may ask the spirit one question about anything within 30 feet of you (e.g., "What is behind this door?" or "Is there treasure in this room?"). The spirit is compelled to answer truthfully and to the best of its ability. The answer you receive may be brief, cryptic, or detailed, depending on the nature of the spirit and the question asked.

• Insight into the Past: Alternatively, you may ask the spirit to reveal a brief vision of a significant event that took place within 30 feet of you in the past. The vision lasts no longer than one minute and may provide context or clues about the area's history or past inhabitants.

• Limitations: The spirit can only answer questions or provide visions related to the area within 30 feet of you at the time of the invocation. If there is no relevant information or the spirit has no knowledge of the subject, it will indicate as much and your Channel Divinity will still be used.

 

Guidance of the Path. You can use your Channel Divinity to call upon the spirits of ancient warriors to guide the strikes of you and your companions. As an action, you invoke these spirits to guide you in combat, granting each friendly creature within a 10-foot radius of you, one of the two following benefits for one minute:

• Guiding Strike: Each friendly creature within the effect's radius gains a +2 bonus to all attack rolls (melee, ranged, and spell attacks) and a +1 to damage rolls.

• Critical Strike Enhancement: Any attack roll made by a chosen creature within the effect's radius scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

• Spectral Protection: Each friendly creature within the radius gain a +2 bonus to their AC, and against saving throws and effects caused by the Undead creature type.

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Eyes of the Departed

Upon taking this oath at 3rd level, your innate ability to perceive the spirits of the damned has begun to grow greater, granting you the ability to see into the Ethereal Plane for a range of up to 10 ft., allowing you to detect creatures and objects that exist there as ghostly outlines superimposed over the Material Plane.

The range of this ability increases as you gain levels in this class, improving to 30 ft. at 7th level, 60 ft. at 15th level, and finally 120 ft. at 20th level.

Crown of Wraiths

Beginning at 7th level, you have become a beacon of light for haunted spirits, causing any necrotic energy centered on your area to be drawn towards you and purified by your presence, bolstering your allies and punishing your foes. You and any friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to Necrotic damage.

In addition, any hostile creatures within the aura's radius must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) at the start of their next turn. On a failed save, they take Radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier + your Paladin level. On a successful save, they take half damage.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Brotherhood of the Path

Starting at 15th level, having forged a deep connection with the spirits and those who have walked the path of guiding souls before you, you gain the ability to call upon their assistance to aid you in times of need, allowing you to cast the spell Summon Celestial at 7th level without expending a spell slot or requiring material components. Once you gain access to the spell through this feature, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.

Torment

At 20th level, your communion with the tormented spirits of the world reaches its zenith, enabling you to channel their anguish and direct it against your foes, beckoning them to summon imagery of the target's past tragedies and mistakes. As an action, you can target up to three creatures of your choice that you can see within 30 feet, forcing them to confront the weight of their past failures.

Each targeted creature must then make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failed save, the creature is overwhelmed by the weight of their own regrets and missteps, becoming paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The effect also ends if the creature takes damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your Charisma modifier (rounded up) per long rest.