Oath of the Dragoon Knight

In the earliest wars when the powers and boundaries of celestial entities were being defined, mortals had few allies- except for the dragoons. Wielding power bestowed by Bahamut, they took on aspects of draconic ferocity and helped turn the tide in the fight for mortal freedom. Though they were an informal order for many ages, over the millennia, the oaths of the dragoons have become more defined and their presence more distinct.

The oaths can be a heavy burden to bear- for as the old saying goes, "If you have a dragoon, you have hope."

It may have been that you were a devout follower of Bahamut, or perhaps your home was saved by a dragoon in your youth; regardless, you have been drawn to the order. While it does not require devotion to the deity that founded it, strict adherence to its oaths is demanded, as all involved have a very personal stake in the order's success.

Many other paladins see dragoons as wild and lawless or rebellious, sometimes even irreligious. This stems from the fact that unlike other paladins and many clerics, dragoons typically carry no known holy symbol. Instead, they rely on what is called a Dragoon Spirit, a gem(some would say dragon scale) that is the direct manifestation of their or a previous dragoon knight's oaths to the order. During a short rest, one holy symbol on your person becomes your Dragoon Spirit, which you can then use as the focus for your paladin spells. When taking on the oath, choose a Dragon Soul from the table or roll for one- and remember, the choice is permanent.

-----Soul---------Element

1. Gold--------------Fire
2. Silver------------Cold
3. Bronze----------Lightning
4. Brass------------Fire
5. Copper---------Acid
6. Mercury--------Poison
7. Magnesium--Radiant
8. Niobium-------Thunder

The type of Dragoon Spirit manifested might also be a reflection of and aspect of your own character(which might be hidden, or not): you might be wise and reclusive like a gold dragon, intelligent and persuasive as a silver dragon, fierce and inquisitive like a bronze dragon, have a copper dragon's teasing and joking ways; perhaps you're talkative and generous as a brass dragon, or whimsical and impulsive like a mercury dragon, or have the athleticism and dedication of a magnesium dragon, or maybe the empathy and nerve of a niobium dragon. Lesser known than most metallic dragons but still abundant, magnesium dragons often drew chariots for gods and celestials long ago, lighting up the Astral Plane and cosmos along the way; niobium dragons can be often shockingly bold in pursuit of justice, and are enforcers and watchmen in long-hidden and dangerous corners of the planes; magnesium dragon have bright white-gray scales, and niobium dragons have cool blue-gray scales.

TENETS OF THE DRAGOON KNIGHTS

The ideals and pursuits of the order have been consolidated into these few pledges:

Head

The head is pledged to clearer thinking. This isn't a requirement for the dragoon knight to be the smartest in the room at any given time, but to make use of rational thought, and cunning and ingenuity. It is the pursuit of curiosity and understanding.

Heart

The heart is pledged to greater loyalty. This pledge is a commitment to sacrifice and compassion, and to keeping one's word, always being accountable for actions and promises. It is the pursuit of love and honesty.

Hands

The hands are pledged to larger service. This pledge is a call to bravery and action, and not letting fear dictate any deed great or small. It is call to shake off complacency, and to always strive for deepening faith and love. It is the pursuit of self-improvement and humility.

Health

The dragoon knight's health is pledged to better living. This is not for avarice and greed, but gratitude, and remembering the oaths made. It is about maintaining a work ethic and robust health. It is the pursuit of chastity and contentment.

The pledges are not only between Bahamut and the dragoon order, but between the knight and their companions, community, nation, and the world at large; for to be a dragoon knight is not to live as a mere mortal, but as a dragon.

 

Dragon Soul

You gain the ability to read, write, and speak Draconic.

Dragon Jump

It's not quite flight, but close: you can leap incredible distances regardless of what's weighing you down. You take no penalty to your jumping speed/height for wearing armor, and you are always considered to have a running start. You are considered proficient in the Athletics skill for the purposes of making a jump.

Channel Divinity

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

Dragoon Transformation. As a bonus action, you can take the form of a Dragoon Knight, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, any Bludgeoning, Slashing, or Piercing damage you deal with a weapon or unarmed attack instead becomes the type of your Dragoon Spirit; if the weapon is not already magical, it becomes magical for the duration. You also gain resistance to the type of your Dragoon Spirit for the duration, and a bonus to your AC equal to your Charisma modifier(minimum +1).

You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you are no longer holding or carrying your Dragoon Spirit, or if you fall unconscious, this effect ends.

Turn the Tide. As an action, you present your Dragoon Soul and speak a prayer censuring fiends, elementals, aberrations, and celestials, using your Channel Divinity. Each of the above that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage.

A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of Devotion Spells

Dragoon Strikes

When you use your Divine Smite, the additional damage becomes the same element as your Dragoon Spirit. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an celestial, aberrant, elemental, or a fiend, to a maximum of 6d8; at level 11, the extra damage on melee weapon strike is also the same type as your Dragoon Spirit. In addition, when you have used the Dragoon Transformation Channel Divinity feature, weapon and unarmed attacks and paladin spells using your Dragoon Spirit as a focus ignore any resistance the target has to your Dragoon Spirit's element.

Tenacity of Spirit

Beginning at 15th level, you are always under the effects of a Heroism spell. While in your Dragoon Transformation, you gain draconic wings, and have a flying speed of your speed +20 feet and can hover.

Audacity of Hope

At 20th level, as an action, you can emanate an aura of defiance. For 1 minute, you have an aura with a 30-foot radius. Enemies in the aura make Charisma ability checks with disadvantage.

Whenever an enemy creature scores a critical hit in the aura, the hit instead becomes a normal hit, and the enemy has disadvantage on attack rolls against the target of the attack until the end of its next turn.

In addition, for the duration, you have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by fiends, celestials, elementals, or aberrants.

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