Oath of the Shepherd

The Oath of the Shepherd is sworn to the ideals of compassion, self-sacrifice, courage and duty. Sometimes called Watchers, Guardians, or Shield of the Realm, these paladins are the bright light that stands against the tide of darkness.

A paladin who swears this oath dedicates his life to his flock and all those who need protection. They are the watchful guardians on the wall, the shield that stands between the ill-fated and their approaching demise. Many who swear this oath adorn their armor with candles or the crest of a lion, symbolizing the flame of hope and the courage to protect the innocent.

TENETS OF THE SHEPHERD

The Oath of the Shepherd emphasizes the well being of others above any concerns over power or honor. Though the exact words may vary, paladins sworn to this oath share these tenets.

Compassion. Aid others, protect the weak, and punish those who threaten them. Show mercy to your foes, but temper it with wisdom.

Self-Sacrifice. Suffering instead of someone else or giving your own life to protect the weak is one of the greatest honors.

Kindle the Light. Through your acts of mercy, kindness, and forgiveness, kindle the light of hope in the world, beating back despair.

Courage. Never fear to act, though caution is wise.

Duty. Be responsible for your actions and their consequences, protect those entrusted to your care, and obey those who have just authority over you.

Channel Divinity

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

Vow of Protection. You can use your Channel Divinity to protect a creature from harm. As a bonus action, you ward a creature within range against attack. Any creature who targets the warded creature with an attack or a harmful spell must first make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or lose the attack or spell. This spell doesn’t protect the warded creature from area effects, such as the explosion of a fireball. This effect lasts for 1 minute and ends early if you are incapacitated or die.

Tending the Herd. As a bonus action, you can bolster injured creatures with your Channel Divinity. Each creature of your choice that can hear you within 30 feet of you regains hit points equal to 1d6 + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) if it has no more than half of its hit points.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of the Shepherd Spells

Shelter the Weak

Starting at 7th level, you can shield others from harm at the cost of your own health. When a creature within 10 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to magically take that damage, instead of that creature taking it. This feature doesn’t transfer any other effects that might accompany the damage, and this damage can’t be reduced in any way.

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

Divine Perseverance

Starting at 15th level, a holy presence mends your wounds in battle. You regain hit points equal to 5 + your Charisma modifier if you end your turn in combat with fewer than half of your hit points remaining and you aren’t incapacitated.

Champion of Hope

At 20th level, your presence on the field of battle is an inspiration to those around you. You can use your action to gain the following benefits for 1 hour:

• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons.
• Your allies have advantage on death saving throws while within 30 feet of you.
• You have advantage on Wisdom saving throws, as do your allies within 30 feet of you.

This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.