Oath of the Black Chapter

The situation is dire. There are paladins available, but the issue needs something a little more discrete than shiny bright knights in white armor. You know a guy who knows a guy, but you're caught between going to that place for help and refusing the by-the-books and clean help of the paladins. Then a quiet stranger notices your plight and introduces themselves. There is a quieter way, both secret and having the sure help of a paladin... this is where the Oath of the Black Chapter comes in.

Paladins throughout the ages have always known there are places they should be careful treading, lest they fall out of favor with their deity and society at large; there are many shining examples of paladins who remained pure. Those who take on the Oath of the Black Chapter are those who got their hands dirty, bending and breaking rules and saving the day from outside of the spotlight. Over time, their worth became acknowledged, but their presence never was: they became the dark secrets of paladin orders, the redacted Black Chapter of their history books, every last mention of their deeds for the greater good expunged and stricken from the record.

From the moment a paladin takes the oaths of a Black Chapter, in the eye of the public, at least, they are out of the order. In the cases of some of the more visible candidates, false events are staged to cover their exit. But, deep in catacombs and in secret tunnels, their training continues. They are taught forgotten prayers most paladins would never dream of speaking, and take on darker and more dire threats to the world as their instructors gain confidence in them.

Some are seen as respected laypeople of their deity's church, or arcane dabblers if more well-known, but the connection to their original order is seldom made, and swiftly buried if it is. The truth is that some paladins need the fraternity and openness of a more normal paladin order to function well. And, as has happened, that need may only become apparent when deadly secrets are revealed, and the Black Chapter initiates enter a self-destructive downward spiral that sends everything around them into chaos. For this reason prospective initiates are strictly vetted and tested for loyalty, and only the most pure and dedicated are chosen, those who will remain unsullied despite their grim deeds.

 

TENETS OF THE BLACK CHAPTER

Though the exact words and strictures of the Oath of the Black Chapter vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets. Many of a Black Chapter still retain some semblance of the oaths that first drew them to becoming paladins, but stick to these two above any others.

Secrecy. Stay true to your word and oaths, never revealing Chapter secrets to outsiders, and only telling the truth to maintain cover.

Conviction. Never fear to act, indecision does not lead to justice. Trust in your deity to guide you through the darkness within and without.

 

Channel Divinity

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

Blood Weapon. 

A primary prayer of Black Chapter paladins, this lends them strength through their deity's grace that is normally reserved for healing, allowing them to strike far harder than normal without tearing themselves apart. As an action, you can imbue one weapon that you are holding with the healing energy that empowers your Lay On Hands ability, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, you add your Charisma modifier to the number of points in your Lay On Hands pool at the beginning of your turn while you're not incapacitated(with a minimum bonus of +1), and once during your turn can subtract Charisma modifier+Proficiency points from it to deal that much extra damage on an attack with the weapon. If the weapon is not already magical, it becomes magical for the duration.

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

Turn the Tide. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a decisive prayer censuring fiends and undead, using your Channel Divinity. Each fiend or undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, its auras are disabled and it cannot recharge powers for 1 minute; at the end of its turns the creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect if successful.

 

Lost Chapters

From lost and secret scrolls and manuscripts, through your training, you gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of Devotion Spells

Aura of Vigilance

While all paladins bolster the spirits of those around them, those of a Black Chapter have a grim and alert presence that causes foes to shrink back in apprehension; their comrades are often encouraged by this in a secondhand sort of way. Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have advantage on Wisdom and Charisma saving throws against magic while you are conscious.

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

Holy Sight

Beginning at 15th level, the awareness you first learned as a novice paladin has been sharpened as more divine power has been invested in you, and you are always under the effects of a detect evil and good spell.

Immortal Conviction

At 20th level, as an action, you can emanate an aura of holy fear, your unshakeable purity and resolve becoming manifest, and horrifying foes in your presence. For 1 minute, divine terror emanates from you in a 30-foot radius.

Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the aura, the creature cannot maintain concentration on spells, and has disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

In addition, for the duration, at the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 5+your Charisma modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don’t gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

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