The Burdened

The Burdened often times are paladins in description only as they swear no oath and follow no set tenets, instead the tools "gifted" to them by divine powers are often done so because the individual already shares a common goal with some god or gods that take the opportunity to make the poor soul a tool of their schemes. Often times a god seeking to burden a soul with their own interests will visit the individual in some manner, be it by sending forth an avatar or a simple vision within a dream, and declare them "Chosen" or "Blessed" and then test them in some manner and the end result of success or failure is determined completely by the fickle god and the protests or praise of the subject often means little either way.

Once burdened by divine expectations it is up to the individual to love or loath their status as "Chosen of the Gods" but regardless this burden will persist until the end of the chosen's life or until such time as the god who burdened them decides to release them. Due to the fluidity of circumstances around these burdened often times no two will be the same and the powers offered my change from situation to situation.

*This subclass should be regarded as a template and you should work with your DM to create Burdened that is unique to you and the goals you share with the god that has chosen you. 

Channel Divinity: When you are granted your burden at level 3 you may choose any two of the Channel Divinity options listed below.

Dreadful Aspect. As an action, the Burdened channels the darkest emotions and focuses them into a burst of magical menace. Each creature of the Burdened’s choice within 30 feet of the Burdened must make a Wisdom saving throw if it can see the Burdened. On a failed save, the target is frightened of the Burdened  for 1 minute. If a creature frightened by this effect ends its turn more than 30 feet away from the Burdened, it can attempt another Wisdom saving throw to end the effect on it

Peerless Athlete. As a bonus action, you can use your Channel Divinity to augment your athleticism. For the next 10 minutes, you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks; you can carry, push, drag, and lift twice as much weight as normal; and the distance of your long and high jumps increases by 10 feet (this extra distance costs movement as normal).

Turn the Unholy. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a 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, 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.

Rebuke the Violent. You can use your Channel Divinity to rebuke those who use violence. Immediately after an attacker within 30 feet of you deals damage with an attack against a creature other than you, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the attacker takes radiant damage equal to the damage it just dealt. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.

Touch of Death. The Burdened can use Channel Divinity to destroy another creature’s life force by touch. When the Burdened hits a creature with a melee attack, the cleric can use Channel Divinity to deal extra necrotic damage to the target. The damage equals 5 + twice his or her paladin level.

War Gods Blessing. When a creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, you can use your reaction to grant that creature a +10 bonus to the roll, using your Channel Divinity. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses

Vow of Enmity. As a bonus action, you can utter a vow of enmity against a creature you can see within 10 feet of you, using your Channel Divinity. You gain advantage on attack rolls against the creature for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious.

Path to the Grave. You can use your Channel Divinity to mark another creature’s life force for termination.                                                                                                                                            As an action, you choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you, cursing it until the end of your next turn. The next time you or an ally of yours hits the cursed creature with an attack, the creature has vulnerability to all of that attack’s damage, and then the curse ends.

Watcher’s Will. You can use your Channel Divinity to invest your presence with the warding power of your faith. As an action, you can choose a number of creatures you can see within 30 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). For 1 minute, you and the chosen creatures have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws

Radiance of the Dawn. You can use your Channel Divinity to harness sunlight, banishing darkness and dealing radiant damage to your foes.                                                                                  As an action, you present your holy symbol, and any magical darkness within 30 feet of you is dispelled. Additionally, each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes radiant damage equal to 2d10 + your paladin level on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that has total cover from you is not affected.

 

Additional Aura: At level 7 you choose an aura that emits out in a 10ft radius, this radius increases to 30ft at level 18.

Aura of Hate. The paladin, as well as any ally within range, gains a bonus to melee weapon damage rolls equal to the paladin’s Charisma modifier (minimum of +1). A creature can benefit from this feature from only one paladin at a time.

Aura of the Sentinel. You emit an aura of alertness while you aren’t incapacitated. When you and any creatures of your choice within range of your aura roll initiative, you all gain a bonus to initiative equal to your proficiency bonus.

Aura of Allegiance. When a creature within your aura takes damage, you can use your reaction to magically substitute your own health for that of the target creature, causing that creature not to take the damage. Instead, you take the damage. This damage to you can’t be reduced or prevented in any way.

Aura of Warding. Ancient magic lies so heavily upon you that it forms an eldritch ward. You and friendly creatures within your aura have resistance to damage from spells.

Aura of Devotion. You and friendly creatures within your aura can’t be charmed while you are conscious.

Aura of Conquest. You constantly emanate a menacing aura while you’re not incapacitated. The aura extends from you in every direction, but not through total cover.                                    If a creature is frightened of you, its speed is reduced to 0 while in the aura, and that creature takes psychic damage equal to half your paladin level if it starts its turn there.

 

Boon for the Burdened: At level 15 you may choose a boon from the list that is granted by the power that has chosen you.

Supernatural Resilience. The paladin gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons.

Vigilant Rebuke. You’ve learned how to chastise anyone who dares wield beguilements against you and your wards. Whenever you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you succeeds on an Intelligence, a Wisdom, or a Charisma saving throw, you can use your reaction to deal 2d8 + your Charisma modifier force damage to the creature that forced the saving throw.

Stormy Waters. You can call crashing waters around you as a reaction whenever a creature enters or exits your melee range. The creature takes 1d12 bludgeoning damage and must succeed a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Undying Sentinel. When you are reduced to 0 hit points and are not 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.

Glorious Defense. You can turn defense into a sudden strike. When you or another creature you can see within 10 feet of you is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to grant a bonus to the target’s AC against that attack, potentially causing it to miss. The bonus equals your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1). If the attack misses, you can make one weapon attack against the attacker as part of this reaction, provided the attacker is within your weapon’s range.                                                                                                                                                  You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Scornful Rebuke. Those who dare to strike you are psychically punished for their audacity. Whenever a creature hits you with an attack, that creature takes psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) if you’re not incapacitated.

 

 

Fate and Determination Incarnate: Upon reaching level 20 choose one of the listed capstone abilities.

Invincible Conqueror. As an action, you can magically become an avatar of conquest, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You have resistance to all damage.
• When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make one additional attack as part of that action.
• Your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.                                                                                                                                                                                Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Holy Nimbus. As an action, you can emanate an aura of sunlight. For 1 minute, bright light shines from you in a 30-foot radius, and dim light shines 30 feet beyond that.

Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the bright light, the creature takes 10 radiant damage.                                                                                                                                                         In addition, for the duration, you have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by fiends or undead.                                                                                                                                    Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Living Legend. You can empower yourself with the legends—whether true or exaggerated—of your great deeds. As a bonus action, you gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You are blessed with an otherworldly presence, gaining advantage on all Charisma checks.
• Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack and miss, you can cause that attack to hit instead.
• If you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to reroll it. You must use this new roll.                                                                                                                                                            Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a 5th-level spell slot to use it again.

Emissary of Redemption. You've become an avatar of peace, which gives you two benefits:

• You have resistance to all damage dealt by other creatures (their attacks, spells, and other effects).
• Whenever a creature hits you with an attack, it takes radiant damage equal to half the damage you take from the attack.                                                                                                              If you attack a creature, cast a spell on it, or deal damage to it by any means but this feature, neither benefit works against that creature until you finish a long rest.

Elder Champion. You can assume the form of an ancient force of nature, taking on an appearance you choose. Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• At the start of each of your turns, you regain 10 hit points.
• Whenever you cast a paladin spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can cast it using a bonus action instead.
• Enemy creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws against your paladin spells and Channel Divinity options.                                                                                        Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Exalted Champion. Your presence on the field of battle is an inspiration to those dedicated to your cause. 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.

Dread Lord. The Burdened can, as an action, surround himself or herself with an aura of gloom that lasts for 1 minute. The aura reduces any bright light in a 30-foot radius around the Burdened  to dim light. Whenever an enemy that is frightened by the paladin starts its turn in the aura, it takes 4d10 psychic damage. Additionally, the Burdened and creatures he or she chooses in the aura are draped in deeper shadow. Creatures that rely on sight have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures draped in this shadow.

While the aura lasts, the Burdened can use a bonus action on his or her turn to cause the shadows in the aura to attack one creature. The Burdened makes a melee spell attack against the target. If the attack hits, the target takes necrotic damage equal to 3d10 + the Burdened's Charisma modifier.

After activating the aura, the Burdened can’t do so again until he or she finishes a long rest.

Mortal Bulwark. You manifest a spark of divine power in defense of the mortal realms. As a bonus action, you gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You gain truesight with a range of 120 feet.
• You have advantage on attack rolls against aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, and fiends.
• When you hit a creature with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also force it to make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is magically banished to its native plane of existence if it’s currently not there. On a successful save, the creature can’t be banished by this feature for 24 hours.

Once you use this bonus action, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a 5th-level spell slot