Base Class: Paladin
The Oath of Arbitration is a commitment to discerning nothing less than absolute truths. Paladins who swear to this oath take it as a responsibility unto themselves to arbitrate between those rapt by dispute, delivering both fair mediation and just resolution to the conflict without hesitation. They are committed to investigating mysteries no matter how far the rabbit hole goes, chasing down cold cases and unearthing buried secrets in order to separate fact from fiction, and not only will serve as both judge and jury for the process, but executioner as well if needs be. To achieve a world of such clear-cut black and white absolutes, an arbitrator not only accepts the existence of grey areas, but heavily leans into them. True and false are not always the same as right and wrong, and doing the wrong thing to discern the truth is perfectly acceptable to these paladins.
Tenants of Arbitration
- No stone unturned. I will pull every thread, no matter where it may lead, nor who it may implicate; all facts must be known so that justice can be done.
- Truth at any cost. The truth is not always pleasant to behold, but I am beholden to the truth; I vow to serve it no matter what.
- Protect noble deceit. Not all lies and secrets are of ill intent; some even serve noble purpose. It is my duty to protect the truth behind these lies.
- Deliver true justice. Discerning the truth often realises the great injustices of the world. I swear to put right these injustices with swift and fair judgement.
Channel Divinity
3rd-level Oath of Arbitration feature
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Covert Investigator. As an action, you lean upon your oath for surety and confidence in your infiltration and investigative skills. For the next 10 minutes, whenever you make a Charisma (Deception), Dexterity (Stealth), Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Insight) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.
Vow of Honesty. As a bonus action, you channel the power of the truth into your strikes. For the next minute, any melee weapon attack you make that deals bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage deals force damage instead.
Oath Spells
3rd-level Oath of Arbitration feature
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of Arbitration Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
|
3rd |
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5th |
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9th |
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13th |
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17th |
Aura of Truth
7th- and 18th-level Oath of Arbitration feature
Malicious deceit and deception has no place in world, and most certainly not in your immediate presence. Starting at 7th level, you and all allies within 10 feet of you have advantage on skill checks and saving throws against enchantment and illusion magic. In addition, invisible creatures within your aura gain no benefits from being invisible against you.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Truth at Any Cost
15th-level Oath of Arbitration feature
Starting at 15th level, you can gain true insight into the strengths, weaknesses and fighting styles of those you face in close combat. Whenever a creature hits you with a melee attack for the second time or more in a single turn, you gain one of the following benefits (your choice):
- You learn what saving throws the creature is proficient in, if any.
- You learn what vulnerabilities, resistances, and immunities the creature has, if any.
- You learn what notable special abilities and traits the creature has, if any.
- The creature gains disadvantage on all subsequent attack rolls against you until you complete a long rest.
True Justice
20th-level Oath of Arbitration feature
Starting at 20th level, you know how to deliver the painful truth no matter what. Once per turn as part of a successful melee attack against a creature, you can ignore damage resistance of any type.
Additionally, each time you hit a creature that is concentrating on a spell, the DC for the target to maintain concentration is calculated from the full damage of your attack, regardless of resistances or immunities to any or all of the damage of your strike.
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