Oath of the Idyll

The Oath of the Idyll first manifests as a calling. Consciously or not, those of the oath find themselves drawn to a certain environment, rugged mountains, tranquil lakes, ancient forests, or other scenery. The calling becomes something tangible upon taking the oath, at times seeming to manifest around the paladin. So strengthened in their resolve, those of the oath go on to forge a deeper and deeper connection to the wilds.

Oath of the Idyll enclaves are among the oldest of any paladin order. For just as the faithful of the gods in cities needed champions to defend them, so did travelers and those in remote environments need heroes to guide them through the wilderness. In modern times they are less understood but just as vital, guarding both those journeying through tracts of untamed land and those lands themselves, rebuffing the greed of empires and warlords and defilers- they stand as the vanguard and last line of defense for those on the frontiers.

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The exact tenets of the order vary from location to location, just the same as the environments across the lands change, but always include these points:

 

 

TENETS OF THE IDYLL

Rebirth. Renewal and healing can come through change. Be willing to experience new things and places, and let go of old ones.

Distance. Both the wilds and other people may harbor dangers, and need space to thrive; do not stifle their growth.

Peace. Foster peace in the wilderness and in enemies and allies with all means available, whether by blade or blessing.

Law. "The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack."

 

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As a rookie paladin, your order may have been in a temple in a ruin city reclaimed by the wilderness, or you may have been sent on a mission through unclaimed reaches far from civilization; but regardless, the wilds left their mark on you. In the service of a deity of the nature domain you now traverse the wilderness, defending it and those among it, keeping them wild.

Holy Ground

You have a divine affinity for one type of natural environment, and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. Choose one type of terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the Underdark; the choice becomes your Holy Ground. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your Holy Ground, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in. You and creatures in your aura can make a Stealth check to Hide on your Holy Ground, even when only lightly obscured by undergrowth, falling snow, leaves, and other natural phenomena related to the terrain. You also gain the Druidcraft cantrip and proficiency in Nature.

While traveling for an hour or more in your Holy Ground, you gain the following benefits:

• Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
• Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
• Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
• If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
• When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
• While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

Channel Divinity

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

Weapon of Reaping. As an action, you can imbue one weapon that you are holding with the essence of the ending of natural cycles, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, hit points lost to this weapon's damage can be regained only through a short or long rest, rather than by regeneration, magic, or any other means. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack using this weapon, you can wound the target. At the start of each of the wounded creature's turns, it takes 1d4 necrotic damage for each time you've wounded it, and it can then make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, ending the effect of all such wounds on itself on a success. Alternatively, the wounded creature, or a creature within 5 feet of it, can use an action to make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check, ending the effect of such wounds on it on a success.

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.

Cleanse Land. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer to heal and strengthen the land, using your Channel Divinity. Each non-magical disease and poison is removed from plants and objects within 60 ft of you and they become immune to non-magical diseases and poisons for the next 24 hours, and the area counts as being your Holy Ground for the same duration. If used on the same area each day for a year the effect becomes permanent.

Wild Spells

Your divine connection to the land grants manifests as spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of the Idyll Spells

Untamed Aura

Starting at 7th level, your holy link with the land blesses the ground around you, shielding you and speeding you on. You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you ignore non-magical difficult terrain associated with your Holy Ground while you are conscious. Your speed also increases 10 feet, and you have no disadvantage on Stealth checks for wearing armor.

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

Beast Tongue

Beginning at 15th level, your primal intuition has expanded, allowing you to communicate with beasts. You are always under the effects of a speak with animals spell.

Fury of the Wild

At 20th level, as an action, you can emanate an aura of untamed wilderness. Make a Nature check as if in your Holy Ground. For 1 minute, once a round you may use the check result as an attack roll, your armor class, or another skill or ability check result.

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