This feature can only be taken by a Paladin who is either Lawful Good or Neutral Good.
You have a compulsive need to rescue those in need and defeat evil. As long as you are aware of someone who needs to be saved, every labor must be taken to save that individual and it is impossible to take a long rest until either the person is saved or you are aware of their demise. Any attempt to retain or restrain you from completing your task will result in 1d6 psychic damage per hour until unconscious. You can die from this effect if not stabilized.
Short rest/long rest rules vary for you when you have this feat. When brought to level 4 or 5 exhaustion an area with no perceivable threat, you will fall immediately unconscious for 4 hours and then wake up, remembering whatever person is in danger and be unable to get the benefits of a long rest (Elves with the Trance feature have the same effects, but do NOT gain the benefits of a long rest). If you fall into this state, you will recover your hit die and spell slots and can choose to heal immediately with the renewed pool of hit die. Having a short rest in this way can never restore you beyond level 3 exhaustion.
Some optional means of getting more rest in the compulsive state is by altering memory to have no recollection of the person or people in danger or magically induce sleep that lasts eight hours or more. Items that restore exhaustion still have their normal effects.
Per this feat, in special circumstances (at the DMs discretion), you ignore the effects of exhaustion while retaining the benefits listed below:
- When facing an enemy that you are consciously aware of being sentient (Intelligence at least 8) and evil in alignment.
- When saving someone in distress, especially damsels or children
- When a friend is in an unconscious and dying state in combat
As a general benefit of this (de)feat, a four hour short rest restores spell slots, and when an event that causes you to ignore the effects of exhaustion, you immediately regain 2 1st level spell-slots or 1 2nd level spell-slot.
Per level of exhaustion, you gain additional benefits, as your exhaustion challenges you and your honor as a Paladin to transcend your limitations and go beyond in terms of righteous, holy power. These are only triggered in one of the given events above that causes you to ignore the effects of exhaustion.
Level 1: Your Divine Smite optionally becomes a ranged power, called Divine Wave, creating a wave of energy that cuts across 50 ft, but stops when it hits it's first target and affects everyone in a 5 foot radius. Rather than make an attack roll, the enemies make a DC 14 Dex save to take the attack's regular damage and radiant damage or take half.
Level 2: In addition to above, you can cast Lay on Hands as a bonus action and can still cast Divine Smite on the same turn.
Level 3: In addition to above, your movement speed increases by 15 feet and you gain 1d10 temporary hit points when a triggering event occurs. The temporary HP benefit can only occur once per 24 hour period.
Level 4: In addition to above, your Divine Smite optionally can become Divine Judgement. You attack with your weapon against the ground and a radiant beam of holy light descends down upon everyone around you in a 20 foot radius sphere. You double the amount of d8's per your Divine Smite feature to calculate damage. You immediately fall unconscious after this attack but are stabilized.
Level 5: In addition to above, if your HP drops to 0, you optionally and immediately get a turn in initiative order after the effect of what dropped your HP resolves. After you complete your new turn, you immediately fall unconscious with two "fails" in death saving throws and immediately roll another death save.
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