Sooo, I've created this homebrew subclass for Paladin, heavily inspired by Ukrainian folklore and history.
Honestly, I ended up putting way more time and soul into it than I originally planned - it became something bigger than just mechanics. Took me a week. Would love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or even playtesting impressions if you get the chance to try it out!
Mechanically, This class blends Paladin-style resilience with a twist of reckless fury, thriving when bloodied and cornered, and gaining limited abilities to escape death itself. Their power is not drawn from divine favor, but from ancestral oaths and the unyielding refusal to kneel. Cossacks are at their strongest when protecting others while wounded, using momentum-based combat, defiant auras, and spiritual abilities that awaken only in the face of death.
DM Advice:
The Cossack class rewards heroic self-sacrifice, dramatic last stands, and moments of brutal clarity.
Let them lean into narrative defiance — this class wants to be surrounded, wounded, and shouting poetry through bloodied teeth.
Their abilities often activate only when below half HP, making healing a strategic choice, not an obligation.
You don’t play a Cossack to survive — you play one to be remembered.
You Fight - and You prevail. God guides your hand.
There's also many features that aren't very good, or don't really work. Lots of them are overcomplicated and would cause headaches at the table.
Notes:
Windmill of Steel - Giving out feats as a class feature is a big no-no. Plus this feature is incredibly complicated and difficult to understand, and difficult to use! Only available when Bloodied, and have multiple enemies all next to each other and next to you (because two-weapon fighting weapons are almost all 5ft reach). Sure you could potentially hit a lot of them but when is this ever going to happen in-game? And for what? 1d6 damage to a couple extra creatures? Maybe 2d8 if you are super super lucky at higher levels. Then you probably are KOed or dead the next turn...
Horilka - This is a super weak feature. Limite use and requires a full Action with a fixed DC that is very low, and deals almost no damage. Vicious Mockery is a bad spell, but it is much more effective than your Horilka.
Lurking in Reeds - This is just crazy complicated, but also extremely niche. How many times in a campaign are you sneaking up on enemies while submerged but not in a situations where you can simply Hide from the enemies? Why Advantage on Hiding but also Invisibility? For that 1 in a million chance you are sneaking up on someone in perfectly clear water???? And then all you get from sneaking is 2d4 extra damage, once? It feels very much like you're trying to write in the DM's job into the subclass, that's usually a bad idea, trust that DMs are fair and will let this character hide in a swamp or deep river if the situation arises, or there is vegetation to hide in. Same goes for all the definitions of stuff within the description - e.g. you don't use "Half Cover" and then define it - especially since your definition is incomplete/wrong. Trust the player & DM to know the rules or be able to look up the rules if needed.
Aura of Disobedience - Why is this a separate aura? Just make it part of your Aura of Protection. "Magically commanded or dominated" is very vague and will make it super hard to rule this feature, why not just make it immunity to the charmed condition?
Freedom Defiance - This one is pretty good, but just make the radius match your Aura, makes it much simpler to remember / track and gives it scaling at high levels.
Grasped by the Oseledets - weird number of uses, it's such a high level feature prof bonus will hardly scale, why not just list the number of uses? It's also really confusing how this is supposed to work, you make a religion check but regardless of the outcome you don't drop to 0 hp but you do fall prone, is it triggered by taking damage? What if you don't have a reaction available? Why do you fall prone if you take no damage? Why is the number of tmp-hp different? It's only different by 4 that's not going to make any difference at these levels, so why bother having it be different? Why another save for the Exhaustion, that's a lot of rolling for a single feature.
Mara’s Gaze - Highly likely that this never triggers in an entire campaign, but it is does, there's also a good chance it can't be undone except by the "you die instantly" clause, since it is easier to resurrect someone from death than cast Dispel Evil and Good.
Heart of stone - Seems like a bunch of completely unconnected abilities, the Adv is kind of redundant with the Aura they gain earlier.
Bare Nacked Soul - Why would this be useful? At the level you get this 33 hp is like 1-2 attacks from the enemy, and in exchange you are naked??? It would never be a good idea to use this. Plus the DC is so low nearly every enemy will pass it.
Echoes of the Kobza - What if the character isn't proficient in any instruments? It feels like proficiency in an instrument & the performance skill should be a 3rd level feature of this class.
I'll Kill All The Gods - What if the campaign doesn't involve interacting with gods? This is entirely useless. Plus in most settings Gods don't even have statblocks they do whatever they want so this power again is essentially useless. What is an "extraplanar entity"?
Plus almost none of the features are using the fact that you are a Paladin at all.
Suggestions:
Soul and Blade (3rd level): you gain proficiency with 1 instrument (kobza, bandura, or flute) and the Performance skill. You gain the Two-weapon Fighting Fighting Style.
Windmill of Steel : When you use your Divine Smite while wielding two melee weapons, you can deal the damage from your Smite to each creature within your reach. Each target that takes damage from this feature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spellcasting DC, on a failure, you have advantage on melee attacks against that creature until the end of your next turn.
In addition, you gain +1 AC while wielding two melee weapons.
Horilka Brewer : You gain proficiency in brewer's supplies. Whenever you finish a short or long rest you can make a DC 15 check with your brewer's supplies provided you have access to 1 pound of wheat. On a success, you create a number of bottles of Horilka equal to your proficiency bonus. These bottles are unstable and lose their potency after 8 hours.
Horilka : As a bonus action, you can pour the flammable Horilka onto a weapon you are holding, until the end of your current turn each attack with that weapon deals an additional 1d4 fire damage and any creature that takes this fire damage starts Burning [this is a defined condition in 2024, if using 2014 rules instead define it as: the target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of their turns until they or another creature takes 1 action to smother the flames].
Alternatively, as an Action you can drink the Horilka, immediately and as a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns for 1 minute after drinking the Horilka, you can breathe out the Horilka in a 30-foot line. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spellcasting DC, on a failure they take 1d4 + your proficiency bonus fire damage and start Burning.
Reed Lurker Veil : You have Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while fully obscured by plants or water. You can obscure yourself in dense reeds, grasses or other plants at least 3 feet high. In addition, once per long rest you can magically cause 3 foot high reeds to grow in a 30 ft radius around you, these reeds last for 1 hour if the land cannot support them or are permanent if reeds could normally grow in this location. These reeds are Difficult Terrain to all creature.
Grasped by the Oseledets : When you take damage that would reduce you to 0 hp but not kill you outright, you can call on your ancestors to save you. Make a DC 20 Religion check, on a success you are teleported up to 20 ft away and fall prone, causing the attack or damaging effect to miss you, on a failure you stand defiant at 1 hp and gain 1 level of exhaustion. You can use this ability 3 times, regaining all uses when you finish a long rest.
Mara's Gaze : If you would be killed or you are reduced to 0 hp and have no uses of Grasped by the Oseledets remaining, you can choose to enter a cursed state known as Mara's Gaze. While in this state the following apply to you:
You body dies, but you can still act normally.
Your Divine Smite deals necrotic damage, and deals additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
You cannot regain hit points, and suffer no ill effects of exhaustion.
You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
This state lasts for 1 minute, when this effect ends you are dead, and gain 3 points of exhaustion which persist even if you are resurrected. Starting at level 15, you can choose to enter Mara's Gaze whenever your Grasped by the Oseledets is triggered.
Heart of Stone: You gain +1 AC while Bloodied, in addition, you gain Tremorsense with a range of 10 ft.
Bare Naked Soul: - just cut this completely.
I'll Kill All The Gods - You are always under the effect of the Mind Blank spell unless you choose not to be.
Sooo, I've created this homebrew subclass for Paladin, heavily inspired by Ukrainian folklore and history.
Honestly, I ended up putting way more time and soul into it than I originally planned - it became something bigger than just mechanics. Took me a week.
Would love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or even playtesting impressions if you get the chance to try it out!
Oath of The Cossack's Steppe - Paladin Subclass - Link
Here's a bit of preview:
Ok the flavour text is super cool, I love it! The art is also totally awsome! I'm just not sure the mechanics really do it justice though.
E.g. How do these go together?
Hunter’s Mark, Hellish Rebuke, Vicious Mockery
You Fight - and You prevail. God guides your hand.
There's also many features that aren't very good, or don't really work. Lots of them are overcomplicated and would cause headaches at the table.
Notes:
Windmill of Steel - Giving out feats as a class feature is a big no-no. Plus this feature is incredibly complicated and difficult to understand, and difficult to use! Only available when Bloodied, and have multiple enemies all next to each other and next to you (because two-weapon fighting weapons are almost all 5ft reach). Sure you could potentially hit a lot of them but when is this ever going to happen in-game? And for what? 1d6 damage to a couple extra creatures? Maybe 2d8 if you are super super lucky at higher levels. Then you probably are KOed or dead the next turn...
Horilka - This is a super weak feature. Limite use and requires a full Action with a fixed DC that is very low, and deals almost no damage. Vicious Mockery is a bad spell, but it is much more effective than your Horilka.
Lurking in Reeds - This is just crazy complicated, but also extremely niche. How many times in a campaign are you sneaking up on enemies while submerged but not in a situations where you can simply Hide from the enemies? Why Advantage on Hiding but also Invisibility? For that 1 in a million chance you are sneaking up on someone in perfectly clear water???? And then all you get from sneaking is 2d4 extra damage, once? It feels very much like you're trying to write in the DM's job into the subclass, that's usually a bad idea, trust that DMs are fair and will let this character hide in a swamp or deep river if the situation arises, or there is vegetation to hide in. Same goes for all the definitions of stuff within the description - e.g. you don't use "Half Cover" and then define it - especially since your definition is incomplete/wrong. Trust the player & DM to know the rules or be able to look up the rules if needed.
Aura of Disobedience - Why is this a separate aura? Just make it part of your Aura of Protection. "Magically commanded or dominated" is very vague and will make it super hard to rule this feature, why not just make it immunity to the charmed condition?
Freedom Defiance - This one is pretty good, but just make the radius match your Aura, makes it much simpler to remember / track and gives it scaling at high levels.
Grasped by the Oseledets - weird number of uses, it's such a high level feature prof bonus will hardly scale, why not just list the number of uses? It's also really confusing how this is supposed to work, you make a religion check but regardless of the outcome you don't drop to 0 hp but you do fall prone, is it triggered by taking damage? What if you don't have a reaction available? Why do you fall prone if you take no damage? Why is the number of tmp-hp different? It's only different by 4 that's not going to make any difference at these levels, so why bother having it be different? Why another save for the Exhaustion, that's a lot of rolling for a single feature.
Mara’s Gaze - Highly likely that this never triggers in an entire campaign, but it is does, there's also a good chance it can't be undone except by the "you die instantly" clause, since it is easier to resurrect someone from death than cast Dispel Evil and Good.
Heart of stone - Seems like a bunch of completely unconnected abilities, the Adv is kind of redundant with the Aura they gain earlier.
Bare Nacked Soul - Why would this be useful? At the level you get this 33 hp is like 1-2 attacks from the enemy, and in exchange you are naked??? It would never be a good idea to use this. Plus the DC is so low nearly every enemy will pass it.
Echoes of the Kobza - What if the character isn't proficient in any instruments? It feels like proficiency in an instrument & the performance skill should be a 3rd level feature of this class.
I'll Kill All The Gods - What if the campaign doesn't involve interacting with gods? This is entirely useless. Plus in most settings Gods don't even have statblocks they do whatever they want so this power again is essentially useless. What is an "extraplanar entity"?
Plus almost none of the features are using the fact that you are a Paladin at all.
Suggestions:
Soul and Blade (3rd level): you gain proficiency with 1 instrument (kobza, bandura, or flute) and the Performance skill. You gain the Two-weapon Fighting Fighting Style.
Windmill of Steel : When you use your Divine Smite while wielding two melee weapons, you can deal the damage from your Smite to each creature within your reach. Each target that takes damage from this feature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spellcasting DC, on a failure, you have advantage on melee attacks against that creature until the end of your next turn.
In addition, you gain +1 AC while wielding two melee weapons.
Horilka Brewer : You gain proficiency in brewer's supplies. Whenever you finish a short or long rest you can make a DC 15 check with your brewer's supplies provided you have access to 1 pound of wheat. On a success, you create a number of bottles of Horilka equal to your proficiency bonus. These bottles are unstable and lose their potency after 8 hours.
Horilka : As a bonus action, you can pour the flammable Horilka onto a weapon you are holding, until the end of your current turn each attack with that weapon deals an additional 1d4 fire damage and any creature that takes this fire damage starts Burning [this is a defined condition in 2024, if using 2014 rules instead define it as: the target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of their turns until they or another creature takes 1 action to smother the flames].
Alternatively, as an Action you can drink the Horilka, immediately and as a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns for 1 minute after drinking the Horilka, you can breathe out the Horilka in a 30-foot line. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spellcasting DC, on a failure they take 1d4 + your proficiency bonus fire damage and start Burning.
Reed Lurker Veil : You have Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while fully obscured by plants or water. You can obscure yourself in dense reeds, grasses or other plants at least 3 feet high. In addition, once per long rest you can magically cause 3 foot high reeds to grow in a 30 ft radius around you, these reeds last for 1 hour if the land cannot support them or are permanent if reeds could normally grow in this location. These reeds are Difficult Terrain to all creature.
Grasped by the Oseledets : When you take damage that would reduce you to 0 hp but not kill you outright, you can call on your ancestors to save you. Make a DC 20 Religion check, on a success you are teleported up to 20 ft away and fall prone, causing the attack or damaging effect to miss you, on a failure you stand defiant at 1 hp and gain 1 level of exhaustion. You can use this ability 3 times, regaining all uses when you finish a long rest.
Mara's Gaze : If you would be killed or you are reduced to 0 hp and have no uses of Grasped by the Oseledets remaining, you can choose to enter a cursed state known as Mara's Gaze. While in this state the following apply to you:
This state lasts for 1 minute, when this effect ends you are dead, and gain 3 points of exhaustion which persist even if you are resurrected. Starting at level 15, you can choose to enter Mara's Gaze whenever your Grasped by the Oseledets is triggered.
Heart of Stone: You gain +1 AC while Bloodied, in addition, you gain Tremorsense with a range of 10 ft.
Bare Naked Soul: - just cut this completely.
I'll Kill All The Gods - You are always under the effect of the Mind Blank spell unless you choose not to be.