Oath of Ancestral Spirits

The Oath of Ancestral Spirits binds a paladin to those that have come before. These paladins honor the bravery and contributions of anyone who strove to leave the world better than they found it, fellow paladin or otherwise. They routinely seek out historical records of such figures and relish in being told the legends of folk heroes in small town pubs. Armed with the knowledge of the victories as well as the missteps of their forebearers, these paladins fight on against evil and oppression for the good of those yet to come.

Tenets of the Ancestral Spirits

Though the exact words and strictures of the Oath of Ancestral Spirits vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets.

Knowledge. It is through knowledge of deeds and missteps of our forebearers that we can better serve the world today.

Honor. All those who came before us deserve our respect, be they noble or lowborn, heroic or commonplace.

Remembrance. Gravesites are a place of importance and honor. Take the time to treat them as such.

Life. Do not get lost in the past. Learn from it, honor it, but live your life with joy and vigor and create a better world for those who will look back to you.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath of Ancestral Spirits table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work.

Oath of Ancestral Spirits Spells

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how Channel Divinity works.

Spiritual Ambush. You can use your Channel Divinity to call forth the spectral visages of the ancestors of your enemies. As an action, summon ancestral spirits to harry chosen creatures within 30 ft. forcing them to make a Wisdom saving throw agaisnt your spell save DC or be stunned until the end of your next turn, awestruck by the images of their departed family. Undead have disadvantage on this saving throw.

Ancestral Might. You can use your Channel Divinity to call upon the fortitude of your ancestors. 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 Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws.

Aura of Impedance

Starting at 7th level, the spirits of your ancestors impede your enemies while you’re not incapacitated. The aura extends 10 feet from you in every direction.

While within the aura, a hostile creature's speed is halved.

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

Ancestral Arbiter

One particularly judgemental spirit has decided they like you and they want to help you and hinder your enemies.

When a creature you can see within 30 feet succeeds on a saving throw, attack roll, or ability check, you can use your reaction to have the spirit interfere, forcing the triggering creature to roll another d20 and use the lower roll. You can then choose a different creature you can see within range (you can choose yourself). The spirit moves to the chosen creature, bolstering it and granting advantage on the next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw it makes within 1 minute. A creature can be empowered by only one use of this feature at a time.

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.

Avatar of the Ancestors

At 20th level, your connection to the ancestors is beyond compare. As an action, you can magically summon a mighty spirit to fight by your side, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You gain +2 to your AC.
• When you take the Attack action on your turn, your summoned spirit can make one attack as part of that action. They do so with a weapon, stats, and any applicable features identical to your own, including Divine Smite (utilizing your spell slots) and Improved Divine Smite. All damage dealt by this attack is radiant.
• Your summoned spirit distracts your enemies, allowing you to move freely without provoking attacks of opportunity.
• If you are reduced to 0 hit points but do not die outright, the Spirit rushes to your aid, restoring 20 hit points to you and ending the effect.

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