Oath of the Axe Fall

Some do not wait for the axe to fall. Instead, they are the one to wield the axe and deliver the final blow. Paladins who swear by the Oath of the Axe Fall are not content for justice to settle on the right outcome. They pursue their enemies relentlessly and will cut through anyone who stands in their way. 

TENETS OF THE AXE

The tenets of the Oath of the Axe Fall serve to remind the paladin that they alone can do what needs to be done.

All men must die. Your deeds will likely not be remembered, but you will not rest while your enemies still breathe.

No Quarter will be Given. Mercy is a luxury to those who can afford to look the other way.

Reflect on the Reason for Death. You are righteous, but beware those who would make you their instrument.

You Stand Alone. The executioner is masked for a reason, no one welcomes death into their home. You do not seek fellowship in the place of your calling.

  Art: Don Maitz's Shadow of the Torturer [cover illustration, Gene Wolfe; Timescape Books; May, 1981].

Oath Spells

3rd-level Oath of the Axe Fall feature

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

Oath of Glory Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	thunderwave, false life
5th	heat metal, magic weapon
9th	haste, slow
13th	compulsion, control water
17th	telekinesis, flame strike

Channel Divinity

3rd-level Oath of Glory feature

You gain the following two Channel Divinity options. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how Channel Divinity works.

Unstoppable Pursuit. As a bonus action, you can use your Channel Divinity to augment your athleticism. For the next 10 minutes, you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks; you can carry, push, drag, and lift twice as much weight as normal; and the distance of your long and high jumps increases by 10 feet (this extra distance costs movement as normal).

Red Smite. Immediately after you deal damage to a creature with your Divine Smite feature, you can use your Channel Divinity as a bonus action and distribute temporary hit points to creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you to keep fighting despite injury (this can include you). The total number of temporary hit points equals 2d8 + your level in this class, divided among the chosen creatures however you like.

Aura of the Hunt

7th- and 18th-level Oath of the Axe Fall feature

You emanate an aura that fills you and your companions with supernatural speed, and like coursing hounds you pursue your target in a pack. Your walking speed increases by 10 feet. In addition, if you aren’t incapacitated, the walking speed of any ally who starts their turn within 5 feet of you increases by 10 feet until the end of that turn.

When you reach 18th level in this class, the range of the aura increases to 10 feet.

The Final Blow

15th-level Oath of the Axe Fall feature

You sense the end is near and can strengthen your weapon strike to deal as much damage as possible. When you or another creature you can see within 10 feet of you are engaged by an enemy, you can use your reaction to grant a bonus to the target’s attack roll, potentially causing it to hit. The target then has advantage on damage. The bonus equals your Strength modifier (minimum of +1). If the attack misses, you can make one weapon attack against the enemy as part of this reaction, provided the enemy is within your weapon’s range.

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.

Unbowed

20th-level Oath of the Axe Fall feature

Word of your relentless pursuit and savagery has spread. As a bonus action, you gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

• You are blessed with an otherworldly presence, gaining advantage on all Intimidation checks.
• Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack and miss, you can cause that attack to hit instead.
• If you fail a saving throw, you can use your reaction to reroll it. You must use this new roll.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a 5th-level spell slot to use it again.