Oath of the Marksman

Paladins that follow this oath are driven perfectionists, cocky show-offs and careless thrill-seekers, reckless individuals who live and breathe for the perfect shot. They are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, insufferably arrogant yet deadly precise with the long-range weapons they wield to an almost obsessive and specialised degree, whether that is a bow and arrow, thrown knives or firearms on specific settings.

Paladins of the Oath of the Marksman usually differ greatly from most Paladins. Those sworn to gods tend to be servants of deities of all sorts of different domains, as they don’t swear to be marksmen. Their vow is to justice, to order, to twilight, to the grave or to whatever cause they devote themselves to, their deadly abilities are simply the means through which they achieve their goals. 

Alternatively, some may not even have a formal oath. Your abilities instead may be representative of your heritage, hailing from a great war-faring nation known for their efficacy. Or, it may simply be the skillset and purpose you’ve gained as part of your work as a bounty hunter, a pirate, or simply an outlaw. Those of the Oath of the Marksman can have a tendency for recklessness after all, they take big risks for even bigger rewards, as making their own luck has always meant bending the rules.

Tenets

Be Steadfast. Never hesitate, be the fastest in your draw and the first to shoot. History will likely look at you kindly for it, and you’ll actually get to live.

Boast your successes. Everyone must know about your daring greatness, insurmountable precision, and cunning slipperiness. What’s the point otherwise?

Focus and purpose. One does not aim with their hand, one does not kill with their weapon, one aims and kills with the full force of their heart and never without purpose.

Quick on the Draw

Beginning when you first choose this oath at 3rd level, you gain a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Charisma modifier.

Additionally, you gain the ability to use your ranged weapons like no other. You can now only use your Divine Smite feature on ranged weapon attacks, and when you reach 11th level, your ranged weapon attacks deal an additional 1d8 radiant damage and you can’t benefit from the Improved Divine Smite feature. 

At the DM's discretion, they may allow you to change your chosen style to the Archery fighting style when you gain this feature, and they may allow you to gain proficiency with firearms.

Channel Divinity

Also at 3rd level, you gain the following two channel divinity options.

Marksman’s Standoff: You can use your Channel Divinity to quiet down and intimidate even the rowdiest of crowds. As an action, you present your holy symbol or your ranged weapon and each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened of you for 1 minute. The frightened creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If you roll initiative against a creature that failed the saving throw within the last minute, you have advantage on the roll, and your first attack after rolling scores a critical hit on a 19 or 20 on the d20.

Celestial Weapon: As a bonus action on your turn, you may choose to imbue a weapon you are holding with the full power of your magic, using your Channel Divinity. It shines with the golden light of the sun as, for 1 minute or until this feature ends, the weapon scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20, and it sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

The weapon gains three celestial shots, which last for the duration if unused. Whenever you hit with an attack with the weapon while it has at least one celestial shot, the attack deals an extra 1d8 radiant damage, and a single celestial shot is expended. On a critical hit or if you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an attack that expended a celestial shot, you regain it, instead not expending any; and in addition to the regular effects, the target's wound explodes in radiance, as the creature and creatures within 5 feet of it take radiant damage equal to half your paladin level + your Charisma modifier.

If the weapon has no celestial shots, the feature ends.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of Devotion Spells

Aura of Accuracy

Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you score a critical hit on ranged weapon attacks on a 19 or 20 on the d20. If an attack already scores a critical hit on a 19 or 20 via one of your subclass features, that attack instead scores a critical hit on an 18, 19 or 20 on the d20.

At 18th level, this area increases to 30 feet.

Radiant Dodge

Beginning at 15th level, you can dodge away from any unwanted attacks and reposition for a better shot. As a reaction to being hit by an attack or as a bonus action on your turn, you may move a number of feet equal to half your walking speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Immediately after you move, a burst of radiant magic disperses from you, as the next time you or an ally within 5 feet of you take the Attack action, those attacks are made with advantage, and the first one that hits deals an additional 1d6 radiant damage. 

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Perfect Shot

By the time you’ve reached 20th level, as an action, you’ve learnt to become an avatar of swift precision. As you activate this feature, you may perform a Radiant Dodge, as described earlier on the subclass, and for 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• Whenever you roll a 1 on the d20 on a ranged weapon attack, the attack counts as a critical hit instead.
• At the beginning of your turn, a ranged weapon you are wielding is imbued by your magic, as you activate your Celestial Weapon Channel Divinity without expending a use, except the weapon gains one Celestial Shot, rather than three.
• Whenever you score a critical hit on a ranged weapon attack, you gain temporary hit points equal to half your level, and until the end of your turn, your walking speed increases by 10 feet.

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