Oath of Absolution

Scrawled originally on a letter, only to be thrown to a funeral pyre. The Oath of Absolution was created as a promise to someone important to its founder, and they swore that at the end of the day, through the sandy plains and scorching skies, that it would be decorated in hoarfrost and rime. That the fires of royal blood would be extinguished. That in the end, the cold will embrace the warm, and they will live together, finally at peace.

Paladins who take this oath are often misguided by revenge, or seek restitution or meaning after loss and hardship. They are afraid that the fires of civilization, or the fires of love, or the fires of hope have died out, and hope that the cold will give the meaning. The cold will give them purpose, and give them hope, and make them feel fulfilled, but to what end? The Oath of Absolute is not a tool of revenge or a cane for someone to walk on. It is a teacher, and it will give those who seek it the answers that they may not want, but that they need to continue to truly live.

Credit to Fligreesails for creating the "Oath of Winter", of which much of this is based on and inspired by! Please check them out!

TENETS OF THE ABSOLUTE

Scratched into the ice or marked in deep snow, the Tenets of the Absolute are to fill those who read them with warmth and courage.

Dying Lights. Times may be tough or hard. Adversity comes in many forms. Even still, you must be your own candle, your own campfire, and your own torch. Let not your fire die, but burn with the cold, and thrive.

Blizzard. Your passion shall be as strong as a raging blizzard, and your actions will fall like thunder and hail upon your foes.

Absolution. When it's over, and when it's said and done, rest. Nothing good comes from that which refuses to let go, to move on, to learn.

Oath Spells

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

Oath of Conquest Spells

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

Winter's Fortitude. You can use your Channel Divinity to imbue yourself with with divine energy and steel yourself against the forces of nature, gaining advantage on Constitution saving throws for 1 minute. At 6th level and higher, this effect also applies to friendly creatures in your aura.

Wrath of the Blizzard. You can use your Channel Divinity to strike back at those who harm you or your allies with the implacable power of a blizzard. As a reaction when a creature you can see within 30 feet of you deals damage to you or a friendly creature, you extend your hand towards them and summon the power of a blizzard to momentarily surround them. They instantly take radiant or cold damage (your choice) equal to half the damage they just dealt.

Additionally, the creature's speed is reduced to 0 until the end of their next turn, unless they are immune to cold damage, in which case their speed is unaffected, or resistant to cold damage, in which case their speed is halved.

Aura of Eventide

Beginning at 7th level, echoes of the darkness of winter begin to linger around you at all times, making you harder to perceive from a distance. Ranged attacks against you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage.

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

Frostborn Defender

You will not melt or fall under pressure. Starting at 15th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points and are not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Additionally, you gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.

Solstice Paragon

At 20th level, you can call upon the powers of deepest midwinter and surround yourself with the swirling might of a raging snowstorm.

Using your action, you undergo a transformation. Upon transformation, you unleash your frozen maelstrom upon the world. All enemies of your choice within 30 feet take 10d10 cold damage.

After this attack, for 1 minute you gain the following benefits:

• You gain immunity to cold damage and resistance to fire damage.
• You gain a flying speed of 20 feet.
• Enemy creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on all weapon attacks.

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