Judgement

Judgement Paladin

Paladins who have grown disillusioned with their oath or order but still wish to do good in the world may abandon their oath for the path of Judgement. Judgment paladins are relentless seekers of justice as they see it. They often serve as independent arbiters, seeking to dispense judgement upon those who have strayed from the path of righteousness while offering a chance for atonement only to those they deem sincere in their desire to repent. They regularly differ to diplomacy when available but temper that with the knowledge that swift and severe punishment is sometimes necessary to purge the world of evil. These paladins act as a moral compass, seeking to bring fairness to a chaotic world by enforcing their own laws upon it. Their disregard for established laws and reliance on their own codes and standards often makes them as equally unpopular among rulers and governments as they are with criminals and villains.

 

Tenets of Judgement

The tenets of Judgement, by their very nature, change drastically from one paladin to another. However, some themes are common among those who find themselves drawn to this path.

Penitence or Annihilation: Offer the guilty a chance to repent, but be prepared to deliver swift and decisive retribution upon those who refuse to change.

Discernment: Strive to uncover the truth and see through deception, evaluating actions and intentions with clear judgement.

Impartiality: Value fairness and treat all individuals, regardless of status or allegiance, with equal scrutiny.

Accountability: Hold individuals accountable for their actions, ensuring that justice is served and consequences are faced.

Endurance: Embrace the hardships and challenges that come with your duty, knowing that your endurance will triumph over the forces of evil.

 

Oath Spells

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

Judgement Spells

Channel Divinity

A Judgement paladin of 3rd level or higher gains the following two Channel Divinity options.

Forced Repentance. You can use your Channel Divinity to pronounce a verdict against those you deem guilty. As an action, you call upon your divine power to declare judgement upon a creature within 30 feet of you. The target must make a Charisma saving throw against your paladin spell save DC. On a failed save, the target suffers the following effects for 1 minute:

• When the paladin casts the command  spell against the target, they may choose to do so as a bonus action.
• When the target deals damage to a creature other than you, you can use your reaction to force it to take radiant damage equal to your paladin level.
  
  

Truthseeker. You can use your Channel Divinity to expose the lies and hypocrisy of others. As a bonus action you can force a creature to make a Charisma saving throw against your paladin spell save DC. On a failed save, the target can't speak a deliberate lie as if affected by the spell zone of truth for 5 minutes. The paladin is also aware of the target's exact location for the entire duration.

Bond of Reciprocation

Starting at 7th level, you gain the ability to form bonds with those you have placed your trust in. When you cast a spell on a friendly creature with a range of touch, you may choose to also have the spell affect yourself.

Those Beyond Saving

Starting at 15th level, you become proficient at repelling the incursions of creatures whose very nature make them unpredictable or dangerous. Fey, fiends, and undead can never have advantage on attacks against you and you can never have disadvantage on attacks against them. Any role that would normally resolve as such is instead rolled normally. Whenever a creature belonging to one of these groups hits you with an attack, that creature takes radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) if you’re not incapacitated.

Arbiter of Fate

At 20th level, using your action, you become an Arbiter of Fate capable of passing righteous judgement upon a your foes. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage of saving throws against spells cast by creatures within 30 ft. of you.
• Enemy creatures within 10 ft. of you have disadvantage on saving throws against your paladin spells and Channel Divinity options.
• Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, its speed becomes 0 until the start of your next turn.

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