Oath of the Beast's Bane

The Oath of the Beast’s Bane is a solemn commitment to Baba Yaga, the god of monsters. Paladins who take this oath become her champions, tasked with slaying her beasts and monsters that have become too unruly. It’s a dangerous job, often thankless, but it’s a calling for those with nowhere else to turn.

Tenants

1. Monstrous Vigilance: As the Beast’s Bane, you must be ever watchful. The shadows hide countless dangers—beasts and monsters that threaten the innocent. Your duty is to detect their presence, anticipate their moves, and strike before they can harm others. Vigilance is your shield against the darkness.
2. Unyielding Courage: Fear is a luxury you cannot afford. When faced with the grotesque, the unnatural, or the malevolent, your resolve must remain unshaken. Fear weakens the spirit, but you are the embodiment of courage. Stand firm, even when the abyss gazes back at you.
3. Relentless Pursuit: A dangerous beast must never escape your grasp. Whether it slithers through tangled forests, prowls in moonlit alleys, or haunts forgotten crypts, your duty is unwavering: end their threat. Chase them to the ends of the earth, for the safety of all depends on your relentless pursuit.
4. Merciless Execution: The beasts and monsters you face are beyond redemption. They know no remorse, no empathy. Show them no quarter. Your blade, your magic, your very essence—use them without hesitation. Their demise is not a tragedy; it is justice served. Mercy is a luxury you cannot afford.

Baba Yaga’s Contract 

As a champion of Baba Yaga, you are bound by a contract that dictates the terms of your service. The contract might include clauses such as:

• You must respond to Baba Yaga’s summons without delay.
• You are forbidden from harming any beast or monster unless it poses a threat or has been specifically marked by Baba Yaga.
• You must offer a portion of your spoils from each hunt to Baba Yaga as tribute.
• You are not permitted to seek help from other gods or divine entities.

Baba Yaga’s Champion: The Punishment Point System

Baba Yaga, the god of monsters, has a unique system to keep her champion in check. This system is based on points, with each action having a corresponding point value. Here’s how it works:

Tenets and Points:

1. Respect the Beasts (1 Marks): Disrespecting or unnecessarily harming a beast of Baba Yaga results in a point.
2. Complete the Task (2 Marks): Failing to complete a task assigned by Baba Yaga results in two points.
3. Do Not Refuse a Task (3 Marks): Refusing a task outright results in three points.
4. Protect the Weak (4 Marks): Failing to protect those weaker than oneself results in four points.
5. Never Betray Baba Yaga (5 Marks): Betraying Baba Yaga in any form results in five points.

Punishments:

• 1 point: Baba Yaga reduces the champion’s power slightly, making their tasks more difficult.
• 2 points: The champion is sent on a particularly dangerous mission.
• 3 points: Baba Yaga takes away the champion’s most cherished possession.
• 4 points: The champion is transformed into a beast for a period of time.
• 5 points: The champion is banished to the underworld to fight their way back to the living.

Redemption: Points can be removed by performing good deeds for Baba Yaga. These could include successfully completing a difficult task, showing kindness to a beast, or protecting the innocent. This ensures the system is dynamic and offers the champion a chance for redemption.

This system ensures that the champion stays true to their purpose, while also keeping them under Baba Yaga’s control. It’s a harsh system, but such is the life of Baba Yaga’s champion.

Channel Divinity

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

• Abjure Beast: As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer of denunciation against the monstrous, using your Channel Divinity. Choose one creature within 60 feet of you that you can see. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, unless it is immune to being frightened. Beasts and monsters have disadvantage on this saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While frightened, the creature’s speed is 0, and it can’t benefit from any bonus to its speed. On a successful save, the creature’s speed is halved for 1 minute or until the creature takes any damage.
• Vow of the Hunt: As a bonus action, you can utter a vow of enmity against a creature you can see within 10 feet of you, using your Channel Divinity. You gain advantage on attack rolls against the creature for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or falls unconscious.

 

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of Devotion Spells

Aura of the Beast’s Bane

Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects produced by beasts and monsters.

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

Aspect of the Monster

At 15th level, you have learned to channel the essence of the monsters you hunt, granting you temporary powers to aid you in battle. As an action, you can invoke the Aspect of the Monster, gaining one of the following benefits for 1 minute:

• Beastly Might: You gain advantage on Strength-based ability checks and saving throws. Your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 1d8 damage.
• Monstrous Resilience: You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. Additionally, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws.
• Nightmarish Agility: Your speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain advantage on Dexterity-based ability checks and saving throws. Attacks made against you have disadvantage.

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

Baba Yaga’s Ascendancy

• Baba Yaga’s Blessing: Once per long rest, you can call upon Baba Yaga’s blessing to aid you in battle. As an action, you summon a spectral avatar of Baba Yaga, who fights alongside you for 1 minute. The avatar has the following statistics:
  • Baba Yaga’s Avatar: Large fiend (shapechanger), chaotic evil
  • Armor Class: 18 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points: Equal to your maximum hit points
  • Speed: 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
  • STR 20 (+5) DEX 18 (+4) CON 20 (+5) INT 16 (+3) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 18 (+4)
  • Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities: necrotic, poison
  • Condition Immunities: charmed, frightened, poisoned
  • Senses: truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages: Abyssal, Common, Infernal
  • Actions:
    • Multiattack: The avatar makes two attacks with its claws.
    • Claw: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
    • Baba Yaga’s Fury (Recharge 5-6): The avatar releases a wave of dark energy in a 30-foot radius. Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• Aspect of the Dark Mother: You can now use your Channel Divinity to assume the Aspect of the Dark Mother. As an action, you transform into a terrifying visage of Baba Yaga herself, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:
  • You are immune to all conditions and effects caused by beasts and monsters.
  • You emanate an aura of fear in a 30-foot radius. Creatures of your choice within the aura must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened for the duration.
  • You gain resistance to all damage, except radiant damage.
  • Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.