Oath of the Blackguard

The Oath of the Blackguard is taken by those Paladins who have strayed from the path of righteousness, forsaking the ideals of justice and virtue for the pursuit of power, fear, and domination. These fallen champions embody the darkest aspects of a Paladin's potential, using their divine gifts not to protect, but to oppress. Where once they sought to defend the innocent and uphold the law, Blackguards now embrace their basest instincts, wielding fear as a weapon and bending the will of others to their own.

A Blackguard is a master of intimidation, using terror to control their enemies and dominate the battlefield. While other Paladins inspire hope, the Blackguard leaves only despair in their wake. Their strength comes from their ability to instill fear and to capitalize on that fear for their own advantage. No longer bound by the constraints of mercy or compassion, Blackguards revel in cruelty, seeking to rise in power by breaking the spirits of those around them.

Those who take the Oath of the Blackguard are driven by one thing: the belief that power is all that matters—and fear is the key to gaining it.

TENETS OF THE BLACKGUARD: THE VICES

While traditional Paladins swear to uphold virtues, Blackguards are bound by Vices—the corrupt principles that guide their actions and shape their worldviews. These Vices reflect their dark transformation, turning them into agents of fear and subjugation.

Power above all. Seek to elevate yourself above all others. Domination is the only path to true greatness. The weak exist only to be crushed or controlled.

Mercy is a weakness. Inflict pain without hesitation. Show no pity to those beneath you. Pain is a tool to break the will of your enemies.

Rule through terror. Fear is the greatest weapon at your disposal. Use it to control, manipulate, and conquer. A frightened enemy is already defeated.

Never forgive, never forget. Those who cross you will suffer. Hold grudges and exact your revenge with relentless fury. Make an example of those who dare defy you.

Dread Smite

This feature replaces Divine Smite and Improved Divine Smite.

Dread Smite. At 3rd level, your attacks are infused with corrupt energy. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal necrotic damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is frightened, to a maximum of 6d8.

Improved Dread Smite. By 11th level, your mastery of dark energy allows all your melee weapon strikes to channel a powerful aura of fear. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, the creature takes an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.

Dark Talents

At 3rd level, your rage and hatred begin to manifest in the form of Dark Talents—sinister abilities that draw from the depths of your anger and the terror you inspire in others. These Talents represent your ability to twist fear, fury, and suffering into raw power, fueling your combat skills and enhancing your dominance on the battlefield.

The light of traditional spells is nothing compared to the dark fury that burns within you. You choose two Dark Talents from the list below, each one empowering your strikes, bolstering your resilience, or spreading fear among your foes.

Your hatred only grows stronger over time. As you advance in level, you unlock additional Dark Talents at 7th, 11th, and 15th levels. Whenever you learn a new Dark Talent, you may also replace one Dark Talent you already know with a different one.

Exploiting Fear

Prerequisite: 7th level

You learn to take advantage of your enemies' terror to deliver brutal strikes. Once per turn, when you hit a creature that is frightened of you with a melee weapon attack, you can deal an additional 2d6 necrotic damage.

The extra damage increases to 3d6 at 11th level, 4d6 at 15th level and 5d6 at 20th level.

First Strike

Your swift and decisive strikes instill deep fear in your enemies. You gain a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).

Inflict Fear

The sheer weight of your malevolence inspires terror, forcing nearby foes to tremble in your shadow. As a bonus action, you force each creature of your choice that you can see within 15 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Power from Pain

Prerequisite: 7th level

You have learned to draw strength from the suffering you inflict. Once per turn, when you deal damage to a creature, you can use your Lay on Hands as a reaction to heal yourself. You may expend a number of hit points from your Lay on Hands pool equal to or less than the damage dealt, regaining that many hit points.

Rage-Fueled Strikes

Prerequisite: 15th level

Fueled by hatred and anger, you gain a bonus to melee weapon damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).

Terrifying Presence

Your terrifying presence unsettles those around you, granting you advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.

Unholy Chains

As an action, you can summon spectral chains to pull a creature toward you. Choose one creature within 30 feet; the target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pulled 15 feet toward you. If it is pulled within 5 feet of you, you can make a melee attack against it as part of the same action. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.

Unholy Resilience

Prerequisite: 7th level

Harnessing the dark forces to shield you from harm, when you take damage, you can use your reaction to expend points from your Lay on Hands pool to reduce the impact of the blow. For each 5 points you expend, you reduce the incoming damage by 10.

Vengeful Retribution

Prerequisite: 11th level

Fueled by your undying hatred and refusal to fall, whenever you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can use your reaction to immediately rise with 1 hit point. When you do so, you can expend 15 points from your Lay on Hands pool to make an immediate attack against the creature that had reduced you to 0 hit points, if they are within 10 feet of you. If that creature is not within 10 feet of you, you can make this attack against another creature within 10 feet of you. On a hit, you deal additional necrotic damage equal to the remaining amount of points in your Lay on Hands pool. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Vengeful Strike

Those who dare harm you will feel the sting of your wrath. When you are hit by a creature, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature. If you hit, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how Channel Divinity works.

Feast on Fear. You can use your Channel Divinity to draw strength from the terror you instill in your foes. As an action, you regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) multiplied by the number of creatures within 20 feet of you that are frightened of you.

Aura of Dread. You can use your Channel Divinity to call forth an overwhelming aura of malevolent power. As an action, you force each creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature becomes 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.

Aura of Despair

Starting at 7th level, your presence radiates an overwhelming sense of dread, weakening the resolve of your enemies. While you are conscious, enemies within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws to resist the frightened condition.

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

Unyielding Terror

Starting at 15th level, your mastery of fear is so complete that even those who would normally resist your dark presence are not safe. Creatures that are immune to the frightened condition can now be frightened by your abilities. If a creature is normally immune to being frightened, it instead has advantage on saving throws against your fear-based abilities.

Additionally, while a creature is frightened by you, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature.

Dark Ascendant

At 20th level, your physical and dark powers reach their peak, surpassing the limits of ordinary mortals. Your strength, endurance, and force of will are amplified by the hatred and fear you wield. Your Strength score increases by 4, to a maximum of 24. Your Constitution and Charisma scores each increase by 2, to a maximum of 22 for each.