Oath of Despondency

Except the inevitable end of all things. 

Paladins who swear the Oath of  Despondency embrace the inevitable decay and dissolution of all things. Rejecting the traditional ideals of order, law, and righteousness, these nihilistic warriors believe that the universe trends toward chaos, and they seek to accelerate that process. Through their powers, they embody destruction and hopelessness, spreading despair and entropy wherever they go. Their very presence corrupts, decays, and unravels the fabric of reality, and their spells and abilities instill fear, sap strength, and hasten the downfall of their enemies.

These paladins share the following tenets:

• Embrace the End
• Reject False Hope
• Hasten Decay

Oath of Despondency Spells

The magic of your oath ensures you always have certain spells ready; when you reach a Paladin level specified in the Oath of Vengeance Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Oath of Despondency Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3	Cause Fear, Inflict Wounds
5	Ray of Enfeeblement, Blindness/Deafness
9	Bestow Curse, Animate Dead
13	Blight, Shadow of Moil
17	Contagion, Cloudkill

Corrupting Touch

3rd-level Despondency Feature

You can use your Channel Divinity to wither a creature's vitality. As an action, you touch one creature, forcing it to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes necrotic damage equal to 2d10 + your Paladin level, and it cannot regain hit points until the end of its next turn.

Aura of Entropic Decay

7th-level Despondency Feature

Your presence manifests the slow but inevitable breakdown of all things. Starting at 7th level, you project an aura of decay and entropy while you are not incapacitated. The aura extends 10 feet from you in every direction, and you can choose which creatures are affected.

• Corrupting Aura: Creatures of your choice within the aura take a penalty to their attack rolls and saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
• Withering Presence: Non-magical items within the aura begin to show signs of decay and degradation over time, and enemies have disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened, charmed, or stunned while within the aura.

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

Entropic Strike

15th-level Despondency Feature

Your attacks unravel the bonds holding reality together. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can use this feature to force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is frightened of you and perceives its own inevitable demise, taking psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier at the start of each of its turns. This effect lasts for 1 minute or until the creature succeeds on the saving throw at the end of its turn. This feature can be used once per long rest.

Avatar of Nihilism

20th-level Despondency Feature

As a Bonus Action you become a harbinger of the end, your form wreathed in a shroud of darkness and decay. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest. You can also restore your use of it by expending a level 5 spell slot (no action required).

• You are immune to all conditions except incapacitated.
• Your melee attacks deal additional necrotic damage equal to 1d10 + your Charisma modifier.
• Enemies within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed with existential dread until the end of their next turn.