Oath of Darkness

The Oath of Darkness summons those paladins who see the world for what it really is, a deep hole of shadow with a few faint glimmers of hope. They are the only ones who have the courage to do whatever it takes to make the world a better place, even if it means committing the worst acts. After all, they know that at the end of the day, they have created a better place to live for everyone else.

The Paladins of the Oath of Darkness are dedicated to the art of stealth and deception. They might carry out an assassination in secret, impersonate others to get their way... anything goes, as long as your cause is good. The Oath of Darkness teaches that the powerful are often tainted by it, that they have succumbed to the dark forces and that only the Darkness can fight them on equal terms.

Tenets of Darkness

Though some may waver in their actions, all paladins of the Oath of Darkness adhere to these principles:

• Serve the light within the shadows. Move in darkness, be one with it, use it to your advantage. But don't forget, we all serve the greater good.
• Achieve your goals by any means. While others may doubt when they have to choose the dark path, we do not even flinch. Kill if necessary, break into places, overthrow a corrupt system, anything is permitted when you are fighting for what's right.
• Hide your true identity. Do your best to avoid being seen by your enemies, do not let them remember you if they escape.

Oath of Darkness Spells

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

Oath of Darkness Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3	Bane, Disguise Self
5	Darkness, Pass Without Trace
9	Hunger of Hadar, Fear
13	Phantasmal Killer, Shadow of Moil
17	Seeming, Steel Wind Strike

One With Darkness

Starting at level 3 you gain darkvision to a range of 120ft and, when in dim-light or darkness, you gain a bonus to stealth checks equal to your Charisma modifier.

At 5th level, your darkvision is able to pierce through magical darkness as well.

Whispers of a Shade

Starting at 3rd level, as an action, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity and attempt to influence on people's mind, channeling the power of the shadowfell into their psyche. A creature of your choosing that you can see within 60ft of you makes an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the creature starts hearing whispers of your voice in its head during the following minute, making it subtract a number equal to your proficiency bonus to all their saves. An affected creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Alternatively, you may choose to release the energy on a burst, affecting the superficial mind of any creature within 60ft of yourself, making them forget about any information of your choosing related directly to you, from a period of time equal to twice your paladin level in hours, if they fail the saving throw.

Aura of Gloom

Starting at level 7, you constantly exude an aura of shadows that embraces you and your allies as long as you are not incapacitated. The aura extends 10 feet from you in every direction and grants you the ability to add bonus necrotic damage to all your attacks equal to your Charisma modifier as long as you are within dim light or darkness, doubled if the target is frightened. You can choose a number of creatures within the aura equal to you Charisma modifier and grant them the benefits of your your level 3 feature, 'One With Darkness', as long as they stay within the aura and are not incapacitated.

Additionally, creatures of your choice within this aura have disadvantage on saving throws when trying to resist or avoid the frightened condition and, if affected by it, your attacks against them are made at advantage.

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

The Darkness Within

Starting at 15th level, you are able to switch the damage of your Radiant Strikes into necrotic damage.

Once per turn, when you deal necrotic damage to a creature that is within your Aura of Gloom, you may force that creature to make a Constitution Saving Throw. On a failed save, they take 3d8 necrotic damage and, for the next minute, they take 1d8 necrotic damage at the start of each of their turns. Additionally, they suffer a -1 penalty to all d20 tests during that minute. This effects can be applied to the same creature up to 3 times, icreasing by 1 both the damage dice and the penalty. At the end of their turn, a creature affected this may repeat the Constitution Saving Throw, removing all instances of this effect on a successful save. If the original save is successful, a creature only takes half of the 3d8 necrotic damage.

You can use this property a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

Umbral Shroud

At 20th level, you gain the ability to channel the raw power of the Shadowfell through your body. As a bonus action, you can become an avatar of darkness, adding the following effects to your Aura of Gloom for 10 minutes:

• Darkness envelops your weapons. You gain a bonus to all attack rolls equal to your Charisma modifier.
• The shadows embrace you and grant their protection, sharing part of your endurance with your allies. You, and any creature of your choice within 30ft of you, gain resistance to both necrotic and radiant damage.
• The Shadowfell answers with its presence. Once per turn, if you are in dim light or darkness, your shadow will manifest and attack any creature within your aura. The attack must be with any of the weapons you have and it uses your modifiers for the attack roll and the damage, as well as those of the weapon itself.

You can use this feature once every long rest, unless you spend a 5th level spell slot to activate it again.