Oath Of the Raven Queen

Oath of the Raven Queen

 

The Oath of the Raven Queen binds a paladin to serve the enigmatic goddess of fate, death, and memory. These devoted warriors act as her mortal agents, ensuring the delicate balance between life and death remains unbroken. They despise those who seek to escape their fates, defy the natural cycle, or twist the power of death for selfish purposes. Undead, necromancers, and other aberrations of the soul are their sworn enemies, and they wield the Raven Queen’s power to bring such blasphemies to an end.

 

Paladins of this oath are inseparably tied to their raven familiars, who serve as both companions and spiritual guides. Through this bond, they act as the goddess’s eyes and voice in the world, uncovering hidden truths and delivering swift justice to those who would threaten her dominion.

 

These paladins are not merciless zealots, however. They understand that death is a part of life’s journey and revere the importance of memory and the legacy left behind. The Oath of the Raven Queen calls its followers to be protectors of souls and enforcers of fate, ensuring the deceased find their rightful place in the Raven Queen’s eternal court and that the living are reminded of the power of destiny. In battle, they strike with necrotic power, their weapons guided by shadowy wings, and their presence a chilling reminder that even gods cannot defy the cycle of life and death.

 

Swearing this oath is a solemn vow to become both sword and shield for the Raven Queen’s will, balancing mercy and judgment in service to the ultimate truth of existence.

 

Tenets of the Raven Queen

 

Paladins who swear the Oath of the Raven Queen follow these solemn tenets:

 

Preserve the Cycle: Death is a natural part of existence, and no one should escape it unnaturally. Protect the balance of life and death from those who seek to disrupt it.

 

Guard the Lost: Souls are sacred and must be guided to their destined rest. Protect them from corruption, enslavement, or theft.

 

Strike the Defilers: Undead, necromancers, and others who manipulate death for selfish purposes are abominations that must be destroyed.

 

Honor Memory: Life is fleeting, but the memories left behind endure. Safeguard the legacies of the departed and ensure they are not tarnished or forgotten.

 

Accept Fate: The path of destiny is immutable. Trust in the Raven Queen’s will, even when it is difficult, and help others accept their fates as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Summon Raven

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to summon a raven familiar bound to the Raven Queen’s will. As an action, you can summon a raven within 30 feet of you. The raven has an hp of 5 + your paladin level * 2.  This raven is not just an ordinary bird, but a magical creature infused with the Raven Queen’s influence, serving as a loyal companion. The raven is friendly to you and your allies, and it will follow your commands without question. It acts on your initiative and has its own turn during combat, moving independently and performing actions as directed by you.

 

The raven remains summoned until you choose to unsummon it as an action or until it is reduced to 0 hit points. While summoned, the raven serves as both a scout and a conduit for the Raven Queen’s power. It can fly at high speeds, providing you with an extended range of vision and helping you in navigating difficult terrain or spotting hidden enemies. The raven also acts as an agent of the Raven Queen, aiding you in your connection to the divine and offering you insight into matters of death and fate.

 

The raven shares a mystical bond with you, and its presence is a reflection of the Raven Queen’s watchful eyes. If you die or become incapacitated, the raven is immediately dismissed, its power fading as you fall from the world of the living. The raven cannot be summoned if it has already been dismissed or destroyed, but you can resummon it after completing a long rest.

 

 

Channel Divinity: Raven's Embrace

As an action, you can invoke the Raven Queen’s power to protect and empower a creature marked by her influence. Choose one creature within 30 feet that your raven familiar can see. That creature is marked by the Raven Queen's shadowy presence for 1 minute, gaining temporary hit points equal to your Paladin level + your Charisma modifier.

 

While under this effect, whenever the marked creature hits a target with a melee attack, the target suffers necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier. The Raven Queen’s dark influence intensifies their strikes, weakening their foes as her raven’s ominous presence lingers.

 

Once you use this Channel Divinity, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

 

Necrotic Smite

Starting at 3rd level, you can channel the Raven Queen’s dark power to enhance your divine smite. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to expend a spell slot to deal necrotic damage instead of radiant damage. The necrotic damage dealt is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, and increases by 1d8 for each higher-level spell slot you expend.

 

The energy you call forth is not merely destructive—it weakens the target, leaving a lingering influence of the Raven Queen’s power. The target feels the chill of death’s embrace, its vitality drained by the smite. This effect does not bypass any resistances to radiant damage, but it carries the Raven Queen’s chilling touch, leaving the target weakened.

 

 

Binding Vow – Gaze of the Raven

At 7th level, you and your raven familiar become living embodiments of the Raven Queen's vigilant and protective power, radiating an aura of shadowy influence known as the Gaze of the Raven. This aura, a manifestation of her divine will, extends 10 feet from both you and your raven, growing stronger as your connection deepens and expanding to 30 feet at 18th level.

Within this aura, enemies find themselves overcome by an oppressive sense of foreboding, as though the Raven Queen’s eyes pierce through their every move. Their awareness dulls, their perceptions clouded, making it harder for them to detect their surroundings or anticipate danger. This supernatural interference imposes disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks, representing the disorienting and haunting presence of the Queen of Shadows.

At the same time, the Raven Queen’s favor protects those who fight alongside you. Allies within the aura are granted resistance to necrotic and radiant damage, ensuring their survival against both the forces of light and shadow. This protection is a testament to the Raven Queen’s understanding of balance—shielding her followers from the extremes of existence while ensuring they can stand resolute against powerful foes.

The Gaze of the Raven is more than just a battlefield boon; it is a symbol of your pact with the Raven Queen, a reminder of her ever-watchful gaze and her unyielding commitment to her ideals. Enemies crumble under her oppressive influence, while allies draw strength from her shadowy embrace, knowing that her power is with them. In her service, you and your raven stand as harbingers of her will, bringing both despair and protection in equal measure.

Queen's Curse

At 15th level, you gain the ability to invoke the Raven Queen’s terrifying curse upon your enemies when you strike them with the divine power of your smites. When you hit a creature with Divine Smite or Necrotic Smite, you can choose to curse that creature, marking it with the Raven Queen’s ominous influence. This curse represents the Raven Queen’s dominion over life and death, a constant reminder of her shadowy presence. The cursed creature suffers the following effects for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points.

The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened of you for the duration of the curse. While frightened, the creature has disadvantage on all attacks and ability checks. Additionally, the creature’s movement speed is reduced by 10 feet as the oppressive weight of the Raven Queen’s influence saps its strength.

While cursed, the creature also suffers a weakened resistance to the dark forces of necrotic energy. The creature has disadvantage on saving throws against necrotic damage and fear effects.

This curse lasts for 1 minute or until the cursed creature is reduced to 0 hit points, whichever comes first. If the creature dies while cursed, the curse immediately ends. However, you can only have one creature cursed at a time. If you choose to curse another creature while one is still under the Raven Queen’s mark, the previous curse ends immediately.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses after a long rest.

The Queen’s Curse represents the Raven Queen’s wrath, a relentless force that drags your enemies into the shadows of death. As her champion, you wield this curse to instill terror in your foes, weakening their resolve and making them more vulnerable to the darkness. Through this power, you ensure that those who defy the Raven Queen's will are left trembling in fear before their inevitable end.

Avatar of the Raven Queen

At 20th level, you and your raven familiar become a true manifestation of the Raven Queen’s divine power. For 1 minute, you embody the dark majesty of her presence, gaining the following benefits:

Wings of the Harbinger: Spectral raven wings emerge from your back, granting you the ability to fly with a speed of 60 feet. These wings not only allow for swift movement through the air, but also symbolize your connection to the Raven Queen, bringing the weight of her power wherever you go.

Dual Strike: As you strike down your enemies, your raven familiar follows suit, attacking the same target with its own deadly precision. Each time you make an attack, the raven deals 2d8 necrotic damage to the creature you target, adding another layer of death’s influence to your assault.

Fate’s Sentinel: Your raven becomes more than just a companion— it becomes your sentinel in the field. It can fly up to 120 feet per round, ignoring opportunity attacks, and provides you with vision anywhere it can see, allowing you to peer into the battlefield as if the Raven Queen herself were watching over you.

Aura of the Raven Queen: You emanate an aura with a 30-foot radius, invoking the chilling presence of the Raven Queen. Hostile creatures within this aura have disadvantage on saving throws against fear effects, succumbing to the oppressive weight of her dominion. Additionally, creatures within the aura gain vulnerability to necrotic damage, further weakening their resistance to death. However, you and your allies within the aura are protected by the Raven Queen’s influence, gaining resistance to necrotic damage, as the Queen shields her followers from the darkness they wield.

Once you invoke this power, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest, as the Raven Queen’s full might is not to be used lightly.

This transformation makes you and your raven familiar an unstoppable force, embodying the cold grasp of death and the relentless advance of the Raven Queen’s will.

Oath Spells

Oath Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	Find Familiar, Hex
5th	Mirror Image, Silence
9th	Counterspell, Spirit Guardians
13th	Locate Creature, Death Ward
17th	Scrying, Commune