Oath of the Guiding Hand (2024)

The Guiding Hand offers both shelter and shackles. To swear this Oath is to believe that free will is a fragile gift — one you may reshape in the name of salvation or dominion. Paladins of this Oath believe they are shepherds of lost souls, but their mercy often wears the guise of coercion. Their hands might cradle a troubled mind or tighten into an iron fist, reshaping wills with whispered promises or unyielding force. To follow them is to thrive in their light; to defy them is to vanish into their shadow. These paladins walk a razor’s edge between redeemer and tyrant, their methods as honeyed or merciless as their cause demands.

To swear the Oath of the Guiding Hand is to embrace a power as perilous as it is profound: the ability to shape minds and bend wills. You are a weaver of thoughts, a sculptor of loyalties, and an arbiter of order in a world teetering on chaos. But beware — the line between salvation and subjugation is thin, and your hand may uplift or oppress with the same divine mandate.

You are a paradox. To your allies, you are a beacon of unity, mending broken spirits and turning foes into devotees with a word. To your enemies, you are a storm, crushing dissent beneath an iron will or entrancing them into servitude. The Guiding Hand does not ask permission — it offers a choice: be reshaped by its light or shattered by its grip.

Some call you a redeemer, using your gifts to heal hatred and coax lost souls toward virtue. Others call you a tyrant, for what is kindness when it is enforced? Even mercy wears a mask here. A whispered suggestion might spare a village from bloodshed… or condemn a king to madness. A touch of charm could forge unbreakable alliances… or bind slaves to your cause. The path you walk is yours to choose, but know this: every mind you sway, every will you bend, leaves an indelible mark — on them, and on you.

Will you wield your power to uplift the wayward, guiding them gently toward your vision of harmony? Or will you carve order from chaos, commanding obedience at any cost? The Guiding Hand shelters and shackles in equal measure. Its palm may cradle a troubled soul — or clench into a fist that breaks the unyielding.

Tenets of the Guiding Hand

The tenets of the Oath of the Guiding Hand vary by paladin, but all reflect its duality — a hand that heals or crushes. Noble adherents wield their power to extend an open palm, using persuasion and subtle influence to guide foes toward peace. They see themselves as redeemers, coaxing enemies to lay down arms through reason or offering second chances to those lost to darkness. Their touch is a lifeline, lifting allies and adversaries alike toward unity, even if they need to quietly reshape minds to avert violence.

But the same hand can clench into an iron fist. Paladins with malice in their hearts dominate rather than persuade, crushing dissent with terror. They mold wills like clay, binding followers to their cause with invisible chains of enchantment. To these tyrants, mercy is weakness; they see free will as a flaw to be erased, replacing it with unquestioning obedience.

Whether offering salvation or shackles, all who swear this Oath agree: the world will bend to their vision. The guiding hand shelters… or smothers, its velvet touch hides claws:

The Open Palm: Mend broken souls with wisdom, but let your grip harden against those who spurn redemption.

• Iron Beneath Velvet: Order is carved by force or forged by persuasion. Let your touch be solace or a vise.

• Clenched in Unity: Suffer no dissent. Crush rebellion or clasp allies to your cause—all must follow your vision.

• Fingers of the Chain: Bind others to your will, but let no weakness erode your own. A frayed chain is worthless.

Roleplaying the Oath

The following are the options for roleplaying your vow. Use them as you wish.

• To Allies: “My hand shelters you—but cross me, and you’ll learn how quickly it becomes a fist.”

• To Enemies: “Chaos is a disease. I am the cure… whether you consent or not.”

• On Power: “The Guiding Hand offers salvation or ruin. Choose wisely.”

Ways to Break the Oath

The following are the examples of how a paladin can break their Oath and lose powers.

1. Alignment based or Action based

• Good-aligned: Becoming a tyrant who enslaves minds without offering redemption, using powers solely for domination.

• Evil-aligned: Showing uncharacteristic mercy to enemies who threaten their vision of order, undermining their authority.

• Neutral: Refusing to act decisively, allowing chaos to flourish when they could impose structure.

2. Violating the Tenets

• The Open Palm: Repeatedly sparing irredeemable foes who cause further harm, or mercilessly destroying those who could have been saved.

• Iron Beneath Velvet: Overusing force when persuasion would suffice, or failing to act with strength when necessary.

• Clenched in Unity: Tolerating dissent that fractures their cause, or crushing allies so brutally that loyalty turns to fear and rebellion.

• Fingers of the Chain: Losing control over those they’ve bound (e.g., thralls breaking free), or succumbing to personal weakness (e.g., addiction, doubt).

3. Hypocrisy or Self-Betrayal

• Preaching unity while sowing discord for personal gain.

• Using powers to manipulate others for selfish reasons rather than stated vision of order.

• Failing to uphold their own standards (e.g., a "redeemer" who secretly enjoys tormenting foes).

Level 3: Channel Divinity Options

At 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity options:

Enthralling Presence
Your voice becomes a lodestone, your gaze a trapdoor — allies see a guiding light; foes feel claws closing around their minds.
As an action, choose amount of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) within 30 feet of you. Each target makes a Wisdom saving throw (DC based on your spell save). On a failure, it is Charmed by you for 1 minute or until you do anything harmful to it. Hostile creatures charmed this way use their turn to move up to their speed toward you. You gain advantage on attack rolls against them

Iron Edict
Your will becomes an anvil, crushing resistance into submission.
Target a creature within 60 feet. It makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is Frightened of you for 1 minute. While Frightened, it must follow your commands or take 2d10 psychic damage at the start of each turn. The target repeats the save at the end of each turn.

Level 3: Oath of the Guiding Hand Spells

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

Oath of Guiding Hand Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3	Charm Person, Sleep
5	Suggestion, Calm Emotions
9	Fear, Hypnotic Pattern
13	Charm Monster, Compulsion
17	Dominate Person, Modify Memory

Level 7: Aura of Subjugation

Your presence is a smith’s hammer, bending minds to your design. Allies find refuge in your shadow; enemies find their wills buckling.

Starting from 7th level you gain the following benefits:

• You and allies within 10 feet gain Advantage on Intimidation and Persuasion checks.

• Enemies within the aura have Disadvantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened.

At 18th level, the aura’s range increases to 30 feet.

Level 15: Unyielding Will

Your mind is an unbreakable fortress; others’ wills are clay to be shaped.

At 15th level you gain following abilities:

• Silver-Tongued Puppeteer: Targets of your spells or abilities won’t realize that you tried to influence them.

• Seared Souls: When a creature succeeds on a saving throw against your charm or fear effect, it takes psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

• Forged Loyalty: Effects you create to charm or frighten last 1 additional minute, and targets have disadvantage on subsequent saves to end them.

Level 20: Eclipse of Wills

At 20th level, you become the hand that eclipses free will. Your voice is law; your gaze, a prison.

As an action, you radiate absolute dominion for 1 minute:

• Aura of Obedience: Any hostile creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is Charmed and Frightened of you until the end of its next turn.

• Absolute Command: As a bonus action, force a Charmed or Frightened creature to move up to its speed, make one weapon attack, or drop an item it holds. Resisting creatures take 3d10 psychic damage.

• Unbreakable Grip: You gain Immunity to being Charmed and Resistance to Psychic Damage. Creatures have Disadvantage against your charisma-based skills and saving throws against being Charmed and Frightened by you.

Once used, you cannot use this feature again until you finish a Long Rest.