Oath of Plagues

The Oath of Plague demands that a paladin spread pestilence and death. They seek out locations they deem worthy of purge, and wield powers of plague to destroy their foes. Many fear them as mass murderers and executioners. While the Oath of Vengeance calls paladins to counter outright dark acts, the Oath of Plague requires stamping out dark ideals and people. Paladins of this oath are not inherently evil, but most often devote themselves to gods of death, destruction, and disease, and see those gods' values as a measure of everyone else's. More often their Oath is sworn to Hastalyk, A Great Old One associated with Plague and pestilence.

Tenets of Plague

Though the exact words and strictures of the Oath of Plague vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets.
Mercilessness. When called to kill, kill. Let no relationships, biases, or bigotry stand in your way.
Discipline. Death on its own is pointless. Murder is a punishment, and must be used as part of a lesson.
Extremism. Always use the most potent form of action.
Punishment. The truly wicked must be purged. Let them suffer.

Level 3: Warding Plague

Your oath binds you to wield sacred disease not as punishment for the innocent, but as a divine scourge against corruption, undeath, and tyranny. You channel holy contagion that burns away evil like rot exposed to light.

Warding Plague
When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to mark them with a holy affliction. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be plagued by radiant sickness for 1 minute.

While plagued in this way:

• The creature takes 1d4 radiant damage at the start of each of its turns.

• It has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you (as divine sickness clouds its mind).

• If the creature is undead, fiendish, or has committed a grievous sin (at your DM’s discretion), the radiant damage increases to 1d6 and it cannot regain hit points for the duration.

The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

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

Level 3: Spread the Plague

Whenever a creature within 30 ft. of you has a condition that isn't the grappled condition, you can use your reaction to present your Holy Symbol and command the negativity to spread. Choose up to two other creatures within 30 ft. of you that aren't immune to the condition. They must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. A creature can choose to fail this saving throw if it wishes. On a failure, they are affected with the same condition, for the same duration, and with the same additional effects.

 

Level 3: Infection

As an action, you can spend use of your channel divinity and present your holy symbol and speak a prayer of ill omen. Choose 1 creature within 30 ft. of you. That creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, roll a d6. The creature suffers one of these effects for 1 minute:

d6	Result
1	The creature is blinded.
2	The creature is deafened, and has disadvantage on Wisdom checks while deafened in this way.
3	The creature is poisoned, and cannot regain hit points while poisoned in this way.
4	The creature is stunned.
5	The creature is poisoned, and takes 1d8 poison damage at the start of each of its turns while poisoned in this way.
6	The creature is Frightened of you. While frightened in this way, the creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the dodge action.

An affected creature can repeat the saving throws at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. This feature is not eligible for your Spread the Plague channel divinity.

Level 7: Aura of Pestilence

Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 ft. of you ignore condition immunities when affecting creatures with conditions, as long as those creatures are within the range of this aura. You are also resistant to poison and necrotic damage. If you were already resistant to either type, you become immune.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 ft., and friendly creatures now share your resistance to poison and necrotic damage, but can't be immune as a result of being resistant beforehand.

Level 15: Epidemic

Starting at 15th level, whenever you make a successful attack with Divine Smite (but not Improved Divine Smite's default damage), you can choose 1 creature within 60 ft. of you; that creature takes the radiant damage inflicted by Divine Smite as well. You can activate this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, regaining expended uses once you complete a long rest.

Plague Avatar

Starting at 20th level, you can assume the form of a nightmarish, insect-like creature, formed of pure illness and destruction. As a bonus action, you can transform into your Plague Avatar. For 1 hour, you gain the following benefits:

Flight. Insectoid wings sprout from your back, giving you a flying speed of 60 ft.

Raptorial Blades. Your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage on a hit.

 Seeping Sickness Aura. Every hostile creature that starts its turn while within 10 ft. of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or suffer the effects of your Infection channel divinity. If a create is already affected, it doesn't have to make this saving throw. Whenever the affliction ends, they must make it again, if they are still within 10 ft. of you.

Activate Plague Avatar

You gain the following benefits for 10 minutes.

Flight. Insectoid wings sprout from your back, giving you a flying speed of 60 ft.

Raptorial Blades. Your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage on a hit.

 Seeping Sickness Aura. Every hostile creature that starts its turn while within 10 ft. of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or suffer the effects of your Infection channel divinity. If a create is already affected, it doesn't have to make this saving throw. Whenever the affliction ends, they must make it again, if they are still within 10 ft. of you.

Plague Avatar

Starting at 20th level, you can assume the form of a nightmarish, insect-like creature, formed of pure illness and destruction. As a bonus action, you can transform into your Plague Avatar. For 1 hour, you gain the following benefits:

Flight. Insectoid wings sprout from your back, giving you a flying speed of 60 ft.

Raptorial Blades. Your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage on a hit.

 Seeping Sickness Aura. Every hostile creature that starts its turn while within 10 ft. of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or suffer the effects of your Infection channel divinity. If a create is already affected, it doesn't have to make this saving throw. Whenever the affliction ends, they must make it again, if they are still within 10 ft. of you.