Base Class: Paladin
The Oath of Decay binds paladins to the service of dark gods tied to death, destruction, and plague. When an epidemic ravages cities, when locusts strip the land bare, or when flames consume priceless works of beauty, the mocking laughter of the Putrid Knights carries on the wind.
These paladins revel in ruin. They seek to spread plague, famine, and death, delighting in the corruption of all that is good and beautiful. To them, decay is not an end, but a crucible—only the strong survive, and the rest are but offerings to their dread patrons.
These paladins share the following tenets:
Spread Pestilence. Sickness is a gift to be shared with all.
Feed the Famine. Starvation purges the weak and exalts the strong.
Exalt Decay. All beauty withers; hasten its fall.
Level 3: Oath of Decay Spells
The magic of your oath ensures you always have certain spells ready; when you reach a Paladin level specified in the Oath of Devotion Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | False Life, Ray of Sickness |
| 5 | Hold Person, Ray of Enfeeblement |
| 9 | Bestow Curse, Stinking Cloud |
| 13 | Blight, Vitriolic Sphere |
| 17 | Contagion, Insect Plague |
Level 3: Unnatural Vigor
As a Bonus Action, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity to flood your body with unnatural vitality. For 1 minute, or until you use this feature again, you gain 1d6 Temporary Hit Points at the start of each of your turns.
Level 3: Unsettling Vitality
Your Hit Point maximum increases by 3, and it increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.
Level 7: Aura of Pestilence
At the start of each of your turns, you can choose a number of creatures equal to your Charisma Modifier (minimum of one) within the range of your Aura of Protection. Each target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take 1d6 Acid, Poison, or Necrotic damage (your choice) and become Poisoned until the start of your next turn.
Level 15: Improved Unnatural Vigor
When you roll the Temporary Hit Points granted by your Unnatural Vigor feature, add your Charisma modifier to the roll.
Level 20: Harbinger of Decay
As a Bonus Action, you can invoke your role as a herald of rot, gaining the following benefits for 10 minutes or until you end them (no action required). Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest, unless you expend a 5th-level spell slot (no action required) to use it again.
Nimbus of Devastation. Creatures have Disadvantage on saving throws against your Aura of Pestilence feature.
Viral Immunity. You gain immunity to Acid, Poison, and Necrotic damage.
Unnatural Vigor Mastery. When you gain temporary hit points from your Unnatural Vigor feature, you don’t roll the die; you gain the maximum possible amount instead.
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