Oath Of Decay

Paladins who take the Oath of Decay, often called Plague Knights or Plague Bearers, devote themselves to bring disease and decay upon the world. They may act in the service of a powerful being or deity, or of their own twisted accord. Plague Knights are often seen as heralds of death, and many fear them and the virulent disease that follows in their wake.

Tenets of Decay

The tenets of the Oath of Decay are often perverted by those who take it, changing its meaning as they see fit. Perhaps once the oath was taken with good intention, but the oath has since been taken only by destroyers and bringers of death.

Contamination. Spread disease and decay wherever you go. Taint that which is untainted.

Survival of the Fittest. Only those of strong body and spirit can survive horrible disease. Respect those who survive against all odds.

Cull the Meek. Many must die for the strong to prosper. Those who cannot survive the plague must be left to their wretched fates or put to the sword.

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 Decay Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Oath of Decay Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3	Ray of Sickness, Bane
5	Blindness/Deafness, Ray of Enfeeblement
9	Stinking Cloud, Gaseous Form
13	Blight, Phantasmal Killer
17	Contagion, Cloudkill

Level 3: Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level you gain the following channel divinity options:

 

Plague Mark. As an action you may touch a creature, using your channel divinity to give it a plague mark. This mark appears as a hideous mark on the creature’s body and lasts for 1 hour. The mark cannot be removed by magical means. A marked creature is vulnerable to all damage you and your allies cause. As long as the creature remains marked and is within 60 feet of you, you may use your bonus action to force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes poisoned until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

Plague Ward. You can use your channel divinity to grant your allies a supernatural resistance to disease. As an action, you can present your holy symbol and choose one creature within 30 feet of you to receive a plague ward. The ward lasts for 1 minute and for the duration the warded creature becomes immune to disease if they aren’t already, gains advantage on any Constitution saving throws they make, and if they are reduced to 0 hit points while they are warded the ward disappears and they are instead reduced to 1 hit point.

Level 3: Living Plague

Your body carries the touch of corruption. You gain resistance to poison damage. Additionally, whenever a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the attacker takes poison damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

Level 7: Aura of Pestilence

Beginning at 7th level you are able to safeguard your allies from the horrors you inflict on your foes, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to poison damage and have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease.

 

At 18th level this aura increases to 30 feet.

Level 7: Plagueburst

When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you erupt in a violent burst of necrotic energy. Each creature of your choice within 10 feet must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Damage type increases by 2d6 when you reach 10th level (4d6 each), 15th level (6d6 each), and 20th level (8d6 each).

At 20th level, it will automatically trigger every time you drop to 0 HP while in Harbinger of Decay form without needing a long rest.

Level 15: Plaguebearer

Starting at 15th level you become one with the plague. Whenever you use your divine smite feature on an attack against a creature that creature must make a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until the end of your next turn.

 

Additionally you no longer need to eat, drink, or breathe. All food instantly spoils when you touch it and all clean water becomes foul.

Level 20: Harbinger of Decay

At 20th level you become an avatar of plague and rot. Using your action you can take a wretched form of pure pestilence, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:

 

You and allies within 30 feet of you are immune to poison and disease.

 

Whenever a hostile creature starts their turn within 30 feet of you they take 2d8 poison damage and must make a Constitution saving throw to avoid being poisoned until the start of their next turn.

 

Whenever a creature dies, you regain hp equal to 5 times the amount of poisoned or diseased creatures within 30 feet of you.

 

Whenever you cast a spell from your paladin that spell list and a creature fails the saving throw against it they are additionally inflicted with a random disease of the DM’s choice.

 

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.