Oath of the Bound Soul - Couatl

The Oath of the Bound Soul calls on a paladin to become the guardian and caretaker of a newborn celestial being (such as a couatl, ki-rin, or unicorn) in service to a deity. This entry deals specifically with paladins bound in such a way to a couatl. While occasionally the paladin will stay somewhere safe to raise their ward, it is surprisingly common for them to travel with the goal of teaching their charge about the world. Some paladins are thrust into the oath unexpectedly when coming across an orphaned creature or liberating a purloined egg. Others begin their training with full knowledge of their ultimate calling, some even carrying the egg of their eventual charge with them until it hatches and they take their oath.

TENETS OF THE SOULBOUND

A paladin of the bound soul has a single all-important, overriding aim: to protect and guide the young creature which is bound to them. They are charged by a deity to value the life of their ward above all else. The tenets of these paladins are all focused to this goal.

Protect. The life of my charge is my life. I will guard my ward as I guard myself, knowing that we are one. Together, we will safeguard all that is good and worthy.

Guide. My charge is young, and though they instinctively understand the struggle between evil and good, it is my duty to show them the world, that they might gain perspective and full comprehension. As I guide my ward, I will strive also to guide those around me by my actions. If I cannot speak truth, I will speak not at all. I will not sully my charge's will and purpose with misdirection and deception.

Nurture. All things must be young once, and young things require care and kindness. I will curb sharp words and avoid frustration with my ward, and with all who are in need of my patience and forbearance.

 

Soul Bond

At 3rd level, you are supernaturally bonded to your charge. This bond is made manifest in a number of ways. You acquire patches of iridescent deep blue or green scales on your skin, your hair takes on a supernatural luster, and your nails become slightly pearlescent. You also gain the ability to speak and read celestial.

The paladin and their charge are considered to inhabit the same space. Any attacks targeting the couatl instead target the paladin and they share health. Area of effect attacks do not target the couatl, and the paladin does not take double damage from them. As a side effect of the soul bond, the couatl's home plane is effectively the paladin, and if banished the couatl simply returns to their side. If forcibly separated, the couatl can draw on this bond to return as well, at the cost of the paladin's action and the expenditure of either a single spell slot or the paladin's channel divinity.

The paladin and their ward may communicate telepathically as long as they are within 60 ft. of one another. The couatl is incapable of taking any attacks or actions of its own and possesses no native skills or spells, all of its spiritual essence instead diverted to empowering its caretaker. It cannot attack and its movement speed is equal to the paladin's while they occupy the same space. When separated the couatl has a fly speed of 30 ft. and a ground speed of 15 ft.

When the paladin is incapacitated or dies the couatl becomes lethargic, curling up with the body of its guardian, as as long as the pair are in physical contact the paladin is protected from undeath as in the spell gentle repose. If the paladin is not revived within ten days of death, or another guardian found to bind itself to, the couatl dies as well. 

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

Warding Presence. As an action, you can cause an area of purity to extend out 5 ft. around you for one minute. All creatures of your choice within this 5 ft. area when it is created, or which enter the area during the one minute duration fall under a protective warding which behaves identically to the spell protection from evil and good. If the creature leaves this radius, it loses the effect.

Sunset Wings. As an action, you sprout an ethereal pair of wings with feathers in vibrant shades of white, yellow, orange, red, and violet for one minute. The wings cannot be damaged, and while they are manifest, the paladin gains a fly speed of 60 ft. This effect ends if the paladin uses an action to dismiss the wings or is incapacitated. If the effect ends while the paladin is in the air, they fall.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of the Bound Soul (Couatl) Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	sanctuary, shield
5th	calm emotions, detect thoughts
9th	beacon of hope, spirit guardians
13th	guardian of faith, polymorph
17th	dream, greater restoration

Aura of Recovery

Beginning at 7th level, a strong aura of restorative energy emanates from you. You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you cannot be poisoned and have advantage on any saving throws to end the effect of any conditions effecting them. This aura does not provide advantage on the initial save to prevent the condition, and if the ability used does not allow additional saves, this ability has no effect.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Supernatural Resistance

At 15th level, the paladin gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons.

Celestial Aspect

At 20th level, your body takes on various traits of your ward. The scales on your skin spread, feathers sprout in your hair, and your eyes transform to match those of the couatl.

Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain truesight out to a range of 120 ft.
• Any detrimental conditions effecting you are suppressed for the duration of your transformation. When the transformation ends, the conditions resume as if no time has passed.
• Your allies have advantage on death saving throws while within 30 feet of you.

• If a hostile creature starts its turn within 30 feet of the paladin and the two of them can see each other, the paladin can force the creature to make a Charisma saving throw of the paladin's spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes psychic damage equal to 1d8 plus the paladin's charisma modifier. A creature that isn't surprised can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If it does so, it can't see the paladin until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If it looks at the paladin in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.

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