Oath of the Black Feather

Paladins who swear this oath serve the Raven Queen, goddess of death and guardian of the cycle of life and death. They are entrusted with a fragment of her divine power and charged with carrying out her will. Known as her Feathers, these devoted warriors protect the living, honor the dead, and hunt those who would defy the natural order.

The Raven Queen is known as the goddess of death, but death itself is not her true domain. She guards the balance between life and death, ensuring that neither is unnaturally denied or allowed to consume the other. She despises those who seek to escape death, those who disrupt the natural passage of life, and those who show disrespect to the departed.

Among those who worship and serve the Raven Queen are a select order known as her Feathers. Though many may devote themselves to the goddess, few are chosen to bear her power. Becoming a Feather is a privilege earned through devotion, trials, and a willingness to accept the responsibilities that come with serving the goddess of death.

Tenets of the Feathers

The tenets of the Feathers are simple, but following them is not.

Preserve the Balance. Respect and preserve the balance between life and death. Neither should be unnaturally denied or allowed to overwhelm the other.

Honor the Cycle. Do not interfere with the natural process of life and death. Accept death when its time has come, and do not deny the living their rightful lives.

Honor the Departed. Honor the dead and respect the living. Protect the remains of the departed and ensure that those who have passed are not treated as objects or forgotten.

Cast Down the Undying. Cast down creatures that defy the natural order and those who seek immortality through unnatural means. The dead should rest, and those who have already passed beyond death should not be forced back into the world.

Oath Spells

Starting at 3rd Level, You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of the Black Feather Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	bane, inflict wounds
5th	ray of enfeeblement, silence
9th	spirit guardians, speak with dead
13th	death ward, blight
17th	raise dead, hold monster

Level 3: Channel Divinity

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

• Carrion Judgement.  As an Action, you can invoke your Channel Divinity to conjure a fragment of the Raven Queen's talons and lash out at a creature you can see within 60 feet of yourself. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 + half your paladin level + your Charisma modifier Force damage. The target must then succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Frightened condition for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While Frightened in this way, the target's Speed is 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to its Speed.

  On a successful save, the target's Speed is halved for 1 minute or until it takes any damage.

• Soul Cycle. As a Bonus Action or Reaction, you can expend your Channel Divinity to channel the continuous motion of the cycle of life and death. You gain Temporary Hit Points equal to your Paladin level + your Charisma modifier. While you have these Temporary Hit points, the first time you hit with an attack on each of your turns, the attack deals additional Force damage equal to twice your Charisma modifier. This effect ends when you lose your Temporary Hit Points.

Aura of Silent Passing

Starting at 7th level, While you are conscious, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to necrotic damage and can't have their hit point maximum reduced.

The Queen's Embrace

Starting at 15th level,  Your connection to the Raven Queen has deepened, granting you greater command over the forces of life and death. Your Carrion Judgment deals an additional 1d8 Force damage, increasing its damage to 2d8. Whenever you use Divine Smite, you can choose to deal Force damage instead of Radiant damage.

In addition, when you would be reduced to 0 Hit Points, you can choose to drop to 1 Hit Point instead and immediately regain Hit Points equal to your Paladin level + your Charisma modifier. Once you use this benefit, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

Avatar of the Carrion Queen

Starting at 20th level, As a Bonus Action, you can assume the form of an avatar of the Raven Queen for 1 minute. For the duration, you gain the following benefits:

• Raven's Wings. You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed.
• Guardian of the Cycle. When a friendly creature within 30 feet of you would be reduced to 0 Hit Points, you can use your Reaction to cause that creature to drop to 1 Hit Point instead. Once you use this benefit, you can't use it again until the transformation ends.
• Judgment of the Queen. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with Carrion Judgment, you can force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw against your Paladin spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes additional Force damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus and has the Frightened condition until the end of your next turn.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.