Oath of the Platinum Shield

The Oath of the Platinum Shield bind a Paladin to a greater goal. Sometimes called Platinum Knights, Divine Agents, Instruments of Justice, Peerless Shields, but no matter the name The Platinum Shield's are of a breed of divine warriors and disciples of the great dragon god, Bahamut. Those that have accepted Bahamut's gift thrive in battle, though they still use divine magics they gain many abilities suited to melee combat. Shields forgo most magics in favor of more physical based assaults on their enemies.

Tenets of Devotion

When Bahamut chooses one to become his disciple he lays forth a few tenets which he expects his Shields to follow:

Duty. Bahamut requires his chosen to fight evils in every way possible and accepts no excuses for failing to do so.

Honor. Treat others with fairness and let your honorable deeds be an example to them. Do as much good as possible while causing the least amount of harm possible to the innocents of the world.

Courage. Never fear to act, though caution is wise.

A Helpful Hand. Bahamut is very quick to defend the helpless and downtrodden of the universe. He expects his disciples to try to do the same.

The Black Queen: Bahamut will not tolerate his Shields to befriend or even converse with those that choose to ally themselves with the Black Queen, Tiamat. Should a Shield come in contact with a being that is allied with Tiamat, Bahamut commands their destruction. By any means necessary.

Channel Divinity: Resolve

Unlike other Paladin Archetypes, the Platinum Shield's Channel Divinity is always active and when you finish a long rest you choose which type of Resolve you want to have active for that day. The 2 Resolves granted to you are Righteous Resolve and Adamant Resolve.

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 Righteous Resolve

When an attack drops you to 0 Hit Points you may use your reaction, if you have one available for the turn in which the damage is dealt, to attempt to stave off death and continue fighting. You make a DC 10 Constitution Saving Throw. On success you immediately gain a number of Hit Point equal to your Constitution modifier instead of falling unconscious.

The DC for Righteous Resolve increases by 4 every time you succeed for the remainder of that day. The DC for Righteous Resolve resets after a long rest.

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Adamant Resolve

When you activate Adamant Resolve you receive a "Delayed Damage Pool" equal to your Paladin level x 2. When you would normally take damage, you may instead direct that damage to your delayed damage pool. You may split the amount of damage received between your current Hit Points and delayed damage pool however you please.

For example: If you were to receive 8 points of damage, you might direct 3 damage to the delayed damage pool and take the other 5 points of damage out of your current Hit Points.

Any damage that you are missing from your delayed damage pool maximum will be dealt in full to you at the end of  your next turn or after 6 seconds have passed outside of combat. When you receive healing you can choose whether to either heal your current Hit Points or heal the missing points that you have lost in your delayed damage pool.

Oath Spells

Shields are special, they do not gain additional spells. They focus on martial combat, thus they gain “Combat Superiority” (similar to the Battle Master specialization from the Fighter class).

Platinum Shields get access to special "Tactics" listed later that rely on the use of "Superiority Dice". Platinum Shields start with 3 Tactics and gain additional uses as they level.

Combat Superiority

When you choose this archetype at level 3, you gain access to Tactics that are fueled by special dice called Superiority Dice.

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 Superiority Dice

You have three superiority dice, which are d8s. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.

You gain another Superiority Dice at level 7, and one more at level 14..

Improved Combat Superiority. At level 10, your Superiority Dice are d10's. At level 18, they are d12's.

Tactics

You learn three Tactics of your choice from the Platinum Shield list, which are detailed below. Many Tactics enhance an attack in some way.

You can use only one Tactic per attack. You learn two additional Tactics of your choice at level 7. You learn 1 additional Tactics of your choice at levels 15 and 20.  Each time you learn new Tactics, you can also replace one Tactic you know with a different one. Tactics are listed later down the page.

Saving Throws. Some of your Tactics require your target to make a saving throw to resist the Tactics effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Tactics Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

Comrade's Shield

When another creature damages an ally within 10 feet of you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend 1 Superiority Dice. Roll your Superiority Dice and add your Constitution Modifier, you reduce the damage the ally would suffer by this amount. The damage you reduced is then dealt directly to you instead.

Disarming Attack

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one Superiority Dice to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it’s holding. You add the Superiority Dice to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Strength Saving Throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet.

Divine Surge

Your body spasms and burns with bright hot light as unfettered divine energy courses through it.

The divine energies spark off your weapon and courses into your foe, devastating your enemy but leaving you drained. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack you can expend any number of Superiority Dice, add these Superiority Dice to the damage roll.

Goading Attack

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one Superiority Dice to attempt to goad the target into attacking you. You add the Superiority Dice to the attack’s damage roll, and the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you until the end of your next turn.

Healer's Strike

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack you can use your use your bonus action and expend one Superiority Die to strike your foe with righteous fury. Roll the attacks damage as normal, adding your Superiority Dice to the damage. Then choose either yourself or a single ally that you can see within 10 feet of you. You heal either yourself or the ally for a number of Hit Points equal to half the damage done to the enemy, rounded down.

Lunging Attack

When you make a melee weapon attack on your turn, you can expend one Superiority Dice to increase your reach for that attack by 5 feet. If you hit, you add the Superiority Dice to the attack’s damage roll.

Platinum Tactics

On your turn, you can use your bonus action and expend 2 Superiority Dice to bolster the resolve of one of your allies. Several things happen, they happen in this order:

1. Choose 1 ally.

2. The ally gains your Superiority Dice as an Inspiration Dice.

3. The allies Initiative count immediately equals your Initiative count. The ally then acts on their new Initiative count as normal. If they have already had a turn in the current round, they can take a new turn after your turn has resolved. *If this Tactic would not change your allies initiative count, then it has no effect on them.

Rallying Light

On your turn, as a bonus action you can unleash the light of Bahamut from your weapon into the air. You roll 1 Superiority Dice. The energy sweeps over all your allies within a 30 foot radius of you, rallying them to your cause. Any ally that is frightened or charmed gets the result of your Superiority Dice as a bonus on their next saving throw against these effects.

Righteous Counterstrike

After taking damage, you may expend 1 Superiority Dice and make an immediate counter attack against any target within your melee range, using your reaction for the round. You gain a bonus on your attack equal to half your Paladin Level rounding down (minimum +1). Add the Superiority Dice to your damage roll.

Sweeping Attack

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one Superiority Dice to attempt to damage another creature with the same attack. Choose another creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes damage equal to the number you roll on your superiority die. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack.

Trip Attack

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one Superiority Dice to attempt to knock the target down. You add the Superiority Dice to the attack’s damage roll, and if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a Strength Saving Throw. On a failed save, you knock the target prone.

Hallowed Stance

Starting at 7th level you gain the ability to use a stance. Choose 2 Stances from the Hallowed Stances list below. Once you make your choice of stances you cannot change them. One additional Stance is learned at levels 14 and at level 18. Stance give you a range of beneficial effects and some even benefit allies as well, however they also each have their own set of drawbacks.

As a Bonus Action, you activate a stance until you drop to 0 Hit Points or choose to discontinue the stance by using your Bonus Action on any subsequent turn.

Bahamut's Commander

You exude confidence and your allies take notice. Your very presence bolsters their resolve on and off the battlefield.

On your turn you can choose to use your bonus action to shout a rallying cry to 1 ally and "mark" a single enemy, both must be within 30 feet of you. You point at an enemy and the ally you have chosen can move up to half their base speed towards the enemy. The next attack the chosen ally makes against the "marked" enemy has advantage. However, the next attack the "marked" enemy makes against you also has advantage.

Divine Cunning

Opportunity Attacks are provoked by any movement within 5 feet of you, this includes a creature simply moving into your threat range as well (However, you moving into a creatures threat range does not mean you get an Opportunity Attack). Preforming Opportunity Attacks by using Divine Cunning does not use your Reaction.

In addition, you gain a bonus to your attack and damage rolls equal to your Paladin Level divided by 2 (rounded down). However, after attacking an enemy in this way, until the start of your next turn any attacks made against you have advantage.

*The same creature cannot be the target of your Opportunity Attacks made using Divine Cunning more than once per round.

Dragons Glare

While in this stance, any opponent within 5 feet of you has disadvantage on attack rolls made against your allies. This penalty does not apply to attacks made against you. However, when you activate Dragons Glare your Movement Speed drops to 0. Enemies you threaten become aware of the consequences of this stance.

Dragon's Luck

While in this Stance and you roll damage for any ranged or melee attack and you roll the highest number on any of the dice, you add up the original total for all the dice you have rolled as normal. Then any of the dice that landed on their maximum you can reroll them and add the new numbers to your original total. You can only reroll the dice in this way once per attack. However, if you decide to reroll any dice then your next attack on any enemy had disadvantage.

Ex. You roll 2d6. One dice lands on 4 and the second lands on 6. Your total is 10. You then reroll the dice that landed on a 6 and it lands on 3. Your new damage total is now 13.

Inspiring Presence

While in this stance all allies within 60 feet of you gain advantage on saving throws made against being frightened or charmed. However, your Movement Speed is halved while in this stance.

Strength in Numbers

When attacking an enemy that is threatened by at least 2 of your allies that are within 5ft. you now score a critical hit on either a 19 or 20 when you roll an attack dice (if your critical threshold is already 19 or 20 it increases to 18, 19, and 20). However, when the enemy being surrounded decides to attack you it has advantage on all attacks made against you as long as this stance is active.

Devoted Recovery

Starting at level 15, as part of your Attack Action you may attempt to recover an expended Superiority Dice.

Roll a d100 (Percentile Dice), if the result is 50 or below, you recover 1 Superiority Dice.

Devoted Recovery can only be used twice per short rest if you are successful in restoring one Superiority Dice from using this ability.

Champion of Bahamut

At 20th level, you can focus the power of your devotion and harness a splinter of the power of the the Platinum Dragon himself. Using your action, you become the embodiment of divine justice. You gain the following benefits:

Wings. You sprout large leathery wings from your back. You choose the color of these wings. For the next hour you have a fly speed equal to your Strength Modifier x 10. You can carry up to up to twice your normal carry weight but your fly speed is cut in half.

Radiance. Any attacks made against you have disadvantage as you are bathed in the holy light of the platinum dragon, as such you radiate bright light out in a 30ft. radius. In addition, any evil aligned being that attempts to attack you immediately takes 2d8 radiant damage, it does not matter if their attack lands or misses. These effects last for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier divided by 2 (minimum of 1).

Justice Takes Many Forms. Any attack you land on a target is an automatic critical and does an extra 2d6 points of Radiant Damage or Fire Damage , your choice (this damage is not doubled). This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier divided by 2 (minimum of 1).

You must finish a long rest before you can activate Champion of Bahamut again.