Oath of Putrefaction

The Oath of Putrefaction enhances ones combat prowess with necromancy to create a master of death. When one swears by this oath, they slowly begin to decay and rot, both in mind and soul. Such is the cost in wielding forbidden knowledge. Paladin's of this oath are usually of a selfish and evil nature; seeking power for powers sake. They revel in the idea of being feared. But some maybe have more of a neutral stance. These few tend to be more nihilistic and simply refuse to worship uptight, righteous gods but instead choose to worship death itself. Death after all is a natural part of life.

TENETS OF PUTREFACTION

The tenets surrounding the Oath of Putrefaction are nihilistic. They come from the idea that the only meaning to life is death.

All That Lives, Dies. All beginnings must come to an end. 

All Life Is Equal. No life is worth more than another. 

Remorse Is For The Dead. Do not weep for the dead for the dead will never weep. 

Reclamation. The elements will reclaim what was taken.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	false life, inflict wounds
5th	darkness, gentle repose
9th	animate dead, speak with dead
13th	blight, phantasmal killer
17th	antilife shell, reincarnate

Rotting Smite

Also, at 3rd level, You replace the radiant damage done by your Divine Smite and Improved Divine Smite with necrotic damage. Also, You deal your extra 1d8 damage to celestials instead of undead.

Channel Divinity

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

Mark of Decay. As a bonus action, you can imbue one weapon that you are holding with unholy energy, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, the target must make a Constitution saving throw or suffer from Decay. Decay is a status effect which rapidly rots living flesh. At the beginning of each of the affected creatures turn, they take 1d6 necrotic damage, scaling up in Hit Die (1d8, 1d10, and 1d12) on subsequent turns. The affected creatures hit point maximum is also reduced by the same amount.

The effect ends after 1 minute or by the effects of the Greater Restoration spell. This has no effect on undead or constructs. 

Undead Shroud. As an action, you walk freely among the dead, mystically shrouding your presence with necromanic energy. You appear as one of the undead and so they will not bother you. Every undead with 60 feet must make a WIS saving throw or see you as friendly for 1 hour. If you do harm to any affected creature, the effect ends. Undead with 10 or higher Intelligence are unaffected.

Aura of Sloth

Starting at 7th level, death and decay begin to radiate around you, causing those around you to suffer and slow. Any creature of your choosing within 10 feet of you has their movement speed halved. Creatures affected by Decay also can no longer take reactions.

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

Gluttony

Starting at 15th level, your deep connection with life and dead allows to steal the last remaining life out the creatures you infect. When a creature affected by Decay dies, you regain hit points equal to the current level of the Decay damage die affecting the creature, plus your Constitution modifier (minimum of +1). For example: If a creature has just taken 1d8 damage for that turn from Decay, and you have a Constitution modifier of +3, you heal for 1d8+3.

Septic Flesh

At 20th level, you can transform you body into a rotting and festering corpse bolstering your fortitude. Your skin turns grey and begins to flake off and rot as you begin to walk the line between life and undead. As an action, you can undergo this transformation and gain the following benefits: 

• Your Decay damage die double and also deals bonus damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, necrotic and radiant damage.
• You gain a unique version of Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + half the damage, unless the damage is from a critical hit. On a success, you drop to 1 hit point instead.

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