Oath of the Holy Mark

First set out in ancient times by Bahamut,  those of the oath were at first known as the dragonmarked. But, in the ages since, other deities have taken notice of the function of the order and made use of the holy mark. In the wild and lawless world of the early ages after the Dawn War, those of the oath were brilliant points of light who did daring deeds of heroism that drew together outcasts into one people. As the stigma against those who took the oath grew, however, so did the order: there were classic signs of candidates that were watched carefully for, and various and unlikely peoples joined the secretive ranks to be instructed and perform their holy work.

At present, the order recognizes two groups of novices: the Seekers, and the Chosen. The seekers are those who learned of the order, and, though unmarked, sought to take the oaths to join the order. The Seekers broadly fall into two categories: initiates, and the lay brethren. The initiates are those who have quickly proven themselves worthy, often times a Holy Mark appearing on them as they are granted admittance. The lay brethren are those on whom a mark very rarely or not at all manifests, who labor strong for the order; due to the now needed secrecy surrounding the oath, few of them ever learn the deeper secrets of the order. Then, there are the Chosen, those few who were marked even before they sought out the order. These are always brought in with joy, though much is expected of them- for very good reason.

You are a Chosen. Your mark may have appeared recently, or you might have carried it your whole life. But, regardless of how you came into the order, you are now expected to uphold its tenets faithfully.

TENETS OF THE HOLY MARK

Though the exact ligatures and symbolism of the Oath of the Holy Mark vary, paladins of this oath have shades of these tenets common among them.

Remembrance. Bear record to the truth, and to promises made. Keep in mind and heart the words of the deity I serve, for my life and body are a living testament to them.

Respect. All have been marked for a destiny no others can fulfill.

Revelation. Keep an open mind to look for my god's way, and do not hesitate to speak it when needed; I was not marked to stay silent or coddled by arrogance.

Reclaim. Strive tirelessly to take back the things and people that have been seized by the works of evil. My god has marked others for their glory in various ways other than those of the order, and I must not cease working to free them to do so.

Release. All things fade, and I must not cling to objects and memories that have fulfilled their purpose. The dead must be laid to rest along with undue sentiments.

 

The Holy Mark

A Holy Mark is a vivid tattoo, divinely animated, the can shift across its bearer's body. Though it is not anathema to those of the order, heavy armor and clothing does make using the mark more difficult, and as such those of the order typically do not wear even light armor. This has led to the long upstanding tradition of those of the oath being called reckless and foolish, but this is far from the truth, as the mark itself is a divine seal that offers its own protections. It also functions as its own holy symbol, being able to be used in place of one for Oath of the Holy Mark features and paladin spells as long as one remains in the order. However, take watch to not make use of the mark carelessly, for almost all paladins see its replacement of traditional holy symbols as heretical and impious. Further prayers learned as part of the order take the form of new Holy Marks, though others may appear spontaneously that act as omens and guides towards a holy deed that the bearer must perform

Divine Stamp

The holy marks stamped upon you simply cannot be used when covered up by heavy armor, but, they are a boon of protection in and of themselves. When you are unarmored and not carrying a shield, your Armor Class is equal to 13+your Charisma modifier.

Channel Divinity

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

Holy Mark. As an action, you can bring a holy mark of yours to life, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, it animates and springs to life around you, and you gain Charisma modifier temporary hit points at the start of your turns; while you have temporary hit points from this Channel Divinity, you also have resistance against non-magical Slashing, Bludgeoning, and Piercing damage. The holy mark also emits bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light 20 feet beyond that.

You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you fall unconscious, this effect ends.

Turn the Unholy. As an action, you present your holy mark and speak a prayer censuring fiends and undead, using your Channel Divinity. Each fiend or undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage.

A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.

Holy Marks

You gain holy marks from your oath at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of the Holy Mark Spells

Mark of Sanctuary

Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can’t be possessed while you are conscious.

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

Living Mark

Beginning at 15th level, you gain access to the find familiar spell and can cast it without expending a spell slot or the material components.

Illuminated Script

At 20th level, as an action, you can unleash your holy marks. For 1 minute, your holy marks spring to life around you in a 30-foot radius.

Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the aura, the creature the creature takes 10 radiant damage.

In addition, for the duration, when you're damaged by an attack you can expend a spell slot to reduce the damage by 1d8+your Charisma modifier, plus an additional 1d8 for each level of the spell slot expended, up to 5d8.

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