Sacred Oath
Paladins gain the Sacred Oath feature at 3rd level, and the Oath of Anarchy is a new option they can choose.
Oath of Anarchy
Traditionally sworn to oneself, a druid, or only the wilderness itself, the Oath of Anarchy binds a paladin to protecting freedom and nature against tyranny and control. These paladins believe in the freedom of chaos; rules and authority are dangerous things, nothing more than the chains that separate people from each other and bind them down against their own desires. People are best off trusted to make their own decisions and learn to peacefully coexist in freedom.
In addition to promoting the freedom of individuals, bearers of this oath also encourage the chaos of the natural world. They dislike conquest of the wilderness, preferring that people live with nature, not against it. In the eyes of many of these paladins, the world was as it was meant to be when it was first made, without the changes wrought by mortal hands. Called Fantra, after the Sylvan word for guardian, these paladins are keepers of chaos and defenders of disorder, sworn to uphold their values even to bloodshed.
Tenets of Anarchy
As advocates against formal rules, there are no uniform tenets for the paladins of Anarchy. Nevertheless, their commitment to chaos can be summarized roughly as follows.
Anarchy. The rigidity of institutions ought be rejected wherever possible. Authority is an agent of separation and oppression, and power is best left in the hands of people.
Relativism. Good and evil are sophistries and opinions, and the only true measure of right is peaceful, free coexistence. People should determine on their own and amongst each other how they ought to conduct themselves, not lawmakers, kings, or judges.
Earth. The natural world is the ultimate symbol of freedom and coexistence, and it must be protected against those agents of law which would abuse and destroy it.
Autonomy. Use your own judgment and encourage others to use theirs. Commit acts that fulfill your oath and acts that please you. Feel no duty to that which accomplishes neither.
Equity. Respect the autonomy and desires of others, their personal chaos. Acknowledge the inherent worth of each mortal and their freedoms. Hierarchy is always the path to tyranny; equity will always restore freedom.
Chaos Versus Law
Inspired by the Fantra class introduced in Dragon #106, the Oath of Anarchy is sworn by paladins dedicated to struggling in behalf of chaos against law. Such paladins may thus be disinterested with the conflicts of good and evil and even disregard them. This is reflected in the original features of the Fantra class, which included detection of and bonus damage against lawful creatures.
For players and DMs interested in similar and other mechanics to further the theme of this Sacred Oath, the following optional features can be included as part of the Oath of Anarchy when it's taken or as part of the paladin's progression starting from 1st level:
Dances With Wolves
When you cast the find familiar or find steed spells, you can choose for the summoned creature to be a beast instead of a celestial, fey, or fiend.
Detect Law
When you use your Divine Sense, you detect the presence of constructs, fiends, and elementals instead of celestials, fiends, and undead.
Strike the Inflexible
The bite of your blows is focused not on the unholy, but on the obdurate. When you use your Divine Smite, you inflict an extra 1d8 radiant damage against constructs and elementals instead of fiends and undead.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of Anarchy Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | find familiar, hex |
| 5th | blur, spike growth |
| 9th | fly, speak with plants |
| 13th | conjure woodland beings, guardian of natureXGE |
| 17th | commune with nature, insect plague |
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Chaos Strike. You can use your Channel Divinity when you hit with a weapon attack to bless your strike with the powers of primordial chaos. The attack inflicts extra damage equal to 1d6 + half your paladin level. The number on the d6 determines the type of the extra damage. A target that takes the damage must make a Constitution saving throw or also experience an additional effect based on the damage type.
Damage Type of Chaos Strike
| d6 | Damage Type | Extra Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acid | The target takes acid damage equal to half your paladin level at the end of its next turn. |
| 2 | Cold | The target's speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn. |
| 3 | Fire | The target is blinded until the end of its next turn. |
| 4 | Lightning | The target is incapacitated until the end of its next turn. |
| 5 | Poison | The target is poisoned until the end of its next turn. |
| 6 | Thunder | The target is knocked prone and 15 feet directly away from you. |
Primeval Speech. By calling on the land's natural forces, you can commune with beasts using your Channel Divinity. As an action, you target a beast within 30 feet of you that you can see. For the next ten minutes, you can comprehend and verbally communicate with this beast. The knowledge and awareness of many beasts is limited by their intelligence, but at a minimum, beasts can give you information about nearby locations and monsters, including whatever they can perceive or have perceived within the past day.
Aura of Impunity
Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you are unaffected by magical and nonmagical difficult terrain while you are conscious.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Quickfooted
At 15th level, when you use your action to Dash or Disengage, you can make a single weapon attack as a bonus action.
Limitless Power
By 20th level, you can use your action to break free of all bonds and restrictions, adopting a mantle of sovereignty. For 1 minute, you gain a flying speed of 90 feet, experience the effects of the freedom of movement spell, and are immune to enchantment spells you do not choose to be affected by. You can also move through other creatures and objects, and you take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object. Additionally, you ignore a creature's resistance or immunity to any damage you inflict on it.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Credits
Created by BunnygeonMaster using GM Binder.
Beastwhisperer by Matt Stewart (©Wizards of the Coast)
A thank you to the Discord of Many Things for design help and feedback!