Oath Breaker

By Halogen

A paladin is defined by one thing above all else: their committment to their oath. The oath is what binds a paladin to their holy cause granting them their righteous power and driving them towards their ultimate goal.

However, paladins are, among many other things, fallible. They are subject to the same avarice, trappings, and temptations as any other person. And that can mean that a paladin may be drawn off of the path of righteousness, straying towards the darkness. In the event that a paladin abandons their oath and chooses to violate its principles, a DM can decide that they must become an Oath Breaker, a corrupt perversion of their formal self.

There is an "Oathbreaker" option presented on page 97 in the Dungeon Master's Guide, from which several features presented herein are inspired. However, this particular oathbreaker falls short in conveying the complexity of a character's descent into darkness; its features assume that the oathbreaker PC is in league with undead and fiends, and has some degree of control over them, all while maintaining iconic paladin class features such as Aura of Protection, and Lay on Hands.

This set of new oath breaker options seeks to holistically adjust the paladin chassis to truly reflect their newfound iniquity. Each paladin class feature has been changed, and the DM, player, or both, can choose one of the five options presented depending on the paladin's most driving emotion in their fall; Apathy, Cruelty, Desire, Despair, or Pride.

Whichever of these are selected, replace the paladins Sacred Oath subclass features, and represent the oath breaker drawing upon a newfound dark power that fuels their growth in the oath breaker class.

Seeking Atonement

While the fantasy cosmology of Dungeons & Dragons prescribes an innate sense of good and evil, redemption is still something that is possible for an oath breaker to seek. It is the purview of the DM to determine how an oath breaker might go about atoning for their transgression, and what consequences may lie in store for a given player character. This should depend on the disposition of the character, the society in which they live, and the circumstances under which they broke their oath, as well as what crimes they may have committed since then.

An oath breaker who wishes to atone for their sins and abandon the path they've taken will not have an easy time of it, and it will grow more difficult the more levels of this class that they have. However, should they prove that they have truly earned back the trust that they had lost, then a DM could decide that they may become a paladin once more, or if not a paladin, a fighter of equivalent level.

Spell Slots

The Oath breaker table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your oath breaker spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell bane and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast bane using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

When you break your Sacred Oath and begin your downfall, you must select a number of spells depending on the Spells Known column of the Oath Breaker table that you have prepared to become the spells you know.

You must select spells that are on the oath breaker spell list. If necessary, you may select additional spells that you did not have prepared in order to make up your Spells Known.

The Spells Known column of the Oath Breaker table shows when you learn more oath breaker spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the oath breaker spells you know and replace it with another spell from the oath breaker spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your oath breaker spells, since your magical ability is derived from the the magnitude of your avarice. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability.

In addition, any time one of your Oath Breaker or Downfall features calls for a saving throw, when you cast an oath breaker spell, or you make a spell attack roll, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC.

Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Charisma modifier

Spellcasting Focus

When you become an oath breaker, you can perform a foul ritual in order to desecrate your holy symbol and use it as a spellcasting focus for your oath breaker spells. Such a ritual may constitute dedicating it to a dark idol, or soaking it in the blood of a former ally.

Downfall

3rd level is the first point where it is actually possible to become an oath breaker - this is where you have definitively violated your sacred oath, and some cardinal sin has become your downfall. When you begin this journey, all of your paladin features are replaced with oath breaker features, and moving forward you can gain levels in the oath breaker class.

Your downfall is determined by the nature of your violation of your oath, and the driving emotion that caused you to make that choice. You and your DM choose between one of 5 options: Apathy, Cruelty, Desire, Despair, or Pride.

Your downfall grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

Downfall Spells

You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Downfall Spells table. The spell counts as a oath breaker spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of oath breaker spells you know.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Betrayer's Conviction

Starting at 6th level, you must hold fast to your choices, and let them grant you strength, lest you even further lose your way. You gain a bonus to weapon damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum bonus of +1).

Downfall by Apathy

When a paladin loses faith in their holy cause, they can also lose the motivation entirely to continue on in their adventure. The stress of travel, living in squalor, and being forced to rely on other adventurers for support can all contribute to this tedium. When a paladin no longer has the will to persist in their sacred oath, they atrophy into Apathy.

These oath breakers seek to avoid having to expend too much energy to overcome problems, and would rather everyone use as little effort as they do. Such an oath breaker might also prefer to avoid encounters with stronger opponents, if they believe that a more direct encounter would require too much investment on their part.

Fatal Flaw

Upon falling to cruelty, you gain the following flaw:

Vindictive. I never look past any slight passed against me. Anyone in my way, ought to be crushed, and made to suffer.

Downfall Spells

You gain a downfall spell at the oath breaker levels listed.

Bloodlust

Starting at 3rd level, when you score a critical hit or reduce a creature to 0 hit points, each creature within 30 feet of it that can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

As a bonus action on your turn, you can move up to your speed towards a creature that is frightened of you and make a single weapon attack against it.

Brutality

Starting at 7th level, you constantly exude a bloodcurdling presence in battle. While you are conscious, a creature within 10 feet of you has disadvantage on saving throws made to avoid being frightened by you.

Additionally, when a creature in this aura targets you with an attack of opportunity against you, it must first succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or lose the attack.

Prey

Starting at 10th level, you are able to inflict a sinful curse on those you wish to corrupt. You may direct your ire at a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you, and utter a baleful word in order to curse it. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or be cursed for 1 minute.

While cursed, the target is marked for suffering and death. You have advantage on attack rolls against the cursed target, and it has disadvantage on any Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to avoid your sight. Additionally, whenever you score a critical hit against a cursed target, you roll the attack's damage dice three times, rather than twice.

Once you use this feature, you can not do so again until you complete a long rest.

---

Savage Grip

Starting at 15th level, weak creatures pose no threat to you. When you deal damage to a creature that reduces it to a number of hit points less than your oath breaker level, you can use your bonus action to perform one of the following:

Torment's Shackles. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become paralyzed for 1 hour.

Vicious Execution. The creature is instantly reduced to 0 hit points and killed. A creature killed in this way can not benefit from the revivify or raise dead spells, due to the toll of the execution on its body.

---

Sepulcher

At 20th level, you can use an action to surround yourself with an aura of gloom that lasts for 1 minute.

The aura reduces any bright light in a 30-foot radius around you to dim light. Whenever a creature that is frightened you starts its turn in the aura, it takes 4d10 psychic damage. Additionally, your aura surrounds you in a wicked shadow, causing creatures that rely on sight to have disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

Once you use this feature, you can not do so again until you complete a long rest.

Fatal Flaw

Upon falling to this desire, you gain the following flaw:

Greed. Any time I do something for someone, I expect payment in return. I will do anything in order to accumulate greater power and treasure.

Downfall Spells

You gain a downfall spell at the oath breaker levels listed.

Clutch of Graz'zt

Starting at 3rd level, whenever a creature you can see within 10 feet of you casts, or is targeted with, a spell or magical effect that would benefit it, you can use your reaction to snatch that effect for yourself. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw, or have the spell or effect be cast on you instead. When you snatch a spell or effect in this way that requires concentration, you must yourself concentrate on it in order to maintain the effect for its full duration.

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

Envy

Starting at 7th level, whenever a humanoid within 30 feet of you is charmed by you, you can use a bonus action to drain it of some of its life force. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or suffer an amount of psychic damage equal to your oath breaker level, causing you to regain that same number of hit points.

Craving

Starting at 10th level, you are able to inflict a sinful curse on those you wish to corrupt. You may direct your ire at a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you, and utter a baleful word in order to curse it. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or be cursed for 1 minute.

While cursed, the target believes that every creature it can see is intent on stealing all of its belongings, and has disadvantage on any Wisdom (Insight) checks it makes for the duration.

Additionally, if the cursed creature can see any valuable objects that are not being carried or worn at the beginning of its turn, such as loose gold, magic tomes, or gem-encrusted blades, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it must spend all of its movement on that turn to take the safest path to the nearest such object.

Once you use this feature, you can not do so again until you complete a long rest.

Miser

Starting at 15th level, you have an innate magical ability and calling to acquire treasure and grow your wealth. When you cast a spell that requires a material component with a cost, you can reduce the cost required by an amount of gp equal to half the total + 250.

Additionally, you have advantage on Charisma checks when attempting to convince someone of an object’s value, as well as on Wisdom (Insight) checks when discerning the value of objects presented by others.

Fatal Flaw

Upon falling to this despair, you gain the following flaw:

Gloom. There is little left in this world for me, or for anyone. Life is ultimately pointless, and I can not stop thinking of the doom that awaits us all.

Downfall Spells

You gain a downfall spell at the oath breaker levels listed.

Wither

Starting at 3rd level, your burdening presence withers away at the health of your enemies.

When a creature you can see is under the effect of a spell you are concentrating on, you can use a bonus action on your turn to inflict a number of necrotic damage to it equal to your Charisma modifier. That creature's hit point maximum decreases by the same amount.

This reduction lasts until the target completes a long rest.

Anguish

Starting at 7th level, you can choose to exude an aura of profound melancholy as a bonus action on your turn, causing the space within 10 feet of you becomes laden with negative emotion. This aura lasts as long as your conscious, or until you quell the aura as a bonus action.

A creature within this aura can not make more than one attack on its turn, and can not benefit from advantage on any attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws.

Isolation

Starting at 10th level, you are able to inflict a sinful curse on those you wish to corrupt. You may direct your ire at a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you, and utter a baleful word in order to curse it. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or be cursed for 1 minute.

At the beginning of each of a cursed target's turns, it must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target can not regain hit points, nor can it benefit from any spells that target it or include it in their area of effect until the beginning of its next turn.

Once you use this feature, you can not do so again until you complete a long rest.

Dour Instruction

Starting at 15th level, you gain the ability to douse the hope of anyone you see.

While your Anguish feature is active, you can cast the command spell without knowing it, having it prepared, and without the need to expend a spell slot. When you cast command in this way, the command word is "grovel".

Lay to Rest

At 20th level, you can extinguish light and hope in the surrounding area, plunging your soul and others into darkness.

As an action, you can cast a shadow that fills a 120 foot sphere centered on yourself into dim light. This shadow lasts for 1 minute, and extinguishes all light sources in the space, except for one conjured by a wish spell. A creature who starts or ends its turn in this dim light, must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or fall unconscious for the duration.

Once you use this feature, you can not do so again until you complete a long rest.

Fatal Flaw

Upon falling to pride, you gain the following flaw:

Hubris. I am the greatest there ever was, or ever will be. I am above trifling tasks, and others ought to beg to serve me.