Oath of Pragmatism
(Sacred Oath)
Often confused with the Oath of Treachery, the Oath of Pragmatism teaches that you must always follow the most practical course of action, even if some consider it immoral. Those who follow this oath have embraced its blessings not out of evil, but out of pragmatism. Paladins who take this oath focus on the use of trickery and poison, as well as using their opponents numbers against them.
This oath is embraced the most by the pragmatic and misunderstood raven/crow like corvum birdfolk from the Humblewood forest (see the Humblewood campaign setting). The wood's denizens have a tendency of being kind and open minded, compassionate and caring. The corvum stand out, as they are aware of how dangerous and deceitful the outer world truly is. In the past, the Humblewood was threatened by human settlers, people with a vastly different culture. At first things went well, until the humans numbers and greed grew large enough for them to try and take over the woods for themselves. It was only after the corvum turned the humans own numbers against them with the use of necromancy, as well as unorthodox tactics, that they were driven away. However, the denizens of Humblewood are a kind and forgiving sort, and the corvum knew that in time they would repeat the same mistake of extending compassion to those that would eventually bring ruin to their people.
It was this realization that caused many corvum to follow the night based deities of the Humblewood, and embrace the Oath of Pragmatism. Willing to do whatever it takes to defend their home, their friends, and their birth right. Regardless of how hated they would become for doing what was necessary.
Tenets of Pragmatism
Though the exact words and strictures of the Oath of Pragmatism vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets.
Do What is Necessary. I will follow my conscious where possible, and I shall not be cruel. But I will be willing to do that which helps my friends and people the most in the long run.
Turn From the Light . I will be like the shadows themselves, nameless. I shall seek no reward for my services. I shall not seek fame or glory or wealth for my actions.
No Trick is Truly Dirty. I will fight with whatever tools and possibilities I have at my disposal. I will try to strike from where they least expect it, plan ahead when possible, and will do whatever yields the best results. Honor be damned.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
| Paladin level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | charm person, expeditious retreat |
| 5th | invisibility, mirror image |
| 9th | gaseous form, haste |
| 13th | confusion, greater invisibility |
| 17th | dominate person, passwall |
Oath of the Pragmatic
At 1st level, before you choose this oath but after you declare that you will take this oath, you can choose to use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Charisma modifier for all your class features. While wearing light or no armor you can add your Intelligence modifier bonus to your AC. The total of your Dexterity and Intelligence modifier bonus to your AC can not exceed +6.
You can calculate the DC of Basic Poison (see the Player's Handbook), that you apply to a weapon or three pieces of ammunition yourself, as 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. When you attempt to extract a dose of venom from a poisonous creature, you gain advantage on the required ability check.
At 3rd level, you must choose this oath to retain all the above benefits from this feature.
Variant Poison Harvesting
At your DM's discretion, you can use the following variant rule for harvesting poison from slain foes instead of the one listed in the Dungeon Master's Guide (page 258):
Poison extraction: When poisonous creatures are killed, the player can attempt to harvest all their poison over the course of 10 minutes, followed by making an Intelligence (Nature) check using the poisoner's kit (proficiency with the poisoner’s kit applies to this check if the player doesn’t have proficiency in Nature) against the poison's save DC, for each type of creature. On a success, the player extracts 1d4 doses of poison from all the dead creatures combined for that type of creature. On a failure, all the poison is wasted, and those who are not proficient with the poisoner's kit suffer the effects of the poison. Players can use one dose of harvested Injury type poison to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or one piece of ammunition. Once applied, the poison retains potency for 1 minute or until you hit with the weapon or ammunition (this works different than basic poison or the poison dusk's racial poison, which both last the full 1 minute duration instead). Applying the poison takes an action.
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Conjure Duplicate. As an action, you create a visual illusion of yourself that lasts for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The illusion appears in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you.
The illusion looks exactly like you; it is silent; it is your size, is insubstantial, and doesn’t occupy its space; and it is unaffected by attacks and damage. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 30 feet to a space you can see, but the illusion must remain within 120 feet of you. For the duration, you can cast spells as though you were in the illusion’s space, but you must use your own senses.
Additionally, when both you and your illusion are within 5 feet of a creature that can see the illusion, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, given how uncanny the illusion is.
Poison Strike. You can use your Channel Divinity to make a weapon deadlier. As a bonus action, you touch one weapon or piece of ammunition and conjure a special poison on it. The poison lasts for 1 minute, or until it deals its damage. The next time you hit a target with an attack using that weapon or ammunition, the target takes poison damage immediately after the attack. The poison damage equals 2d10 + your paladin level, or 20 + your paladin level if you had advantage on the attack roll.
Aura of Trickery
Starting at 7th level, you emanate an aura of discord, which plays tricks on the minds of your foes and turns them against each other. This gives you the following benefits.
Divisive. You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that has one or more of its allies within 5 feet of it.
Misguiding. If a creature within 5 feet of you misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to reroll that attack against a creature of your choice that is also within 5 feet of the attacker. The ability fails and is wasted if the attacker is immune to being charmed. You can use this ability three times, and regain expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest
Live to Fight Another Day
At 15th level, you have the ability to slip away from your foes. Immediately after you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to a unoccupied space you can see. You remain invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack, deal damage, or force a creature to make a saving throw. Afterwards you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Icon of Pragmatism
At 20th level, you gain the ability to more strongly manipulate others around you. As an action, you can become an avatar of pragmatism, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:
• You are invisible.
• If a creature damages you on its turn, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or you control its next action, provided that you aren’t incapacitated when it takes the action. A creature automatically succeeds on the save if the creature is immune to being charmed.
• If you have advantage on an attack roll, you gain a bonus to its damage roll equal to your paladin level.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
