Finally Finished my 5e Paladin Oath

Since the Chosen of Eilistraee is a religious oriented player group, naturally there is a place to have theological discussions. That is in-game religions; please leave real-world religion out of it. Debate the fine points of a certain dogma, how a church can enforce worship while staying true to its tenets or simply why one deity is better than another one is. All are free to talk about it here.

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Nightbreeze
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Finally Finished my 5e Paladin Oath

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Oath Of The Moonsword

History of the order

The Order of the Moonsword is a relatively new faction within the Church of Eilistraee.

Formed around two decades ago, the order of the Moonsword has only fifty six members, all of which are male Moon Elves, Humans, Half-Drow and Drow. Some of the Humans and Half-Drow had once been slaves who were rescued from various places in and around Waterdeep and Skullport by Darksong Knights, while others are Rangers and Fighters who came to the faith during their travels, the Moon Elf members are rangers who converted to the faith when the order established themselves in the Ardeep Forest.

The Drow members on the other hand are all former Vhaeruanite Nightshadows who converted to the faith during the time when Eilistraee took on her brothers portfolio. The former Vhaeruanites are the ones who actually can be given credit for forming the Order. Their original base of operations was the Promenade of Eilistraee but they have since expanded to have a presence in the Ardeep Forest where they have taken it upon themselves to act as guardians of the Dancing Dell

Prerequisites: Eilistraee as a Patron deity, at least 3 levels in Ranger with either the Hunter or Inquisitor Conclave archetype. Proficiency with Bastard Swords or Longswords.


Oath Spells:
3rd Bless, Divine Favor
5th Prayer of Healing, Moonbeam
9th Mass Healing Word, Counterspell
13th Dimension Door, Freedom Of Movement
17th Hallow, Circle Of Power


[b:t7jhsl63][u:t7jhsl63]Channel Divinity: [/u:t7jhsl63][/b:t7jhsl63]
At 3rd Level you choose one of the following two Channel Divinity Options


[b:t7jhsl63][u:t7jhsl63]Turn Adversary[/u:t7jhsl63][/b:t7jhsl63]
choose one of the following creatures: Evil Lycanthropes, Spiders, Slimes, Fiends or Undead.
Any of these creatures 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 any 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.

[b:t7jhsl63][u:t7jhsl63]
Lay on Hands (condition reversal):[/u:t7jhsl63][/b:t7jhsl63]
You are able to use your Lay On Hands to reverse the effects of Poison and Disease. Whenever someone else is poisoned or stricken with disease you may use your Lay on Hands ability to take the save throw for them, if you pass the save the condition is not only nullified but the effects are reversed where whatever negative effects they would have received are turned into positive effects (i.e. HP damage becomes regeneration, Ability score damage becomes a bonus, etc). This ability also works on potions.




[b:t7jhsl63][u:t7jhsl63]Moonbrand[/u:t7jhsl63][/b:t7jhsl63]
At 7h level you can imbue your sword (or swords) and the weapons of anyone standing within 10 feet of you with Eilistraee's Moonfire, you and eveyone else affected gains advantage on all attacks and Saves vs. Mind Effecting Spells and your weapons do 2d6+5 cold damage.




[b:t7jhsl63][u:t7jhsl63]Archers Bane[/u:t7jhsl63][/b:t7jhsl63]

At 15th level you gain the Archers Bane ability. This ability has one of two effects.

The first gives anyone within 10 feet of you a +2 bonus to Ac and saves vs. Ranged attacks made with a bow or crossbow, if the attack hits the enemy making the attack must make a wisdom save or suffer the effects of a Bestow Curse spell.

The second grants you a +2 to AC and Saves vs. Ranged attacks and if the attack hits you and the attacker make a contested save the loser of the save takes all damage from the attack and has disadvantage for the rest of combat while you gain advantage .If the roll is a tie both you and the attacker each take half of the damage and both get disadvantage for 1d4 rounds.
[b:t7jhsl63][u:t7jhsl63]

Dark Maidens Harbinger[/u:t7jhsl63][/b:t7jhsl63]

At 20th level you become an imminent threat to the enemies of your faith. All rolls made against them for any reason are made with advantage, any spell cast, attack, check or effect made against you is taken with disadvantage and any save you make to avoid taking damage is made with advantage and even upon failure you still only take half damage if the save being made is for half damage already the spell or effect is nullified and you can add whatever the half damage you would have taken to your next damage roll against that enemy (these attacks each take one HD worth of HP from you when they are manifested)

You also gain a choice of three attacks you can make against enemies of your faith.

1. You can instantly, at will unleash nine silvery Magic Missiles.
2. Turn spells back against their casters
3. Your weapon or weapons become either a +5 Alchemical Silver weapon with the powers of a Holy Avenger (for a single sword) or two +3 Alchemical Silver weapons that both deal 2d8 cold damage each.
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Irennan
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Re: Finally Finished my 5e Paladin Oath

Post by Irennan »

I like the concept and the abilities are very flavorful. However, there are a few things that need a little bit of work. Mostly, you need to specify what it takes to activate a power (reaction, bonus action, etc...) the duration of the effects, and whether or not they require concentration (I'll give you example).

I also suggest you to make this a prestige class modeled after a Oath: So you need to set up a minimum--say--Dex and Cha score to have, and a task that these knights need to accomplish to have access to the order. That said, I suggest you to provide the "Divine Smite" (and Improved Divine Smite at level 11th) feature to this class, the extra attack at level 5th, various auras and ASIs as per the normal paladin class. Except Aura of Protection, I'd suggest you to roll that into the Moonbrand. Now, onto the rest.

[b:1l644ugl]Moonbrand[/b:1l644ugl]
I'd suggest you to have it use a bonus action or reaction to activate and make it usable only a limited number of times per short rest.

Example: Once per short rest at (twice at level 9 and thrice at level 18), as a bonus action, you can manifest it as Eilistraee's moonfire to bless both your weapon and your allies'. It grants you and your allies within 10ft (20ft at level 9th; 30ft at level 18th) the following effects:

[list:1l644ugl]-You and your allies are surrounded by a swirling orb of moonlight that can dispel magical darkness and be moved and directed by you (40ft per round). As an action, you can consume the orb to direct it at a hostile creature, dealing 1-2-3-4d8 damage (as per cantrip progression). The orb will be returned to you in the next round (this is the iconic canon Moonfire effect).

-You and your allies gain advantage to all saving throws, and enemy attacks agaist you (but you only) are rolled at disadvantage (stand in for aura of protection).

-You and your allies gain advantage on attack rolls, and your attacks deal an extra 1d8 damage. The advantage is also applied to the Moonfire attack, and the extra 1d8 is also added to the Moonfire damage (basically taking it up to 2-3-4-5d8). This stacks with Divine Smite.[/list:u:1l644ugl]

This effect can be used as a reaction when you or your allies must take a saving throw. You need to concentrate to maintain this effect, and can do so for a maximum number of rounds equal to your CHA modifier.

-----------------------------

[b:1l644ugl]Archer's Bane[/b:1l644ugl]
Sounds good to me. Just make both effects require a reaction to apply the malus to the enemy. Maybe make the effects usable only up to CHA times per short rest if it is too powerful

-----------------------------

[b:1l644ugl]Harbinger of the Dark Dancer[/b:1l644ugl]
I'd suggest to make it last CHA rounds, up to 5 (after the first), and to make it usable only once per long rest. IMO it should be activated as an action, like others level 20 paladin features.

I like the passive, but I think that it'd be cooler if--instead of providing that passive--summoning this effect applied Moonbrand within 30ft from you, with the only difference that you'd get advantage on saving throws as normal, but you (and only you) would also basically get old 3e D&D improved evasion against enemies of faith (maybe you enter a battledance becoming more deadly and elusive at the same time). Leave the damage reflection out IMO, because between arrows and spell turning this class already has a lot of it.

I personally think you should make the 3 possible attacks usable against anyone, otherwise this class won't be very appealing in most campaigns.

[list:1l644ugl]-[i:1l644ugl][u:1l644ugl]Magic Missiles[/u:1l644ugl][/i:1l644ugl] must take an action IMO, but it's fine. It would replace the bolt of moonlight that Moonbrand provides for your character. Its damage should be somthing like 1d4+2 per missile (9d4+18 total), or 1d6+1 per missile (9d6+9 total)

-[u:1l644ugl][i:1l644ugl]Turning spells[/i:1l644ugl][/u:1l644ugl] needs to take a successful reaction and opposed test to succeed, otherwise it'll be very powerful. For example, proficiency+CHA vs enemy proficiency+enemy casting stat; with advantage when the test is made against enemies of faith--mainly yochlols, demons, priestesses of Lolth, or the likes. I wouldn't have it work on a normal evil drow, because your goal should to open their eyes and hearts, not slaughter them. Make it turn up to 5th level spells against non enemies of faiths, and any level against enemies of faith.

ALTERNATIVELY, instead of turning spells you could maybe use a streamlined effect. For example, if you succeed the opposed check, the spell is denied and the attacker is enveloped in silvery flames that deal 1d8 (radiant or cold) damage per spell level reflected. Furthermore, the flames linger, dealing 1d8 damage each round for each 3 levels of spell deflected, revealing the target, and making every attack against it deal 1d8 extra damage for each 3 levels of spell deflected (lasts until a successful Will save with DC equal to 8+your proficiency+you CHA modifier). If the spell applies a condition, then the attacker is also incapacitated for 1 round. For example, deflecting a "finger of death" would nullify the spell and envelop the necromancer ins silvery fire that deals 7d8 damage, plus 2d8 each round. Each attack against the necromancer would also deal extra 2d8 until it makes a will saving throw.

But spell turning belongs to the original Sword Dancer class, so I guess it fits better than this.

-About the [i:1l644ugl][u:1l644ugl]weapons[/u:1l644ugl][/i:1l644ugl], in 5e +5 swords don't exist. The upper limit is +3. IMO, this feature should provide an alchemical silver Holy Avenger, or 2 +1 alchemical silver frostbrands[/list:u:1l644ugl]
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Irennan
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Re: Finally Finished my 5e Paladin Oath

Post by Irennan »

Maybe the character should be able to launch 5 magic missiles against non enemies of faith, and 9 against enemies of faith. An at will 6th level spell against anyone would perhaps be too strong.
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
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Nightbreeze
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Re: Finally Finished my 5e Paladin Oath

Post by Nightbreeze »

Yea I completely forgot to add the activation for the abilities and I like your suggestions but some of the things MY DM would never approve of because it would make my character way too powerful. In terms of having the abilities be used against everyone, the only two abilities that can only be used against enemies of the faith are Turn Adversary and Dark Maiden's Harbinger the others can be used against everyone.

The reason for this is I created this Oath specifically for all enemies of the EIlistraeen faith (not just llothites and demons like the Darksong Knight)
I didn't put this anywhere but the Dark Maiden Harbinger ability would only work against the enemies you can choose in the Turn Adversary ability (Evil Lycanthropes, Spiders, Slimes, Fiends and Undead)

I didn;t add that much more to Moonbrand because I figured that it was already powerful enough as it is and even with it being what it is I felt it could still possibly be on the OP side. I am going to add the Orb effect to it though so it's more like the spell itself.
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Irennan
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Re: Finally Finished my 5e Paladin Oath

Post by Irennan »

If it is an oath, then Moonbrand is not really a buff if compared to your version. From what I get, yours is a permanent aura. In my version, you'd lose that aura, also lose the permanent aura of protection of the paladin, and then gain those when you activate Moonbrand, and only for a limited numbers of times per short rest and for a limited time. However, you'd gain the orb of moonfire and the greater chance to dodge physical attacks as well as succeed at saving throws.

In any case, I understand where your DM may be coming from. If you specify all the little bits that I mentioned, and correct the +5 sword (5e doesn't have those anymore), then the class is good to go IMO.
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
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