Oath of the Sea
A Sacred Oath for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition
Tempestuous Mother
From the sea was all life born, and to the sea a calling is heard. Paladins who swear their oath to the sea do not necessarily do so to a deity of the sea, but to the ocean itself, as there is a power there that even the greater beings of
the universe dare not meddle with lightly. Sea paladins are often hired to protect merchant ships and royal fleets. Not having one of these paladins on board, is to tempt fate.
Tenets of the Sea
Being less a religious order, and more a guild of
individuals, paladins of the sea swear their oaths
only to the seas themselves, and their codes vary
from person to person. However, these common
themes can be found amongst all who pledge
themselves to the tides.
Honor to the Sea. A sea paladin's first duty is to
appease the sea. Proper rituals must be performed,
such as offerings, salt burnings, and traditional
dances.
Bravery in the face of Danger. The sea is deep
and full of horrors. If a ship comes under attack, a
sea paladin must be the first to respond, and lead
with fearlessness and expertise.
Loyalty to Coin and Crew. Once a contract has
been signed, a sea paladin is a part of the crew. The
crew become family, and a sea paladin must be
willing to lay down their life to ensure the safe
passage of their contracted vessel.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of the Sea Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | create or destroy water, fog cloud |
| 5th | gust of wind, misty step |
| 9th | tidal wave, wall of water |
| 13th | control water, watery sphere |
| 17th | control winds, maelstrom |
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Pacify the Waters. You can use your Channel Divinity to calm the creatures of the sea. As an action, you can force any creatures with an innate swimming speed within 30 feet, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the affected creatures are charmed by you for 1 minute or until you or your companions do anything harmful to them.
Alternatively, when you use this feature, you can attempt to pacify the sea itself. As an action, roll a d20. The Channel Divinity succeeds when the result of the die roll is equal to your level or lower. On a success, the sea within a 1 mile radius of you becomes calm and placid for the next hour. For the duration, no nonmagical storms can originate within or enter the area.
Tidal Strike. As a bonus action, you can infuse your weapon with the power of the seas. Your weapon remains infused for 1 minute or until your concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). The next time you hit a creature or object with the infused weapon, your weapon hits with the force of a typhoon, and the attack deals extra bludgeoning damage equal to 2d6 + your paladin level, and the target must make a Strength saving throw against your spell DC. On a failure, it is knocked prone as a wave of water crashes into it.
Aura of Sea Mist
Starting at 7th level, you have learned to move unhindered in water and the mists of the sea are yours to command. You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, you wreathe an aura of sea mist around yourself out to 10 feet. While in the aura, you and creatures of your choice are veiled by the mist, making you more difficult to hit as you move. Opportunity attacks made against you or your allies while inside the aura are made with disadvantage.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Armor of the Deep
Beginning at 15th level, you've learned to use the waters themselves to protect and aid you, covering yourself in a thin, slippery layer of water. When you finish a long rest, and at the start of each of your turns, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier. While you have these hit points, you gain the following benefits:
- Your armor class increases by 1.
- Your speed increases by 10 feet.
- You gain the effects of the water breathing spell.
You can only gain these hit points while you are not incapacitated.
Oceanic Form
At 20th level, you can become a conduit for the untamed power of the ocean. While in this form, water swirls and churns at your feet, your eyes glow with a deep teal light, and the sky around you darkens with thunderclouds. As an action, you gain the following abilities for 1 minute.
- Waterspout. Water surges forth from underneath you. You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover as the currents stretch to keep you aloft.
- Undertow. Enemies near you find it nearly impossible to escape your crushing pressure. A hostile creature that attempts to move for the first time on a turn while it is within 30 feet of you must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, its speed becomes 0 and it takes 2d10 bludgeoning damage as its body strains against the pressure. On a success, it takes half as much damage and its speed is halved.
- Green Flash. The first time you are reduced to 0 hit points and are not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. When you do so, a bright green flash emanates from your body. Each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw or become blinded until the end of its next turn. If a creature doesn't have eyes or can see by other means, such as with blindsight or tremorsense, it automatically succeeds on its saving throw.
Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Playing a Sea Paladin on Land
Even in ocean-themed or seaborne campaigns, one must set foot on land at some point. A sea paladin might feel cut off from their deity or domain and may exhibit signs of anxiety, nervous ticks, or irritated behavior. And as a player, you might feel like you've been cut off from the very thing that makes your character unique. However, that is very much not the case. Sea paladins' expanded spell list can be used on any body of water, or, barring that, create their own water with a combination of spells and the Channel Divinity: Tempest Strike feature.
Water is everywhere. It is in the plants that surround you and the very air you breathe. When you use your abilities, come up with cool ways to draw forth water, even when it seems like it isn't there. Remember, unless a spell specifies, you cannot target a creature to draw water from or create water inside of it.
Keep in mind that even away from the sea, your features, such as the Aura of Sea Mist, are still in effect.
There are many unique ways to use your features, even if you find yourself completely landlocked. The limits are only your imagination.
Credits
A huge thank you to my patrons and to all the fine folks at the Spectre Creations Discord for everything they do!
Patreon.
https://www.patreon.com/adventurersalmanac
Spectre Creations Discord.
https://discord.gg/naXaNh4
Art Credit. 'Sea Paladin Orc Nohrath' by Heather Uebel
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/vezoE