Oath of Arcane Might
Not all paladins wield divine might in their quest to fulfill their oath. Some also harness the energy of the universe and creation, arcane magic gifted to them by their god or through inherited power. These chosen that pledge themselves to the Oath of Arcane Might are champions of the magic woven through the very fabric of the universe. The order is said to have been established by the first elves that walked the Material World, their power originally gifted by the Goddess of Magic in pursuit of her own goals. Since that time, those fortunate enough to wield this arcane might have walked the land blessed with both divine and arcane power. Sometimes called Blue Knights or Watchers, paladins who swear themselves to this Oath often hunt and deal with magical, monstrous, and aberrant threats to the natural order. No rogue fiend, rampaging monstrosity, evil aberration, or creature created by reckless magical experiment is safe. Though their number are few, many serve as guardians at temples dedicated to the Goddess of Magic, or at some of the more prestigious magical universities and institutions across the land. Still, a small few dedicate themselves to seeking out the hidden secrets of the arcane world.
Tenets of the Oath of Arcane Might
Adherents to this Oath often swear to seek out and preserve arcane knowledge, to protect those who practice magic from the suspicious masses, or guard the innocent from those that would wield spells against them. Preserving the balance between magic and mundane is essential to ensuring balance in the world. Ancient secrets and magics must only be learned by those of the Oath, and cannot be let into the realm of the masses. Moreover, ancient evils and aberrations must not be allowed to toil in the mortal realm, disturbing the delicate magical balance the Goddess of Magic has worked to preserve. Each of these paladins respects the power of the arcane, and their core tenets reflect this dedication. A paladin who takes this Oath often has an arcane symbol tattooed on his wrist, or a rune inscribed into his sword.
Lore lost is legend forgotten. Magic is neither good or evil, only mortals allow themselves to fall into these alignments. Magic must be cultivated, guarded, and never forgotten. Seek out arcane knowledge and preserve it, but be careful that its secrets don't fall into the wrong hands.
Protect the arcane. Not all who possess arcane power are worthy. Seek out those who willfully abuse or pervert this sacred power and punish them. Find those that are worthy and work to spread the word of the Oath. Maintain the balance. Sometimes great sacrifices must be made in order to preserve the world and maintain balance. Be wise in your judgement as you fulfill your Oath. Weigh carefully when deciding which powers should be left to thrive and which should be extinguished.
Embrace the Weave. It takes practice and study of the arcane to truly understand it. Devote yourself to the perfection of this and all other tenets whenever you can so that you may truly embrace the Oath.
Variant Option
Because paladins of this Oath may emphasize arcane power more than divine, the radiant damage of the paladin's Divine Smite feature might not seem entirely appropriate for the theme of this Oath. For interested players and DMs, the following optional feature can be included as part of this sacred oath option when it's taken as part of the paladin's progression:
Arcane Smite
When you use your Divine Smite or Improved Divine Smite, you inflict force damage instead of radiant damage, and you deal extra damage against aberrations and monstrosities instead of fiends and undead.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin level listed.
Oath of Arcana Spells
| Paladin level | spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Detect Magic, Identify |
| 5th | Alter Self, Misty Step |
| 9th | Dispel Magic, Tongues |
| 13th | Control Water, Dimension Door |
| 17th | Arcane Hand, Teleportation Circle |
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Arcane Curse. As a bonus action choose 1 creature within 30 feet of you, that creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, the creature loses concentration on any spells or abilities on which it is concentrating and takes Force damage equal to 1d4 plus your Charisma modifier. On a success, the creature does not lose concentration and takes half damage (this damage does not trigger a new concentration check).
Arcane Blessing. Choose one spell of a level you can cast from the Cleric or Wizard spell list, you cast that spell as if it were a Paladin spell. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action. A spell cast in this way cannot be of a level higher than your Charisma modifier. Roll a d12, on a 12 you do not use a spell slot to cast this spell. On any other result, you use up one of your Paladin spell slots of the level at which you cast the spell.
Aura of Warding
Beginning at 7th level, you are so suffused with arcane power, that it forms a protective aura around you. You and friendly creatures within 5 feet of you have resistance to damage from spells, except for psychic damage. At 18th level the range of this aura expands to 15 feet.
Empowered Casting
Starting at 15th level, you can channel a limited amount of extra energy into your spells, empowering them beyond your normal abilities. When you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to cast a spell, or as part of your Divine Smite, you can cast/use the spell as if you were using a higher level spell slot by expending a number of points from your Lay on Hands feature. You must spend 10 points from your Lay on Hands pool per level of increase. Regardless of effective level, the empowered spell only expends the original spells normal slot level. Using this feature, you cannot empower a spell beyond the highest level spell you are capable of casting. You may only affect one spell you cast using this ability on each of your turns.
Magical Champion
At 20th level, you can become a living embodiment of magic, feeding upon its power as it courses through the world. For example your eyes might glow with unearthly power, or a crackling aura of raw power might surround you. Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute you gain the following benefits:
- You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed, and you immediately begin hovering 1 foot above the ground.
- You can cast your paladin spells without any verbal, somatic, or material components. Additionally whenever you cast a paladin spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can cast it using a bonus action instead.
- You have advantage on Constitution saving throws, as do your allies within 30 ft of you. Hostile creatures within 15 ft of you have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws. This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or die.
- You gain one additional use of your Channel Divinity feature.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.