Oath of The Crusader
Crusaders function as a blade of their deity or order, seeking out to destroy all who would violate it's commands. These knights are both feared and respected in equal ammounts. After all their holy quest can easily be mistaken for overzealous fanaticism. Crusaders proudly wield this fear as a weapon. In the perfect outcome, when a Crusader's arrival is announced an immediate surrender follows. Since Crusaders focus on cleansing the enemies of faith, these holy knights frequently tend to favor two-handed weapons. All Crusaders are destined to adventure. Their name comes from their Crusades against evil, guided by revelation. To stop questing is to stop being a Crusader. Once taken, their Oath is for life and the only permissible retirement is in death.
Tenets of The Crusader
The tenets of The Crusader depend on their quest but all Crusaders share a unwavering will and steel nerves to meet their ends by any means required, even if it involves the death of innocents.
Evil Grows from Idleness.
Crusaders must act, failing to do so is allowing the enemies of the faith to grow. Waste not time in idleness.
Root Out All Evil.
Even the greatest of evil started small. Show no mercy and cut evil at it's root before it spreads. If need be claim life.
The Greater Good.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. If you need to burn a village to stop a plague you shall. Blind Justice. You shall not prefer nobles over the poor or your family over strangers. Justice is blind and unyielding, it cannot be bought.
Staunch in Faith.
Absolution awaits those who take action. Wield your reputation like a blade and have no doubt.
Oath Spells
| Class Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | shield, expeditious retreat |
| 5 | see invisibility, prayer of healing |
| 9 | crusader's mantle, spirit guardians |
| 13 | stoneskin, guardian of faith |
| 17 | destructive wave, greater restoration |
CHANNEL DIVINITY
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Crusader's Zeal. As a Bonus Action, you steel your faith to overcome evil holding your holy symbol and using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, while wearing armor, you gain a +2 AC bonus, and your attacks with weapons deal extra Radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). During this time light shines from beneath your armor and a faint halo surrounds your head. The effect ends early if you are reduced to 0 hit points or if you did not attack an enemy in your turn.
Zealous Accusation. As an Action you hold out your holy symbol or holy text and accuse your foes of a crime using your Channel Divinity. Creatures within 30 feet that commited the crime must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creatures take radiant damage equal to your charisma modifier (minimum of 1) + half your level, they are also frightened of you for 1 minute or until they take damage. Fiends and Undead must always roll a saving throw as they are inherently evil, regardless if guilty of the crime or not.
AURA OF JUSTICE
At 7th level, your great zeal infects allies around you invigorating them with each foe struck. As a Reaction when you or a friendly creature within 10 feet of you reduce an hostile creature to 0 hit points, you or that ally regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet
UNRELENTING
Starting at 15th level, your faith to carry out your quest keeps you alive when your body fails. At the end of every short or long rest you gain the benefits of a death ward spell. The spell lasts until your next short or long rest or until it ends nomally by activating.
GOD WILLS IT
At 20th level, you can use an Action to champion a Crusade. For 1 minute, you create an aura of bright light within 30 feet. Allies in the aura gain advantage on attack rolls and saving throws, while enemies in the aura have disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws.