Martial Paladin by

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<div class='cover-header' style='position:absolute;top:60px;'>The Martial Paladin</div>

<div class='cover-footer' style='position:absolute;bottom:30px;'>An adaption of the Paladin that focuses on smiting <br> and protecting in martial terms rather than magical.<br>Written by thelittledarkone</div>

\pagebreak

# Foreword

This is alternative version of the Paladin, which steps away from spell slots and the modular aspect of 5e magic in favor of more effective features. I really like the class but I felt that stepping away from the alignment focus of 3.5e was a mistake. This is not to say that I liked the Lawful Good restriction of older paladins but rather I feel that using the alignment system makes the paladin feel more unique whilst making alignment a little more relevant.

# Credits

### Written by:
[thelittledarkone](https://thelittledarkone.com)

### Editors: 
[thelittledarkone](https://thelittledarkone.com)
### Producer: 
[thelittledarkone](https://thelittledarkone.com)
### Product Manager: 
[thelittledarkone](https://thelittledarkone.com)
### Layout Design:
[thelittledarkone](https://thelittledarkone.com)

### Additional Graphic Design: 
Made with GMBinder<br> Jared Ondricek (/u/flamableconcrete)-Watercolor Stains

#### Blackthorn Theme

A theme for GM binder by blckthorn

/u/blckthorn

There is also a [dark version](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LKYVliROX20cBbSI0r3 "Blackthorn Dark Theme").

The old version of the theme [is still around](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-MEZE4l3heOD0JkVpxGG "Old Blackthorn Theme").

\columnbreak

### Cover Illustrator: 
[Raymond Minnaar](https://www.artstation.com/raymondminnaar)
### Interior Illustrators: 
|Artist| Company| Name| Page| 
|------|:-------:|:-------:|:-------:|
Tirawat Yongsuwankul |[artstation.com](https://diezonezero.artstation.com/)  | Holy Knight | 4 | 
Gayeon Kim |[artstation.com](https://www.artstation.com/kimgayeon)  | Holy Knight | 6 | 
hyun-sung seo |[artstation.com](https://www.artstation.com/ddpand235)  | Holy Knight | 7 | 
Steve Goad  |[deviantart.com](https://www.deviantart.com/stevegoad) | Holy Knight | 8 |

<br><br><br><br><br>
### Disclaimer
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
##### OGL Located on the Last Page

### Additional Credits
 
 Thanks to the Artists, Writers and Contributers in the TTRPG Fantasy community, you make working with this content a real pleasure. And thanks to WotC for making a great game.

\pagebreak

###

# Table of Contents

###

</div>

- ### [<span></span><span>The Martial Paladin</span>](#Introduction)

- - ##### [<span></span><span>Introduction</span>](#Welcome)

- - [<span>4</span><span>Cause of Righteousness </span>](#The_Dragon_Age)

- - [<span>4</span><span>Beyond the Mundane Life</span>](#The_Classical_Age)

- - [<span>4</span><span>Creating a Paladin</span>](#The_Avatar_Age)

- - ##### [<span></span><span>Chapter 1: The Martial Paladin Class </span>](#Welcome)

- - [<span>5</span><span>The Class Table </span>](#The_Dragon_Age)

- - [<span>5</span><span>Class Features</span>](#The_Classical_Age)

- - [<span>5</span><span>Proficiencies and Equipment</span>](#The_Avatar_Age)

- - [<span>6</span><span>Devine Sense </span>](#The_Dragon_Age)

- - [<span>6</span><span>Lay on Hands</span>](#The_Classical_Age)

- - [<span>6</span><span>Smite </span>](#The_Dragon_Age)

- - [<span>6</span><span>Smite the Enemy </span>](#The_Dragon_Age)

- - [<span>6</span><span>Sense Alignment</span>](#The_Avatar_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Fighting Style </span>](#The_Dragon_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Divine Health</span>](#The_Classical_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Channel Divinity </span>](#The_Classical_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Extra Attack </span>](#The_Dragon_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Aura of Protection</span>](#The_Avatar_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Blessed Hands</span>](#The_Avatar_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Aura of Courage</span>](#The_Avatar_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Find Steed</span>](#The_Avatar_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Clensing Hands</span>](#The_Avatar_Age)

- - [<span>7</span><span>Raising Hands </span>](#The_Dragon_Age)

- - ##### [<span></span><span>Chapter 2: Other Options</span>](#Reference)

- - [<span>10</span><span>Conclaves</span>](#Andur)

- - [<span>10</span><span>Other Options from...</span>](#Clegor)

- - ##### [<span></span><span>Appendices</span>](#Reference)

- - [<span>12</span><span>Favored Enemies</span>](#Andur)

- - [<span>14</span><span>Favored Terrains</span>](#Clegor)

</div>

\pagebreak

# The Paladin
Clad in plate armor that gleams in the sunlight despite the dust and grime of long travel, a human lays down her sword and shield and places her hands on a mortally wounded man. Divine radiance shines from her hands, the man’s wounds knit closed, and his eyes open wide with amazement.

A dwarf crouches behind an outcrop, his black cloak making him nearly invisible in the night, and watches an orc war band celebrating its recent victory. Silently, he stalks into their midst and whispers an oath, and two orcs are dead before they even realize he is there.

Silver hair shining in a shaft of light that seems to illuminate only him, an elf laughs with exultation. His spear flashes like his eyes as he jabs again and again at a twisted giant, until at last his light overcomes its hideous darkness.

Whatever their origin and their mission, paladins are united by their oaths to stand against the forces of evil. Whether sworn before a god’s altar and the witness of a priest, in a sacred glade before nature spirits and fey beings, or in a moment of desperation and grief with the dead as the only witness, a paladin’s oath is a powerful bond. It is a source of power that turns a devout warrior into a blessed champion.

### The Cause of Righteousness
A paladin swears to uphold justice and righteousness, to stand with the good things of the world against the encroaching darkness, and to hunt the forces of evil wherever they lurk. Different paladins focus on various aspects of the cause of righteousness, but all are bound by the oaths that grant them power to do their sacred work. Although many paladins are devoted to gods of good, a paladin’s power comes as much from a commitment to justice itself as it does from a god.

Paladins train for years to learn the skills of combat, mastering a variety of weapons and armor. Even so, their martial skills are secondary to the magical power they wield: power to heal the sick and injured, to smite the wicked and the undead, and to protect the innocent and those who join them in the fight for justice.

### Beyond the Mundane Life
Almost by definition, the life of a paladin is an adventuring life. Unless a lasting injury has taken him or her away from adventuring for a time, every paladin lives on the front lines of the cosmic struggle against evil. Fighters are rare enough among the ranks of the militias and armies of the world, but even fewer people can claim the true calling of a paladin. When they do receive the call, these warriors turn from their former occupations and take up arms to fight evil. Sometimes their oaths lead them into the service of the crown as leaders of elite groups of knights, but even then their loyalty is first to the cause of righteousness, not to crown and country.

Adventuring paladins take their work seriously. A delve into an ancient ruin or dusty crypt can be a quest driven by a higher purpose than the acquisition of treasure. Evil lurks in dungeons and primeval forests, and even the smallest victory against it can tilt the cosmic balance away from oblivion.

\columnbreak

### Creating a Paladin
The most important aspect of a paladin character is the nature of his or her holy quest. Although the class features related to your oath don’t appear until you reach 3rd level, plan ahead for that choice by reading the oath descriptions at the end of the class. Are you a devoted servant of good, loyal to the gods of justice and honor, a holy knight in shining armor venturing forth to smite evil? Are you a glorious champion of the light, cherishing everything beautiful that stands against the shadow, a knight whose oath descends from traditions older than many of the gods? Or are you an embittered loner sworn to take vengeance on those who have done great evil, sent as an angel of death by the gods or driven by your need for revenge? The Gods of the Multiverse section lists many deities worshiped by paladins throughout the multiverse, such as Torm, Tyr, Heironeous, Paladine, Kiri-Jolith, Dol Arrah, the Silver Flame, Bahamut, Athena, Re-Horakhty, and Heimdall.

How did you experience your call to serve as a paladin? Did you hear a whisper from an unseen god or angel while you were at prayer? Did another paladin sense the potential within you and decide to train you as a squire? Or did some terrible event—the destruction of your home, perhaps—drive you to your quests? Perhaps you stumbled into a sacred grove or a hidden elven enclave and found yourself called to protect all such refuges of goodness and beauty. Or you might have known from your earliest memories that the paladin’s life was your calling, almost as if you had been sent into the world with that purpose stamped on your soul.

As guardians against the forces of wickedness, paladins are rarely of any evil alignment. Most of them walk the paths of charity and justice. Consider how your alignment colors the way you pursue your holy quest and the manner in which you conduct yourself before gods and mortals. Your oath and alignment might be in harmony, or your oath might represent standards of behavior that you have not yet attained.

\pagebreak

##### The Martial Paladin
| Level | Proficiency<br> Bonus | Features | Smites| Smite<br> Damage |Lay on<br> Hands
|:---:|:---:|:---|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| 1st | +2 | Divine Sense, Lay on Hands | - | -|5
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Smite, Smite the Enemy(d10), Sense Alignment | 2 |2d8| 10
| 3rd | +2 | Sacred Oath, Channel Divinity, Divine Health  | 2 |2d8| 15 
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 |2d8| 20
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 |3d8| 25
| 6th | +3 | Aura of Protection, Sanitizing Hands| 3 |3d8| 36
| 7th | +3 | Oath Feature| 3 |3d8| 42
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4|3d8 | 48
| 9th | +4 | Blessed Hands | 4 |4d8| 63
| 10th | +4 | Aura of Courage | 4|4d8 | 70
| 11th | +4 | Find Steed, Smite the Enemy(2nd choice) | 5 |4d8| 77
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5|4d8 | 84
| 13th | +5 | Smite the Enemy(d12) | 5 |5d8| 91
| 14th | +5 | Cleansing Hands |  5 |5d8| 112
| 15th | +5 | Oath Feature | 5 |5d8| 120
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |5d8| 128
| 17th | +6 | - | 6 |6d8| 136
| 18th | +6 | Raising Hands| 6|6d8 | 144
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 |6d8| 152
| 20th | +6 | Oath Feature | 6 |6d8| 160
</div>

#### Quick Build
You can make a paladin quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the noble background.

## Class Features
A Paladin gains the following class features.

#### Hit Points
**Hit Dice:** 1d10 per Paladin level<br>
**Hit Points at 1st Level:** 10 + your Constitution modifier<br>
**Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Paladin level after 1st

#### Proficiencies
**Armor:** All Armor, Shields<br>
**Weapons:** Simple weapons, Martial Weapons<br>
**Tools:** None<br>
**Saving Throws:** Wisdom, Charisma<br>
**Skills:** Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, and Religion <br>

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#### Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

- (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
- (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon
- (a) a priest’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
- Chain mail and a holy symbol

> ##### Optional Rule: Multiclassing
>     ***Ability Score Minimum.*** You must have Wisdom and Charisma scores of at least 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you are already a paladin.
>
> ***Proficiencies Gained.*** If paladin isn't your initial class, you gain proficiency in: all armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons and one skill from the class’s skill list.

\pagebreakNum

### Divine Sense
The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the *hallow* spell.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.

### Lay on Hands
Your blessed touch can heal wounds. You have a pool of healing power that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can restore a total number of hit points equal to your martial paladin level × 5.

As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.

Alternatively, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. You can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of Lay on Hands, expending hit points separately for each one.

This feature has no effect on undead and constructs.

### Smite
Starting at 2nd level, once per turn, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 and you may do this a number of times as shown in the smites column of the Martial Paladin class table. You regain these uses when you finish a short or long rest.

The damage of this smite increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Martial Paladin class table.

### Smite the Enemy
When you gain the Smite feature, you may choose an alignment that you designate as your opposing or enemy alignment. This alignment cannot share any alignment axis that you have. For example, a Lawful Good Paladin cannot take an opposing alignment containing either lawful or good.

Additionally, neutral alignments count on both axis so a Lawful Neutral Paladin cannot take an opposing alignment containing Lawful, nor Neutral on both the Good-Evil axis and the Lawful-Chaotic axis.

You may choose a second opposing alignment at 11th level.

If you change alignment and either axis of your new alignment matches your opposing alignment then you must immediately change your opposing alignment to one that is allowed.

When you use smite on a creature that belongs to your opposing alignment, the damage dice increase to d10's. This increases to d12's at 13th level.

\columnbreak

<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
### Sense Alignment
Also at 2nd level, when you use Divine Sense, you can sense the alignment of any creatures that you can see within 60ft provided that you pass a Charisma(Insight) check of DC 12.

### Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt	a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

#### Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

#### Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

#### Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

#### Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

### Divine Health
By 3rd level, the divine magic flowing through you makes you immune to disease.

\pagebreakNum

### Sacred Oath
When you reach 3rd level, you swear the oath that binds you as a paladin forever. Up to this time you have been in a preparatory stage, committed to the path but not yet sworn to it. Now you choose the Oath of Devotion detailed at the end of the class description or one from another source.

Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level. Those features include oath spells and the Channel Divinity feature.

### Channel Divinity
Your oath allows you to channel divine energy to fuel magical effects. Each Channel Divinity option provided by your oath explains how to use it.

When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which option to use. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again.

Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals <br> **8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma Modifier**

### Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

### Martial Versatility 
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to rangers. This replacement represents a shift of focus in your martial practice.

### Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

### Aura of Protection
Starting at 6th level, whenever you or a friendly creature within 10 feet of you must make a saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1). You must be conscious to grant this bonus.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

### Sanitizing Hands
At 6th level the pool of healing increases to your martial paladin level x 6, and you may spend 10 points to remove any one short term madness from a creature.

### Blessed Hands
At 9th level the pool of healing increases to your martial paladin level x 7, and you may spend 10 points to remove any one curse from a creature or item in the same way as the *Remove Curse* spell

### Aura of Courage
Starting at 10th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can’t be frightened while you are conscious.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

### Find Steed
By 11th level, you are able to summon a loyal steed to your side when you need it. You may cast the *find steed* spell at will.

### Cleansing Hands
At 14th level the pool of healing increases to your martial paladin level x 8 and you may spend 20 points to replicate the effects of a *Greater Restoration* spell

### Raising Hands
At 18th level, you may spend 50 points to replicate the effects of the *Revivify* spell

\pagebreakNum

# Paladin Oaths
## Oath of Devotion
The Oath of Devotion binds a paladin to the loftiest ideals of justice, virtue, and order. Sometimes called cavaliers, white knights, or holy warriors, these paladins meet the ideal of the knight in shining armor, acting with honor in pursuit of justice and the greater good. They hold themselves to the highest standards of conduct, and some, for better or worse, hold the rest of the world to the same standards. Many who swear this oath are devoted to gods of law and good and use their gods’ tenets as the measure of their devotion. They hold angels—the perfect servants of good—as their ideals, and incorporate images of angelic wings into their helmets or coats of arms.

##### TENETS OF DEVOTION
Though the exact words and strictures of the Oath of Devotion vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets.
- **Honesty.** Don’t lie or cheat. Let your word be your promise.
- **Courage.** Never fear to act, though caution is wise.
- **Compassion.** Aid others, protect the weak, and punish those who threaten them. Show mercy to your foes, but temper it with wisdom.
- **Honor.** Treat others with fairness, and let your honorable deeds be an example to them. Do as much good as possible while causing the least amount of harm.
- **Duty.** Be responsible for your actions and their consequences, protect those entrusted to your care, and obey those who have just authority over you.

\columnbreak

### Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

#### Sacred Weapon
As an action, you can imbue one weapon that you are holding with positive energy, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, you add your Charisma modifier to attack rolls made with that weapon (with a minimum bonus of +1). The weapon also emits bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light 20 feet beyond that. If the weapon is not already magical, it becomes magical for the duration.

You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you are no longer holding or carrying this weapon, or if you fall unconscious, this effect ends.

#### Turn the Unholy
As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring fiends and undead, using your Channel Divinity. Each fiend or undead 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 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.

### Enemy of the Unholy
You have advantage on all checks made to identify, assess and sense the alignment of fiends and undead.

### Aura of Devotion
Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can’t be charmed while you are conscious.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

### Purity of Spirit
Beginning at 15th level, you are always under the effects of a protection from evil and good spell.

### Holy Nimbus
At 20th level, as an action, you can emanate an aura of sunlight. For 1 minute, bright light shines from you in a 30-foot radius, and dim light shines 30 feet beyond that.

Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the bright light, the creature takes 10 radiant damage.

In addition, for the duration, you have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by fiends or undead.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

\pagebreakNum

# Other Oath Changes

## Oath of the Ancients

### Guardian of Nature
***Replaces Oath Spells***<br>
When you take this oath, you become the guardian of all things natural and so gain the ability to better understand and persuade the creatures of nature.

You have advantage on all handle animal and persuasion attempts made to increase the disposition of fey and wild beasts towards you.

In addition, friendly fey and wild beasts will always try to aid you, provided there is no danger posed directly to them in doing so.

## Oath of Vengeance

### Steel Will
***Replaces Oath Spells***<br>
When you take this oath, your desire for vengeance reinforces your will.

If a creature, that is under the effect of your vow of enmity, causes you to make a save against effects that cause the frightened, charmed or petrified condition, you have advantage on the save.

\pagebreakNum

THIS LICENSE IS APPROVED FOR GENERAL USE. PERMISSION TO DISTRIBUTE THIS LICENSE IS MADE BY WIZARDS OF THE COAST!<br>
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Righteousness comes from Will, not Magic
 
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 This was inspired by the Martial Ranger Class and applied to the Paladin Class 
 
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