Paladin Sacred Oath: Oath of Absolution
While at first glance paladins of absolution may seem similar to knights of redemption, their methods are altogether more sinister, or simply more transactional, depending on who you ask. Acknowledging that to sin is to be mortal, these so-called Knights of Pain do not believe that wrongdoing should be met with damnation, only the appropriate amount of punishment. At their best, they are justiciars or vigilantes doling out cosmic justice beyond the bounds of mortal law; at their worst, they are enablers of crime and violence, offering absolution in return for pain.
| Paladin Level | Sacred Oath Features |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Tenets of Absolution, Channel Divinity |
| 7th | Aura of Pain |
| 15th | Personal Atonement |
| 20th | Beacon of Absolution |
Tenets of Absolution
- Balance: For every sin, there is an appropriate atonement; exact what price what you must to restore the cosmic balance, be it through good deeds or blood.
- Mercy: Take pity on the poor sinners whom mortal law punishes too harshly, and do what you can to help them atone properly; but remember that for some sins, the only atonement is death.
- Accountability: Hold yourself to the same standards to which you hold the sinners you preside over; to sin is to be mortal, to atone is to be absolved.
Oath Spells
3rd-level Absolution feature
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Armour of Agathys, Bane |
| 5th | Hold Person, Mind Spike |
| 9th | Life Transference, Vampiric Touch |
| 13th | Fire Shield, Raulothim’s Psychic Lance |
| 17th | Enervation, Immolation |
Channel Divinity
3rd-level Absolution feature
You gain the following 2 channel divinity options.
- Searing Forgiveness: As an action, you present your holy symbol and invoke a contract of absolution for the sin of violence. For 1 minute, or until you end this effect as a bonus action on your turn, any creature that causes you to take damage through an attack or spell, immediately takes radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 damage); a creature can take this damage no more than once per turn. At the end of each of your turns while this Channel Divinity is active, you also suffer this damage if you dealt damage to a creature other than yourself that turn (dealing damage via this feature does not count).
- Clean Slate: As an action, you touch a creature and cleanse it of its corruption; if the creature is unwilling, you must succeed on a melee spell attack against it for this ability to take effect. All curses affecting the creature end, as well as any effect causing it to be charmed, blinded, deafened, frightened, or poisoned. For each curse and effect purged in this manner, either you or the target (your choice) takes 1d6 necrotic damage.
Aura of Pain
7th-level Absolution feature
You emit a magical aura that enhances pain in a 10-foot radius around you; all the better to achieve proper absolution. When you deal damage to a creature in this aura, its movement speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
The radius of this aura is increased to 30 feet when you reach 18th level.
Personal Atonement
15th-level Absolution feature
You revel in all opportunities to atone for your own transgressions. Immediately after taking damage, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Beacon of Absolution
20th-level Absolution feature
You can become a humble beacon of divine punishment. As an action, you present your holy symbol and kneel in prayer, gaining the following effects for 1 minute or until you end this ability early as an action:
- Your speed is reduced to 0, and you cannot take actions or bonus actions, except the action to end this effect.
- The amount of temporary hit points you gain from Personal Atonement is increased by your level.
- All friendly creatures within 30 feet of you trigger the movement reduction of Aura of Pain when damaging creatures in the aura.
- If a creature attacks you, friendly creatures within 30 feet of you may choose to use their reaction to make a weapon attack against it.
- If you use your Channel Divinity: Searing Forgiveness, its effects extend to all friendly creatures within 30 feet of you, as if they themselves had used it.
Once you have used this feature, you may not do so again until you have finished a long rest.