Paladin - Oath of Invention

by somanyrobots

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Paladin Oath

Oath of Invention

Some paladins believe more fervently in the march of progress than in any other cause. These warriors of tomorrow swear an oath to technology itself, and adopt as quickly as possible any new tools that promise to serve this oath. They festoon themselves in clockwork, adding mechanical flourishes to their equipment and becoming accomplished tinkerers in their own right.

The Oath of Invention is not inherently evil or good, but unscrupulous orders can bend it towards either end. Invention paladins often speak as if technological advancement is virtuous for its own sake, but this belief can lead to willful blindness about its costs. Almost all invention paladins require significant funding to fuel their obsession however; if they don't start from a background of wealth and privilege, they often aspire to one.

Tenets of Invention

Paladins of Invention swear to advance the cause of progress at all costs.

  • Fear Not Change. Progress is always to be embraced.
  • Abjure the Backward. Scorn and oppose those who would hold the world back.
  • Use the Tools. To experiment is noble, and discovery is divine.

Oath of Invention Features

Paladin Level Features
3rd Oath Spells, Channel Divinity
7th Aura of Progress
15th Wondrous Invention
20th Knight of Tomorrow

Oath of Invention Spells

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the table below. The spell counts as a paladin spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of paladin spells you can prepare.

Paladin Level Spells
3rd keen weaponS, seeking projectileK
5th dancing objectK, lightning chargedK
9th eruditionSDS, fireburst mineK
13th magnetic smiteS, repairK
17th alter metalS, voltaic pulseS

Spells marked with S were created by somanyrobots. Spells marked with SDS were created as part of the Spells That Don't Suck project. Spells marked with K were created by KibblesTasty and used with permission. All are linked in the Spell Sources appendix.

Channel Divinity

You gain the following two Channel Divinity options. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how Channel Divinity works.

Steam-powered Charge

You can use your Channel Divinity as a bonus action to empower one creature you can see within 30 feet with a surge of industrial power. The target's speed is increased by 30 feet until the end of its next turn. If it moves at least 20 feet on its turn and hits with a melee attack, it can expend all its remaining movement to power a mighty blow. The attack's target has to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, it falls prone and takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 for each 10 feet of movement expended, up to a maximum of 6d6. On a success, it takes half as much damage and does not fall prone.

A creature can't empower an attack with both Steam-powered Charge and Divine Smite at the same time.

Divine Inspiration

Over the course of at least 10 minutes, you can expend a use of your Channel Divinity to inspire a crafter (which may be yourself) in creating a wonder. You must stay within 15 feet of the crafter and channel for the entire duration of the craft, up to 2 hours. If you do so, the crafter can add your Charisma modifier to any checks required as part of that crafting process. If it rolls a 19 or 20 on its crafting check, it makes twice as much progress, creates twice as many items, or its craft otherwise has twice as powerful an effect.

In addition, anytime you use your Channel Divinity in this way, you gain proficiency in one set of artisan's tools of your choice. This proficiency lasts until the next time you use your Divine Inspiration.

If a crafting attempt doesn't involve a die roll at all, the crafter can roll a d20 just to determine this outcome. Your GM has final say if this effect would cause a problematic result. An extra healing potion is probably fine, but an extra artifact is definitely not.

Aura of Progress

Starting at 7th level, your faith in the future carries your comrades with you. Any time you gain a bonus to your movement speed or any temporary hit points, other creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you gain a bonus half as powerful. The bonus these creatures receive lasts until the end of your next turn regardless of the duration of your bonus.

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

Wondrous Invention

At 15th level, your capacity for invention enables you to make miraculous improvements to your armor and equipment. Over the course of 1 hour, you can apply one of the following effects to an item you possess:

  • Cleansing Coal. When you use your Steam-Powered Charge on a creature, it is cured of one condition as if you had cast lesser restoration on it.
  • Clockwork Armor. You add a series of elaborate gears, tubes, and devices to your armor to increase its durability, as long as it has an appropriate power supply. While you wear this armor, your speed is increased by 10 feet. As a bonus action, you can expend a spell slot to power it, gaining temporary hit points equal to 1d6 for each slot level.
  • Expandable Shield. You modify a shield to add spring-loaded panels. As a reaction before a creature within 5 feet of you would be hit by an attack, you can grant it half-cover, potentially causing the attack to miss. If the attack still hits, its damage is reduced by half your paladin level.

You can only make one of these modifications at a time, and other creatures cannot make use of any modifications. If you make another, any prior modifications cease to function.

Knight of Tomorrow

At 20th level, you can transform yourself to embody the technology you idolize. As an action, you can transform, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:

  • You can use your Steam-powered Charge without expending a use of your Channel Divinity.
  • You have advantage on saving throws against magical effects.
  • You have resistance to the first instance of damage you take on each of your turns.

You can transform in this way once, regaining the ability after a long rest.

Oath of Invention quirks

The following are some optional quirks for a player of this Oath to choose from.

d6 Quirk
1 You always polish your equipment and tools to a brilliant sheen.
2 You dream of enhancing your body itself through technology.
3 You are constantly fiddling with small metal tools.
4 You frequently make promises about technological development that turn out to be complete nonsense.
5 You like to add entirely decorative cogs to your equipment.
6 You sketch new inventions in your spare time.

Appendix 3: Spell Sources

Spells used are available in these collections, all of which are free to use and reference for any purpose.

  • Spells That Don't Suck is a set of spells by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots, creating replacements for problematic spells contained in first-party WotC materials. These are marked with SDS.
  • So Many Spells is a set of wholly original spells written by somanyrobots. These are marked with S.
  • Kibbles' Casting Compendium is the complete set of spells written by KibblesTasty. These are marked with K.

Change Log

v0.3

  • Replaced Transforming Weapon with Cleansing Coal

v0.2

  • Adjusted language in Divine Inspiration
  • Slightly adjusted Clockwork Armor

v0.1

  • Rough Draft
Credits & References:
Spells
  • Keen Weapon, Magnetic Smite, Alter Metal, and Voltaic Pulse by somanyrobots
  • Erudition by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots
  • Seeking Projectile, Dancing Object, Lightning Charged, Fireburst Mine, and Repair by KibblesTasty
Art

Knight of Obligation, by Ryan Barger © Wizards of the Coast LLC

Background Image Stains

Jared Ondricek

License

© 2025 somanyrobots, CC BY-NC 4.0

Includes spells from Kibbles' Casting Compendium 2.0 by KibblesTasty Homebrew LLC, which is licensed CC-BY and available here.

Includes spells from Spells That Don't Suck by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots, which is licensed CC-BY and available here.

Fan Content Policy

This work 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.

5E SRD Content

  • This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available here.

  • The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available here.