©2016WizardsoftheCoastLLC

1

UnearthedArcana:Paladin

SacredOaths

At3rdlevel,apaladingainstheSacredOath
feature.Herearenewoptionsforthatfeature:
theOathofConquestandtheOathofTreachery.

PlaytestMaterial

Thematerialhereispresentedforplaytestingandto
sparkyourimagination.Thesegamemechanicsarein
draftform,usableinyourcampaignbutnotrefinedby
designiterationsorfullgamedevelopment.Theyare
notofficiallypartofthegame.Forthesereasons,

materialinthiscolumnisnotlegalinD&DAdventurers
Leagueevents.

OathofConquest

TheOathofConquestcallstopaladinswhoseek
gloryinbattleandthesubjugationoftheir
enemies.Itisn’tenoughforthesepaladinsto
establishorder.Theymustcrushtheforcesof
chaos.
Sometimescalledknighttyrantsoriron
mongers,thosewhoswearthisoathgatherinto
grimordersthatservegodsorphilosophiesof
warandwell-orderedmight.Someofthese
paladinsgosofarastoconsortwiththepowers
oftheNineHells.
ThearchdevilBel,warlordofAvernus,counts
manyofthesepaladins—calledhellknights—as
hismostardentsupporters.Hellknightscover
theirarmorwithtrophiestakenfromfallen
enemies,agrimwarningtoanywhodareoppose
themandthedecreesoftheirlords.

TenetsofConquest

Apaladinwhotakesthisoathhasthetenetsof
conquestsearedontheupperarm.Ahell
knight’soathappearsinInfernalrunes,abrutal
reminderofvowstotheLordsofHell.
DousetheFlameofHope.Itisnotenoughto
merelydefeatanenemyinbattle.Yourvictory
mustbesooverwhelmingthatyourenemies’
willtofightisshatteredforever.Abladecanend
alife.Fearcanendanempire.
RulewithanIronFist.Onceyouhave
conquered,toleratenodissent.Yourwordislaw.
Thosewhoobeyitshallbefavored.Thosewho
defyitshallbepunishedasanexampletoall
whomightfollow.

StrengthAboveAll.Youshallruleuntila
strongeronearises.Thenyoumustgrow
mightierandmeetthechallenge,orfalltoyour
ownruin.

OathSpells

Yougainoathspellsatthepaladinlevelslisted.

OathofConquestSpells

PaladinLevel Spells

3rd

armorofAgathys,command

5th

holdperson,spiritualweapon

9th

bestowcurse,fear

13th

blight,dominatebeast

17th

dominateperson,insectplague

ChannelDivinity

Whenyoutakethisoathat3rdlevel,yougain
thefollowingtwoChannelDivinityoptions.
ConqueringStrike.YoucanuseyourChannel
Divinitytobreakafoe’swill.Whenyouhita
creaturewithameleeweaponattackaspartof
theAttackaction,youcanalsouseyourChannel
DivinitytoforcethetargettomakeaWisdom
savingthrow.Onafailedsave,thetarget
becomesfrightenedofyoufor1minute.The
frightenedcreaturecanrepeatthissavingthrow
attheendofeachofitsturns,endingtheeffect
onitselfonasuccess.
GuidedStrike.YoucanuseyourChannel
Divinitytostrikewithsupernaturalaccuracy.
Whenyoumakeanattackroll,youcanuseyour
ChannelDivinitytogaina+10bonustotheroll.
Youmakethischoiceafteryouseetheroll,but
beforetheDMsayswhethertheattackhitsor
misses.

AuraofConquest

Startingat7thlevel,youemanateamenacing
aurawhileyou’renotincapacitated.Theaura
includesyourspace,extends10feetfromyouin
everydirection,andisblockedbytotalcover.
Anyenemyintheaurahasdisadvantageon
savingthrowsagainstbeingfrightened.
At18thlevel,therangeofthisauraincreases
to30feet.

ImplacableSpirit

Onceyoureach15thlevel,youcannolongerbe
charmed.

©2016WizardsoftheCoastLLC

2

InvincibleConqueror

At20thlevel,yougaintheabilitytoharness
extraordinarymartialprowess.Asanaction,you
canmagicallybecomeanavatarofconquest,
gainingthefollowingbenefitsfor1minute:

• Youhaveresistancetoalldamage.
• WhenyoutaketheAttackactiononyourturn,

youcanmakeoneadditionalattackaspartof
thataction.

• Yourmeleeweaponattacksscoreacriticalhit

onarollof19or20.

Onceyouusethisfeature,youcan’tuseitagain
untilyoufinishalongrest.

OathofTreachery

TheOathofTreacheryisthepathfollowedby
paladinswhohaveforswornotheroathsorwho
careonlyfortheirownpowerandsurvival.
Commonlyknownasblackguards,theseprofane
warriorsarefaithfulonlytothemselves.Anyone
desperateenoughtofollowoneofthesepaladins
doessobecause,whiledeceitful,thesepaladins
commandgreatpower.Thosewhofollowthem
withoutfallingpreytotheirtreacheryhopeto
indulgeinwantonviolenceandaccumulategreat
treasure.
Manyofthesepaladinspayhomagetodemon
lords,especiallyGrazz’tandOrcus.Eventhe
LordsofHellareloathtoallywiththese
championsofchaos,butsometimesBaalzebul
andGlasyafindakindredspiritinablackguard’s
penchantfordoubledealingandtreachery.

FallenPaladins

TheOathofTreacheryisanoptionforthepaladinwho
hasstrayedfromanotherSacredOathorwhohas
rejectedthetraditionalpaladinlife.Thisoptionexists
alongsidetheOathbreakerintheDungeonMaster’s
Guide.DMsarefreetouseeitheroptiontomodel
villainousorfallenpaladins.
Ifyouswitchtothisoathfromanotherone,replace

allofthepreviousoath’sfeatureswiththefeaturesof
thisone,andifyourenouncethisoath,replaceits
featureswiththefeaturesofthenewone.

TenetsofTreachery

ApaladinwhoembracestheOathofTreachery
owesallegiancetonoone.Therearenotenetsof
thisoath,foritlacksanysubstance.Thosewho
areunfortunateenoughtohaveclosecontact
withblackguardshaveobservedthata

blackguard’soverwhelmingconcernispower
andsafety,especiallyifbothcanbeobtainedat
theexpenseofothers.

OathSpells

Yougainoathspellsatthepaladinlevelslisted.

OathofTreacherySpells

PaladinLevel Spells

3rd

charmperson,expeditiousretreat

5th

invisibility,mirrorimage

9th

gaseousform,haste

13th

confusion,greaterinvisibility

17th

dominateperson,passwall

ChannelDivinity

Whenyoutakethisoathat3rdlevel,yougain
thefollowingtwoChannelDivinityoptions.
ConjureDuplicate.Asanaction,youcreatea
visualillusionofyourselfthatlastsfor1minute,
oruntilyouloseyourconcentration(asifyou
wereconcentratingonaspell).Theillusion
appearsinanunoccupiedspaceofyourchoice
thatyoucanseewithin30feetofyou.The
illusionlooksexactlylikeyou;itissilent;itis
yoursize,isinsubstantial,anddoesn’toccupyits
space;anditisunaffectedbyattacksand
damage.Asabonusactiononyourturn,youcan
movetheillusionupto30feettoaspaceyoucan
see,buttheillusionmustremainwithin120feet
ofyou.
Fortheduration,youcancastspellsasthough
youwereintheillusion’sspace,butyoumust
useyourownsenses.Additionally,whenboth
youandyourillusionarewithin5feetofa
creaturethatcanseetheillusion,youhave
advantageonattackrollsagainstthatcreature,
givenhowuncannytheillusionis.
PoisonStrike.YoucanuseyourChannel
Divinitytomakeaweapondeadlier.Asabonus
action,youtouchoneweaponorpieceof
ammunitionandconjureaspecialpoisononit.
Thepoisonlastsfor1minute.Thenexttimeyou
hitatargetwithanattackusingthatweaponor
ammunition,thetargettakespoisondamage
immediatelyaftertheattack.Thepoisondamage
equals2d10+yourpaladinlevel,or20+your
paladinlevelifyouhadadvantageontheattack
roll.

AuraofTreachery

Startingat7thlevel,youemanateanauraof
discord,whichgivesyouthefollowingbenefits.

©2016WizardsoftheCoastLLC

3

CulltheHerd.Youhaveadvantageonmelee
attackrollsagainstanycreaturethathasoneor
moreofitsallieswithin5feetofit.
TreacherousStrike.Ifacreaturewithin5feet
ofyoumissesyouwithameleeattack,youcan
useyourreactiontoforcetheattackertoreroll
thatattackagainstacreatureofyourchoicethat
isalsowithin5feetoftheattacker.Theability
failsandiswastediftheattackerisimmuneto
beingcharmed.
Youcanusethisabilitythreetimes.Youregain
expendedusesofitwhenyoufinishashortor
longrest.

Blackguard’sEscape

At15thlevel,youhavetheabilitytoslipaway
fromyourfoes.Immediatelyafteryouarehitby
anattack,youcanuseyourreactiontoturn
invisibleandteleportupto60feettoaspotyou
cansee.Youremaininvisibleuntiltheendof
yournextturnoruntilyouattack,dealdamage,
orforceacreaturetomakeasavingthrow.Once
youusethisfeature,youmustfinishashortor
longrestbeforeyoucanuseitagain.

IconofDeceit

At20thlevel,yougaintheabilitytoemanate
feelingsoftreachery.Asanaction,youcan
magicallybecomeanavatarofdeceit,gainingthe
followingbenefitsfor1minute:

• Youareinvisible.
• Ifacreaturedamagesyouonitsturn,itmust

succeedonaWisdomsavingthrow(DCequal
toyourspellsaveDC)oryoucontrolitsnext
action,providedthatyouaren’tincapacitated
whenittakestheaction.Acreature
automaticallysucceedsonthesaveifthe
creatureisimmunetobeingcharmed.

• Ifyouhaveadvantageonanattackroll,you

gainabonustoitsdamagerollequaltoyour
paladinlevel.

Onceyouusethisfeature,youcan’tuseitagain
untilyoufinishalongrest.