Paladin Week: New Magic Items for Paladins in D&D 5e
image credit: Yanmo Zhang
Check out these new homebrew paladin-oriented magic items for D&D 5e!
Armor of Command
Magic Armor (any medium or heavy), Rare, requires attunement by a paladin or cleric
A set of +1 armor that shines dimly with divine light when it deflects a blow. A paladin or cleric attuned to the armor can use their Channel Divinity to cause the armor to shine brightly with divinity, calling to a creature to submit to its power. You may force a creature that can see and hear you within 80 ft. to make a CHA saving throw with a DC equal to your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature drops to their knees and bows to you in submission until your next turn. Regardless of the result of the saving throw, the creature takes 2d8 psychic damage.
Belt of the Sacred Mount
Wondrous Item (waist), Rare, requires attunement by a paladin
A leather belt with plates of steel every few inches. The belt buckle depicts a golden horse's head. When the wearer summons a creature with the Find Steed spell, the creature gains a bonus to attacks, damage, and AC equal to the wearer's proficiency modifier.
Boots of Enmity
Wondrous Item (feet), Uncommon, requires attunement by an Oath of Vengeance Paladin
Boots that are of patterned reddish brown leather with steel toes that look like a hellish church gargoyle. An Oath of Vengeance paladin attuned to these boots may spend a bonus action to teleport to a space adjacent to a creature currently targeted by their Vow of Enmity ability, provided the creature is on the same plane of existence and within 60 ft. of the paladin.
Compelling Weapon
Magic Weapon (any martial), Uncommon, requires attunement by a paladin
A compelling weapon is gaudy and covered in fine metals and gems and is slightly larger than an average weapon of its type. It deals a bonus 2 psychic damage with each hit. When the weapon scores a critical hit, the weapon casts Compelled Duel on the creature hit. Creatures immune to the charmed condition are immune to this effect.
Corrupted Gauntlets
Magic Item (hands), Rare, requires attunement by a paladin
A set of iron and chain gauntlets with fingerplates that look like sharp dragon scales. It gleams with sickening iridescence. A paladin attuned to the gauntlets can make a melee spell attack against a creature. If the attack hits, the paladin may spend any number of points from their hit point pool for their Lay on Hands ability to deal an equal amount of necrotic damage to the creature touched. You may spend 5 points at once to poison the creature for 1 minute in addition to any damage you dealt. The creature can attempt a CON saving throw with a DC equal to your spell save DC to negate this effect.
Crown of Radiance
Magic Item (head), Rare, requires attunement by a paladin
A simple golden band studded with glowing orange gems that rests on one's head at about forehead height. This item's magic adds 10 ft. to the radius of your Aura of Courage, Aura of Protection, and Aura of Hate (if Oathbreaker paladin). This item also increases the radius of auras generated by spells such as Aura of Life, Aura of Purity, and Aura of Vitality.
Divine Storm Pauldrons
Magic Item (shoulders), Rare, requires attunement by a paladin
A set of heavy metal shoulder guards that have stylized lightning bolt motifs segmented by faux rope fashioned of bronze. You may spend an action to deal 8d6 lightning damage to all creatures you designate within a 30 ft. radius centered on you. Creatures that succeed at a DC 16 DEX saving throw take only half of this damage. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. In addition, your Aura of Courage, Aura of Protection, and Aura of Hate (if Oathbreaker paladin) are suppressed until you finish a long rest.
Gauntlets of Divine Shielding
Magic Item (hands), Rare, requires attunement by a paladin
A set of bronze gauntlets that are warm to the touch, and surround themselves in a sphere of white light when used. When the attuned paladin uses their Lay on Hands ability on a creature, they may instead grant them a shield that absorbs an amount of damage equal to three times the points spent for the Lay on Hands ability. This shield disappears once it has absorbed all of the hit points it can handle, or at the start of the paladin's next turn.
Glove of Cowardice
Magic Item (hands), Uncommon, requires attunement by a paladin
A single silver gauntlet that has a relief of a face wracked in pain on the backhand plate; a depiction of a suffering sinner in the afterlife. A paladin attuned to the glove may spend 5 points from their hit point pool for their Lay on Hands ability and touch an adjacent creature. That creature must make a DC 14 WIS saving throw or become frightened of the paladin for 1d4+1 rounds. The creature may make a new save at the start of each of its turns to end this effect.
Greaves of the Mounting Heavens
Wondrous Item (feet), Rare, requires attunement
A pair of steel greaves with patterns representing the layers of the plane of Celestia. You gain a +4 bonus to skill checks and saving throws against spells, abilities, and other effects that would knock you prone.
Helm of the Smiting Glare
Wondrous Item (head), Rare, requires attunement by a paladin
This shiny bucket helm has etched lines emanating from the eye slits. Use your Channel Divinity as an action to fire a ray of energy from the helmet's eye slits, dealing energy damage to a single creature within 60 ft. of you that you can see. The creature can make a DEX saving throw to halve this damage. The save DC is equal to your spell save DC. The damage dealt is based on your alignment (see below). The damage dice stack with one another for a total of 6d10 damage.
Evil: 3d10 necrotic damage.
Good: 3d10 radiant damage
Chaotic: 3d10 fire damage
Lawful: 3d10 cold damage.
Neutral: 3d10 force damage.
Lance of the Blessed Beast
Magic Weapon (lance), Very Rare, requires attunement by a paladin
A +1 lance that is fashioned to look like a giant, stylized unicorn's horn. The hand guard is adorned with white horsehair. When the wielder of this weapon travels at least 20 feet straight toward a target before attacking that target with the lance, the weapon deals a bonus 2d8 radiant damage and the creature hit must make a DC 15 STR saving throw to resist being knocked prone. In addition, critical hits with the lance heal the wielder for 2d4 hit points.
Maul of Radiant Echoes
Magic Weapon (maul), Very Rare, requires attunement by a paladin
A heavy +1 maul that emanates pulsing waves of holy energy from its head. One end of the head is flat while the other is a mass of carefully overlapped metal triangles pointing away from the flat end. A paladin attuned to the maul uses their divine smite ability against a creature, up to one creature adjacent to their foe takes an amount of damage equal to half the damage dealt by their divine smite.
Medallion of Authority
Wondrous Item (neck), uncommon, requires attunement by a paladin or cleric
A gleaming medal that takes the form of a universal symbol of your deity and purpose. As such, it looks different for each person that attunes to it. You gain advantage on intimidation checks against creatures that are diametrically opposed to your alignment (lawful-good's opposite is chaotic-evil, neutral-good's opposite is neutral-evil, etc.), and gain advantage on persuasion checks against creatures that have the same alignment as you. If you have a true neutral alignment this item has no effect.
Savior's Cape
Wondrous Item (back), uncommon, requires attunement by a paladin or cleric
This royal purple brocade cape is decorated with embroidered with the written beauty of the Celestial language in gold trimmed by floral embellishments. You may use your Channel Divinity as a reaction to instantly teleport a single willing ally you can see within 60 ft. of you to a space adjacent to you.
Shield of Divine Spellwarding
Magic Armor (shield), Very Rare, requires attunement by a 14th level paladin
A +1 kite shield of mirror-like platinum emblazoned with a holy symbol. The shield is embellished with a gold rim and tassels of golden thread. You may expend one use of your Cleansing Touch ability to cast Counterspell against a spell that would affect you or at least one ally within 10 ft. of you.
A paladin is the archetypal hero class. They are often lawful good and do not use underhanded tactics to win battles, only their skill, mettle, and the holy power of their deity to help them hit really hard. It should make a good paladin uncomfortable to be sneaking around in the dark or taking out a guard from behind. Most players forget this and often just play along with the party's plans. While yes, this is mechanically favorable in D&D to sneak up on enemies, this isn't what the paladin is all about. The paladin meets foes loudly, honorably, and on equal terms. It makes for interesting roleplaying situations with the party, with NPCs, and even with enemies.
Paladins as a class are without a doubt the best suited for roleplaying. They even have a set of rules depending on your chosen Oath for how you should play your character: your Vows. The vows are listed in the Players Handbook and restrict what the paladin can and can't do. Always play this up and use it to develop your character. How does your character feel about your vows? Are there some that you adhere to better than others? Is sticking to them at all a burden for you? Whenever a test of your vows comes up in a game, it should always be a big deal for you. It's a moment that defines what the future holds for your character. If you fail at your vows, you may start on a path away from the paladin class, or potentially even an oathbreaker paladin!
Please note, however, that having vows doesn't mean you have to root out all the evil in the playgroup and slay them. Paladins can work with less-than-reputable characters and still not break their vows. They could even hope to change such characters' ways over time through example. Come up with a reason to work with a player if their character is overtly evil. This is meant to be a cooperative game, so you will need them! And minor evils are nothing to get worked up about. Remember, you may have taken these vows but your allies didn't!
If you don't like some of your vows, try inventing some of your own! Just make sure that you run them by your DM and that each vow sets a real boundary for your character. Make them something that you know will come up in-game. "Be a murder hobo" is not a good vow. "Show no mercy to the wicked" is a good vow because now you cannot ever save a bad guy, even if you need information from them or a favor from them!
Playing a paladin mean no one will ever die easily while you are conscious. Every point of Lay on Hands in your pool of HP can stabilize a dying creature in a pinch, and neither diseases nor poison will ever harm you or your party for more than a day. Paladins are also ridiculously powerful in terms of damage, able to burst down big creatures with only a spell slot or two. However, the real guesswork with a paladin comes from rationing your resources. If you spend all of your Lay on Hands points in one go, a single poison, disease, or death saving throw can drastically harm your party. If you use too many Divine Smites, you lose the utility offered by your spells. To capitalize on the paladin's abilities, you want to carefully decide when healing is necessary. As long as you keep players above a one-hit KO, you won't waste your turn and theirs to revive them. Remember to use special attacks like Shove or Grapple to save on some of your crowd-controlling spells later. Don't waste smites or spell slots on weak creatures. You are a paladin! Save your divine smites for powerful fiends and undead!
Oh and stay close to your low-WIS allies (fighters, barbarians, and arcane spellcasters) with your auras of anti-fear, anti-charm, and saving throw bonuses. Your mere presence can aid those currently at their weakest, whether you stand in the thick of battle or on the sidelines protecting the casters. The safest place for anybody in your party is at your side.
As a DM:
Dealing with paladins that grind the game to a halt.
As a minor warning, some paladins can bring the game to a grinding halt by following their vows to the letter and forcing their vows upon others. Remember, in this edition paladins cannot detect the alignment of regular people. This is a huge help because now potentially evil players can play alongside good paladins without turning the campaign into a PvP slugfest. Paladins that still want to try and do this will often try to make Insight checks to determine whether a PC's alignment or actions are evil. Don't let them do this forever until they succeed. Only offer this check when the paladin witnesses a player committing an evil act. Otherwise, that's just prejudiced. Maybe the wizard is just going through a goth phase. That doesn't mean you can just "Insight" that they are evil by looking at them. Don't let the paladin break your game and be the moderator you have to be. On the flipside, don't let evil players get away with anything and everything, either. Occasional group tension is actually good for character development. Just make sure all parties are aware it's intended purpose.
To challenge a paladin is merely a matter of endurance. Since most of playing a paladin is resource management, long drawn-out dungeons or periods without rest will force a paladin to either get creative or risk running out of steam before the final boss. Another simple way to challenge them is to give them swarms of weaker creatures. It will usually be fun, at the time, to romp through hordes of kobolds and smashing them with a hammer, but if the paladin is managing their spells and abilities wisely, it will start to wear upon them as they start to take hits here and there.
Challenge a paladin's roleplaying ability is with a moral quandary every now and then. Put some evildoers in danger from a greater evil. Depending on the paladin's vows, they may either be required to save them or let them die. Make sure there are tangible consequences on both sides of the coin. Take note of your paladin character's vows and make sure your moral tests specifically challenge those vows. If they follow their vows, there will be consequences. It should be obvious for a player, mechanically, to follow their vows. That's how you're supposed to play a paladin. If there is a downside to following their vows this time, then the decision won't be so clear. This will make them work hard for it: Do they follow their vows and cause harm to the party or their mission? Or do they break their vows and need to atone? If atonement is a-ok for your player, then add consequences to both sides of a moral quandary until it starts to actually become difficult.
Moreover, make sure that the paladin grows with every moral test. When they encounter a new one, remind them what they did with the last moral test and how that turned out. They will be forced to think even harder each time, eventually becoming a hardened paladin that follows their vows without question or else falling, either becoming an oathbreaker paladin or simply multiclassing into a new class.
image credit: Michael Phillippi, from the Stormwrack D&D 3.5e supplement
Oath of the Seas
A paladin that takes the oath of the seas is a protector of the ocean and all its inhabitants and visitors. In a broader sense, the paladin also believes in clarity, purity, and freedom: all aspects of the blessed water of the River Oceanus that runs through the good-aligned Outer Planes. Such paladins often worship sea deities and either work in service of their temples or go on quests over the seas and in coastal towns.
This knight of the waves has abilities that deal with water, ice, storms, and sea creatures. While suited for seaborne campaigns, they also can be an asset in less ocean-focused games. They have many ways to affect combat without even a drop of water in sight, and are actually quite versatile. That said, they can use their Channel Divinity abilities to bring the ocean to them if need be.
Vows:
I am tranquil as the ocean and do not let my emotions interfere with my divine mission.
Those who threaten the freedoms granted by the sea, or the freedoms of others, must be stopped.
Travelers, especially those of the sea, deserve your kindness and protection.
Evil can and must be cleansed like water to a wound.
Oath Spells:
Channel Divinity: You gain the following two Channel Divinity options:
Call Storm: You cause wind, rain, hail, and fog to fill a 20 ft. radius area for 1 minute. Creatures in the area treat it as difficult terrain and take 1d6 bludgeoning damage when they start their turn in the area.
Call Water: You summon a mass of water equal to about 4 five-foot cubes or about a 8 spaces of waist-deep water, causing difficult terrain. At higher levels you can call more water. At level 9, you summon 9 five-foot cubes of water, or 18 spaces of waist-deep water. At level 16, you summon 16 five-foot cubes of water, or 32 spaces of waist-deep water.
Aspect of the Seas: At 7th level, you can call upon different aspects of the sea. You can change which aspect you invoke using an Action. The aspect remains active as long as you are conscious. Aspects that require saving throws have a DC equal to your spell save DC.
Crashing Wave Aspect: The force of your attacks have a chance to knock enemies backward. Creatures you hit with melee attacks must make a STR saving throw or be knocked backward 5 ft. Your attempts to Shove creatures away from you shove them 10 ft. away instead of 5 ft. while this aspect is active.
Dire Current Aspect: You cause a creature to feel a strong force pulling them towards you. At the start of each of your turns, choose a creature you can see within 60 ft. of you. That creature has their movement speed doubled when moving toward you and halved when moving away from you.
Whipping Winds Aspect: You gain the benefits of a Warding Wind spell (Elemental Evil) with a smaller radius encircling only your space.
Tempest Aspect: Your weapon becomes a +1 weapon crackling with electricity. Critical hits strike your foe with a bolt of lightning, dealing a bonus 1d8 lightning damage to the creature hit, as well as 1d8 thunder damage to all enemies within a 10 ft. radius of the creature hit. Such a lightning bolt can be heard for up to a 240 ft. radius.
Tide Master Aspect: You can breathe underwater, gain a swim speed equal to your movement speed +10, and do not have disadvantage on melee attacks when fighting underwater.
Seafriend: At 15th level, you can cast Animal Friendship and Speak with Animals on sea creatures at will. You also gain the ability to cast Find Familiar but only to summon a crab, fish, octopus, or sea horse familiar.
Wrath of the Ocean Gods: At 20th level, you can create magical tentacles that you can control. Eight tentacles erupt from the ground, walls, and/or ceiling at locations you designate, taking up about a five-foot space in diameter each. When you use this ability, each tentacle attempts to grapple a Large or smaller creature within 15 ft. of it that you designate the turn that they appear. The tentacles each have a grapple bonus equal to your proficiency bonus + your CHA modifier + 2. A grappled creature becomes restrained and can only end the effect with a successful grapple check on its turn. The tentacles remain for up to 1 minute using your concentration. You may use your bonus action to command up to three of the tentacles to either make a grapple attempt against a creature within 15 ft. or to constrict a grappled creature, dealing 4d6+your CHA modifier damage.
image credit: Dragonknight by notLeon
Oath of the Dragonlord
Vows:
You pledge your unyielding loyalty to either Bahamut (god of justice) or Tiamat (goddess of tyranny). You serve their deity’s dogma and the whims of their progeny, either metallic dragons (Bahamut) or chromatic dragons (Tiamat).
Bahamut
You are chivalrous. You obey the laws of the land, the rules of honor, and respect righteous innocence.
You help protect those who are weak and guide them to become strong enough to defeat the forces of evil.
You seek out and destroy oppressive regimes and those who would subjugate or dominate others.
Tiamat
You strive to be the most powerful that you can be to serve Tiamat and enforce her whims.
You seek to dominate the weak, toppling rulers and replacing them with an iron grip of your own.
You seek wealth and treasure in all its forms, but your riches are pledged solely to Tiamat.
Oath Spells:
Channel Divinity: You gain the following two Channel Divinity options:
Dominion of the Dragon: You mark a single creature with the indomitable eye of your dragonlord. That creature must make a CHA save. On a failed save, that creature gains disadvantage on all attacks made against you for 1 minute.
Fear the Dragonlord: You cause a creature that can see you to make a WIS save. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened of you for up to 1 minute, making a new save each round to end the effect.
Dragonlord's Blessing: At 7th level, you gain immunity to one energy type of your choice from the following: acid, cold, fire, or lightning. In addition, weapons you wield are treated as magical and deal a bonus 1d4 damage of that same energy type. In addition, you may change the damage type of your Divine Smite ability to the chosen energy type at will.
Dragon Flight: At 15th level, you can leap into the air at will and manifest draconic wings formed from divine light at will. You gain a fly speed of 60 ft. When you cast the Find Steed spell, the mount you summon gains a fly speed of 80 ft in addition to its other abilities and takes on a scaled, quasidraconic appearance.
Roar of the Dragonlord: At 20th level, you can use your action to unleash a great roar that has different effects whether you serve Bahamut or Tiamat. The saving throws use your spell save DC for their difficulty class. Once you use this ability it cannot be used again until you finish a long rest.
Bahamut: A 60 ft. cone of white energy emanates from your mouth. Creatures caught in the cone take 17d6 cold damage, or half that much if they succeed at a DEX save. Creatures slain by this damage are turned to dust. In addition, creatures within 120 ft. that can hear your roar must make a CON save or become deafened for 1 minute.
Tiamat: Five 30 ft. lines of energy surge outward from you, each one pointing in a direction that you choose. Each line deals 13d6 damage of a different damage type (acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison). Creatures that succeed at a DEX save take half this damage. You choose which line deals which damage type. Creatures in the area of multiple lines of energy are only affected by one of your choice. In addition, each creature within 120 ft. that can hear your roar must make a WIS save or become frightened for 1 round.
image credit: Skulking Knight by rk post
Oath of Madness
The Oath of Madness paladins are not born. Instead, they are nurtured by an eldritch being from the Far Realms. Perhaps they were once visited by an emissary of such a creature, or perhaps they witnessed a tainted vision. Whatever the catalyst, the paladin vows to uphold the tenets of madness as instructed by their foul lord. The true purpose of these knights of delirium is unknown, but it is certainly sinister. The world will tremble when their insane patrons reveal their intent.
The knight of delirium specializes in sowing insanity in others' minds. They have greater crowd control abilities than other paladins but less combat potential than other oaths.
Vows:
You spread madness and insanity wherever you can. Those who you are unable to show the "truth" of delirium deserve to suffer.
Those who are themselves mad deserve your mercy and care.
You seek to topple the pillars of order. You upend class systems, disband organizations, and remove leadership by any means.
Power bows only to greater power, and the entities of the Far Realms are the greatest powers in the multiverse.
Oath Spells:
Channel Divinity: You gain the following two Channel Divinity options:
Maddening Touch: Your touch dizzies the mind of a creature, causing them to see maddening visions for 1 minute. The creature must make a WIS saving throw at the start of each of its turns or else do one of the following at random for the rest of that turn instead of their intended action:
Attack a random creature within 5 ft. of them
Become frightened of a random creature it can see
Become stunned
Fall prone
Evil Eye: Choose a creature that can see you and that you can see. That creature must make a CHA saving throw or else become cursed with a warping deformity, halving its speed and imposing disadvantage on all saving throws, ability checks, and attack rolls involving STR or DEX. The creature can make a new save at the start of each of its turns to end the effect. The curse wears off on its own after 1 minute.
Form of Madness: At 7th level, your time serving the Far Realms has corrupted your form, giving you a horrific appearance. You gain advantage on Intimidation checks against non-Aberration creatures. Then choose one of the following. Any saving throws use your spell save DC for the DC.
Aberrant Skin: Your skin becomes slimy, discolored, and disgusting. Creatures who come within 5 ft. of you must make a CON saving throw with a DC of 12 or become poisoned until their next turn. Creatures who succeed at this save become immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Intelligent Growth: You grow a visible tumor, extra eye, or extra malformed head. Your INT score increases by 2 and you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Nature, Arcana, Religion, or History.
Vestigial Wings: You have a set of useless alien wings. You can easily make vertical jumps of 20 feet and leap across gaps of 30 ft. You take half damage from falling.
Aboleth Visage: Your head lengthens to accommodate your three eyes which are now arranged vertically. A few small, useless tentacles droop from your arms and torso. You can use your action to charm a creature into not attacking you for up to 1 minute. Only one such creature can be charmed in this way at a time. WIS negates. You can also breathe underwater.
Beholder Visage: Your eyes grow into eyestalks and several other eyes grow in random places all over your body. Your teeth grow into sharp points. You cannot become flanked and gain advantage on Perception checks involving sight.
Chuul Visage: Your body is covered in a crustaceous exoskeleton and you grow several vestigial crab claws from your abdomen. Your mouth becomes a mass of thin red tentacles. You gain a +2 bonus to grapple attempts and rolls to maintain a grapple. You can also breathe underwater.
Cloaker Visage: Your mouth is locked in a permanent frown filled with sharklike teeth that dominates most of your white face save for your red eyes. You grow a cape of fleshy skin. You can bellow an unsettling moan that gives creatures within 60 ft. of you disadvantage on saves against effects that could cause them to become frightened.
Grell Visage: You become bald and the gyri of your brain bulge through your scalp. Your mouth grows a beak. Long thin tentacles drape from your torso. You may use your action to attempt to stun a creature within 5 ft. for 1 round using your paralytic tentacles. CON negates.
Illithid Visage: Your mouth sprouts four tentacles around it and your eyes sink in. Your hands grow into wicked claws. You may use your action to attempt to stun a creature with a weak targeted mind blast within 15 ft. for 1 round. WIS negates.
Neogi Visage: Your torso is covered in thick bristles and your legs turn into insectoid unguligrade legs. Your head and neck grow long and eel-like. You gain a bite attack with Reach that deals 1d4+STR damage and the creature hit must make a CON saving throw or have its speed reduced by 10 for 1d3+1 rounds. A creature can only be under the effects of one instance of this poison at a time.
Teachings of the Mad Gods: At 15th level, you deal a bonus 1d6 damage on melee attacks against creatures that are under the effects of an enchantment or illusion spell or under the effects of your Evil Eye, Maddening Touch, or Lord of Madness abilities.
Lord of Madness: At 20th level, you can become a form of living, contagious insanity for up to one minute once per day. Each round, you can attempt to physically leap inside the mind of a creature within 30 ft. of you or the creature you currently inhabit (a successful WIS saving throw negates). While inside of a creature's mind, you use your CHA modifier for your attacks instead of STR or DEX. You are invulnerable to outside attacks and all damage you deal is dealt as psychic damage. A creature inhabited this way is treated as if under the effects of a Confusion spell while you remain inside of them. The creature must make a WIS saving throw to expel you from their mind, which can be made once at the start of each of their rounds. You can leave an inhabited creature at any time during your turn. If a creature would die or fall unconscious while inhabited this way, you are automatically forced out of the creature's mind. If a Modify Memory or Feeblemind spell is cast upon a creature you inhabit, you must also save against the spell or be instantly killed, leaving behind no body.
image credit: Franz Vohwinkel, from Complete Scoundrel D&D 3.5e supplement
Oath of the Gray Guard
Some paladins decide that their vows are too restrictive in the pursuit of good and justice. They seek a new oath to fight the good fight. A paladin who takes this oath is a part of a secret order of knights known as the Gray Guard. They fight to bring justice to evildoers and fight for the common good no matter the cost, sometimes breaking their vows to do so. The loss of one innocent life to save the lives of many is something that a Gray Guardian must live with to do the right thing. Gray Guards also seek out corruption in those who claim to be good, including other paladins or clerics. This makes the order frowned upon by most other holy orders, but the Gray Guards believe in the hard truth of their ways.
The Gray Guard specializes in hunting down sinners and is less restricted by their vows with an assortment of spells that most paladins would turn their noses at. They are almost like ranger/wizard/paladin hybrids, and the definition of “lawful-good doesn’t mean lawful-nice”
Vows:
Choose another set of paladin vows and add the following:
You will do anything it takes to bring someone to justice, even if it means sometimes breaking your vows or morals.
You seek out and destroy corruption wherever it hides, especially in those who abuse their position or their sanctity.
Oath Spells:
Channel Divinity: You gain the following two Channel Divinity options:
Justice Blade: You can spend a bonus action to charge your weapon so that your next attack that hits within 1 minute deals a bonus 3d10 radiant damage.
Painful Touch: You can use an action to cause a creature you touch to feel great pain for up to 1 minute or until you dismiss it or fall unconscious. That creature must make a CON saving throw to negate the effect. On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on all attacks and saving throws for the duration.
Unbound Justice: At 7th level, you double your proficiency bonus to the Deception and Intimidation skills. If you are not proficient one or both of these skills, you gain proficiency in the skills you do not have instead.
Righteous Fervor: At 15th level, whenever the paladin slays a creature that was dealt damage by their Divine Smite or Justice Blade the paladin gains a +1 bonus to attacks sand saving throws for one minute.
Sacrament of the True Faith: At 20th level, you can channel your inner purity of judgement to traverse the shadows without becoming corrupted. This effect lasts for 1 minute. Each round, you may use a bonus action to teleport up to 60 feet to a shadow you can see. If the room is dark, you may teleport to any location within the darkness of the room. In addition, your next attack made that round after teleporting has advantage and you deal a bonus 2d8+CHA radiant damage on the attack as the foe is bombarded with visions of their sins and their tormented destiny in the afterlife. Once you use this ability, it cannot be used again until you finish a long rest.
This creature is a demon that hunts Angels and other celestials. It has many abilities that help it do so, but the abilities also make it a nightmare for paladin to face, despite having so many anti-fiend spell and abilities. It’s resistant to radiant damage, which undercuts a paladin’s main type of damage from its Divine Smite. Its sword also curses its victims with halved magical healing, making paladins have to spend more for their Lay on Hands ability. As for angel-bane abilities, we have its Fell Gaze which disables flight and debuffs the target. Perfect for bringing angels down to its level. It can also see through the disguises of creatures like the Deva with its true sight. Among its spells are lightning-based spells for smiting its flying foes when outnumbered, and a Plane Shift spell to get to the planes where angels can be found. It also has Invisibility in its repertoire but that is mostly for sneaking around the good-aligned planes undetected.
I would imagine that these creatures would work in service of demon lords as assassins. If a celestial catches wind of a demon lord’s plans in the material plane, angels will be dispatched to thwart it. If a demon lord suspects this, a Halo Hunter will be sent to join the landing party and work in the shadows while hunting for celestials. They will most commonly be found on the borders between good and evil planes where fiend-angel battles are common.
Resistances: radiant, cold, fire, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons.
Immunities: poison, lightning
Condition Immunities: poisoned
Languages: Common, Abyssal, Celestial
Magic Resistance: The halo hunter has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
True Sight: The Halo Hunter sees things as they really are. It can see through illusions, magical darkness, and see polymorphed or shapechanged creatures as their original form.
Fell Gaze: At the start of the Halo Hunter’s turn, it can direct its gaze at a creature it can see within 120 ft. That creature must make a DC 18 CON saving throw or gain disadvantage on all attacks against the Halo Hunter until it moves its gaze. In addition, the Halo Hunter suppresses that creature’s ability to fly through any magical and nonmagical means while under the effects of its Fell Gaze.
Actions:
Multiattack: The Halo Hunter makes two attacks with its Gehennan Greatsword and one with its Tail Whip.
Gehennan Greatsword: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (4d6+10) slashing damage. Creatures hit by the Gehennan Greatsword become resistant to magical healing, only healing half as much as they normally would. This effect can only be removed by a Remove Curse or similar spell.
Tail Whip: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (3d12+10) slashing damage.
New paladin spells! These spells are designed to keep the feel of the paladin by summoning mounts, charging into battle, smiting foes, punishing the wicked, and saving the innocent. Some also work very well for clerics so some of these spells can also be added to a cleric's spell list (as noted in the description).
image credit: Andead
Blinding Wall
4th level conjuration Paladin and Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 5 rounds
Components: V
You conjure a wall of radiant energy that pulses with blinding light. The wall itself is intangible but tests the wills of those who wish to pass through it. You can summon either a 30 ft. wall or a 15 ft. radius sphere with the blinding daylight focused on one side of the wall that you designate. Creatures within 40 ft. of the wall in its light that can see it must make a CON saving throw when the wall is summoned and whenever they look at the wall. On a failed save, the creature becomes blinded for 1 minute. Creatures that make this saving throw must either look away from the wall or else cover their eyes (blinding them) while facing the wall. Creatures attempting to pass through the wall must succeed at a WIS saving throw or else take 3d4 radiant damage and 3d4 psychic damage
Bolster Steed
3rd level enchantment Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 hour
Components: V, S
You enchant a creature summoned by Find Steed spell, fueling it with divine power and giving it some sort of enhanced visual features you choose. The creature gains a bonus to its AC, attacks, and damage equal to your CHA modifier for the duration and its maximum HP is increased by an amount equal to your CHA modifier times 5.
Bolster Aura
2nd level enchantment Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V
You improve the holy power granted by your Aura of Protection and Aura of Courage abilities. For the spell's duration, you Aura of Protection now also grants a bonus to AC equal to your CHA modifier to allies in its area and your Aura of Courage makes creatures in its area immune to the charmed, poisoned, and exhausted conditions for the duration (creatures already affected by such conditions continue to be affected by them).
Castigate
2nd level illusion Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 ft. cone
Duration: Instantaneous
Components: V
You bombard your foes with a cone of light that causes visions of creatures' past sins and the suffering it caused. All enemies in the spell's area must make a CHA saving throw or take 2d4 psychic damage and become stunned until your next turn. A successful save negates these effects.
Conjure Holy Missiles
2nd level conjuration Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 10 ft.
Duration: 1 hour
Components: V
With a holy word you create 2d4+2 arrows or bolts that count as silvered weapons and deal a bonus 1d4 radiant damage on hit. Each missile disappears when the spell ends or after being used to make an attack.
Chains of the Deity
2nd level evocation Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V
Choose a creature within range. That creature must make a CON saving throw or become entangled with chains of golden light that pin them to the ground. The creature is restrained for the duration. The creature may attempt to make the saving throw again at the start of each of its turns to end the effect. If the creature is an Aberration, Celestial, Fey, Fiend, or Undead, the creature also takes 1d6 radiant or necrotic damage (your choice) at the start of each of their turns while restrained. Each spell slot that you spend above 2nd lets you affect an additional creature with this spell and increases the damage by 1d6 (max 3d6)
Destined for Greatness
3rd level enchantment Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Duration: 8 hours
Components: V, S
A creature you touch becomes woven into the worldly plans of your deity. The creature is gifted with a boon that will defend them in their time of greatest need. The next time that creature would be reduced to 0 hit points, they heal 3d8+CHA hit points and remain conscious.
Detect Peril
1st level divination Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Action, Ritual
Range: Self
Duration: Instantaneous
Components: V, S
You implore your deity to guide you to those in need. You detect the distance and direction to any and all creatures you would consider in danger within 100 ft. You do not learn any information about the creature but you do briefly see a vision of each creature in danger. If you cast this spell using a 2nd level spell slot, the range increases to 1 mile. A 3rd level spell slot increases the distance to 5 miles. Any higher spell slot increases the distance to 10 miles.
Divine Deflection
3rd level abjuration Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Reaction
Range: self
Duration: Instantaneous
Components: V
You invoke your faith to reflect an incoming attack back on your foe as a violent burst of electricity. Cast this spell when a creature attacks you with a melee weapon attack. The creature must make a CHA saving throw or roll the damage for the attack as if they had hit themselves, then add your CHA modifier to the damage. The damage is dealt as lightning damage.
Divine Sacrifice
1st level evocation Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: Self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V
Your next attack that hits a creature deals a bonus 3d6 radiant damage to the creature and 1d6 necrotic damage to you. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, increase the damage dealt to the creature by 2d6 and increase the damage dealt to you by 1d6.
Fiery Charge
3rd level transmutation Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: self
Duration: 1 round
Components: V
You sprout wings of divine fire as you charge forth. You fly up to 60 ft. in a straight line in any direction. Creatures you pass by that are within 5 ft. of you must make a DEX saving throw or take 3d6 fire damage. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. In addition, your next attack made this round also deals a bonus 2d6 fire damage.
Glimpse the Deity
2nd level divination Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Duration: Up to 4 rounds (see text)
Components: V, S
You "gift" a foe that you touch with a near-direct vision of your deity's true form. Good or evil, a deity is a maddening sight to behold so suddenly. The creature must make a WIS saving throw or become affected as if by a Confusion spell for the next 1d4 rounds. Regardless of the saving throw, the creature is blinded until your next turn.
Holy Storm
4th level evocation Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V
You cause meteors of either positive or negative energy to rain from the heavens. Any ceiling must be at least 60 ft. above the spell's area for the spell to have any effect. Creatures in a 20 ft. radius centered on a point within the spell's range must make a DEX saving throw. Creatures that fail the save take 4d6 radiant or necrotic damage (your choice). Creatures who succeed at the saving throw take half this much damage.
Moment of Clarity
1st level abjuration Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Reaction
Range: 20 ft.
Duration: Instantaneous
Components: V
You target a creature who is currently charmed or frightened. The target may make a new saving throw against the spell or effect charming or frightening them. On a successful saving throw, the creature is no longer charmed.
Phantom Charge
1st level illusion Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: self
Duration: 1 round
Components: V
You charge forth and several illusory copies of you made of divine energy charge forth as well. You move up to 60 ft. in a straight line in any direction. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You gain advantage on your next attack made this round. Enemies are confused by the duplicates and have disadvantage on their attacks made against you until your next turn.
Protector of the Church
3rd level Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 10 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
You summon a Gargoyle, a literal defender of a church, to fight alongside you for up to 1 minute. The Gargoyle has the same statistics that it does in the Monster Manual except it is a Construct and its alignment is Neutral Good. The gargoyle acts on your turn and you must use your bonus action each round to command the gargoyle. If left without a command, the gargoyle remains in place and defends itself.
Regal Procession
4th level conjuration Paladin spell
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 20 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 8 hours
Components: V, S, M (An offering worth at least 100 gp)
You summon up to three steeds of any combination of warhorses, ponies, camels, elks, or mastiffs under the command of you and any allies you designate. These creatures are celestials, fiends, or fey in addition to their other types. The creatures will disappear by the end of the duration or when reduced to 0 hit points.
Revenance
4th level necromancy Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
When an ally dies near you, you can borrow their soul and summon it to continue to fight for a short time before making its final departure. The creature regains a fourth of its hit points (rounded up) and rerolls initiative, if applicable. If the creature is slain before the duration ends, the spell ends. When the spell ends, the creature's soul departs once more and they die.
Save Life
1st level evocation Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action or 1 Reaction (see text)
Range: 60 ft. radius
Duration: Instantaneous
Components: V
Heal all allies in the spell's range for 1 hit point. You may cast this spell using your reaction, but all creatures are healed for 1 hit point instead.
Saving Grace
5th level abjuration Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Reaction
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: 1 round
Components: V
A friendly creature you choose within range becomes translucent and sheds dim light. Until the start of their next turn, they are untouchable, untargetable, and cannot be damaged by attacks, spells or effects from anything less than a deity. You gain 1 level of exhaustion.
Seed of Life
2nd level transmutation Paladin or Cleric spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Duration: Up to 1 minute
Components: V
You improve a creature's natural healing with a "seed" of positive energy planted in their chest. One creature you touch heals 2 hit points at the start of each of their turns. The creature can choose to end the spell's duration at the start of any turn (before healing) and heal themselves for a burst of 3d4 hit points immediately.
Spectral Chariot
3rd level conjuration Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: 1 round
Components: V
You conjure a chariot of divine energy pulled by celestial creatures for 1 round. Until your next turn, your movement speed becomes 60 ft., you can move through spaces of Large or smaller creatures, and each creature you pass through must make a STR saving throw or be knocked prone. Large creatures have advantage on this save and larger creatures are immune to the spell's effects. In addition, each creature you pass through takes 1d6 force damage or 3d6 force damage if they failed the STR saving throw. While travelling using the chariot, you cannot make more than one 90 degree turn during your movement.
Summon Blessed Vessel
3rd level conjuration Paladin spell
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 60 ft.
Duration: 24 hours
Components: V, S, M (an offering worth at least 100 gp)
You summon a divine vehicle of your choice. Its structure has its AC increased by 2. The vehicle takes a form that you choose, can hold up to 8 creatures (or less if you choose), and has either a land speed of 80 ft. or an overwater speed of 120 ft. The vehicle moves of its own volition as you choose. The most common forms of vehicle include a galleon, a longboat, a wagon, a carriage, a siege tower, or a chariot, but you may choose any vehicle that your DM allows. Casting this spell again on a conjured vehicle will renew the duration of the spell and requires no material components
Sunlance
1st level transmutation Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V
For the duration, your weapon is transformed into pure light. Your weapon sheds light out to 30 ft. and deals all of its regular damage as radiant damage instead, plus 1d4 radiant damage. For each spell slot above 1st, the bonus damage increases by one die type (1d6 at 2nd level, 1d8 at 3rd level, 1d10 at 4th level, and 1d12 at 5th level).
Vassal's Duty
2nd level abjuration Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 hour
Components: V, M (a small token given to the linked creature)
An ally you touch becomes linked to you for the duration. While the linked creature is within 10 ft. of you, you and the linked ally each have +1 to AC.
Vassal's Honor
2nd level abjuration Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 hour
Components: V, M (a small token given to the linked creature)
An ally you touch becomes linked to you for the duration. While the linked creature is within 10 ft. of you, you and the linked ally each have a +1 bonus to saving throws.
Vassal's Valor
2nd level enchantment Paladin spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 hour
Components: V, M (a small token given to the linked creature)
An ally you touch becomes linked to you for the duration. While the linked creature is within 10 ft. of you, you and the linked ally each have +1 on attacks when attacking the same foe.
Check out these tenets of honor or virtues from around the world! Use them to create your own Paladin oaths/vows!
Chivalry
From the Song of Roland. The term "paladin" comes from the knights of Charlemagne, and Roland was a huge common thread in the stories about them. So if anything, these are the most paladin-y vows you can ever vow.
To fear God and maintain His church
To serve the liege in valor and faith
To protect the weak and defenseless
To give succor to widows and orphans
To refrain from wanton giving of offence
To live by honor and for glory
To despise pecuniary reward
To fight for the welfare of all
To obey those placed in authority
To guard the honor of fellow knights
To eschew unfairness, meanness, and deceit
To keep faith
At all times to speak the truth
To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun
To respect the honor of women
Never refuse a challenge from an equal
Never turn the back upon a foe
Seven Heavenly Virtues
Originating from the Christian bible. Basically the opposites of the seven deadly sins.
Chastity: Discretion of sexual conduct.
Temperance: Restraint and abstinence.
Charity: Generosity and self-sacrifice.
Diligence: Decisive work ethic and perseverance.
Patience: Forgiveness, mercy, and peace.
Kindness: Compassion towards others.
Humility: Thinking of yourself less.
Bushido
From the Bushido, the Soul of Japan by Nitobe Inazo
Die when it is right to die, strike when it is right to strike.
It is true courage to live when it is right to live, and to die only when it is right to die.
Benevolence brings low whatever hinders it, as water subdues fire.
In its highest form politeness approaches love.
Propriety carried beyond bounds becomes a lie.
Dishonor is like a scar on a tree which time, instead of healing, only widens.
Demonstrate the sincerity of your words to your lord with the shedding of your own blood.
Stoicism
Founded originally by Zeno of Citium in 3rd century Greece, and practiced famously by Emperor Marcus Aurelius during the reign of the Roman Empire. These are not a set list as very few fragments of the original Stoics' teachings have survived, so I tried to gather the main tenets of it for you.
Happiness lies in the pursuit of virtue, and virtue is the logic that pervades nature.
Everything else is secondary to virtue, and worrying about these only creates harmful emotions.
All creatures are equal to one another
Judgment is based on actions, not words
One cannot rely on luck or faith, only ourselves and our actions
The natural state of the universe is perfect order and all events are acts of fate.
Pashtunwali
Originating from the native Pashtun tribes in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This code lasted a long time for these mountain-dwelling tribes who were often outside of governmental control.
Melmastia: Showing hospitality and respect to all visitors without the hope of remuneration or favor.
Nanawatai: Give protection to those who are beset by their enemies.
Nyaw aw Badal: So seek justice or take revenge against a wrong. Even the slightest taunt must be met with the shedding of blood.
Turah: Defend your land, property, and family against tyranny with your life.
Sabat: Remain loyal to your friends, family, and tribe.
Khegara/Shegara: Strive for righteousness in thought, word, and deed towards people, animals, and the environment.
Groh: Keep trust in Khudai (Allah, God).
Pat, Wyaar aw Meraana: Respect yourself and others, have pride in your society, and demonstrate courage.
Naamus: Defend the honor of women at all costs from vocal and physical harm.
Nang: Defend those who are weak.
Hewaad: Protect the homeland and defend your nation and culture.
Sae Sok O-Gye
The moral code of the hwarang, also known as the Flowering Knights, created by Buddhist monk Won Gwang.
Loyalty to country
Devotion to family
Trust among friends
Never retreat from battle
Kill only with forethought
The Nine Noble Virtues
A code of honor used in Odinism and Asatru that comes from the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse anonymous poems, particularly the Havamal - The Ballad of the High One, and the Sigrdrifumal.
Strength is better than weakness
Courage is better than cowardice
Joy is better than guilt
Honor is better than dishonor
Freedom is better than slavery
Kinship is better than alienation
Realism is better than dogmatism
Vigor is better than lifelessness
Ancestry is better than rootlessness
Machiavellianism
I would call this a code of dishonorable strategy than a code of honor. It stems from Niccolo Machiavelli's book on leadership, The Prince. I would use this for a lawful-evil or lawful-neutral paladin. These are a collection of Machiavellian values in no particular order as there is no set list:
Never was anything great achieved without danger.
Reliable allies are those who benefit from your successes.
There is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and you should turn both to your advantage.
The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
Forgiving those who wrong you is a mistake, for it undercuts the efforts of the loyal.
Passion is the best motivator.
Trust the honesty of enemies over that of friends. Enemies are quick to criticize.
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
The difficult path is often the best, for you learn from your difficulties.
I am not interested in preserving the status quo. I want to overthrow it.
The Art of War
Again, more of a strategy guide than a code of honor, save this for war-driven or cunning paladins. Here are quotes from the Chinese general Sun Tzu's The Art of War, in no particular order.
The best policy is to take a state intact; to ruin it is inferior to this.
An army may be likened to water...so an army avoids strengths and strikes weaknesses.
Know the enemy and know yourself.
To be prepared for any contingency is the greatest of virtues.
Those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him.
Move not unless you see an advantage, use not your troops unless there is something to be gained, fight not unless the position is critical.
Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
When one treats people with benevolence, justice, and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and will be happy to serve.
image credit: Kirsi Salonen
“Evil” Codes of Honor
Evil codes of honor are more difficult to come by in history, so it’s encouraged to write your own. When writing vows for an evil paladin or ex-paladin, be sure to write it so it seems like something one could feasibly believe in or agree to. Don’t write vows like “Kill everyone you see who isn’t evil” or “be a dick to everyone you meet.” Those aren’t reasonable. Evil vows are simply a matter of perspective. Use some of these as examples or ideas:
Mercy: Only those who align with your faith deserve mercy.
Self-Reliance: Those who cannot defend themselves are weak and are not worthy of aid.
Trust: The only people who can be trusted are your deity and your self.
Strength: Power yields to power as you yield to your deity.
Justice: Those who have committed what you perceive as an evil deserve to suffer or even to die.
Passion: Pride and fervor in your mission and vows are the pinnacles of virtue.
Necromancy: The forms of the dead are borrowed for your purpose before returning to your deity.
Truth: Your word is your bond, but the terms are very specific.
Honor: Your foes must be met on equal terms even if you intend to slay them.
Survival: Your own life is worth more than anyone else's.
Allies: Ensure your allies have a reason to aid you, because generosity is an illusion.
Faith: Keep your faith with the rites and rituals ordained by your deity, potentially including blood sacrifice.
