Oath of the Old Gods

The Oath of the Old Gods recognizes that the current pantheon is only the next iteration of beings in a cycle hoping to attain a fraction of the power of the Old Gods. Perhaps you heard the call of a deity from worlds away, and have been called upon to bring the faith to this new world. Maybe you serve some being outside mortal understanding.

Paladins of this pedigree are sometimes called grey knights. They do not decry the current gods, but recognize them as echos of their progenitors. A paladin of the Old Gods seeks to bring understanding and enlightnment to those they encounter, should they be open to it. The understanding that a life without a cause is suffering. The gift of one's own sweat and self is the ultimate act of faith.

Paladins of the evil alignment that follow this oath see themselves as a tool for their God. They seek to acquire strength and influence so that they can be the best tool possible.

Tenets of the Old Gods

The Old Gods may be forgotten in name, or of an alternate campaign setting. They may be long considered dead by the current pantheon, but you believe they can rise again. They may not be a deity in the "God" sense, but instead some primeval or outsider force similar to the "Great Old One" warlock Pateon.

Be Faithful. Your God will give you trials. Rise to the occasion, and do not forsake your God in word or action.

Be Patient. Your deity has waited untold eons. You can wait as well for the right moment.

Be Swift. If you harm or kill, take reasonable measures to make it as painless as possible. Do not cause pain without reason. Take action to prevent pain to others, including your enemies.

Be Confident. Do not fret over small decisions. Your instincts are one of the reasons you have faith.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Your spells reflect the interaction of your God with the world through you: effects that are outside the normal realm, walking through the void with a step to appear elsewhere, speaking directly to your God through a tear in reality, or opening a rend in the weave to unleash a blast of cold. They are extensions of your God's growing influnce in the material plane. You are the epicenter of that influnce.

Oath of the Old Gods Spells

Paladin Level Spells 3rd Feather Fall, Hunters Mark 5th Misty Step, See Invisibility 9th Bestow Curse, Plant Growth 13th Blight, Freedom of Movement 17th Commune, Cone of Cold

Channel Divinity

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

Weight of Ages. The experience of former champions has nearly been lost. But every now and then, you tap into their lessons and press harder with your weapon, seeing just the right opening that only centuries of experience would notice.

When you hit an enemy with a melee attack, you can use your channel divinity to give the enemy vulnerability to that attack.

A Mind for Old Things. Your oath to your God has altered your mind and body. In ways that you are still somewhat unsure about, but you have begun to learn to harness this otherworldly power within you and channel the same energy that allows your God to endure.

When you fail a saving throw, you may use your channel divinity to succede on that saving throw instead. You can only use your Channel Divinity in this way once per day.

Ward of the Forgotten Weave

There are endless enchantments scattered across the planes. Lingering spells cast in forgotten tongues, with effects that nobody remembers. You have learned from the God, older than these enchantments, how to wreath yourself in them; to don them like a cloak, and manipulate the protection to include those around you.

Starting at 7th level, at the beginning of each of your turns, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain temporary hit points equal to half your Paladin level, rounded down. This ability ceases to function while you are unconscious.

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