Autonomy (v1.1)

Not all paladins who turn away from divine devotion fall to evil. Some become skeptical, uncertain about the validity of their tenets and what repercussions they may have on the world. Such a paladin may instead decide to follow their own path, a new set of ideals emerging from a desire to seek one's own truth and rely on oneself, seeking justice in their own ways as they try to understand the ways of the world. An autonomous paladin does not draw power from a dedicated ideal, but instead from the process of trying to find one. What is justice, really? The burning conviction within, the zealous soul that gave this paladin such a ferocious divine power, still remains. The drive never faltered - rather, the destination has changed, and perhaps is still changing.

Naturally, this course of action can cause ripples throughout their previous order or anyone associated with their past commitments. An autonomous paladin recognises that their wellbeing rests solely on their own shoulders, and they must prepare to stay out of the way of any enemies they may have made after their pivotal career change.

A paladin can become autonomous if they decide to forsake an Oath but do not wish to change alignment. The paladin replaces the features specific to his or her Sacred Oath with Autonomy features.

Autonomy Spells

An autonomous paladin loses previously gained oath spells and gains the following Autonomy spells at those paladin levels instead.

Autonomy Spells

Paladin Level Spells 3rd detect magic, disguise self 5th mirror image, zone of truth 9th counterspell, tongues 13th arcane eye, death ward 17th legend lore, wall of force

Channel Divinity

An autonomous paladin of 3rd level or higher gains the following two Channel Divinity options.

Battle Fixation. As a bonus action, you can greatly enhance your reflexes using your Channel Divinity. For the next minute, you can take an extra reaction per turn. You can do this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). While this effect is active, you also gain blindsight up to a range of 10ft.

You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you fall unconscious, this effect ends.

Focused Inquiry. You can use your Channel Divinity as an action to aid your search for truth. For the next 10 minutes, you can add your Charisma modifier to any Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation or Religion check. Additionally, you understand any written language that you see, but you must be touching the surface on which the words are written. It takes about 1 minute to read one page of text.

Scholarly Precision

Starting at 7th-level, your scrutinous mind helps to control your motion in battle. Once per turn, when you miss with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to make another melee weapon attack as part of the same action.

Supernatural Focus

At 15th-level, your increased understanding of the world improves your Battle Fixation. When you use this Channel Divinity, choose one additional effect that is also active for the duration:

When a creature makes an attack against you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against them if they are in range.

When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, or only half damage if you fail.

Absolute Truth

At 20th-level, you can achieve peerless insight in to the world around you, allowing your inner convictions to locate and repel any threat. As an action, your eyes glaze over to a glowing white. You gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

You gain truesight out to a range of 30ft.

No attack roll can have advantage against you while you are not incapacitated.

You can cast shield or counterspell at their lowest levels without consuming a spell slot.

Your weapon attacks deal additional psychic damage equal to twice your Charisma modifier.

Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.