# Oath of the Tender
Paladins frequently fight for those unable to defend themselves. Within the realms of the Humble Forest, the forest, and its' denizens, are often in need of defending. Thus was born the Oath of the Tender, a Paladin oath taken by those that have dedicated themselves to uphold the balance of natural forces.
##### Tenders of the Scorched Grove
This Paladin subclass builds on beta material available in the Humblewood KickStarter backer supplement, *Tenders of the Scorched Grove*. Some abilities have come from new feats or subclasses introduced in that supplement. A character taking the Oath of the Tender might also be a member of the Tenders of the Scorched Grove, or might belong to no organized order and just acknowledge a broader acceptance of the tenets of the various Tender orders.
## Tenets of the Tenders
All paladins of the tender swear by the following oaths:
***Maintain the balance between nature and civilization.*** Balance must be maintained in order to protect both humblefolk and the natural world.
***Watch for threats to the natural world.*** Tenders are the first responders to natural and unnatural disasters and therefore must be alert to dangers that could endanger the natural ecosystem.
***Respect nature’s mysteries.*** Everything a tender does must be in line with protecting and respecting the natural world. Tenders live by the old adage, _leave no trace_ and give due respect to the wonders and bounties that nature provides.
***Protect humble and birdfolk from the effects of natural and unnatural disasters.*** When disaster strikes, tenders are there to help with the recovery and healing both of the ecosystem and its' inhabitants.
## Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
##### Oath of the Tender Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 3rd | _ensnaring strike, guiding bolt_ |
| 5th | _misty step, moonbeam_ |
| 9th | _plant growth, sleet storm_ |
| 13th | _ice storm, stoneskin_ |
| 17th | _tree stride, insect plague_ |
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### Protector of the Forest
At 3rd level you gain the _mend plants・_ cantrip which you can cast as a bonus action as a class ability.
・_Mend plants_ is part of the _Tenders of the Scorched Grove_ supplement.
### First Responder
When you take the oath at 3rd level, you are specially trained in magical triage and are able to identify the signs of shock and fatigue in those suffering from injuries. You are always ready to provide aid to those in need. You gain the following benefits:
* You can tell by looking at a creature if it is missing any of its hit points and whether or not it has more than half of its hit points. You also instantly determine if the creature is cursed, diseased, possessed, or afflicted by any of the following conditions: blinded, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned.
* You learn the _spare the dying_ cantrip and can cast it as a bonus action.
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* You gain the ability to cast the spell _cure wounds_ without using a spell slot, up to a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
### Plant Insight
At 7th level, you gain the ability to touch a plant or tree as an action to determine what has occurred to it and the area within its immediate vicinity within the last 24 hours. These events are revealed to you in visions which appear as though you were present as they occurred. After using this ability on a plant, you instantly become aware of its status and health, including any blights or conditions currently affecting it.
### Sink into the Forest
At 15th level, you gain the ability to cast _pass without a trace_ as a class spell a number of times equal to half of your proficiency modifier when travelling through an area surrounded by wilderness. You cannot use this feature when traveling through cities or urban areas, or while traveling on any constructed vehicle.
### Circle of Protection
At 20th level, you are able to create a circle of protection around you, your allies, and the surrounding environment as long as those things are organic and not constructed unnaturally. Using your action, you and all creatures not currently hostile toward you gain the following benefits for 1 minute extending in a circle of 30 feet around you for up to 1 minute:
* You gain advantage on all saving throws
* You are immune to being paralyzed, petrified, restrained, charmed or stunned
* You are resistant to fire, lightning and cold damage. Additionally, plantlife within the circle is immune to these types of damage.
* At the start of each your turns, you regain 1d6 hit points.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
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#### Mend Plants
*Transmutation Cantrip*
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- **Casting Time:** 1 action
- **Range:** 30 feet
- **Components:** S, M, V (a small twig and a loop of twine)
- **Duration:** Instantaneous
Drawing on primordial magic, you can instill vitality in nearby plants to create one of the following effects within range:
* You instantly repair a single break or tear in a living plant you touch, such as torn foliage, a scorched branch, a scar cut into bark, or two pieces of a plant that have been broken apart. As long as the damage is no larger than 1 foot in any dimension, you mend it, leaving no trace of the former destruction.
* You instantly cause a defoliated plant to grow foliage, cause a planted seed to sprout, or restore the ability to sprout to a dead seed pod.
* You can cause a 5-foot cube of living plants to flourish with foliage such as leaves and grass. This area can become thick enough to conceal a Medium or smaller creature, or become overgrown enough to become difficult terrain (your choice when you cast the spell).
* You can touch a living plant with 10 or fewer hit points remaining to stimulate regenerative growth.The plant regains 1 hit point at the start of each of its turns for the next minute.
### Credits
Oath of the Tender text and concept by Chris Reynolds with heavy influence from _Tenders of the Scorched Grove_ by Hit Point Press, Copyright 2019, Hit Point Press Inc. Authors: Jordan Richer, Christopher Pinch, Andrea Bruce, TR Rowe and Matthew Gravelyn.
Art by Johanna Tarkela and Veronika Fedorova featured in _Tenders of the Scorched Grove_. This class was written for personal use only and not for reproduction or distribution. No rights reserved or assumed for original _Humblewood_ content by Hit Point Press .
