Sacred Oath - Oath of the Heretic
The truth of the world is that the gods exist, that they matter. Paladins who take up the oath of the heretic go a step beyond - the gods are unjust. Regardless of how good, holy or caring some may appear to be inevitably they all use mortals as their puppets, as tools, and will discard them just as quickly as a blacksmith with a broken hammer.
A heretic rejects such a fate, standing against ignorant worship and the destiny of the gods. They seek to strike their own path, and have no qualms of stealing from the gods to do so. Paladins who follow the Oath of the Heretics will often come into significant conflict with clerics and other paladins, and proper care hsould be made when selecting this oath to ensure that all the players (and the dungeon master) understand its implications.
Tenets of the Heretic
Though the exact words and strictures of the Oath of the Heretic vary, paladins of this oath share these tenets:
Choose Your Own Fate: The gods play puppet with mortals, toying with people for their own designs. A heretic should never worship a god, nor any other immortal being.
Take What You Can: A gods power can be used. Do not ask for it, take it - from their worshippers, from their Chosen, and from the gods themselves.
Preach the Truth: The gods tendrils in society are locked deep, it is not enough to merely fight against the celestial, but also to fight against the lies that dwell in the hearts of man and convince them there is a better way.
Oath Spells
Oath of the Heretic Spells
You gain Oath Spells at the Paladin levels listed.
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Bane |
| 5th | Mind Spike |
| 9th | Bestow Curse |
| 13th | Banishment |
| 17th | Destructive Wave |
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd Level, you gain the following Channel Divinity option:
Blaspheme: As a bonus action you imbue your heretical speak with the power of your oath. Choose a creature that can hear you. They must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be unable to use any cleric, paladin, ranger or druid spellcasting, or the Channel Divinity feature, for one minute. They may make a new saving throw at the end of their turns to end the effect early.
Siphon the Gods
At 3rd level you choose one Cleric Domain, adding one of each level of Domain Spells to your Oath Spells list, chosen at random, and gaining that Domain's Channel Divinity. You can change which Domain you are siphoning from the gods whenever you take a long rest.
Fortress of the Mind Aura
The gods will often first target the weakminded. At 7th you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you are guarded by your steadfast defiance. Those affected by your aura have advantage on intelligence, wisdom and charisma saving throws.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Hammer of Wrath
At 15th level you can focus your wrath against the heavens into a radiant spectral hammer, that you then launch at an enemy within 60'. Make a ranged spell attack. If this hits, it deals 8d8 + 30 radiant damage. If the enemy has fewer than 25% hit points after this damage is resolved, they are instantly reduced to 0HP and die. This can be used once per long rest.
A Heretic's Intervention
At 20th level your theft of a god's powers is so advanced that you can steal their most powerful spells - choose one cleric spell of levels 6, 7, 8 and 9 each. You are able to cast these once per long rest without material components. These cannot be used with the Divine Smite paladin feature. You are able to change these spells at the end of a long rest, however after doing so you must wait a week before being able to change them again.