Martial Archetype - Oathbound Warden
Though many of those who swear an Oath of Power follow the paths of the Paladin, others put their martial practices first and their oathbound duties second. Nevertheless, swearing an Oath - even one that comes secondary to your prowess on the battlefield - conveys some measure of power. These are the Oathbound Wardens.
Typically they are found serving as elite Royal Guard, as special military forces, or other areas which require rigorous discipline of both body and mind, but just as Paladins may feel the call of adventure, so too do Oathbound Wardens. Found on the frontlines delivering aid to the injured and death to their enemies, an Oathbound Warden is a stalwart guardian and vicious fighter.
What's in an Oath?
Though they gain no specific benefits from swearing a specific Oath, it is nevertheless recommended that a character taking this subclass choose an Oath's tenets from the list of Paladin subclasses, or work with their Dungeon Master to come up with their own Oath's tenets to adhere to.
Radiant Touch
At 3rd level, you learn how to channel the energies of your Second Wind into another. When you use your Second Wind feature you can touch another creature and heal them in place of yourself.
From 5th level, whenever you use Radiant Touch can can choose to forego 5 points of healing to instead cure one disease or neutralise one poison affecting the target.
Oathbound Smite
From 3rd level you learn how to channel the power of your oath into your blade, unleashing potent effects. An Oathbound Smite can be activated as a bonus action, and triggers on a successful attack against another creature. If you do not hit a creature within the next minute, the magic expires, and your use is wasted. You may only enchant your weapon with one Oathbound Smite at a time.
You learn two Oathbound Smites at 3rd level, gaining an additional Smite known at 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 20th level. Whenever you gain a level in this class you can exchange one Oathbound Smite for another you qualify for. Some Oathbound Smites require a certain level in this class to learn, as detailed in the list at the end of this class description. In addition to their listed effects, an Oathbound Smite deals 1d8 of their respective damage type. The damage increases as you gain levels in this class - to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at 9th level, 4d8 at 13th level, and 5d8 at 17th level.
You have a number of uses of Oathbound Smite equal to your 1 + your Charisma modifier. You regain one expended use on completion of a short rest and all uses on a long rest.
The saving throw for your Oathbound Smite effects is DC8 + your proficiency bonus + your charisma modifier.
Divine Health
From 7th level you become immune to diseases.
Divine Sense
The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. From 7th level as an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the Hallow spell.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.
Aura of Warding
By reaching 10th level whenever you or a friendly creature within 10 feet of you must make a saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to half your Charisma modifier (rounded up, minimum 1). You must be conscious to grant this bonus.
This bonus cannot stack with that granted by another character's Auras of Warding/Protection.
Improved Oathbound Smite
From 15th level whenever you roll Initiative and have one or no uses of your Oathbound Smite feature remaining, you immediately regain one use. You also regain a use if a creature rolls a 1 on their saving throw against your Oathbound Smite.
Improved Radiant Touch
Also from 15th level, when you use Radiant Touch you can choose to end one spell effect on the creature you heal.
Improved Aura of Warding
At 18th level your aura's radius increases to 30ft.
Oathbound Smites
3rd Level
Chilling Smite. When you hit a creature with Chilling Smite, they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be afflicted by ice. While so afflicted they cannot take Reactions. They may make a new saving throw at the end of each turn to end the effect early.
Chilling Smite's damage type is Cold.
Searing Smite.
When you hit a creature with Searing Smite, you ignite them with flames. At the start of each of their turns they must succeed on a constitution saving throw or take 1d6 fire damage. On a success, they extinguish the flames. The flames otherwise last for 1 minute.
Searing Smite's damage type is Fire.
Thunderous Smite. When you hit a creature with Thunderous Smite they must succeed on a Constitution save or be either knocked prone or pushed back 10ft.
Thunderous Smite's damage type is Thunder.
Wrathful Smite. When you hit a creature with Wrathful Smite, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened of you for 1 minute. They may make a new saving throw at the end of each of their turns to end the effect early.
Wrathful Smite's damage type is Psychic.
5th Level
Branding Smite.
When you hit a creature with Branding Smite they shed dim light within a 5ft radius. In addition, lose any invisibility and cannot become Invisible for 1 minute.
Branding Smite's damage type is Radiant.
Levitating Smite.
When you hit a target with Levitating Smite that weighs 500lbs or less, they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be lifted 20ft into the air, where they hover in place, remaining suspended there for a 1 minute or until they succeed on a new Constitution saving throw which they make at the end of each of their turns.
Levitating Smite's damage type is Force.
Silencing Smite.
When you hit a target with Silencing Smite, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become unable to speak or cast spells that have Verbal components for 1 minute. They may make a new saving throw at the end of each of their turns to end the effect early.
Silencing Smite's damage type is Psychic.
9th Level
Blinding Smite.
When you hit a target with Blinding Smite they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be Blinded for 1 minute. They may make a new saving throw at the end of each of their turns to end the effect early.
Blinding Smite's damage type is Radiant.
Sheltering Smite.
When you hit with Sheltering Smite, you can grant another creature other than yourelf temporary HP equal to the Radiant damage dealt by this Smite. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute.
Sheltering Smite's damage type is Radiant.
Weakening Smite.
When you hit with Weakening Smite, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have all their weapon damage halved for the next minute. They may make a new saving throw at the end of each of their turns to end the effect early.
Weakening Smite's damage type is Necrotic.
13th Level
Dispelling Smite.
When you hit with Dispelling Smite, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have any spell effects cast from a 3rd level or lower spell slot affecting them immediately end.
Dispelling Smite's damage type is Force.
Staggering Smite.
When you hit with Staggering Smite, they must make a Wisdom Saving throw or have disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks, and be unable to use reactions, until the end of their next turn.
Staggering Smite's damage type is Psychic.
17th Level
Banishing Smite.
When you hit a creature with Banishing Smite, they must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be banished. If the target is native to a different plane of existence than the on you’re on, the target disappears, returning to its home plane. If the target is native to the plane you’re on, the creature vanishes into a harmless demiplane. While there, the target is incapacitated. It remains there for 1 minute, at which point the target reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied. The target can make a new charisma saving throw at the end of each turn to end the effect early.
Banishing Smite's damage type is Force.
Safeguarding Smite.
When you hit with Bolstering Smite, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be marked by your spell for 1 minute. Thereafter after the marked creature deals damage to another creature, the target creature is immediately healed for 1d8 hit points. The marked creature can make a new saving throw at the end of each of their turns to end the effect early.
Safeguarding Smite's damage type is Radiant.