Oath of Steel
The Oath of Steel is a steep and storied path to mastery of the art of fighting itself. Paladins of this oath are rarely concerned with the nuances of morality and the struggle between law and chaos--instead, they strive towards personal perfection, honing their martial abilities to the finest edge imaginable.
Some paladins of this oath sell their abilities as mercenaries, using the deadly work as an excuse to practice their art and fund their armory. Others choose to retreat into isolation instead, emerging only in times of great crisis, when they feel their powers are needed. The paladins of this oath gravitate towards deities of war and the forge.
Tenets of Steel
Paladins of this oath traditionally carve their tenets into leather strips, which they then use to bind the handle of their weaponry.
Strive for Excellence. The purpose of life is to achieve martial perfection. You are a weapon, and honing that weapon is honing your very soul towards divinity.
Respect the Steel. A weapon is an instrument of destruction and it deserves respect. Drawing your weapon frivolously is to turn it into a decoration; if you draw your weapon, you must be ready to use it.
Walk Together. There is only so much you can learn on your own. Learn from the techniques and philosophy of those around you. Lend a hand to others striving for perfection, and in turn they will extend their hands to you.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of Steel Spells
| Paladin Level |
Spells |
|---|
| 3rd |
shield, zephyr strike |
| 5th |
enhance ability, magic weapon |
| 9th |
crusader's mantle, elemental weapon |
| 13th |
death ward, freedom of movement |
| 17th |
holy weapon, steel wind strike |
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how Channel Divinity works.
Perfect Smite. You can use your Channel Divinity to release an incredible surge of divine force in a single strike. When you hit a creature with your Divine Smite feature or a Smite spell, you can use your Channel Divinity to empower the attack. The additional damage granted by the Smite portion of your attack deals maximum damage.
Guided Strike. You can use your Channel Divinity to strike with supernatural accuracy. When you make an attack roll, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +10 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the attack hits or misses.
Aura of Lethality
Starting at 7th level, your presence exudes lethal power, awakening a sense of mortality in creatures near you. When a non-friendly creature within 10 feet of you suffers a critical hit, they must immediately succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your save DC or be frightened of the source of damage for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat its saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Divine Reflexes
At 15th level, your reflexes are enhanced with divine energy. You have a second reaction to expend on each of your turns. This reaction can only be used to make attacks of opportunity.
Perfect Weapon
At 20th level, you have become a perfect martial weapon. As an action, you can enter a state of enhanced martial prowess, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:
- Your melee weapon attacks deal additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
- Your melee weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
- When you use your Divine Smite feature to empower an attack, you cannot roll less than half the possible maximum radiant damage. For instance, if the smite would deal 3d8 radiant damage, you cannot deal less than 12, regardless of the result of the roll.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
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