Not all paladins are able to hold to their Sacred Oaths. Some break their Oath and fall into evil, becoming Blackguards and Oathbreakers, but not all who falter become paragons of evil. Known as the Oathless, paladins who abandon their divinely appointed cause for reasons other then evil still retain some of their power. They wander the wilds as lost warriors, often becoming bandits and mercenaries. Some quest for purpose, seeking to renew their Oath, while others fall into despair.
Tenets of the Oathless
An Oathless paladin owes allegiance to no one. They hold to no tenets and are loyal to nothing but themselves. Oathless paladins are often selfish, with their own safety and power being their only concern. These lost warriors won't hesitate to obtain what they desire, even at the expense of others.
Breaking a Sacred Oath
The difficulty of breaking a Sacred Oath can vary by table and style of play. Depending on the paladin's transgression, a small ritual or penance may be all that is needed to keep their power, but other times their Oath has been broken beyond forgiveness.
When a Paladin breaks their Sacred Oath in such a definitive manner, there are only two options to move forward as a paladin: turn to evil and become an Oathbreaker or blackguard, or remain neutral, or even good, as the Oathless paladin detailed here.
Channel Divinity
At 3rd level, you gain the following Channel Divinity options:
- Coward's Escape. As a bonus action, you grasp your holy symbol and force a creature you can see within 60 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target cannot perceive you in any way for up to 1 minute. They can't see, hear, smell, or sense your presence in any way. This ends early if you attack the creature or target them with a spell.
- Selfish Restoration. When you begin your turn you can invoke this Channel Divinity (no action required) to end one of the following conditions currently affecting you: charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, or stunned. Alternatively, you can choose to immediately regain hit points equal to your paladin level + your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
| Oathless Spells |
|---|
| Paladin Level |
Spells |
| 3rd |
charm person, false life |
| 5th |
invisibility, suggestion |
| 9th |
gaseous form, vampiric touch |
| 13th |
charm monster, greater invisibility |
| 17th |
geas, passwall |
Devious Counter
You have learned to disable foes who threaten you. Starting at 7th level, when a creature misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to force it to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is knocked prone and its movement speed is reduced to zero until the start of your next turn.
Upon reaching 18th level, you can use this feature an unlimited amount of times without using your reaction.
Forceful Will
Beginning at 15th level, when you force a creature within 15 feet of you to make a saving throw to resist the effects of an enchantment spell, they have disadvantage on their roll.
Paragon of Dishonor
At 20th level, you can use an action to become a shade of a righteous paladin, gaining the benefits below for 1 minute:
- You become invisible.
- You can take the Dash or Hide action as a bonus action.
- When a creature misses you with an attack, you can force it to repeat its attack against another creature of your choice within the normal range of its attack.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again, unless you spend a spell slot of 5th-level or higher to use it an additional time.
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