Paladin (Ancients)

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Overview & Creation

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1	+2	Divine Sense, Lay on Hands
2	+2	Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Divine Smite
3	+2	Divine Health, Sacred Oath : , Channel Divinity : Nature's Wrath & Turn the Faithless
4	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5	+3	Extra Attack
6	+3	Aura of Protection
7	+3	Oath Feature : Aura of Warding
8	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9	+4
10	+4	Aura of Courage
11	+4	Improved Divine Smite
12	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13	+5
14	+5	Cleansing Touch
15	+5	Oath Feature : Undying Sentinel
16	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17	+6
18	+6	Aura Improvements (check both Auras)
19	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20	+6	Oath Feature : Elder Champion

 

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Class Features

Level 1

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. 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.  

Lay on Hands

Your blessed touch can heal wounds. You have a pool of healing power that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can restore a total number of hit points equal to your paladin level x 5.   As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature. up to the maximum amount remaining in your pool.   Alternatively, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. You can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of Lay on Hands, expending hit points separately for each one.   This feature has no effect on undead and constructs.  

Level 2

Fighting Style

Starting at 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.  

• Blessed Warrior. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the cleric spell list. They count as paladin spells for you and Charisma is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the cleric spell list.
• Blind Fighting. You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
• Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
• Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
• Great Weapon Fighting. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
• Interception. When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
• Protection. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

 

Divine Smite

Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend, to a maximum of 6d8.  

Level 3

Divine Health

By 3rd level, the divine magic flowing through you makes you immune to disease.  

Sacred Oath

When you reach 3rd level, you swear the oath that binds you as a paladin forever. Up to this time you have been in a preparatory stage, committed to the path but not yet sworn to it. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level. Those features include oath spells and the Channel Divinity feature. For information on the subclass, see Info.  

Oath Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	Ensnaring Strike, Speak with Animals
5th	Moonbeam, Misty Step
9th	Plant Growth, Protection from Energy
13th	Ice Storm, Stoneskin
17th	Commune with Nature, Tree Stride

 

Channel Divinity

Your oath allows you to channel divine energy to fuel magical effects. Each Channel Divinity option provided by your oath explains how to use it.   When you use your Channel Divinity, you choose which option to use. You must then finish a short or long rest to use your Channel Divinity again.   Some Channel Divinity effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your paladin spell save DC.  

Nature's Wrath

You can use your Channel Divinity to invoke primeval forces to ensnare a foe. As an action, you can cause spectral vines to spring up and reach for a creature within 10 feet of you that you can see. The creature must succeed on a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (its choice) or be restrained. While restrained by the vines, the creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a success, it frees itself and the vines vanish.  

Turn the Faithless

You can use your Channel Divinity to utter ancient words that are painful for fey and fiends to hear. As an action, you present your holy symbol, and each fey or fiend within 30 feet of you that can hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage. A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.   If the creature's true form is concealed by an illusion, shapeshifting, or other effect, that form is revealed while it is turned.  

Level 4

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, you can increase one Ability Score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two Ability Scores of your choice by 1. Through this way, you can't increase an Ability Score beyond 20. Alternatively, you can pick a feat.  

Level 5

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.  

Level 6

Aura of Protection

Starting at 6th 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 your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1). You must be conscious to grant this bonus.   At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.  

Level 7

Aura of Warding

Beginning at 7th level, ancient magic lies so heavily upon you that it forms an eldritch ward. You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to damage from spells.   At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.  

Level 8

Ability Score Improvement

For detail see Ability Score Improvement  

Level 9

 

Level 10

Aura of Courage

Starting at 10th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can't be frightened while you are conscious.   At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.  

Level 11

Improved Divine Smite

By 11th level, you are so suffused with righteous might that all your melee weapon strikes carry divine power with them. Whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, the creature takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage.  

Level 12

Ability Score Improvement

For detail see Ability Score Improvement  

Level 13

 

Level 14

Cleansing Touch

Beginning at 14th level, you can use your action to end one spell on yourself or on one willing creature that you touch.   You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.  

Level 15

Undying Sentinel

Starting at 15th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points and are not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.   Additionally, you suffer none of the drawbacks of old age, and you can't be aged magically.  

Level 16

Ability Score Improvement

For detail see Ability Score Improvement  

Level 17

 

Level 18

 

Level 19

 

Level 20

Elder Champion

At 20th level, you can assume the form of an ancient force of nature, taking on an appearance you choose. For example, your skin might turn green or take on a bark-like texture, your hair might become leafy or moss-like, or you might sprout antlers or a lion-like mane.   Using your action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:  

• At the start of each of your turns, you regain 10 hit points.
• Whenever you cast a paladin spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can cast it using a bonus action instead.
• Enemy creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws against your paladin spells and Channel Divinity options.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
• (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon
• (a) a priest's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• Chain mail and a holy symbol

 

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Spellcasting

Spellcasting

By 2nd level, you have learned to draw on divine magic through meditation and prayer to cast spells as a cleric does.  

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Paladin table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your paladin spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.   You prepare the list of paladin spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the paladin spell list. When you do so, choose a number of paladin spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your paladin level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.   For example, if you are a 5th-level paladin, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Charisma of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Cure Wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.   You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of paladin spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.  

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your paladin spells, since their power derives from the strength of your convictions. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a paladin spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.   Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier   Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier  

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus for your paladin spells.  

Spell Slot Table

Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1	-	-	-	-	-
2	2	-	-	-	-
3	3	-	-	-	-
4	3	-	-	-	-
5	4	2	-	-	-
6	4	2	-	-	-
7	4	3	-	-	-
8	4	3	-	-	-
9	4	3	2	-	-
10	4	3	2	-	-
11	4	3	3	-	-
12	4	3	3	-	-
13	4	3	3	1	-
14	4	3	3	1	-
15	4	3	3	2	-
16	4	3	3	2	-
17	4	3	3	3	1
18	4	3	3	3	1
19	4	3	3	3	2
20	4	3	3	3	2

 

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Subclass Options

Paladin: Oath of the Ancients

The Oath of the Ancients is as old as the race of elves and the rituals of the druids. Sometimes called fey knights, green knights, or horned knights, paladins who swear this oath cast their lot with the side of the light in the cosmic struggle against darkness because they love the beautiful and life-giving things of the world, not necessarily because they believe in principles of honor, courage, and justice. They adorn their armor and clothing with images of growing things-leaves, antlers, or flowers-to reflect their commitment to preserving life and light in the world.   Source: Player's Handbook  

Tenets of the Ancients

The tenets of the Oath of the Ancients have been preserved for uncounted centuries. This oath emphasizes the principles of good above any concerns of law or chaos. Its four central principles are simple.   Kindle the Light. Through your acts of mercy, kindness, and forgiveness, kindle the light of hope in the world, beating back despair.   Shelter the Light. Where there is good, beauty, love, and laughter in the world, stand against the wickedness that would swallow it. Where life flourishes, stand against the forces that would render it barren.   Preserve Your Own Light. Delight in song and laughter, in beauty and art. If you allow the light to die in your own heart, you can't preserve it in the world.   Be the Light. Be a glorious beacon for all who live in despair. Let the light of your joy and courage shine forth in all your deeds.     Suggested gods Mundus: Adanos, Eyfri, Dibella.