Sacred Oath: Oath of Shadows
The Oath of Shadows is a secretive code, sworn by those paladins who realize that they cannot do what they must by the light of day. They take to the night and shadows, cloaking themselves in power drawn from the shadowfell turning the darkness against their foes. Some are selfish blackguards seeking personal wealth, while others are vigilante heroes seeking to root out evil that is normally shielded by the law.
It is rumored that the Order of the Copper Dragon has a branch buried deep within it that are Shadow Paladins sworn to this Oath, but the Coppers vehemently deny any such rumor. It is believed almost beyond a doubt that the Dread Emperor has those within his service sworn to the Shadows, and some posit that his personal bodyguards, the Dread Guard, are all Shadow Paladins.
Tenets of Shadows
Each paladin who swears to the Oath of Shadows decides for themselves what is truly right and wrong, and though they range from good to evil they are rarely lawful. Still they share certain tenets about how to enact their morality on the world.
Cast a Great Shadow. You know that just as a shadow can loom much larger than its source, the idea of you can be far more terrifying than you yourself. Use any dramatic flourish, imposing costume, or mysterious tactic you can to leave your foes telling fearful tales of you long after you have left them. The shadow you cast over your foes is your greatest weapon.
Shades of Gray. No one is perfectly good or evil. There is no moral black and white, only shades of gray. Even those with the best intentions can commit evil and even those who seem irredeemable can still change for the better. One should not slay the wicked in thoughtless haste, for they may not be so wicked forever, and the slayer may not be so righteous.
Remain Cowled. The night and shadow are your cloak and cowl guarding you from those who would stymie your efforts out of a misguided hunger for transparency and "truth." But darkness and deception are not inherently good or bad- they are tools that can be used for any cause. Stay within the safety of the darkness, and always keep your true nature private and hidden except from your most trusted allies.
Do What Must Be Done. Laws, norms, and rules have a purpose and a place, but you belong outside that place. You must do what you believe is correct in the privacy of your heart, even if it means being a vigilante, pariah, or criminal.
Oath Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | blackout, Disguise Self |
| 5th | Darkness, Misty Step |
| 9th | Fear, Nondetection |
| 13th | Greater Invisibility, Phantasmal Killer |
| 17th | chilling darkness, Seeming |
Channel Divinity
3rd-level Oath of Shadows feature
You gain the following two Channel Divinity abilities.
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Eyes in the Dark. As an action, you can imbue your eyes with power from the shadowfell using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical to a distance of 60 feet. If you normally have darkvision, this distance increases to 120 feet. You can also see invisible creatures within 15 feet of you for the duration. This effect instantly ends if you become incapacitated
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Shadow Jaunt. As a bonus action, you can dive into your own shadow and out of another nearby shadow, using your Channel Divinity. You teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of another creature that you can see.
Shadow Smite
3rd-level Oath of Shadows feature
Your Divine Smite deals force damage instead of radiant damage.
Aura of Menace
7th-level Oath of Shadows feature
When a creature within 5 feet of you makes an attack against a friendly creature and you are conscious, you can choose to give the attacker disadvantage on the attack roll You choose before the roll is made.
At 18th Level the range of this aura increases to 15 feet.
Nightfall
7th-level Oath of Shadows feature
You learn to float like a looming shadow. You never suffer disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks for wearing any kind of armor you are proficient in. In addition, when you fall if you are in dim light, darkness, or shadows, you silently fall only 60 feet per round and do not take falling damage. Finally, when you end a conversation with a friendly creature, you use your reaction to silently move up to 30 feet and Hide as a reaction while the creature isn't looking at you. You can't do this if either you or the creature are fighting anything or in any immediate danger (DM's discretion).
Ebon Advance
15th-level Oath of Shadows feature
You can step through the shadowfell to descend upon your foes in a cloak of pure darkness. You can use a bonus action on your turn to teleport up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. Until the end of your next turn, your space is filled with magical darkness that you can see normally in. The darkness moves with you.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
Phantom Knight
20th-level Oath of Shadows feature
You gain the ability to take on the ghastly form of shadow itself. As an action, you can immerse yourself with shadow energy. For 1 minute, you have resistance to all damage except psychic and radiant damage, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed, you can hover, and you have the Incorporeal Movement trait:
Incorporeal Movement. You can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. When you take radiant damage, you can't move through objects until the end of your next turn. If you end your turn or take radiant damage while inside an object, you take 2d10 force damage and you are pushed into the nearest unoccupied space in a random direction.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a Long Rest.