Swearing an oath of Devotion binds a paladin to the principles of duty, honor, justice, and order. These paladins define themselves as holy warriors or knights, pledged to further a righteous cause to which they devote themselves. They typically hold angels, resplendent servants of good, in high regard, often adorning their armor, shield, or weapon with their iconography.
Table of Contents
Tenets of Devotion
Though the exact words and strictures of the oath of Devotion vary, its paladins share these tenets.
Compassion. Protect the weak, aid the helpless, and show mercy to your enemies whenever you are able.
Courage. Though caution is wise, never fear to act.
Duty. Do always as you have sworn to do. Obey those who have authority over you.
Honesty. Never tell a lie when the truth will suffice. Your word is your sacred promise.
Honor. Treat others with fairness. Let your deeds prove your character.
Devotion Progression
| Paladin Level | Features |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Channel Divinity: Sacred Weapon, Channel Divinity: Sanctifying Light, Devotion Oath Spells |
| 7th | Aura of Devotion |
| 11th | Purity of Spirit |
| 15th | Holy Nimbus |
Channel Divinity
3rd-Level Devotion Feature
You gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Channel Divinity: Sacred Weapon
As an action, you can imbue one weapon you are holding with positive energy. For 1 minute, you add your CHA modifier to attack rolls you make with that weapon (minimum bonus of +1). The weapon also emits bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light 20 feet beyond that. If the effected weapon isn’t already magical, it becomes magical for the duration.
You can end this effect on your turn (no action required). It ends early if you fall unconscious.
Channel Divinity: Sanctifying Light
As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer to bathe yourself in a flash of holy light. Each Aberration, Fey, Fiend, and Undead of your choice within 30 feet of you that can see you must make a CHA save. If the creature fails its save, it is blinded for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, a target can make a CON save, ending the effect for itself on a success.
Devotion Oath Spells
3rd-Level Devotion Feature
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Devotion Oath Spells table. See the Paladin Subclass class feature for how these spells work.
Devotion Oath Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | sanctuary |
| 5th | warding bond |
| 9th | protection from energy |
| 13th | stoneskin |
| 17th | mass cure wounds |
Aura of Devotion
7th-Level Devotion Feature
You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can’t be charmed while you are conscious. This aura is enhanced by the 17th‑level Aura Improvements class feature.
Purity of Spirit
11th-Level Devotion Feature
Your connection to divinity gives you constant protection from the influence of supernatural creatures. You always have the following protections against Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, Undead, and creatures with the Outsider tag:
- Listed creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against you.
- You can use your Divine Sense feature to detect any listed creatures, not just Celestials, Fiends, and Undead.
- You can’t be charmed, frightened, or possessed by listed creatures.
Holy Nimbus
15th-Level Devotion Feature
As an action, you can emanate a nimbus of sunlight. For 1 minute, bright light shines from you in a 30-foot radius, and dim light shines 30 feet beyond that. This light counts as true sunlight, such as when interacting with Sunlight Hypersensitivity, and it banishes areas of magical darkness created by the darkness spell or similar magic.
When an enemy creature starts its turn in the bright light, it takes radiant damage equal to your paladin level. In addition, for the duration, you have advantage on saves.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.