The Oath of Legacy is one of the most selfless of all oaths, one that binds the paladin to a life of service and the fulfillment of others. They are sometimes known as bearers or oath keepers and they make it their mission to continue the legacies of those that came before them. The paladins that uphold this oath often come from ancient orders formed around the legends of ancient heroes, or are created as bulwarks against recurring, undying threats. In short, whenever a defeated evil rears its ugly head again or when a champion falls tragically short in their ordained mission, these paladins are sure to answer the call to action.
As part of their training, paladins that uphold this oath often carry relics or keepsakes with them that remind them of their missions. They impart great power into these objects carry and as part of that, they are often found with the trophies harvested from worthy foes as a means of carrying on their admirable spirit.
The tenets of the Oath of Legacy bind a paladin to a life of servitude and tradition.
Understand that you serve a story larger than yourself. Your role is to finish someone else’s journey, not to start your own.
You are a single link in a long chain of legacy and tradition. It is your duty to make sure that the chain remains unbroken.
The past contains lessons that must be learned and applied. Honor those that came before you and take their wisdom to heart.
There is no shame in failure and respect should be given to those that at least tried. This even extends to your foes if they fought with honor and a noble spirit.
| Paladin Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Oath Spells, Channel Divinity |
| 7th | Aura of Continuation (10ft.) |
| 15th | Glory in Defeat |
| 18th | Aura of Continuation (30ft.) |
| 20th | Inheritor of Legend |
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work.
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Hamund's Harvesting Hands, Identify Vitals |
| 5th | Gentle Repose, Transfusion |
| 9th | Life Transference, Recomposition |
| 13th | Death Ward, Divination |
| 17th | Conjure Creature, Legend Lore |
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
As an action, you present an item that is either a harvestable material or a possession from a creature you helped kill. The presented item may also include a crafted item that was made out of a material you harvested. Either way, all creatures within 30 feet of you that can see you that are of the same creature type as that of the harvested material or possession must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 minute or until it takes damage. While charmed in this way, a creature reveres you as a worthy figure to be watched and respected; their speed becomes 0 and they cannot benefit from bonuses to their speed.
At your DM’s discretion, objects looted from particularly famous figures may impose disadvantage on the saving throw. For example, vampire spawn may have disadvantage on their saving throw if you present an item taken from the Vampire Lord Strahd Von Zarovich.
When you either harvest a material or take a possession from a creature that you helped kill, you may use your reaction to whisper ancient prayers and use your Channel Divinity. If you do so, your current and maximum hit points increase by a number equal to that creature’s challenge rating (minimum of 1) + your Paladin level. If the creature does not have a challenge rating, use their class level instead. This increase lasts until the end of your next long rest.
Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can’t be paralyzed, petrified, or stunned while you are conscious.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Starting at 15th level, you are able to ensure that even in defeat, you and your allies remain victorious. If you or an allied creature you can see within 30 feet of you drops to 0 hit points, you may use your reaction to allow that creature to immediately perform one final action of their choice before falling unconscious. They may choose to do anything that would normally take an action to do unless that action would result in them recovering hit points. If they take damage in the course of this action, they are still considered to be at 0 hit points for the sake of resolving death saving throw failures. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
At 20th level, you can use your action to embody the spirit of a legendary hero, becoming an unstoppable force in the process. For the next minute, you gain the following benefits:
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.