Oath Broken (New Passive)

You can no longer use Channel Oath, Divine Smite, Divine Sense, Lay on Hands, or virtuous spells.
Dedication to the divine, natural, or lyrical may re-awaken some of your lost virtue and restore access to spells.



"Feels like I've lost something," are the first words you hear when you break your oath, and that's the last time they matter. Nothing else matters. The above abilities and many spells will be disabled. In exchange, you'll receive new, dark powers. Finally, holding on to letting go.
NOTE 1: Oathbreaker-specific abilities will be added to their own section to the right of your hotbar for easy and convenient access.
NOTE 2: Multi-classing or taking Magic Initiate Feats will re-enable virtuous spells but not your lost Paladin abilities.





Channel Malice: Spiteful Suffering (Reworked Ability)
You've no oath to channel and no oath to bind you. Once per combat, inflict a fraction of your Spiteful Suffering on an enemy for 3 turns. Attacks against them have Advantage. When you damage them, they take additional Necrotic Damage equal to your Charisma modifier. At the end of their turn, the affected can make a Charisma Saving Throw to shake off the suffering.

• Cost: Bonus Action
• Save: Charisma vs Spell Save DC (Frightened targets always receive Spiteful Suffering)
• Range: 6m (20ft, up from 3m/10ft)
  

Oathbreaker is dressed in the clothes of broken chains, but you don't actually earn any freedom. Now you have the freedom to use Spiteful Suffering once per combat as a Bonus Action at the cost of reduced damage, and you have to damage the target yourself.

Lay on Hands: Oathbreaker (New Ability)

Use your defiling touch to Siphon Life from a creature or inflict an Enfeebling Curse upon it. Deal Necrotic Damage equal to twice or four times your Charisma modifier and recover as many hitpoints. Alternatively, deal no damage and inflict Feeble (half damage weapon attacks).

• Cost: Bonus Action
• Type: Spell Attack
• Range: Melee
  

Channel Oath is disabled, but a Paladin's touch still carries power. Tied to Charisma modifier because Paladin level scales too strongly when you're also dealing damage (damage + healing = double the HP swing). Since it heals for the damage done, it synergizes with Spiteful Suffering and similar effects. Essentially a built-in Vampiric Touch and melee variant of Ray of Enfeeblement.



Spells Disabled: Bless, Cure Wounds, Divine Favour, Shield of Faith
Spells Added: Dissonant Whispers, Find Familiar: Dark Companion (Rat, Spider or Raven)

Nothing personnel, kid. For class fantasy and mechanical distinction, the Oathbreaker will not be buffing or healing you. Since Frightened has synergy with Spiteful Suffering, Dissonant Whispers is an obvious choice and also gives back some of the lost ranged utility.

Defiant Smite (New Ability)
Imbue an attack with profane defiance, dealing an additional 2d8 Force Damage, increased by 1d8 Force Damage when attacking otherworldly manipulators (aberrations, celestials, fey, fiends). Gains 1d8 Force Damage per Spell Slot Level when upcast. Includes reactions.



Many sheeple's first instinct is to assume an Oathbreaker's flavour, that they should have an Unholy Smite (Necrotic), but Oathbreaker is not a Death Domain Cleric. Don't give me Lemon-Lime when the only flavour that matches the darkness in me is Blood Orange!


(Defiant Smite VFX by faceplug)


Channel Malice: Dreadful Aspect (Reworked Ability)
Once per short rest, let your inner darkness burst through the cracks, Frightening enemies around you and assuming a Terrifying Presence for 2 turns.



• Cost: Action
• Save: Wisdom vs Spell Save DC
• Radius: 6m (20ft, down from 9m/30ft)
• Terrifying Presence (New Status): Enemies who hit you with a melee attack must succeed a DC13 Wisdom Save or be Frightened.
  

Dreadful Aspect was underwhelming. This is where a prolonged effect fits the theme of an aspect, embodying the darkest emotions that simmer in the blackened cauldron of the Oathbreaker's heart. Terrifying Presence is visually striking and creates a real sense of dread and danger around the Oathbreaker on the field, while DC13 is reasonably low that any character with a non-trivial Wisdom score should succeed in most cases. At a Short Rest cooldown, you can consider this the main replacement for Channel Oath.

(New Terrifying Presence status with shadowcurse visuals)

Control Undead (Minor Changes):

• No more Saving Throw.
• Now once per long rest. You have the freedom to choose, but make your choice count.
  

Spells Disabled: Aid, Lesser Restoration
Spells Added: Shadow Blade, Hold Person

Hold Person is a natural inclusion in the Oathbreaker spell list due to the offensive nature of the redesign and natural synergy with Smite. It also brings in some more team utility that's now a weakness of the class. Shadow Blade may, to the uninitiated and simple-minded, seem an odd inclusion, but it's a perfect fit for the Paladin in whose wake the shadows lengthen.
NOTE: Highly recommend using Shadow Blade Redone for seamless dual-wielding and a more balanced Shadow Blade experience.

Baneful Contempt (New Passive)
When the unworthy suffer thy spell, spare not thy steel.
After casting an Enchantment or Necromancy spell that costs an action, you may make a weapon attack without using an action.

Functionally similar to Holy Spell Weaving from Ninjoma's Paladin QOL Buffs. This feature creates parity between our mods and permits full comptibility, since Oathbreaker Reborn disables the appropriate aspects of Paladin QOL Buffs.


Channel Malice: Spiteful Suffering (Upgrade)
When you damage enemies steeped in your Spiteful Suffering, they now take additional Necrotic Damage equal to Proficiency bonus. Additionally, the suffering is now so acrid and caustic that targets lose their Necrotic Resistance (not Immunity).

You've pushed yourself a little closer to the edge. The suffering is stronger and now worth using even at later levels, remaining relevant through stripping Necrotic Resistance and slightly improved damage scaling. You broke your oath to gain more power, didn't you?


Aura of Hate (Reworked Ability)

You and any nearby fiends and undead gain additional damage to melee and unarmed attacks equal to your Charisma Modifier.



• Range: 6m (20ft, up from 3m/10ft) if you're 333, then I'm 666
  

Will now apply to Zombies and other post-life buddies. I debated making it apply only to friendly Undead and Fiends, but you know what? I like the idea that your hatred is so powerful that malevolent creatures around you are strengthened, regardless of whether they're hostile.

Spells Disabled: Crusader's Mantle, Warden of Vitality
Spells Added: Vampiric Touch, Counterspell


Channel Malice: Dreadful Aspect (Upgrade)

Once per short rest, unleash the full extent of your malice, assuming a Terrifying Presence for 2 turns, Frightening enemies around you and steeping them in a fraction of your Spiteful Suffering.

• Terrifying Presence (Upgrade): Enemies who hit you with a melee attack must succeed a DC16 Wisdom Save or become Fearful.
  

Here we go again, Oathbreaker! You broke your oath for power, right? The deeper down the rabbit hole you go, the more filth you'll find. Dreadful Aspect will now apply the first tier of Spiteful Suffering (without the Proficiency bonus to damage or Necrotic Resistance strip). Terrifying Presence will now send enemies running if they dare hit you in melee and fail their Saving Throw. You are viscerally terrifying.


Improved Defiant Smite (New Passive)

Your attacks are suffesed with profane might and deal an additional 1d8 Force Damage.

Still here? Followed me to the deepest depths of the hell of this, so called, life? Was it all that you wanted and more? You still want more? Fine...

NOTE: Level 13-20 Progression requires a level cap mod such as Expansion or UnlockLevelCurve. Oathbreaker Reborn is designed with compatibility in mind; load it after either of the above mods. It's been tested and developed around Expansion but should work fine with ULC, too.
Level 13
Spells Added: Blight, Confusion


Channel Malice: Spiteful Suffering (Upgrade)

• Enemies can no longer roll a save to remove the effect.
• Enemies now take 1d4+CHA Modifier Necrotic Damage per turn.
  

Level 15

Supernatural Resistance (New Passive)

• Become resistant to non-magical Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing Damage.
• While Terrifying Presence is active, gain magical Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing Resistance.
  

Channel Malice: Dreadful Aspect (Upgrade)

• Duration of Frighten and Spiteful Suffering increased to 3 turns (up from 2).
• Spiteful Suffering upgraded to Tier 2 (the one from Level 5).
  

Level 17
Spells Added: Contagion, Dominate Person

Malignant Echoes (New Passive)

• When you kill a Frightened enemy, recover a Level 1 Spell Slot and gain an additional Reaction for 2 turns.
• When you kill an enemy affected by Spiteful Suffering Tier 3 (the one from Level 13), you can spend a Reaction to summon an uncontrollable Spiteful Shadow for 2 turns that will attack your enemies.
  

Level 18


Aura of Hate (Upgrade)

• Range increased to 15m (50ft).
  

Level 20

DREAD LORD
The only will is your own.
Once per Long Rest, surround yourself with an Aura of Gloom. All light in the aura is snuffed out. Frighten enemies who enter the aura and fail a Wisdom Saving Throw. Frightened enemies who start their turn in the aura take 4d10 Psychic Damage. Enemies who rely on sight have Disadvantage on Attack Rolls against the Oathbreaker and any of their allies inside the aura. While the aura lasts, you assume a Terrifying Presence. Enemies in the aura feel the full force of your Spiteful Suffering (which also means you can raise them as Spiteful Shadows).

• Range: 6m (20ft)
• Duration: 10 Turns
• Save: Wisdom vs Spell Save DC
  

Based on the RAW Capstone Dread Lord. The final form of Dreadful Aspect. Till now, you've been channeling a fraction of the darkness. This is to go even further beyond. Unlike RAW, there's no additional Bonus Action because there are enough buttons to press. No, this is the culmination of the toolkit built up from Level 13, using every feature of the class not in just in synergy but in dark harmony. Enjoy.