Oath of Perfection

Though many would perceive those who swear the Oath of Perfection as arrogant and prideful, nothing could be further from the truth. Paladins who swear this oath are driven to excel, and fear no hard work to do so. The Oath of Perfection urges paladins who swear it to become the best swordsmen, peerless riders, paragons of virtue, and fearless leaders. A paladin who swears the Oath of Perfection seeks flawless beauty—beauty in the most perfect strike of a sword that wastes no effort, beauty in the perfectly chosen word to sway the mind of the king, beauty in taking that one perfect step to avoid the charging manticore. The paladins who swear this Oath are constantly honing their skills and seeking to better themselves, and their internal perfection is often reflected by an outward flawlessness.

Tenets of Perfection

Swearing an Oath of Perfection is a pledge to always strive to be the very best and eradicate one’s flaws. An Oath of Perfection is an oath of personal achievement and refinement; while some who swear such an oath might encourage others around them to similarly strive for perfection, the tenets of an Oath of Perfection bind only the paladin who gives it.

  • Eliminate Flaws: To reach the apex of your skill, you must focus first on eliminating flaws. Keep yourself free or corruption, vice, and weakness. So too should you strive to eliminate those who corrupt and wound the world around you; if something is willfully making the world worse, it is your sacred duty to stop it.
  • Perfection Comes Through Practice: There is no such thing as natural perfection; you might be gifted in an area, but you are not born perfect. Only through hard work, continuous practice, and constant reflection and self-evaluation can perfection be achieved.
  • Blemishes are to be Pitied, Not Scorned: Not everyone can devote their lives to the pursuit of perfection and mastery, and the world is full of people who are flawed, physically or otherwise. They are not to be scorned, shunned, judged, or rejected. Instead, it is your duty to offer them comfort, succor, and aid.
  • Only the Gods can be Truly Perfect: No matter how great your skill, no matter how perfect your execution, no matter how beautiful your appearance, you will never achieve perfection. Do not allow yourself to give into the flaw of pride by believing that you are perfect in any way; only the gods can be truly perfect, and you are no god.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Table: Oath of Perfection Spells
Paladin Level Spells
3rd comprehend languages, healing word
5th enhance ability, lesser restoration
9th dispel magic, protection from energy
13th death ward, freedom of movement
17th greater restoration, mass cure wounds

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

  • Divine Skill: As an action, you can imbue yourself with positive energy, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, your proficiency bonus is doubled for ability checks you make that use one skill that you choose at the time that you use this feature. You cannot choose a skill in which you already gain double your proficiency bonus when used. If you fall unconscious, the effect ends.
  • Unearthly Precision: When you make an attack roll, after you roll you can suffuse the attack with positive energy, using your Channel Divinity. You use a 19 instead of the number you rolled on the die for that attack roll.

Aura of the Unblemished

Beginning at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you are immune to petrification and any effect that would alter your physical form against your will.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Unmarred

Starting at 15th level, when you are at your maximum hit points, you reduce all bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons by 10.

Apex of Perfection

At 20th level, as an action, you can transform into a perfect specimen of your kind, shedding all flaws and blemishes like a snake shedding its skin. For 1 minute, you are immune to being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, or stunned.

Additionally, for the duration, at the start of each of your turns you regain 10 hit points, and any severed or destroyed body parts reform instantaneously.

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

Section 15: Copyright Notice

The Book of the Righteous, Copyright 2002, 2017, Aaron Loeb