Grail Knight (Paladin Sacred Oath)

When the souls of the damned pass through this world, they don’t always end up where they should. At times, destiny intervenes, saving the soul of those who still have business in this world. Grail Knights are chaotic and often evil paladins who have been saved from such a fate, given a second chance at life to live as they choose. Some grail knights take the chance to redeem themselves, while others use their newfound power to sow suffering and pain.

Tenets of the Grail Knight

The tenets of the oath of the grail knight vary from one paladin to the next, but most revolve around completing their earthly business, and acting in either their own or their god’s interests. They consider paladins who seek to eliminate evil and promote their god’s will above all else to be weak-willed and lacking in vision for their own grandeur. They are completely driven by their own egos, with the tacit approval of the deities of chaos they serve. Despite their individualistic nature of their tenets, they still are bound to the will of the deity they serve, and must obey if their deity specifically requests something from them.

• Conclude Business From Previous Life. I was brought back from the dead for a purpose. My work was not yet complete.
• Seek Out Enemies New and Old. I will not allow those who oppose me and my god to go unpunished. I will find them and I will destroy them.
• Do As Will Dictates. As bequeathed by my god, my will shall determine my path.
• Never Apologize. It matters not how many lives I snuff or the hardships I bring. I do these things by divine right and I will never reconsider past actions.

Grail Knight Spells

The grail knight has a list of associated spells. You gain access to these spells at the levels specified later in this description. Once you gain access to the grail knight spell, you always have it prepared. grail knight oath spells don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.

If you gain a grail knight spell that doesn’t appear on the paladin spell list, the spell is nonetheless a paladin spell for you.

Oath Spells

You gain grail knight spells at the levels listed below.

Level	Spells
3rd	hellish rebuke, witch bolt
5th	darkness, ray of enfeeblement
9th	dispel magic, fireball
13th	banishment, greater invisibility
17th	geas, modify memory

Sacred Oath: Grail Knight

When you reach 3rd level, you swear the oath that binds you as a paladin forever. Prior to this point you had followed the path of an evil paladin, and you had died. From this point on, you are committed to the sacred oath of the grail knight.

Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 15th, and 20th level. Those features include oath spells and the Channel Divinity feature.

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two channeling options:

• Hellfire. A grail knight can control one of the most dangerous forms of energy in existence, hellfire. As a bonus action, using your channel divinity, you can ignite one weapon you are currently wielding (including natural weapons) in hellfire. A weapon wreathed in hellfire deals additional necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). You can use this ability at the same time as your Divine Smite ability. You can maintain your hellfire for a number of rounds equal to 3 + ½ your paladin level, and can end this effect as a bonus action. If a creature’s hit points are reduced to 0 or lower from this damage, it is entirely disintegrated, leaving behind only a trace of fine dust. A disintegrated creature’s equipment is unaffected.
• Consuming Hellfire. As an action, you can use your channel divinity on to engulf a foe within 30 feet of you in flames, dealing 3d6 plus 1d6 points of damage four every four paladin levels. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. Your foe may make a Dexterity save to put it out with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. This hellfire can be extinguished instantly by dousing it with holy water.

Aura of Evil

By 7th level you can use the detect evil and good spell as a bonus action without expending a spell slot. This can be done a number of times equal to your paladin level per short rest.

Cursed Hellfire

At 15th level, whenever you successfully attacks a foe with your hellfire or consuming hellfire abilities, you can choose to decrease the damage by 2d6 points and instead force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or be cursed as per bestow curse spell with a duration of a number of hours equal to your paladin level. If a creature dies while affected by this curse, it is unable to be brought back to life until the curse is removed.

Damning Hellfire

At 20th level, whenever you use your consuming hellfire ability, you can sacrifice a round of the hellfire to cause your foe to gain 1 level of exhaustion for each round it is on fire. If a creature would be killed by gaining 6 levels of exhaustion, you can decide to destroy their soul as a free action; a creature whose soul has been destroyed can only be brought back to life by a true resurrection or wish spell. Destroying a creature’s soul is an evil act.