Oath of the Forgotten Blade

Those who swear the Oath of the Forgotten Blade are revenants in spirit, if not in body. Each has stood at the edge of the underworld, their soul weighed and returned by Mictéya, Goddess of Death and Mercy, to enact vengeance for themselves, or for those who no longer can. This oath is not a promise to law, nor to life, but to justice sharpened by suffering.

These paladins often wander the world wearing funeral garb, death masks, or bone-draped armor, bearing the sigils of those they fight for. Their weapons hum with spiritual grief and fury, tearing open wounds in both body and soul.

If they falter in their mission, refuse to uphold the vengeance they swore, or act without honor, the deal is broken. Death reclaims what was borrowed. Some vanish into smoke. Others are consumed by necrotic fire. A few rise again… as something worse.

The Oath That Binds (Forgotten Sword)

Upon swearing the Oath of the Forgotten Sword, you accept the price of being chosen by Mictéya and the duty of the dead who still walk. You bind yourself to:

You Are Already Dead
You do not cling to your own survival. If another’s justice or safety requires your life, you offer it freely.

• Vengeance Is Sacred: You exist to right the unbearable wrong that ended your life, or that of someone you loved. Delay, dishonor, or deflection are sins to your very soul.
• Pain Must Be Answered: If you witness others on the verge of suffering the fate you once did, you must intervene, even against overwhelming odds.

Unmaking Act:

If you ever make peace with the one who wronged you without justice being done, or abandon another soul crying for vengeance, you are Claimed. Your bond to Mictéya is broken, your life fades, and the dead may come to reclaim your name.

Oath Spells

You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed. These do not count against your prepared spells and are always prepared.

Celestial Weapon: Curved Scythe of Remembrance

A relic reforged by sacred oath and pain. This weapon bears fragments of broken oaths and victories. The blade reflects the wielder’s inner clarity, serene, sharp, and severe.

• Summon/Dismiss: As a bonus action.
• Magical Weapon: Always considered magical for overcoming resistance.

Level 3 (Weapon +1)

• Memory Slash: Once per turn, when you hit a creature, it must make a Wisdom save or lose its reaction until the start of your next turn (lost in a flash of forgotten guilt).
• Echo of the Just: Deals an extra 1d4 necrotic or psychic damage (your choice).

Level 9 (Weapon +2)

• Judgment Carved: You score a critical hit on a 19–20 against any creature you've marked as unjust, whether through roleplay, Channel Divinity, or class feature.
• Upgrade: Becomes +2 and deals 1d6 extra damage. Once per turn, if you damage a creature who damaged a dying or unconscious ally within the last minute, you can reroll one attack die.
• Stillblade Aura: While wielded, allies within 10 feet have advantage on saves vs being charmed or frightened.

Level 15 (Weapon +3)

• Upgrade: Becomes +3 and deals 1d8 extra damage. You gain temporary HP equal to your Charisma modifier when you reduce a creature to 0 HP.
• Redemptive Severance (1/long rest):
  You channel your oath into a perfect strike or stance. Choose one:
• Judgment: Target a single enemy within 30 feet. They must make a Charisma save or take 10d10 radiant damage and be banished (1 min, no concentration, repeat save end of turn).
• Clemency: Choose up to 3 creatures within 15 feet. You may cleanse one condition, restore 30 HP, and remove magical fear or charm from each.

(3rd Level)

Channel Divinity (2 uses)

• Mark for Death. As a bonus action, choose a creature within 30 feet. For 1 minute, you gain advantage on attack rolls against it, and it cannot become invisible or teleport while marked.
• Voice of the Lost. As an action, you summon the spirits of the dead around you. All creatures of your choice within 10 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of your next turn. Allies within range can reroll failed death saves or remove the frightened condition.

(7th Level)

Gravebound Presence

You exude an aura of inevitability. When a creature within 10 feet of you attempts to disengage or teleport, they must make a Wisdom saving throw or be prevented from doing so until the end of their next turn. Creatures frightened of you have disadvantage on saving throws against your spells and Channel Divinity.

(15th Level)

Edge of Death

When you are reduced to 0 HP, you can choose to drop to 1 HP instead and immediately teleport within 30 feet and make one weapon attack. If this attack hits, you regain HP equal to half the damage dealt.
You may use this feature once per long rest.

Avatar of Vengeance (20th Level)

You become the embodiment of divine retribution for 1 minute:

• You gain resistance to all damage.
• You gain a flying speed of 60 feet and leave behind a trail of spectral souls.
• Once per turn when you hit a creature with your Forgotten Blade, you can curse them with a Soulbrand. Soulbranded creatures are vulnerable to radiant or necrotic damage (your choice) and cannot heal.
• If a Soulbranded creature dies within 1 minute, all allies within 30 feet regain HP equal to your Paladin level.

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

Excommunication and Redemption

Excommunication

If you stray from your sacred revenge—by abandoning your vow, betraying your cause for selfish comfort, or losing your nerve at the final moment—Micteya’s mark fades:

• You lose your Oath spells, Channel Divinity, Aura, and weapon's power.
• You cannot stabilize or heal others by magical means.
• Undead no longer fear or recognize you, and spirits turn away.

Redemption (within 7 days)

You must reaffirm your deathbound oath with one of the following (roll d4 or choose):

1. Deliver justice to the original target of your vow, no matter the cost.
2. Bury the bones of someone wrongly slain and swear to defend others like them.
3. Walk barefoot into the lair of death itself, an undead horde, cursed place, or ghost realm, and survive.
4. Let go of vengeance against one soul and instead guide their kin toward peace or protection.

Upon completion:

Your body glows faintly with candlelight from within. Your eyes shine when near death or undeath. Your Redeemed Brand appears as a spectral mask or skull across your back or chest, Micteya’s silent approval, given once more.