The more I learn about homebrewing, the more I have cause to regret some of the earlier design choices I made.
This deep-seated pathos is what has made me start remastering some of my old projects, and no project have I wanted to go back and modify more than the Oath of Love paladin.
I became less and less satisfied with this oath's use of charm mechanics, the further along I got. It seemed disingenuous, somehow, to swear an oath about upholding True Love, only to, a second later, charm someone into loving you, and then be rewarded for stabbing them while they are forced to love you, though your Channel Divinity.
That's not to say charm mechanics are bad or that they shouldn't have a place in this option, but they certainly shouldn't be used to con and stab people when you're trying to preach the gospel of love.
I'm hoping this remaster fixes the thematic issues of my older work. If not, let me know. Nothing says I can't release an even newer version, should this option need one.
CHANGELOG:
- Modified the spell list to make it less charm-intensive, bringing back old favorites like color spray!
- Two new Channel Divinity options, one that bolsters your allies with temporary hit points, and the other locks down anything intelligent enough to truly want something.
- Lover's Embrace is now Aura of Affection, and adds hit points to any healing done within the radius.
- Passion's Kindness is now Radiant Empathy, because looking back Passion's Kindness was just kind of annoying in practice.
- Endless Devotion has been completely reworked, and now primarily makes your enemies incapable of attacking, if they fail a save and start adjacent to you.
CONCERNS:
- I changed a lot, which usually means there are little, fiddily errors out there. See if you can find any.
- Channel Divinity: Heart's Desire intentionally uses inconclusive language, as the creature it targets could hypothetically desire anything. I'm not sure if that's a wise choice or not.
WHAT I LEARNED:
- It feels pretty good to have gone back and finally taken a crack at fixing this one. Maybe I can update the Knavery paladin next.
