It’s only been a thousand years, but hey let’s get back to blogging. Today, I’m going to introduce a subclass for a setting I’ve been putting an unreasonable amount of time into. In fact, I’ve written two different campaign guides as opposed doing something reasonable. Anyway, I’m going to ease back into it today and share a subclass for paladin that exists within the setting. There are several others, but this subclass is devoted to those who swear oaths to the Dutiful Giant.
The Oaths of the Dutiful Giant have only been sworn since the Dutiful Giant has departed the world. These oaths were brought from the Underpath by her children, and were given to the world to swear in order to carry on their works. Paladins who swear this oath are dedicated to the building of connections, cities, and countries, believing that through unity and creation the best in everyone is brought forth. They cast down those who seek destruction and division, and taking up arms against those who would rule through fear and tyranny. Those who swear these oaths are often called Titans or duty knights. They decorate their armor and clothing with images of imagines of great creations, mathematics, arcane and alchemical symbols, and other depictions of creative works.
TENETS OF THE DUTIFUL GIANT
The tenets of the Oath of the Dutiful Giant were delivered from the Underpaths by a Goliath known as Ortova. They have been spread by those in Gantis that seek to carry on the traditions of the Dutiful Giant and their kin. This oath emphasizes the principles of creation, unity, and dedication over concerns such as good or lawful.
Build. Through your acts of creation and building, the community will reflect your desires.
Foster. An untended field does not yield the best crops. Things that have value take work.
Protect. Destruction and division without purpose cannot be tolerated.
Improve. There is nothing that cannot be made better and more refined.
Channel Divinity
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Blessing of the Giant. As a bonus action, you are imbued with the power of the children of the Dutiful Giant for one minute. You are considered a large creature for the purposes of anything that requires a size categorization to determine outcome, your weapon attacks gain reach 5 and deal an additional 1d4 damage, and you have advantage on Strength ability checks and Strength saving throws.
Shoes of Stone. As a bonus action, you present your holy symbol, and each creature you choose within 30 ft. of you that can hear you must make a Constitution saving throw, as stones encase the feet of the creature. On failure, the creature’s speed becomes 0 and can’t benefit from any bonus to its speed, and has disadvantage on Dexterity ability checks and Dexterity saving throws. The creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a success, it frees itself and the stones vanish.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of the Dutiful Giant Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | chthonic rites*, earthen gauntlet* |
| 5th | enlarge/reduce, Ortova’s obsidian chains* |
| 9th | obsidian river*, meld into stone |
| 13th | fabricate, stoneskin |
| 17th | hallow, wall of stone |
Aura of the Forges
Beginning at 7th level, you can call upon the ancient forges of the Dutiful Giant, hidden in all environments of the world. When you do so, you gain the ability to withstand these conditions and grant its essence to your allies. When you finish a long rest, choose an energy type. You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to damage from this energy type. In addition, whenever a friendly creature in this aura deals damage of this energy type, they deal additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Divine Bulwark
Starting at 15th level, when you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage you can expend one spell slot as a reaction to reduce the damage the creature suffers. The damage is reduced by 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. If the creature would have been reduced to 0hp by the damage, the damage is instead reduced by an additional 1d8, for a maximum of 6d8.
Additionally, you can use this feature one time without expending a spell slot, reducing the damage by an amount equal to your paladin class level. When you have used it this way, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Scion of the Dutiful Giant
At 20th level, you can assume become a rune-covered giant, with shining eyes, rocky skin, and causing the ground to slightly tremble when you walk.
Using your bonus action, you undergo a transformation. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:
- You immediately gain the benefits of Channeled Divinity: Blessing of the Giant, even if you have already expended your channeled divinity. The additional damage granted increases to 1d8.
- You are immune to energy damage chosen by your Aura of the Forges feature, and you can choose for damage you deal to be of the same energy type instead of its normal type.
- Enemy creatures that start their turn within 10 feet of you consider all terrain difficult terrain until the start of your next turn.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Spells
Chthonic Rites
1st-Level Abjuration
Casting Time: 1 hour (ritual)
Range: Touch
Components: V,S, M (100 gp worth of a mix of gems and coins, and 1 vial of holy water (consumed as part of casting this ritual))
Duration: Instantaneous
You perform the ancient chthonic rites once taught by the Dutiful Giant. When you cast the spell, choose one of the following rites, the target of which must be within 10 feet of you throughout the casting. Once a creature has benefited from a rite, they cannot do so again until they have returned to life after being dead.
Rite of the Ancient Cavern. The creature receives a gift requested from the depths of the Ancient Cavern. For the next 24 hours, gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, have advantage on Constitution saving throws, and whenever you suffer radiant damage, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution ability modifier.
Rite of the Flowering Haven. The creature receives a gift requested from the blossoming garden of the Flowering Haven. For the next 24 hours, gain resistance to acid, cold, fire, or poison damage, have advantage on Charisma ability checks, and whenever you suffer necrotic damage, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma ability modifier.
Rite of the Shared Vigil. The creature and another willing creature touching that creature receive the gift of the Vigilant Titans. Until the next full moon, each creature has advantage on Wisdom(Perception) ability checks, advantage on saving throws against becoming blinded or deafened, cannot be surprised, and while the two creatures are within 30 feet of each other whenever the other suffers damage, the creature can reduce that damage by 1d6 as a reaction.
Earthen Gauntlet
1st-Level Conjuration
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: V,S, M (a linen glove and a vial of loam)
Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
You create up to two great earthen gauntlets that each cover a different hand, up to the forearm. If the gauntlets are removed, they disappear.
These gauntlets are magic weapons and deal 1d6 + your spellcasting ability modifier bludgeoning damage. Whenever you take the attack action, you may attack with both gauntlets for each attack you make The gauntlets are considered heavy weapons.
As a reaction to hitting a creature, you may cause the weapon to explode on impact. The creature must making a Strength saving throw or be knocked back 15 feet, knocked prone, and suffer 2d6 piercing damage, or half damage and no further effect as much on a successful saving throw. Using this reaction destroys the gauntlet.
Additionally, if you are not wearing a shield while this spell is active, you gain +1 AC for each gauntlet you have remaining.
At Higher Levels. The damage of the gauntlet exploding increases by 1d6 for each spell slot higher than 1st level.
Ortova’ Obsidian Chains
2nd-Level Conjuration
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 ft. (unoccupied 5ft square)
Components: V, S, M (50gp worth of obsidian)
Duration: Concentration, 1 minute
You have learned the secrets to conjure a piece of the great obsidian chain, That Which Binds the Void.
You choose a 5-foot-square unoccupied space on the ground that you can see within range. A Medium length of obsidian chain erupts from the ground, binding one creature within 5 feet of it. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 2d6 slashing damage and is restrained for the spell’s duration.
As an action, you can cause the chain to extend, allowing it to grab another creature within 5 feet, or within 5 feet of the first creature. You may bind a number of creatures equal to 1 + your spellcasting ability modifier.
As an action, you can cause the chain to slice into those currently restrained. Restrained creatures must make a Strength saving throw. They suffer 1d6 slashing damage plus an additional 1d6 slashing damage for each creature currently restrained by the chain. This action occurs as part of extending the chain, as well
To break out, the restrained target can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, the target escapes and is no longer restrained by the chain.
At Higher Levels. The spell deals an additional 1d6 slashing damage whenever it deals damage for every two slot levels above 2nd.
Obsidian River
3rd-Level Conjuration
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 ft. (20ft cube)
Components: V, S, M (an obsidian dagger worth at least 100gp)
Duration: Instantaneous
You reach into the Obsidian River, and drag a portion of it out from deep beneath the ground, causing a geyser.
Choose a point you can see on the ground within range. A geyser of reddish-black liquid and chunks of obsidian erupts in a 20-foot radius centered on that point. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2d10 piercing damage and 2d10 necrotic damage and are knocked prone on a failed save, or suffer half as much damage with no additional effect on a successful one.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, your choice of the piercing or necrotic damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 3rd.
“Giants feet, Mariposa Grove” by davdenic is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Welcome back! Fantastic content as always.