Oath of Thunder
Garsh was like a storm on the battlefield, his warhammer crackling with lightning, and each blow he struck landed with the power of a mighty thunderclap.
Garsh, Paladin of the Oath of Thunder
Paladins who swear the Oath of Thunder are even more reserved and humble in daily life than other paladins. That veneer splits like a thunderclap in battle, when they erupt as vicious hellions. Indeed, thundering paladins love to strike “thunder-wise,” meaning suddenly and with surprise, appearing like a bolt of lightning in their enemies’ midst before those enemies know what hit them. Paladins of the Oath of Thunder are often devoted to the cause of good but care little about the struggle between law and chaos.
Building an Oath of Thunder paladin
Paladins of this oath like to strike suddenly and unpredictably, able to move more silently than many of their fellow paladins, and can even empower their nearby allies to act more quickly in battle. Their divine abilities can imbue their attacks with lightning, and eventually, they can be become an avatar of the storm itself. Keep the following class traits or abilities in mind when building your character:
Bonus Proficiency - You gain proficiency in the stealth skill, allowing you to strike against unsuspecting foes.
Channel of Divinity - You can channel divinity to either empower your weapons with a powerful storm strike or turn the unclean, to turn aberrations or fiends.
Aura of Alacrity - Allies within 10 feet of you can add your proficiency bonus to their initiative rolls. This aura later increases to 30 feet.
Strike Like Lightning - When you strike a creature that hasn’t take a turn yet, you impose disadvantage on any attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws they make until the start of your next turn.
Child of the Storm - You can take on the aspect of a thunder god. For one hour, you can transform, gaining advantage on both stealth and initiative checks, additional lightning damage to your weapon attacks, and the ability to unleash a terrifying war cry.
With these abilities, Oath of Thunder paladins are a force to be reckoned with. Their innate proficiency in stealth means that they are better able to remain unseen, despite their heavy armor. Their storm strike ability is a powerful attack that can completely change the tide of a battle, especially in close quarters. Aura of Alacrity allows the paladin and their allies to more often strike the first blow, ending combat before it can get out of hand. And finally, Child of the Storm allows you to act as a storm on the battlefield, striking down foes with lightning-enhanced strikes, and instilling the frightened condition in enemies to allow your companions to take advantage of the chaos and strike them down as they flee.
As with all classes, any race is suitable for playing an Oath of Thunder paladin, especially if your gamemaster allows you to use the optional rules variant to set customize racial ability modifiers. Half-orc is a great option with both defensive and offensive bonuses, as their relentless endurance trait will allow you to continue fighting through an otherwise potentially fatal blow, and their savage attacks mean your critical hits will be even more powerful. Dragonborn are also well-suited for playing paladins, with a natural bonus to both strength and charisma, and their breath weapon provides another great opportunity to deal damage in an area of effect, complementing your storm strike ability. Consider taking a draconic ancestry that grants a breath weapon other than lightning, in case you ever run in to an enemy that is resistant to that particular damage type.
Roleplaying Tips
The Oath of Thunder stresses moderation and clear purpose in daily life, along with crushing, decisive strikes on the battlefield. Paladins sworn to Thunder see aberrations and fiends as the ultimate forces of corruption in the world and strive tirelessly to thwart their designs. Keep the following tenets in mind when deciding how your character might interact with others when roleplaying:
Composure Is My Shield. My deeds are my armor, and I am not easily provoked. If anyone shall insult me, I shall laugh at their ignorance. If anyone shall insult my companions, I shall show them their error.
Crush the Abomination. Twisted creatures from beyond the world have no place in it. Aberrations and fiends will feel my blade and know death.
Decisiveness in Battle. When the time for words has passed, I will strike first to bring a swift end to my enemies.
Duty Above All. Though I drink with the gods and laugh with the valkyries, I will stand my watch. I will defend my nation. I will defend my companions.
Humility in Life. I am the Thunder’s servant, not its master. I will live without excess, assured in my own strength without ostentation. Charity and courage are twins.
Voice Like Thunder. My voice rings clear and true in defense of those who can’t speak out for themselves. I will speak the truth, because such words echo through the ages.
When crafting your backstory, ask yourself what led you to swear this particular oath. Is there a particular god of thunder that you or your family has always worshipped? Or is the source of your divine powers more vague in its nature? Did you lose someone important to an aberration or fiend attack? When interacting with others, consider whether or not the tenets that drive these paladins in battle might not also influence how they act in conversations. Perhaps your character is the strong, but silent type, brooding behind the other players like a looming storm, waiting for the perfect opportunity in the conversation to interject, like a well-placed lightning strike. When choosing a background, both Acolyte and Healer are both safe options for a paladin if you want to lean into the religious or healing aspect of the class, but Elite, Infantry, or Mercenary Recruit also make sense if you’d like to instill your character with a more military or combat-focused background. Whatever path you choose to follow, be sure to ask yourself why it is you’ve sought out the company of an adventuring party, and use that to guide your roleplaying in the future.
How to Access this Content
This subclass was created by our partners at Kobold Press, and it is one of the many available to subscribers, along with others like the Way of the Dragon Spirit or the Elementalist, as well as races such as the Shade or Spindrift Dwarf. Learn about these and others by checking out the rest of our Character Choices series.
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