Subclass Warfare: The Anathema Paladin. Consort with ultimate evil for the greater good.

The three of them had leapt at the chance to do some good, never really considering the scope of their task. Meeting in a tavern had been a bad idea.

However, something unspeakably evil stalked the city by night. The secret to its undoing was known only to the worst, most capricious rulers of the Hells. She alone knew the words to summon them. Only she knew what they’d demand in return.

Two souls for the secret. There hadn’t been much left of the rest of the party, but she dutifully swept the ashes into separate boxes, not really sure which pile of dust was the bard, and which had been the barbarian.

“Time to do some good,” she thought.

Dark Deeds Demand Darker Defenses

There’s a famous quote about the abyss and the consequences of gazing into it. For your average Oath of Anathema paladin, that dire portent is more of a mission statement than a warning.

This is a subclass for players who want to duel with the devils, commune with dark forces, wield guile against evil, and make the most of a morally flexible, not-quite-holy warrior. The Anathema paladin trades frontline power for abilities that identify and defend against deceivers, fiends, and the undead.

With an ethos encouraging infernal deals and expedient, indiscriminate solutions for dealing with foes, an Anathema paladin invites players to play out their high-fantasy antiheroes. Swearing and adhering to this oath puts players in the, let’s say difficult, company of folks like Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon Nav, Dragon Age’s Grey Wardens, or the famous human ashtray, John Constantine.

Oath of Anathema Progression Sneak Peek

Here’s a first look at some of the Anathema subclass features coming up in Player’s Guide 2, now on Kickstarter!

Anathema Oath Spells

Demonic creatures, void-horrors, and words of power are your stock in trade. Your oath spells both shield you and your companions (but mostly you) from evil, binding and banishing its forces from harming innocents. For now.

Channel Divinity

To paraphrase another famous cinematic battler of fiendish creatures, demons are liars, and they’ll lie to confuse you. When dealing with duplicitous devils, the Anathema paladin channels divine power to reveal deceivers, shapeshifters and illusions with cleansing holy fire.

Aura of Fearsomeness

An aura of very serious, terrifying energy surrounds you and your allies, sending Fiends and Undead scattering, and giving you advantage on Intimidation against them.

Divine Anathema

You are a well-honed, evil-slaying machine. You know when Fiends and the Undead are about. You’re a bulwark against evil and resist their foul sorceries. And every time you hit one, they feel it that much more.

Building an Anathema Paladin

Nobody’s sure how you got started on your long, lonely path, but you’re making the most of it, leaving a trail of broken allies and enemies in your wake. What could take that edge and sharpen it?

Talents: You talk a good game, but some day you’re going to flub a banishing spell at a critical moment and then it’s knives (or hammers and greatswords) out. Take Combat Conditioning to give your paladin a dash of hardiness to go with all their fancy talk.

Boons: It’s no surprise your Anathema Paladin is going to enjoy opening a can of extra holy smiting with radiant strikes.

Lineage, Heritage, & Background: Tragic, morally compromised types come in all shapes and sizes. Are you a syderean with the new kithren heritage, sworn to protect and defend those in need, but blissfully unaware of the sacrifices you’ve made? Perhaps your cosmopolitan human walks the streets at night clad in a rumpled cloak, seeking solace and relief from a head full of bad memories by beating fiends at their own twisted games. (That’s the last Constantine reference. Promise!)

Destroy Evil, Whatever the Cost

The Anathema paladin brings an appropriately grim and dark (is there a word for that?) flavor to your average holy avenger. Deal in fiendish contracts, occult secrets, and yes, plenty of undead slaying with this subclass found in Player’s Guide 2 for the Tales of the Valiant RPG (or any 5E game!). It’s just one of over 30 subclasses cooked up to bring your next hero to adventurous life. Back the Kickstarter today!