Ultimate Conjuration Wizard: Demon Summoner Build

Wizard: School of Conjuration

Demon Binding/Summoning Build

The Character:

Krughur waded through knee-high sand some several hundred meters beneath the surface in the halls of an ancient cult ruin. Krughur wasn't one for marching, not since he'd fled the ranks of the devastators all those years ago, but that practiced high-knee step came in handy when maneuvering through silt. The grit filled his loose boots and ground against his skin; it was agitating, but hopefully worth it. This wouldn't be the first occult temple he'd spelunked.

As he trudged onward, Krughur examined the Infernal runes carved delicately into the stonework, the artistry now stained by water and mold. He wondered if the temple had been filled with worshipers when it flooded, and if they now wallowed in flame with their demonic patron as they had so wished. If so, he might be seeing them sooner than later. 

Cresting around a corner, a soft red glow illuminated the end of the corridor, light piercing up through the sand. Could it be? Krughur quickened his pace, approaching the ruby bloom. He began excavating, grabbing handfuls of sand and tossing them aside, wild with excitement. After a few eager dips into the debris his hand brushed a burning hot metal. He bore the sting and yanked the treasure from the deep, displaying it before himself. The light matched his blood-red skin, and stained his teeth which he bore in a triumphant grin. In his hands he held a medallion of bronze with a large ruby embedded at its center, smoldering like the Hells' fire. 

"The talisman of the horned devil, Vorthrodon." Krughur breathed. He clenched his fist around the amulet as though it might vanish. At last.

The Concept: Build, Character, Backgrounds

To discover that the Conjuration Wizard was underplayed, and even disliked, was heartbreaking as it is my favorite Wizard subclass! There are so many exciting story elements to be explored with someone who can bend the Planes to their whim, using their ephemeral nature to teleport about or sunder open inter-dimensional holes and call forth allies, brutal storms, or even demons. The addition of the demon summoning spells with XGTE is really what inspired this extremely powerful build that takes full advantage of everything the Conjuration Wizard has to offer. The build is a summoner with a minor focus in non-concentration buffs/debuffs. He is a binder of demons, calling them forth from the Abyss and Hells to do his bidding, and powering them up with spells, or hindering them should they break free of his control.

Maglubiyet, the Battle Lord

The character is a hobgoblin, once belonging to the armies of Maglubiyet, Battle Lord, the god of goblins. His forces are blood-thirsty and fight to the death, seeking an end in battle so that they may join his forever-war against the orc patrons of Gruumsh on the Plane of Acheron. Krughur was among the ranks of the devastators, war mages that fill the position of artillerist in the goblin armies. He was never as invested in the cause as his fellows, but eager to learn, curious and inquisitive, as most hobgoblins are. Krughur is a staunch defender of his people, believing them to be under the thumb of Maglubiyet, and that without his foul influence his kind would be a true force of civilization  and arcane research in the world. The Battle Lord often demands sacrifices, and the head of the devastators sought to put a use to the left over blood, so they dedicated a sect of the devastators to practicing planar manipulation and demon-summoning. Krughur was a part of this sect, and eagerly learned, though not to bolster the strength of the army -- he wished to infiltrate Acheron and destroy the Battle Lord with his own army of fiends. He would bind their destructive natures to his will and use them to accomplish a goal in the name of progress. His plot was discovered, and so he fled in disgrace, though his goal remains the same. He wishes to be reunited with his people under a new banner - one of learning, invention, and magic. He does not wish to alter his people's nature, however. Should other, lesser civilizations not recognize goblin superiority, or fight the ushering in of progress, well, hobgoblin armies are feared for a reason.

Hobgoblins are typically Lawful Evil. Krughur is True Neutral. He wishes only for the progression of knowledge in the world, whatever the cost. He also has no qualms with using summoned fiends to accomplish his goals. Their nature may be inherently evil, but his goals are not, so why should he not use strong forces he has at his disposal? Backgrounds that are appropriate include Archaeologist, Sage, and Soldier. These have been chose for their Intelligence-based skill prioritization or backstory appropriateness.

The Race: Hobgoblin

The choice for race came down between High Elf, Human (Variant), Fire Genasi, Rock Gnome and Hobgoblin. I wound up choosing the Hobgoblin solely because of its extremely useful racial traits when applied to this build in particular. The first racial trait, Martial Training, grants two proficiencies with martial weapons, which, when compared to what weapons the Wizard normally has access to, is quite good. The character should choose the Rapier and Whip: the Rapier for its superior Dexterity-based melee damage, the Whip for the simple fact of it being the only Dexterity-based weapon with the Reach trait. These will allow our caster to not be ruined should an enemy get right up in their face. The second racial trait, Saving Face, which allows a failed attack roll, ability check or saving throw to gain a bonus equal to the number of allies visible, is extremely useful for maintaining concentration on summons before having access to Focused Conjuration, and for succeeding on the Charisma skill check to keep demons summoned via the Infernal Calling spell under the caster's command.

The Stat Spread (Standard Array): 

INT 16 (+3), CON 16 (+3), CHA 13 (+1), DEX 12 (+1), WIS 10 (+0), STR 8 (-1)

While the Conjuration Wizard no longer has to worry about maintaining concentration on spells after gaining the Focused Conjuration ability at 10th level, they do for every level prior, and the Wizard also has to worry about staying alive, which extra HP will assist with. This is why we've prioritized Constitution with a 16; however, it will not be receiving any bumps from feats or Ability Score Improvements. The stats that will see the most growth are Intelligence (which receives priority) and Charisma. Intelligence is the obvious choice in order to boost our Spell Save DC (for maintaining control of the Lesser and Greater summoned demons) and Spell Attack modifier. Charisma is exclusively useful for the signature spell of this build, the 5th level spell Infernal Calling, which will allow for the summoning of the most powerful demons, because it requires a contested Charisma skill check to command the fiend.

The Class: Notable Features

Minor Conjuration: with enough creativity and DM leniency this feature can be extremely useful and the build becomes reliant on it. This ability allows the Wizard to conjure up an inanimate, non-magical item that lasts for 1 hour or until the object takes damage. The spells Summon Lesser/Greater Demons require a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the last 24 hours to be cast. With this feature, no sacrifice is needed; instead, the blood circle can be conjured from thin air onto the ground around the caster, fresh for summoning. The other critical spell of the build, Infernal Calling, requires a ruby worth 999gp to cast. This ruby is not magical, merely huge. With this feature, the ruby now appears in the caster's hand, fresh for use as a spell component. The only requirement is that the object in question has been seen before by the Wizard. So, get the Wizard into a jewelry shop in a big city, eye up their biggest gem, and walk out - voila, an infinite supply of demon summoning spells. This is, of course, up to DM discretion whether or not conjured objects can suffice as spell components, but this is such a clever employment of a class's otherwise useless ability that I find it hard as a DM to punish/not allow such a use.

Focused Conjuration: this feature is the first safeguard against losing control of the summoned demons. The Summon Greater Demons spell specifies that "if the [Wizard stops] concentrating, an uncontrolled demon doesn't disappear for 1d6 rounds if it still has hit points." Worse, the Infernal Calling spell states that "if [the Wizard's] concentration ends before the duration is up, the devil doesn't disappear if it's immune to [the Wizard's] verbal commands. Instead, it acts however it chooses for 3d6 minutes, and then disappears." So, worst case scenario, should things go wrong, an uncontrolled devil can pester a party for 18 minutes maximum which roughly translates to 180 rounds of combat -- not good. This feature removes that possibility in that the Wizard will never lose concentration. This also, for once, frees us from the War Caster and Resilient (Constitution Variant) feats being a necessity for the build's success.

Durable Summons: Not much to be said about this feature other than summoned demons/devils now having an additional 30 HP is fantastic, especially for the Summon Lesser Demons spell, which at best summons fiends with 4d8 HP (Abyssal Wretch) each.

Spells: What is the Wizard without their spells? This is the first pure-caster class to have existed in D&D, and so were I not to mention spells this would be no build at all. Also, the Conjuration Wizard feature Benign Transposition, which allows a free 30 foot teleport as an action, recharges with each use of a conjuration spell, so we'll be prioritizing spells of that school.

Horned Devil

-Signature Spells: As mentioned previously, the wizard will want to focus on the spells Summon Lesser Demons, Summon Greater Demons, and Infernal Calling. Lesser Demons include fiends CR 1/4 up to CR 1. The Summon Greater Demons spell can summon any fiends CR 5 and lower, which include powerhouses like the Night Hag, Mezzoloth, Tanarukk, and Barlgura. Infernal Calling allows for fiendish summons up to CR 6 when cast as a 5th level spell, but every spell level higher raises the CR by 1, and if the caster has the particular demon's amulet it goes up by 1 again. This means, as a 9th level spell, Infernal Calling can summon any fiend CR 11 or lower. Some particularly powerful options that fall under this classification are the Glabrezu, Yochlol (which can summon its own Yochlol, effectively granting control over two fiends), Shoosuva and Horned Devil.

-Primary Damage: A go-to conjuration cantrip for this build would be Acid Splash. It deals decent damage at higher levels (4d6 at 17th level), and has a good range to boot, though a good backup is Toll the Dead, a necromancy that fits into our caster than can access the planes of the dead. A fantastic first level conjuration spell is Ice Knife, which deals 1d10 piercing damage and an additional 2d6 cold damage on a failed Dexterity saving throw to all creatures within 5 feet, and that's just when it's cast at 1st level, though at later levels it loses its potency to our cantrips. An excellent source of damage once the Wizard gains the ability to cast 5th level spells is the conjuration spell Steel Wind Strike - the caster teleports to up to 5 creatures they can see and makes a Spell Attack roll against each one, and on hit deals 6d10 force damage to each target. That's a potential of 300 damage spread out amongst 5 targets -- not too shabby. Finally, Synaptic Static can serve two purposes - it is a non-concentration damage spell that deals 8d6 psychic damage which can be used against foes or demons that the caster loses control over. The additional debuff of negative 1d6 to all ability checks and attack rolls ruins the demon summons as well, making them breaking free of control almost negligible.

-Primary Utility: What would a Wizard that conjures and binds demons be without a familiar? Find Familiar is a great utility tool for any spell caster, and for this build in particular will be considered a fiend. Mage Armor is a given, as despite gaining light armor proficiency from the Martial Training racial feat of the Hobgoblin, our Wizard's Dexterity feat is less than extraordinary. A fantastic non-concentration debuff lies in the Blindness/Deafness spell. Should the target of the spell fail their saving throw, any summoned demons and allies have advantage on attacking it, and it has disadvantage on attacking them for 1 minute, or until they succeed on their saving throw. The Magic Circle spell, should the caster have the luxury of choosing the field of battle, is an excellent choice as a fail safe for the caster and friends to fall behind upon losing control of a summoned demon. Alternatively, the Wizard could summon a fiend into the circle and interrogate it for its true name (perhaps with a Detect Thoughts spell)- making it easier to maintain control of during battle, or they could use the Planar Binding spell if a boss battle is anticipated which allows the demon to accompany the party to battle with no risk of it breaking free of the caster's control. The Charm Monster and Dominate Monster spells can  be cast at the sacrifice of the duration of an Infernal Calling spell by breaking concentration, but it might be necessary if the caster has failed the Charisma skill check to keep them in line. Banishment and Plane Shift are our last safeguards against a devil that breaks free from the Wizard's command and can be delivered by the Familiar's touch, forcing the fiend back to the Hells or Abyss, wherever it came from.

-Primary Mobility: While Benign Transposition allows for a free teleport, these teleportation options have their own inherent benefits. Misty Step costs a bonus action rather than a full action, so should a quick escape be needed, the caster can Misty Step and then Dash, moving 90 feet in a single turn. This doesn't even include a Longstrider buff, which is also a good non-concentration mobility option. Thunderstep is for those moments when the caster is surrounded and needs to escape, but would also like to deal some damage to the foes they're fleeing from, 3d10 thunder damage to be specific. Lastly, Dimension Door allows for the caster and an ally to teleport up to 500 feet away. This can be used for infiltration, escapes, or other creative things.

Feats: Contract Sealer

The Lucky feat should be prioritized and taken at 4th level. Then, the Wizard should take an Intelligence bump at 8th level. At 12th level, either take the Skilled feat or maximize Intelligence. From there, do the opposite of the choice from the last time. Then, bump Charisma for the remaining Ability Score Improvement.

Lucky: the ability to reroll a summoned Greater Demon's successful saving throw for breaking free of the caster's control, or to reroll a failed Charisma skill check to maintain control over an Infernal Calling summon can make or break an encounter. The absolute last thing the character wants is for a CR 11 Horned Devil to turn on the party mid boss fight.

Skilled: This should be used to take proficiency in Persuasion, Intimidation and Deception so that any given RP situation is covered when it comes to handling fiends summoned via Infernal Calling. Would some honeyed words be more likely to convince them? Persuasion. Should they fear the Wizard's arcane wrath if they do not do as bidden? Intimidation. Does the demon have a goal that might be useful for manipulating them into following the Wizard's instructions? Deception.

While these are the optimized feats and stat increases, other feats that can be useful for this build include Actor (for boosting Charisma and giving advantage on Deception checks in the particular instance of feigning an identity -- niche but potentially useful for manipulating a demon), Elemental Adept (Ice Knife is going to be a primary ranged damaging spell for this build, so boosted cold damage rolls and ignored resistance is nice) and Linguist (nice Intelligence bump and useful should the caster take a background that does not grant them proficiency in extra languages, namely Infernal and Abyssal).

Play Style: Puppet Master

 

Pre-Battle: Mage Armor is a solid choice for the Wizard to cast on themselves before battle. An AC of 14 is certainly better than an AC of 11, which is what our caster is sitting at without armor (and even with studded leather it would only be 13). While it is not ideal, Infernal Calling has a casting time of 1 minute, which translates to 10 rounds of combat - this does not work in a boss-battle setting. So, should the Wizard need to bring a more powerful ally than what the Summon Greater Demons spell provides, make sure this spell is cast right before combat, if possible by summoning the demon into a Magic Circle and then binding them via the Planar Binding spell.

Early Battle: If Infernal Calling is not necessary for the fight, now is the time for Summon Lesser/Greater Demons. It is up to the Wizard to determine what the situation requires, but generally Summon Lesser Demons is great for lower-level/low stakes combat, and Summon Greater Demons is better for boss battles/high-stakes combat. Once the summons are up, debuffs can begin. The Wizard should try to use Blindness/Deafness on the foe that presents the biggest threat so that the allies and demons can make quick work of it. Once all of that is out of the way, now's the time for Acid Splashes, Ice Knives and Steel Wind Strikes.

Mid-Late Battle: This is the danger-zone. Did the demons break free of the Wizard's control? If so, Synaptic Static or if needed, Banishment/Plane Shift, should be utilized. Debuff the demon summons to minimize damage to party members, or banish them to their plane of origin if they're unable to be dealt with in an easy/quick fashion. Are the demons under control but the battle is lost? Start extricating allies from the battle with Thundersteps or Dimension Doors or other conjuration-based teleportation spells. Are the demons under control but the battle is almost won? Keep attacking - it seems to have worked pretty well so far.

Roleplay: You and What Army?

Krughur does not blame the blood-thirsty ways of his people on them, but on their deity. He wishes to see Maglubiyet overthrown, or better yet destroyed; however, their god is the divine commander of an eternal army of misguided hobgoblin souls. This has led Krughur to the conclusion that he must create an army of his own. He is fairly charismatic, fueled by his fervent optimism in regards to his race and goals, but very few people will listen to a goblin, let alone one that wishes to help other goblins. So, he must create an unwilling army, and what better army to make then one of powerful fiends bound to his whim?

The art of summoning is not so cut-and-dry as casting a spell, though. It requires blood from either a sacrifice or conjured using his abilities as a Wizard, and summoning very strong fiends is extremely dangerous for the caster. It is best to know their true names or even to have a talisman linked to their unholy form. Discuss with the DM Krughur's backstory, and if Krughur has any particular demons/devils he's heard of or researched that he might realistically track down a talisman for. By 20th level, he could have a small collection of demonic talismans for summoning, as they are rather rare, and this can lead to mini-adventures of plundering ancient demon-cultist ruins or even traveling to the Nine Hells or the Abyss via the Plane Shift spell.

Krughur is a summoner of demons, first and foremost, so his spells would likely bare the flavor of the realms of devils and demons, the Nine Hells and the Abyss. His Acid Splash could be summoned water from the River Styx, poisonous and dangerous to all that come in contact with it. His Ice Knife can be summoned hail from the eighth hell, Cania, an unimaginably cold wasteland. Evard's Black Tentacles can be the limbs of an ancient demon of the Abyss that cannot fully fit through a planar portal he opens, and so its arms flail about in the Material Plane while the spell is in effect. Every spell can be flavored with demonic influence, and it only serves to flesh out his character more, and makes him more fun to play.

Conclusion:

The Conjuration Wizard has enormous potential for both damage output, mobility and story-telling. I hear many gripes about it not being anywhere near as powerful as the 3.5E Malconvoker, but I'd agree to disagree. Just because there are fewer options than previous does not mean that the available summons cannot be used in creative and ultimately powerful ways. As always, I wish those future Conjuration Wizards luck in their adventuring and that they have as much fun playing Krughur as I had building him, or whatever character they choose to make with the race, stats and abilities of the build!

Character Sheets:

LVL 1 Character Sheet
LVL 20 Character Sheet

Ultimate Crown Paladin: Mounted Lockdown Build

Paladin: Oath of the Crown

Enemy Lockdown & Mounted Frontline Defender Build

The Character:

Rosnolir floated far above an expanse of flat, desolate earth that stretched to the horizon: a corona of light burning like a wall of fire. Networks of gorges and canyons scarred the realm, strung together by marble bridges. Hulking pit fiends guarded those crossings in shining silver armor. This wasn't like one of her normal visions. What fresh torment could they want to show her now, ruin her dreams with? 

"Oh, kindred spirit," a silken voice called from the wind, directionless, encompassing, fatherly, "what lies have they been whispering in your ear?"

The vision shifted and Rosnolir stood in the grandest palace she had ever seen: a fey court of darksome beauty, with halls of gold-veined marble. Standing before her was a beautiful man with flowing white hair and perfect features, draped in robes of gold, a simple circlet adorning his head. Rosnolir's legs went weak and she could no longer hold her weight. She found herself kneeling, awestruck, before this resplendent figure.

Nessus, the Ninth Hell

"Who are you?" Rosnolir called to the king.

The figure smiled so warmly, so patiently, Rosnolir payed no mind to the smoke curling up from around where her legs rested on the stone. "I am you, child. Or, I was once much like you ... until they ruined me. They will ruin you, too. That is why I have called you here."

The man spread his arms wide in a gesture of welcome. "I am Asmodeus, Lord of the Hells. This broken land is a remnant of my fall, and I wish to save you from a similar fate."

The Concept: Build, Character, Backgrounds

Unlike the Oathbreaker, the Oath of the Crown Paladin is not ignored, but actively avoided/disliked. I have seen countless posts about how it remains vastly underpowered and how it's 20th level ability falls short of expectation and is inferior to the other paladins'. These posts come from people who do not know how to effectively utilize the tools given to them. I can also infer that people shy away from the Oath of the Crown as they feel it is too "on the nose" for a paladin. The subclass lends itself to being a knight of the round table, sure, but with the right story and race combination, suddenly the Oath of the Crown bears one of the most interesting flavors (Avenged Sevenfold's "Hail to the King" plays somewhere in the background). The Oath of the Crown paladin is not strong because of it's 20th level ability, it is strong because of it's Channel Divinity options paired with its Oath Spells and Paladin Spells. These features combined allow us to make a supreme enemy lockdown build with the added bonus of mounted combat.

The character is a human touched by celestials, marked for greatness, an aasimar, that has fallen from grace after becoming a paladin of Asmodeus, Lord of the Hells. The aasimar, often thought to be gifts to the mortal races by the inhabitants of Mount Celestia, a heavenly plane of the afterlife, are blessed with divine abilities and a link to a celestial guardian. These entities provide guidance to aasimar not through direct command or simple spoken word, but through dreams -- visions, prophecies and feelings. Her dreams were ones of great violence and horror, made to warn her of what was to come.  To a child, being plagued with such visions was more of a curse than a blessing. So, growing into young adulthood, she grew to loathe her gift, and her dreams. She lay awake at night, terrified to close her eyes in fear of what she might see. This provided an opening. A sliver of doubt is enough for the honey-tongued serpent to plant his gilded words upon the ears of a godling.

Asmodeus in his true form with a hellhound

Rosnolir received a vision from Asmodeus, once the bravest, toughest, fiercest and most beautiful of angels. He and the other angels of his ilk were created to fight the demons of the abyss while the gods concerned themselves with forging worlds and sentient races. After eons of fighting the demons of the Abyss, Asmodeus and some of his fellows began to change. They grew similar in appearance and methods to the demons they fought. Afraid of his power and the changes he had undergone, the gods put Asmodeus on trial and cast him from Mount Celestia, banishing him to the realm of Baator, what is now known as the Nine Hells, the land which he had spent his entire life clearing of demons. He fell to the deepest level where he sustained serious injuries that have yet to heal all these years later, and from his blood which boiled in rage he birthed forth the first devils. Since then, Asmodeus has waged war with Celestials, murdering them whenever and wherever he could. Though, one thing Asmodeus enjoys more than killing Celestials is corrupting them and bringing them to his side. With a dream that for once did not plague her with maddening scenes of violence and torture, Asmodeus made contact with Rosnolir, planting that fatal seed of doubt, ultimately replacing her internal light with shadow, and causing her celestial guard to abandon her.

As a paladin of The Lord of the Hells, a being of supreme law and tyranny, and a former celestial, Rosnolir's alignment is Lawful Evil. Her character arc may plan on her growing to Lawful Neutral, or even Lawful Good, renewing her celestial status, thought that is up to the player, and not the design of this particular story. Some backgrounds that are appropriate include Faction Agent (with a Charisma skill choice), Mercenary Veteran and Soldier. All of these prioritize Charisma or Strength based abilities, but as always, backgrounds are more up to player preference than optimization. I always like to leave a little bit of the character unwritten so the player can personalize them enough to feel like they are their own.

The Race: Aasimar (Fallen)

As always, I determine story after I've chosen a race, so of course this choice fits the backstory quite well. Let's dive in to why I chose the Aasimar for this build specifically. We like the Aasimar here for several reasons, so let's lay them out. 1) +2 Charisma and +1 Strength. 2) Good healing and damage resistance abilities. 3) Necrotic Shroud (we'll talk more about this later in the post). The stat boosts perfectly suit the build, which will prioritize Charisma over Strength, the self-healing potential is fantastic for a defender and the racial fear effect is a crucial part of our enemy lockdown strategy.

The Stat Spread (Standard Array):

CHA 16 (+3), STR 16 (+3), CON 13 (+1), DEX 12 (+1), WIS 10 (+0), INT 8 (-1)

Charisma takes top priority in terms of stats but this build is going to be wonky with feat taking. Strength will take last priority after feats, and will not even receive a bump from its starting place. The reasoning for this is that melee strikes will not be our main form of damage, but a particular Oath Spell (Spirit Guardians) will be, which will be discussed later in the build.

The Class: Notable Features

Fighting Style (Defense): The goal of this build is to survive when locked in close combat with the enemy, which we will force upon them with our Champion Challenge Channel Divinity feature. Attacks should be drawn toward the tank and with a high AC, they'll receive little punishment for it. This is also why we're going sword and board, using the shield to boost AC even higher.

Channel Divinity (Champion Challenge): This feature right here is the center piece of the build, the decorated turkey in the middle of the thanksgiving dinner. This is the ultimate save-or-suck spell effect. Every creature of the Crown Paladin's choice within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw, and on a failure, are trapped within 30 feet for the duration - which is as long as the paladin remains conscious. That's it. No saves made at the end of every turn to contest the effect, nothing. Either they succeed and the Channel Divinity does nothing, or they fail and are trapped in an invisible cage with the paladin forever. The reader might see how this ability is a great starting point to forge a build around, and it is this ability that has made us prioritize Charisma over Strength. The higher the Spell Save DC for this effect, the better off this build will be.

Oath of the Crown Spells: The Crown Paladin gets some great always-prepared spell options, such as Warding Bond, Aura of Vitality and Banishment. These are all great means for the Paladin to keep their party healthy, whether by sharing the load of damage, regenerating HP or banishing a dangerous monster from the battle entirely. However, what's really going to kick things into second gear is the spell not regularly offered to the paladin - Spirit Guardians. Let me explain:

-Spirit Guardians, to begin, is a concentration spell with a duration of 10 minutes, which translates to roughly 100 rounds of combat . . . considering Champion Challenge does not end, this seems like a perfectly reasonable length of time. The spell conjures spirits that burst forth from their realm of origin to protect the caster and their allies. They fill a space out to 15 feet around the caster, and since our Paladin is of an evil alignment, they will take on a fiendish appearance. All creatures that enter the aura or start their turn there must make a Wisdom saving throw, and on a failed save they take 3d8 necrotic damage (radiant if neutral or good alignment), or half as much on a success. So far, the process goes as such: we cast Champion Challenge and lock enemies within 30 feet of the Paladin. Then, we cast Spirit Guardians and fill half of that circle with an extremely potent damaging spell. What about the last 15 feet of the circle, the reader may ask? Well, that's where our mount comes into play.

Spells: The typical Paladin smites are great for extra damage outside of our Champion Challenge strategy, as we wouldn't want to remove concentration on Spirit Guardians, but the real star of the show is the Find Steed and Find Greater Steed spells. 

-Find Steed/Find Greater Steed not only look cool (a knight of hell riding into battle upon a flaming nightmare) but assist in fully encompassing our Champion Challenge radius with Spirit Guardians. As is the nature of the spell, "while mounted on the [Paladin's] steed, [the Paladin] can make any spell that targets [themselves] also target [their] steed." So, a detail that has been left out up to this point to avoid confusion is that the Crown Paladin is a mounted combatant almost exclusively because of this feature.

So, our Paladin rides in on horseback, casts Channel Divinity's Champion Challenge feature binding the foe in place, casts Spirit Guardians (which now affects both them and their mount), dismounts, and then sends their mount to close in on the enemy with a Spirit Guardian aura of its own, effectively filling the rest of any area the foe can flee to in their 30 foot circle with a cloud of fiend spirits that rip and rend at their flesh. At earlier levels, the mount might go down from attacks, but once the Paladin can cast Find Greater Steed and their flaming horse grows wings (pegasus form), they can now fly 15 feet above the ground so that the aura still reaches the foes beneath them, while simultaneously staying out of reach of their melee strikes.

Alternatively, should the Paladin wish to remain mounted during the combat, such as during instances where the foes do not attempt to run from her Champion Challenge but rather face her head on, the double cast Spirit Guardians will force any foes within 15 feet to make two Wisdom saving throws, and on two failures, effectively take 6d8 necrotic damage, which only increases if the spell is cast at a higher level. 

Feats: Mounted Officer

The suggested order of things is thus: at 4th level, take Resilient (CON) for the +1 to Constitution, and the bolstering of concentration checks; at 8th level take War Caster for advantage on saves for maintaining Spirit Guardians; at 12th and 16th level boost the Charisma stat to maximum, and at 19th level take the Mounted Combatant feat. 

Resilient (Constitution Variant): the proficiency in concentration checks will be very useful for maintaining the Spirit Guardians spell, but the +1 to Constitution also brings the stat score up to 14, changing the modifier to +2, which will boost HP every level up from this point forward -- very useful.

War Caster: The other features of this feat are nice but the real treasure is advantage on those proficient concentration checks for maintaining Spirit Guardians. This will become ever more potent once Charisma is maximized.

Mounted Combatant: As outside of our Champion Challenge strategy the Paladin should be a mounted combatant, even as late in the game as 19th level is, the boosts this feat provide are quite nice. Being able to force an attack to target the Paladin rather than the mount is a great ability that paired with a high AC might just waste an opponent's attack entirely. Advantage on strikes against creatures smaller than the mount (Medium sized and smaller) is excellent, as many foes are Medium sized. Boosted Dexterity saves for the mount can't hurt either.

As always, these are the optimized feats but there are some other less ideal options that the reader might consider: Sentinel (paired with the Necrotic Shroud fear affect of the Fallen Aasimar, we can pull an Oathbreaker Dreadful Aspect strategy (see my post on the Oathbreaker) and trap enemies between needing to run and not being allowed to while simultaneously becoming stuck in the Spirit Guardians aura) and Tough (extra HP when the Paladin is locked in a long lasting fight cage with a foe can certainly be helpful).

Play Style: I'm Not Locked in Here with You ...

Pre-Battle: There is not much to be done pre-battle save for ensuring that our steed is summoned, at full health, and saddled up for combat. Helm visors down, shields up, swords drawn.

Early Battle: Take out the little guys. Clear as much clutter off the battlefield as possible, and stay as close to the Paladin's allies as is necessary to take blows for them via the Crown Oath's Divine Allegiance ability, which allows strikes to hit the Paladin rather than allies. Ensure that allies are in the most defensible, advantageous position as possible. Once that's done, it's time for our main strategy.

Mid-Late Battle: Time to lockdown the greatest number of enemies or those that present the most danger. Issue that Champion Challenge in the most effective place possible and ensure that the squishies have ample room to maneuver outside of it or to take cover. This strategy allows for any primarily ranged characters to attack at will without ever having to receive a melee attack from an enemy, though they should still take cover from trapped archers/mages. The next step in the process is activating the Necrotic Shroud ability of the Fallen Aasimar. This gives the Paladin time to set up their Spirit Guardian spells without having to take a full round of attacks from all enemies trapped within the AOE. Then, as discussed previously, its time for double Spirit Guardians. Stand firm at the center of the area and send the mount out to shepherd foes into the fiend clouds or toward the Paladin at the center. Now it's time to rely on that high AC to avoid attacks, as well as support from the rest of the party, while whittling away at the BBEG with sword attacks.

Roleplay: Fallen Daughter, Royal Aegis to the King of the Hell

Rosnolir was tainted at a young age by abhorrent images of violence displayed to her via a divine connection to a guardian spirit. It might have even driven her insane, psychopathic. It is for this reason that she grew up to take work in the industry of violence. Whether as a mercenary, soldier or faction agent, she excelled at violence. It was her waking world, and waited for her in her dreams every night she fell asleep. That is, until she was visited by that man, that resplendent king who offered her merciful, restful sleep. The king who exposed to her the true nature of the Celestials. All was not as it seemed, and her life of violence was the fault of the guardian angel that sought to guide her, not the demons and devils everyone was told to fear. Perhaps the angel was showing her her inevitable fate as a champion of the King of Hell, a life filled with violence in the ninth ring Nessus. Perhaps it truly was a cataclysmic event slowly closing in on humanity that only she could stop. Perhaps it was both. Either way, Rosnolir now shares in her patron's hatred of their kind, and would seek out the death of Celestials whenever possible. She chose to join his armies, to join him in his war on the heavens, and swore the following oaths which she must uphold in all of her actions:

Law. The Lord's law is paramount. It is the mortar that holds the stones of the afterlife together. Without his punishing law, there would be no balance, and so it must be respected.

Loyalty. The Paladin's words are her bond. Without loyalty to her sovereign, oaths and laws are meaningless. The Paladin must never question her king, nor challenge his decrees.

Courage. The Paladin must be willing to do what must be done for the sake of order, even in the face of overwhelming odds or distasteful acts. If the Paladin doesn't act, then who will?

Responsibility. The populace must deal with the consequences of their actions, and the Paladin is responsible for fulfilling her duties and obligations as the punishing hand of the King.

Conclusion:

I could not believe that the Oath of the Crown was disliked, or found to be underwhelming. The Champion Challenge is the only taunt feature in the game other than Compel Duel, which allows for saving throws at the end of the affected enemies' turns (not a good taunt). Not only that, but a free mass heal as a Channel Divinity option via Turn the Tide can potentially put several unconscious party members back in the fight. The 20th level feature of this subclass is no reason to disparage it, as Exalted Champion is still good plus it has all of these other effective features to go along with it. As always, I wish those future Crown Paladins luck in their adventuring and that they have as much fun playing Rosnolir as I had building her, or whatever character they choose to make with the race, stats and abilities of the build!

Character Sheets:

LVL 1 Character Sheet

LVL 20 Character Sheet

Ultimate Oathbreaker Paladin: Battlefield Control Build

Paladin: Oathbreaker

Polearm Battlefield Control & Necromancy Build

 

The Character:

No Mercy for the Wicked. Ordinary foes might win my mercy, but my sworn enemies do not. That is the oath he'd sworn.

So much for that. Vledjas stood towering over his trembling foe, halberd raised for a final strike. Just one good thrust through the chest and the misdeeds were punished, his people avenged. He could've ended it right there, but as he watched that shivering shell of a man, Vledjas' only thoughts were of his daughter, and how she must have felt that exact same terror moments before her death. He just ... couldn't do it. The man was but a boy, really, a teenager, thrust onto a throne, unlearned in the ways of ruling. He was selfish, spoiled and ignorant, true, the cause of many innocent deaths, but only because he'd been taught no better. Who was Vledjas to dole out such decisive judgement?

It didn't matter. The boy was run through by a lance from another paladin as Vledjas hesitated, his pleading and weeping, trembling in terror, snot running down his face, all silenced when his rib-cage collapsed under the crunch of that sickening iron stab. No Mercy for the Wicked. 

The Concept: Build, Story, Backgrounds

The Oathbreaker Paladin falls under the same camp as the Undying Patron Warlock in that it is not hated so much as it is forgotten. It exists in the DMG, a source material players don't often navigate, and most people playing a paladin want to be that hero in shining armor, the champion of a god, not some shunned warrior hated by the members of their former clergy as the DMG makes them out to be (requiring an Evil alignment, which I will be ignoring for this build). They might also believe that the only true path to redemption for an Oathbreaker is for them to renew their oaths and then the player would have to switch all their class abilities around. I reject both of these notions, and have set out to build a Lawful Good Oathbreaker. The gods are not always right, and sometimes men swear oaths that they cannot keep. Regarding the build, the Oathbreaker Paladin's features lean heavily toward high damage battlefield control - holding ground, locking down enemies, dispatching them, and advancing forward, which is why I've gone for a polearm using, minion summoning strategy.

Helm battles a marilith demon

The character was a paladin of Helm, The Vigilant One, a Lawful Neutral deity thought to be a cold and focused force impartially taking the role of defender and enforcer. He is worshiped by city guards, and his following of Helmites go by the title of the Everwatch Knights. Some variety of terrible tragedy happened to Vledjas, so he swore an Oath of Vengeance, and the Everwatch Knights quietly planned to remove the problem and restore justice, but when the time came to dispatch the foe, his weapon faltered. He could not bring himself to be merciless. His decision branded him an Oathbreaker, corrupting the magic he had gained from his vow, tainting his very person and rendering him an outcast of both the religious order and society. Now, without a family or country, Vledjas wanders the land, damned to villainy for daring to show mercy.

As a follower of Helm, Vledjas had been a Lawful Neutral man, but as an Oathbreaker he is Lawful Good. If the DM is unwilling to break the DMG's alignment restriction for the Oathbreaker, this story will not mesh with a Lawful Evil character, so the player might consider making a new story for their Oathbreaker, or alternatively, getting a new DM. Some backgrounds that are appropriate for this build include City Watch and Solider. Both prioritize Strength based skills and fit the backstory, but as always, backgrounds are more up to player choice than optimization. 

The Race: Human (Variant)

With this build, we'd like to first maximize Strength, then Charisma. To do so, we cannot spend many Ability Score Increases on feats. So, we need to start with a feat - enter the Human (Variant). The variant human's two +1 stat boosts go toward Strength and Constitution in order to round up to an even number, but Strength and Charisma will ultimately be the two stats we focus on boosting. The starting feat will be Polearm Master. The free bonus action strike dealing 1d4 bludgeoning damage is nice, especially with Aura of Hate's bonus to every attack's damage, but what we're really eyeing are the provoked opportunity attacks at 10 feet rather than 5. With this, nothing gets past our Oathbreaker, and he is far more effective at holding ground.

The Stat Spread (Standard Array): 

STR 16 (+3), CHA 14 (+2), CON 14 (+2), WIS 12 (+1), INT 10 (+0), DEX 8 (-1)

Prioritizing Strength is necessary so that as many of the Oathbreaker's opportunity attacks land as possible, and do decent damage. Charisma is a close second in terms of priority, as the Spell Save DC for the Channel Divinity option Dreadful Aspect and the damage boost from Aura of Hate are also very important for the build. 

The Class: Notable Features

Fighting Style (Tunnel Fighter): This is Unearthed Arcana material. If the DM is unwilling to allow UA, then the stand in will be Great Weapon Fighting, which needs no strategizing, as it just allows for damage rerolls. The Tunnel Fighter fighting style screams Oathbreaker, and is the beginning of our undead phalanx, ground-holding play style. Since it is UA material, I will post the exact wording here for clarity: 

"[The Oathbreaker excels] at defending narrow passages, doorways, and other tight spaces. As a bonus action, [they] can enter a defensive stance that lasts until the start of [their] next turn. While in [their] defensive stance, [they] can make opportunity attacks without using [their] reaction, and [they] can use [their] reaction to make a melee attack against a creature that moves more than 5 feet while within [their] reach."

This style offers complete control of the Oathbreaker's immediate area on the battlefield, and with the range of these opportunity attacks extended to 10 feet with Polearm Master, the Oathbreaker can stop as many people as they want. Paired with Dreadful Aspect, we can force a lot of opportunity attacks. Plus, with Aura of Hate, we'll want to be making as many attacks as possible per round.

Oathbreaker Spells: The Oathbreaker gains access to a myriad of spells but none more useful than Animate Dead. 

-Animate Dead minionmancy is vital for successful Oathbreaking. Make sure to have two skeleton friends with bows peck at the enemies from range. Two others should be 10 feet at maximum from the Oathbreaker, ideally forming a phalanx line, to block advancing and receive the damage bonus from Aura of Hate and the other bonuses from Aura of Protection and Aura of Courage. 

Channel Divinity (Dreadful Aspect): Forcing foes to flee in fear is excellent for provoking opportunity attacks from them, especially if the Tunnel Fighter style's bonus action was taken before using Channel Divinity. This means, as many foes that run away from the Oathbreaker in 10 feet will likely take an opportunity attack with Aura of Hate boosted damage. That's a potential of four attacks in one turn of combat. This feature becomes even more devastating with the Sentinel feat we discuss later in the build.

Aura of Hate: We've brought the name up several times now, but Aura of Hate is an excellent ability that allows the Oathbreaker and his undead minions to deal an extra Charisma modifier of damage with every single attack as long as they are within 10 feet of the Paladin (30 feet at 18th level). This paired with Tunnel Fighter is excellent - more attacks equals more damage!

Feats: Where Do You Think You're Going?

This feat should be taken ASAP at 4th level, and all other Ability Score Increases should be used to maximize Strength and then Charisma in that order.

Sentinel: Picture it -- the Oathbreaker used their bonus action to fall into defense stance with Tunnel Fighter, and then uses their action to activate Dreadful Aspect. Foes are affected with the Fear condition and can only move away from the Oathbreaker. The Oathbreaker strikes them all with Polearm reach opportunity attacks - now with Sentinel, they get stopped at 10 feet away. For melee fighters with no good ranged options, this is devastating. They can only move away, but if they do, they provoke an opportunity attack, and are stopped. They are effectively trapped and each time they take the only move they're allowed they take damage. 

Other feats that can be useful but not as much as boosting Strength and Charisma are Great Weapon Master (this will add even more damage to those opportunity attacks, but its more likely that they'll miss, so probably not worth it unless the Oathbreaker has a magical item that boosts accuracy), Heavy Armor Master (paired with the Oathbreaker's Supernatural Resistance feature which halves non-magical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage, the -3 to those damage types reduces damage even more, but with heavy armor and hard hitting power, it's not likely to be relevant), and Inspiring Leader (more HP for allies and the undead minions). 

Play Style: Won't Back Down

Pre-Battle: The Oathbreaker should ensure that the undead minions are in phalanx position with back-up archers in place before advancing. Identify any tight corridors, passages and doorways and try to strategize a way for the party to funnel foes through it straight to the Oathbreaker. 

Early Battle: What type of foes are the party fighting? If melee, go with the tried-and-true Tunnel Fighter stance-using, Polearm Master reach-inducing, Aura of Hate boosted, Sentinel activating opportunity attacks by using Dreadful Aspect. Not to mention, Improved Divine Smite (free +1d8 radiant damage to each attack) at 11th level from the Paladin features adds even more hitting power to these strikes. Gods forbid the Oathbreaker uses a spell slot to add a Divine Smite on top of all this. Hold as much ground as possible and do not back down. The Oathbreaker's job is to maintain control of the battlefield, and to hold ground by providing a wall for the party's ranged members to hide behind and attack from. If the foes use ranged attacks, rush them down and get within 5 feet so as to nullify their ranged potential by forcing disadvantage on their attacks.

Mid-Late Battle: Late game means maintaining. All of the set up is done in the early rounds of the fight. If the wall has not yet broken, maintain it until it is no longer tactically feasible. If the enemies are mostly down or fleeing, start cleanup. Chase down errant enemies and finish them. The wall is useless if enemies are out of its opportunity attack reach.

Roleplay: “For so sworn good or evil an oath may not be broken and it shall pursue oathkeeper and oathbreaker to the world's end.”  - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion 

Vledjas is a cursed man. By what he can only believe to be out of spite, the god he once served has corrupted the blessings of his oath, and rendered him a societal outcast. The dead rise up at his feet and will not leave him be and an aura of hatred hangs heavy around him, adding to the weight of his armor. He might try and help others, try to be useful again, would the villagers not shoo him and his rotting minions away for fear of villainy. Was mercy really so bad? Bad enough to permanently brand a man the enemy of a god? If that is the case, Vledjas was no longer feeling merciful. Others, most others, are deserving of mercy, even for all their mistakes and wickedness, that much he could not deny, no matter the weight of an oath; however, what mercy is a god that would ruin a man for sparing the life of a child deserving of? None.

Vledjas swore an Oath of Vengeance, and that is an oath he would keep. The words he swore haunt his dreams, taunting him, begging him. They do not leave. For so sworn good or evil an oath may not be broken and it shall pursue oathkeeper and oathbreaker to the world's end. Vledjas would see his oath through. A mortal foe was no subject of divine vengeance - a cold, wrathful god was.

Conclusion:

I set out to make a Lawful Good Oathbreaker Paladin (despite what the DMG demands in terms of alignment) and I think I've succeeded in a very interesting way. Some of the oaths in the PHB are . . . kind of impossible to keep. And if the Paladin truly does not believe in them any longer, nor seeks attonement and grows as a person, it brands him Oathbreaker. It never seemed like a fair system to me, and so I sought to accentuate that with the build. It will be up to the player where Vledjas goes from here. Does the weight of the hatred brought forth from the corrupted oath magic eat away at him until he loses all mercy, becoming the villain everyone thought he was? Does he get all the way to Helm's plane in the afterlife  only to challenge him but spare him as well, finding it just not in his nature to be vengeful? Maybe the oath magic's corruption isn't Helm's fault, but just the nature of oaths. That's up to the player and the DM to decide.

As always, I wish those future Oathbreaker Paladins luck in their adventuring and that they have as much fun playing Vledjas as I had building him, or whatever character they choose to make with the race, stats and abilities of the build!

Character Sheets:

LVL 1 Character Sheet

LVL 20 Character Sheet