A knight of oaths regards traditional rules as pithy sayings - the guidelines "Do not murder" and "Do not steal" pale in comparison to the oaths which they put forth, setting reality itself to their bondage. Standing before tides of innumerable enemies as do their martial brethren, the cavalier, fighter, and paladin, they work their propositions into truth about the world with a strong arm and mighty voice.
Intended balance point: PF Bard.
Notes:
Starting Age: As Paladin
Starting Equipment: As Paladin
Alignment: As they stand for the most true order, knights of oaths tend heavily toward being lawful, but otherwise run the gamut of evil, neutral, and good.
Hit Die: d12
Skill Points: 4+Int
Class Skills:
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency.
Knights of oaths are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light, medium, and heavy armour, and with shields (but not tower shields).
Oaths (Su).
All knights of oaths develop the ability to reorder the near future, demanding that their desired result come to pass. The taking of an oath represents something of a temporal waypoint - directing the flow of time along a path of least resistance toward a particular goal and away from alternatives. However, this bonding of time comes with its own risks, as a broken promise of such power can shatter more than just trust.
Knights of oaths may take a number of oaths per day equal to 2 + 1/2 knight of oaths level (minimum 0) + their Charisma modifier (minimum 0, maximum class level). Taking an oath is a swift action unless stated otherwise.
A knight of oaths that fails to keep her oath becomes staggered for 1 round at the end of the current turn. This effect extends its own duration if applied again, though other effects that apply the staggered condition do not behave the same way, instead overlapping. Note that not all oaths need be kept, and that there are ways to circumvent this penalty.
Oath of steel. At 1st level, a knight of oaths may take an oath that she might not falter. By taking this oath, she gains DR 3/- and a +1 braid bonus to Reflex for 1 round. Every 2 levels thereafter, her DR and Reflex bonuses from this ability increase by 1. This oath may be used as an immediate action.
Oath of courage. At 3rd level, a knight of oaths may take an oath that she and her allies will be able to reach beyond mortal limits. She may choose a total number of characters with line of sight to her up to her Charisma modifier. For a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier, one time when each chosen character would fail a skill check or Fortitude or Will saving throw, that character may choose to add the oath bonus of the knight of oaths. If the character fails this skill check or saving throw, she fails to keep her oath.
Oath of justice. At 5th level, a knight of oaths may take an oath that her way be made clear. She may choose a total number of characters she has line of sight to up to her Charisma modifier. For one round, attacks of opportunity made against her during a charge action by any of the chosen characters deal no damage and combat manoeuvres made in place of such attacks have no effect. If more than one such attack or combat manoeuvre lands or succeeds, she fails to keep her oath.
Oath of freefall. At 7th level, a knight of oaths may take an oath that her enemies will fall into her hands. She chooses a single flying target who makes a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 knight of oaths level + Charisma modifier) or else stalls, falling up to 300 feet, suffering falling damage as appropriate, and unable to retake ascent for a number of rounds equal to her oath bonus. If the target is immune to this saving throw, she fails to keep her oath.
Oath of ruin. At 9th level,
Oath of embers. At 11th level,
Oath of discovery. At 13th level,
Oath of return. At 15th level,
Oath of permanence. At 17th level,
Rebuke Dishonour (Su).
At 1st level, a knight of oaths steps up to their mantle of nobility, pledging to uphold honour throughout all lands. Whenever a creature that the knight of oaths threatens takes a dishonourable action (defined below), as an immediate action she may choose to gain a morale bonus to attack equal to her Charisma modifier and a morale bonus to damage equal to her class level against that creature for 1 round.
Sentence (Su).
At 2nd level, a knight of oaths gains the ability to sentence an enemy to an untimely end. Once per day as a swift action, she may choose a creature she can accurately detect (e.g. through vision). For 1 hour, for every round in which that creature takes damage from any source, on its turn it takes her oath bonus plus her Charisma modifier in fate damage that ignores damage reduction. In addition, it receives a -2 fate penalty to all saves for the duration.
She may use sentence an additional time per day every 3 levels thereafter.
Knight's Boons (Ex).
At 2nd level, a knight of oaths gains a powerful boon as an agent of the law. She gains another boon every 2 levels thereafter.
More information can be found here: Knight's Boons.
Steely Resolve (Ex).
At 3rd level, a knight of oaths steels herself against the evils of ignoble elements. Once per day as an immediate action, when she would roll a Fortitude saving throw, she instead automatically succeeds.
Oath-Bond (Su).
At 4th level and every 3 levels thereafter, a knight of oaths pledges herself to uphold a new tenet of honour and reality.
More information can be found here: Oath-bonds.
Ease Burdens (Ex).
At 6th level, a knight of oaths takes a symbolic pact to ease the burdens of those she is responsible to protect, demonstrating the burdens she herself carries. She may choose to be treated as one size category larger than she otherwise would for the purpose of determining what size weapons she wields.
Driving Fate (Su).
At 6th level, a knight of oaths is propelled onward by the weight of the many oaths she has taken. She gains half her knight of oaths level as a fate bonus to Sense Motive against feints and to CMD.
Glimmering Armour (Ex).
At 8th level, a knight of oaths has kept her head high and served as a presence to those in need for long enough that her stature becomes pervasive. All allies with line of sight to the knight of oaths are immune to fear, receive a +2 morale bonus to saves against mind-affecting effects, and as a swift action once per day may choose to receive a number of temporary hit points equal to the knight of oaths' class level plus her Charisma modifier that last for 8 hours.
In addition, she gains access to glimmering boons. She may take a glimmering boon in place of a knight's boon.
Weapon Pact (Ex).
At 10th level, a knight of oaths
Anneal Self (Ex).
At 12th level, a knight of oaths
Radiant Law (Su).
At 14th level, a knight of oaths begins to supersede the laws of nature and reality, becoming an element of law unto herself. Whenever a creature to which she has line of sight performs an action which is against the law of a nation, municipality, or guild which shares her alignment along the good-evil axis within a number of feet equal to her class level to the power of 6, she is aware.
She may expend a use of oaths in order to bring the law to bear on them, immediately creating a warrant for their arrest in all guardhouses in the area described above and disseminating their name and physical position to all such guards and members of the military as if by sending. She may instead expend a use of sentence in order to ignore the legality requirement, activating this ability at any time. A use of oaths for this ability is a non-action, and the knight of oaths must immediately decide whether to use this ability on witnessing an offence. A use of sentence is a free action.
In addition, she gains access to radiant boons. She may take a radiant boon in place of a knight's boon.
Guard Eternity (Su).
At 16th level, a knight of oaths
Greater Weapon Pact (Ex).
At 18th level, a knight of oaths
Annihilated Self (Ex).
At 18th level, a knight of oaths
Extinguishing Oath (Su).
At 19th level, a knight of oaths
Secret-Keeper (Su).
At 20th level, a knight of oaths
Some knight of oaths class abilities refer to dishonourable actions. The following actions are considered dishonourable when performed by anyone but the knight of oaths. Any action which is dishonourable for multiple reasons is still considered a single dishonourable action.
Completing a full attack action in which more than one attack was made and in which every attack was attempted on the same target. (The flurry of blows monk ability constitutes a full attack.)
Making an attack that benefits from a flanking bonus.
Casting a spell without casting defensively.
Making an attack of opportunity due to a character falling prone (eg. due to a successful trip attempt made by someone with greater trip).
Using the dirty trick combat maneuver.