The New DnD 2024 Oath of Vengeance Paladin (Subclass Deep Dive)
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Dedicated to punishing the wicked and crushing the forces of evil beneath their heels, the Oath of Vengeance has become one of the most popular subclasses for the DnD 5e Paladin, offering a grittier, blood soaked alternative to the usual squeaky-clean Paladin subclasses.
Now, the Oath of Vengeance is back and looking to get even in the pages of the 2024 Player’s Handbook. This new version includes a number of changes, including more powerful combat abilities and a few other mechanical tweaks.
So is the Oath of Vengeance Paladin still able to settle the score in DnD 2024? Below, we delve into all the details.
What’s changed in the new 2024 Oath of Vengeance Paladin?
Below are all the changes to the 2024 Oath of Vengeance Paladin in DnD 5e. For ease of reference we’ve included the level of each feature and whether or not it’s changed from the 2014 Player’s Handbook. It’s important to note that both the old and the new version of the subclass still fall under the DnD 5e core rules.
| Oath of Vengeance Paladin Feature | Level | Changed from 2014? | Changes to the 2024 Oath of Vengeance Paladin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oath Spells | 3 | No | N/A |
| Vow of Enmity (Channel Divinity) | 3 | Yes | – In 2024 the range for this feature is 30 feet (in the 2014 rules it was just 10 feet). – As a bonus action, you can also now transfer it to another creature if the original creature drops to 0 zero hit points or falls unconscious (in the 2014 version, the feature simply ended once the target creature was incapacitated). |
| Adjure Enemy (Channel Divinity) | 3 | Yes | This 2014 Channel Divinity feature has been removed from the 2024 rules. It allowed you to Frighten creatures within 60 feet if they failed a Wisdom saving throw. |
| Relentless Avenger | 7 | Yes | The 2024 version of this feature now reduces to the target’s Speed to 0 (something which was not the case in the 2014 rules). |
| Soul of Vengeance | 15 | Yes | N/A |
| Avenging Angel | 20 | Yes | In the 2024 rules this feature now lasts 10 minutes (in 2014 it lasted for 1 hour). It also now has a radius of 10 feet in your Aura of Protection (in the 2014 rules, it had a 30 foot radius). You can now also restore this feature by taking a Long Rest or expending a Level 5 spell slot (in the 2014 rules you could only regain it by taking a Long Rest). |
What are the Oath of Vengeance Paladin features for 2024 DnD 5e?
Below are the full list of all the features using the new 2024 core rules. Where applicable we have called out details to the changes that have been made from the 2014 Oath of Vengeance Paladin.
Tenets of Devotion
For the 2024 Oath of Vengeance, the key tenets that guide characters are as follows:
- Show the wicked no mercy.
- Fight injustice and its causes.
- Aid those harmed by injustice.
Level 3: Oath Spells
In the new 2024 rules, your Oath of Vegeance Paladin gains spells from the list below (with additional spells added as you advance in level). Once you gain access to an oath spell, you always have it prepared and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. Notably, the spells in this list have not changed from the 2014 version.
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Bane, Hunter’s Mark |
| 5 | Hold Person, Misty Step |
| 9 | Haste, Protection from Energy |
| 13 | Banishment, Dimension Door |
| 17 | Hold Monster, Scrying |
Level 3: Vow of Enmity
When you take the Attack action, you can expend one use of your Channel Divinity to utter a vow of enmity against a creature you can see within 30 feet of yourself. You have Advantage on attack rolls against the creature for 1 minute or until you use this feature again. If the creature drops to 0 Hit Points before the vow ends, you can transfer the vow to a different creature within 30 feet of yourself (no action required).
Notably, the 2014 version of this feature had a range of just 10 feet and if the target creature dropped to 0 zero hit points or fell unconscious the effect simply ended and could not be transferred to another creature.
Level 7: Relentless Avenger
Your supernatural focus helps you close off a foe’s retreat. When you hit a creature with an Opportunity Attack, you can reduce the creature’s Speed to 0 until the end of the current turn. You can then move up to half your Speed as part of the same Reaction. This movement doesn’t provoke Opportunity Attacks.
Notably, the 2014 version of this feature did not reduce to the target’s Speed to 0. All other effects, however, are the same as the 2024 version.
Level 15: Soul of Vengeance
Immediately after a creature under the effect of your Vow of Enmity hits or misses with an attack roll, you can take a Reaction to make a melee attack against that creature if it’s within range.
Notably, the 2014 version of this feature is exactly the same as the 2024 version and has not been changed.
Level 20: Avenging Angel
As a Bonus Action, you gain the benefits below for 10 minutes or until you end them (no action required). Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest. You can also restore your use of it by expending a level 5 spell slot (no action required).
- Flight: You sprout spectral wings on your back, have a Fly Speed of 60 feet, and can hover.
- Frightful Aura: Whenever an enemy starts its turn in your Aura of Protection, that creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Frightened condition for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. Attack rolls against the Frightened creature have Advantage.
Notably, the 2014 version of this feature lasted for 1 hour, had a 30 foot radius and could only be recovered with a Long Rest, with no option to expend a spell slot to regain a use.
Is the New 2024 Oath of Vengeance Paladin worth playing?
The updated Oath of Vengeance is definitely a solid subclass option for the new 2024 Paladin, offering a bit more power and flexibility, particularly when it comes to the Vow of Enmity and Relentless Avenger features. The exception is the Avenging Angel feature, which has been slightly nerfed in terms of the area of effect and duration, but the ability to regain a use by a burning a spell slot is a fair trade off.
The main draw of the Oath of Vengeance, however, remains the same, offering players the chance to play a darker, grittier Paladin who isn’t afraid to get their hands a little dirty.
You can find the complete rules for the new subclass in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which is available for pre-order now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.
Below is also a video from the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel, with DnD lead designer Jeremy Crawford discussing more about the changes to to the Oath of Vengeance Paladin.
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Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).
