Oath of Madness: the paladin of Sheogorath

[polymphus]

A friend asked me to put together a homebrew oath based around a god similar to the Elder Scrolls' Sheogorath: a whimsical-yet-terrifying god of madness and inspiration.

I took inspiration from Warlock and Chaos Sorcerer abilities, and ended up with something that's very good at locking down enemy movement and general debuffs. How's the balance looking? I'm still a little sketchy on 5e and not sure if this will work at all. Feel free to suggest any changes!

Oath of Madness

Tenets of Madness

Spread the word: sanity is a curse, and you must take every effort to unburden the afflicted.

Write the books: there's no point just saying things -- spoken words die as soon as they're un-listened. Write of Shegga's gospel wherever you go, with whatever tools and on whatever surfaces available.

Respect the messengers: those touched with madness are truly blessed. As a paladin of Shegga, you are the sworn protector of the mad, the wild, the forgotten -- do not allow them to come to harm.

Open the way: all doors and windows must be open and uncovered at all times. Otherwise, how will your Uncle Sheg get in?

Spells

3rd: Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Dissonant Whispers
5th: Crown of Madness, Mirror Image
9th: Hunger of Hadar, Major Image
13th: Evard’s Black Tentacles, Hallucinatory Terrain
17th: Contact Other Plane, Otto’s Irresistable Dance

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options:

Shegga’s Stupid Morphing

As an action, you can twist the form of your enemies into something a little less intimidating. Using your Channel Divinity, chose a target within 30 feet. That target must take a constitution save at DC10+your charisma modifier. If it fails, it is transformed into a sheep for one minute. It cannot speak, or use equipment, or take any other action a sheep would not be able to.

If it is reduced to 0HP, it reverts to its original form and regains all HP is lost in the transformation.

How embarrassing!

You gain the power to make an enemy look like a complete idiot. As an action, you can cast Grease on a single target within 50 feet. The unfortunate victim (and anybody caught in the effect of Grease) has disadvantage on all dexterity checks until the start of their next turn.

Gravity? Well--

At 7th level, you learn how to manipulate certain forces from the outer dark to turn yourself into a an irresistible object. You may activate this feature as an action. You immediately gain a 15' aura; all enemy movement inside the area that moves closer to you may be doubled, and all enemy movement away from you is halved. Once activated, the feature lasts for one minute.

You must take a long rest before you use this feature again.

The Wyrding Way

Starting at 15th level, your tether to the mortal world is forever warped. When you are reduced to 0 hit points or otherwise fall unconscious, you are immediately moved to the astral plane. If you recover or die, your body immediately moves back to the material plane, to any location within 30 feet of your point of departure.

In addition, you gain advantage on, and proficiency in, death saving throws.

Master of Madness

At 20th level, you become Shegga's living vessel -- a bearer of the beautiful gift of insanity. Any opponent who takes a Wisdom, Charisma or Intelligence Saving Throw to resist the effect of one of your spells must do so at disadvantage.

[KatteLars]

Now I'm not too well versed in 5th e. So this might be a silly question, but what happens with the player when 15th lvl "the wyrd way" ability triggers? I mean, is he still in danger of bleeding out for example? and does he automatically return to the material plane when he wakes up, or does he have to find another way back?

[bunnynoah]

Do you mind? I'm doing the fishstick!

[polymphus]

Now I'm not too well versed in 5th e. So this might be a silly question, but what happens with the player when 15th lvl "the wyrd way" ability triggers? I mean, is he still in danger of bleeding out for example? and does he automatically return to the material plane when he wakes up, or does he have to find another way back?

I planned it as a free return back to the location they left.

[Ziegander]

I planned it as a free return back to the location they left.

That should be included in the write-up of the class feature.

[JeenLeen]

the Wylding Way is also a little worse in some ways that not having it. If you are in the astral plane, your allies can't heal you (at least easily), so you don't have the chance to be healed and rejoin the fight quickly. It seems its only benefit is to make it easier to pass the death saving throws and harder for foes to finish you off.

Maybe something like advantage on death saving throws, and something like a mirror image or blur effect to give those targeting you disadvantage, instead of the astral plane aspect?

Also, the Stupid Morphing power sounds really, really good. Wouldn't that let you quickly finish off the foe, killing it while it is a sheep? Or is it like a druid's wildshape, where if they are reduced to 0 HP before the effect ends, they revert to their original form?
IF it would revert to original form, it seems more reasonable.

For Master of Madness, I'd make it Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma. All in all, this seems weak compared to the PHB paladin paths, so that doesn't seem overpowered, and it seems resonable thematically, too.

[polymphus]

Thanks guys! I've added some changes in orange based on your feedback.

The broader idea I had behind this gameplay-wise was that the Paladin forces the enemy to engage him and him only -- the spell list in particular is built around stuff that controls enemy movement.

[JeenLeen]

Thanks guys! I've added some changes in orange based on your feedback.

The broader idea I had behind this gameplay-wise was that the Paladin forces the enemy to engage him and him only -- the spell list in particular is built around stuff that controls enemy movement.

RE: Shegga’s Stupid Morphing
I think you'd be better off--and have simpler rules more in vein with 5e--if you just copy the text from druid or the Polymorph rules. Essentially: when they shapeshift, their HP becomes the HP of the new form (so here, a few HP of a sheep). Their 'real' HP is unaltered, and once their new form 'dies', they revert to their old form with their old HP. Well, most of their old HP; for example, if a sheep has 8 HP and you take 10 damage, your 'real' HP takes the remaining 2 damage.

How you word it now is fine and makes sense, but it's just different from how such things usually work. Huh... just realized you might be able to just say you can cast Baleful Polymorph (or whatever the spell is that turns a foe into a sheep or similarly weak creature).

RE: The Wyrding Way
I'd add a comment that the player chooses the spot the character reappears. You could fluff it as a subconscious awareness or hint of madness' insight--but basically make sure DMs know you don't randomly reappear, as some might (arguably wrongly) think since you are incapacitated.

RE: How embarrassing!
I just realized this, but you should probably add a line like "Casting this spell does not require the use of a spell slot."--some warlock invocations might give you a good wording as a baseline.
And add something about the spell DC being based on Charisma (since that's what you use for another class feature.)