D&D 5E Paladin oath. What constitutes willingly breaking your oath/code?

[MoonSong]

A question that was left hanging from the other paladin thread. When does a paladin willingly break their oath?

 

[Charlaquin]

I’m not sure I fully understand what breaking the oath through inaction when hurt means.

 

[Fanaelialae]

In my opinion, many of these are extremely situational. There's a big difference between inaction while deafened and inaction while paralyzed. Additionally, it depends on the opposition. There's a big difference between a level 1 paladin facing off against a Demon Lord, versus a level 20 paladin facing off against a lone kobold.

 

[PsyzhranV2]

They break their oath for the lulz: this is obvious.
They break their oath for monetary gain: also pretty clear-cut. I can think of a few edge cases involving starving families but those aren't what immediately come to mind when thinking of "monetary gain".
They break their code by inaction when fully capable: I voted for this but I'm actually not entirely sure on this one, depending on what "fully capable" means. You shouldn't stand by and look away in the face of injustice, but you can't save everyone and shouldn't be punished for failing to do so. And there are situations where loading up a smite isn't the right solution, where you instead have to use your brain. This one's complicated.

 

[andargor]

Wow. Call me old school, but for me willingly breaking an oath is to willingly do something you said you would or wouldn't do in your oath.

I know, mind blown.

 

[Leatherhead]

The oaths are designed to be impossible: You either fall or die trying to uphold them.

That is the narrative through line of the paladin character arch. What makes a paladin a paladin.

 

[PsyzhranV2]

For reference, below are the "default" oaths for the published Paladin subclasses for 5e (not counting Oathbreaker). However, as always the DM is free to work with the player to create a custom Oath for the character and/or their order if the generic oath for their subclass doesn't fit.

Oath of Devotion / White Knight:

• Honesty. Don’t lie or cheat. Let your word be your promise.
• Courage. Never fear to act, though caution is wise.
• Compassion. Aid others, protect the weak, and punish those who threaten them. Show mercy to your foes, but temper it with wisdom.
• Honor. Treat others with fairness, and let your honorable deeds be an example to them. Do as much good as possible while causing the least amount of harm.
• Duty. Be responsible for your actions and their consequences, protect those entrusted to your care, and obey those who have just authority over you.

Oath of the Ancients / Fey Knight:

• Kindle the Light. Through your acts of mercy, kindness, and forgiveness, kindle the light of hope in the world, beating back despair.
• Shelter the Light. Where there is good, beauty, love, and laughter in the world, stand against the wickedness that would swallow it. Where life flourishes, stand against the forces that would render it barren.
• Preserve Your Own Light. Delight in song and laughter, in beauty and art. If you allow the light to die in your own heart, you can’t preserve it in the world.
• Be the Light. Be a glorious beacon for all who live in despair. Let the light of your joy and courage shine forth in all your deeds.

Oath of Vengeance / Avenger:

• Fight the Greater Evil. Faced with a choice of fighting my sworn foes or combating a lesser evil, I choose the greater evil.
• No Mercy for the Wicked. Ordinary foes might win my mercy, but my sworn enemies do not.
• By Any Means Necessary. My qualms can’t get in the way of exterminating my foes.
• Restitution. If my foes wreak ruin on the world, it is because I failed to stop them. I must help those harmed by their misdeeds.

Oath of the Crown / Exemplar:

• Law. The law is paramount. It is the mortar that holds the stones of civilization together, and it must be respected.
• Loyalty. Your word is your bond. Without loyalty, oaths and laws are meaningless.
• Courage. You must be willing to do what needs to be done for the sake of order, even in the face of overwhelming odds. If you don’t act, then who will?
• Responsibility. You must deal with the consequences of your actions, and you are responsible for fulfilling your duties and obligations.

Oath of Conquest / Hell Knight:

• Douse the Flame of Hope. It is not enough to merely defeat an enemy in battle. Your victory must be so overwhelming that your enemies’ will to fight is shattered forever. A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.
• Rule with an Iron Fist. Once you have conquered, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.
• Strength Above All. You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin.

Oath of Redemption / Redeemer:

• Peace. Violence is a weapon of last resort. Diplomacy and understanding are the paths to long-lasting peace.
• Innocence. All people begin life in an innocent state, and it is their environment or the influence of dark forces that drives them to evil. By setting the proper example, and working to heal the wounds of a deeply flawed world, you can set anyone on a righteous path.
• Patience. Change takes time. Those who have walked the path of the wicked must be given reminders to keep them honest and true. Once you have planted the seed of righteousness in a creature, you must work day after day to allow that seed to survive and flourish.
• Wisdom. Your heart and mind must stay clear, for eventually you will be forced to admit defeat. While every creature can be redeemed, some are so far along the path of evil that you have no choice but to end their lives for the greater good. Any such action must be carefully weighed and the consequences fully understood, but once you have made the decision, follow through with it knowing your path is just.

 

[Blue]

I gave some answers under "common" conditions, but every single one is "it depends".

If you are unharmed do you charge the demon lord to NOT actually save someone and throw your life away as well - is that breaking your oath?

Plus many are things to live buy - is not doing them once breaking your oath? Where's the line? For example, if you were an Oath of the Ancients paladin with "Be a glorious beacon for all who live in despair. Let the light of your joy and courage shine forth in all your deeds. ". If you neglect to hire a bard to sing your praises to the downtrodden, have you broken you oath becuase you are not taking an act to make you more of a "glorious beacon"? I don't think many would rule that way.

 

[Tony Vargas]

A question that was left hanging from the other paladin thread. When does a paladin willingly break their oath?

They break the oath under threat to an innocent

So, this one reminded me of something, like you might see in a chambara flick - the samurai (paladin, whatever), ends up caught between contradictory oaths with no way to salvage his honor (except seppuku, of course, but Paladins don't generally have that option).

So what if his Oath includes protecting innocents or a certain specific charge, and that charge is put under a threat such that the /only/ way to protect him is to break some other oath?

That, at least, sounds like a tough one.

The last couple sound more like failure than breaking your oath. You try to do your duty, but you're stunned/unconscious/dying/whatever and literally /can't/.

 

[Krachek]

the more common problem is paladin who put their party at risk because they don’t want to break their oath.