I'm not entirely sure where in 5e you're getting this bit from.except they get their powers from a god,
Yep. as per the class description, you are already committed to the path of the paladin, but not yet sworn to it before level 3.You can not be a paladin without an oath, at level 3 you swear your final oath.
Indeed. Swearing an Oath of Vengeance on the dead is pretty classic Paladin.But then you can be a paladin without a god, order, the oath can be sworn with the dead as the witness, or perhaps the air.
I'm not sure what you mean by "dumbed down"? The mechanics, and strictures are the same whatever the Oath is sworn to.The class allows any option and surely when the power comes only from an oath it gets dumbed down, if a simple oath gives you divine powers all intelligent creatures of the world could have those divine powers or at least lay on hands.
The thing is, a paladin's oath isn't a "simple" one. By definition, it's a super-special magical one that endows the paladin with supernatural powers.The class allows any option and surely when the power comes only from an oath it gets dumbed down, if a simple oath gives you divine powers all intelligent creatures of the world could have those divine powers or at least lay on hands.
The mechanics are the same, the rest no. It's not the same to spend the life training and devoting your soul to your god who gives you divine powers than make an oath and gain divine powers.I'm not sure what you mean by "dumbed down"? The mechanics, and strictures are the same whatever the Oath is sworn to.
If simple worship gives you divine powers all intelligent creatures of the world could have those divine powers, or at least turn undead.
Its like claiming that any creature able to carry a tune should be a Bard, any creature that gets angry would be a barbarian, or any creature able to read should be a wizard.
Anyone can make a promise. Not everyone has the force of will and eloquence to swear an oath that echoes throughout the firmament and empowers you to bend the very laws of creation to fulfil it.
Except that's *exactly* what paladin oaths do. They result in *paladins*. That counts as changing reality.The rules don't say anything about the paladin's oath reaching the cosmos and changing the reality.
I believe the correct term is a "self-righteousness of paladins".A pestilence of paladins.
That will be in the setting you've created for your game. However the rules only say you need an oath to gain divine powers and that you lose them if you don't follow your vows. When people bring the rules to negate a potential faith conflict like the OP could have I don't understand why they bring later their own vision beyond the rules to defend what the rules say.Except that's *exactly* what paladin oaths do. They result in *paladins*. That counts as changing reality.
Now if what you're claiming was true and 'simple oaths' create paladins, then 5e settings would have a *lot* of them. Like, they'd be neck-deep in paladins.
Simple question: are the 5e published materials positively overrun with paladins?