Best Oathbreaker Paladin Gods to use in DND

Creating an oathbreaker paladin may be one of the most rewarding characters in Dungeons & Dragons. And choosing an almighty god with the right flare for an oathbreaking paladin is especially important. But where should you start looking in D&D's broad pantheons?



Related

Dungeons & Dragons: 14 Feats to Increase Your Charisma

These feats will also increase your charisma in D&D

Whether you intend to adopt the oathbreaker subclass or temporarily abandon your current oath, there are plenty of D&D deities to choose from. Just make sure you talk to your DM about which gods are present in their pantheon. If so, any of these corrupted gods could be a good match for the oath breaker.

Some DMs prefer not to have the paladin oathbreaker subclass available in their campaign. If you're still interested in the narrative possibilities offered by Oathbreakers, work with your DM to explore how your paladin's decision to leave the Oath might change or alter their abilities while still keeping your original subclass.


10 Oathbreaker cheese

Adventurers in Dungeons & Dragons stare at a demonic face beneath a field of ice.
Carceri by Dawn Carlos

Sigil

Followers

Forked tongue

Liars, charlatans, traitors


To start with the most obvious, Syrul Oathbreaker is an excellent choice for any devious paladin. Her trademark is a forked tongue, and for good reason. Her lies and deceptions are well known to those who choose to worship her.

As part of Greyhawk's pantheon of gods, Syrule's followers are often associated with the Scarlet Order, a devious faction within the city's gates. Creating a paladin who is possibly connected to Syrule and this nefarious order of assassins can set the stage for a treacherous and sometimes untruthful character who wields deception like a sword.

9 Erythnul, The Many

A green sculptured face lies at the end of a dilapidated corridor full of skeletal remains in Dungeons & Dragons.
Tomb of Horrors by Mark Behm

Sigil

Followers

A drop of blood

Thieves, Berserkers, Soldiers


Known for his bloodlust and violence, Erythnul, The Many, is a vile and evil god who also resides in the Greyhawk pantheon. Worshipers of Erythnulu believe that blood spilled on the battlefield grants their deity its power. Often depicted with a mace, he hails from the chaotic outer plane of Pandemonium.

For paladins with a militaristic background or story, Erythnul can be a great god to worship. Soldiers who believe that power comes from the might of swords and shields rather than words will certainly find plenty of dogmatic flavor in this bloodthirsty god. If you're looking to build a combat-focused paladin, Erythnul should give you plenty of rationale for roleplaying.

8 Kelemvor, God of the Dead

Three adventurers gather around a burning funeral pyre in Dungeons & Dragons.
The Time of Sorrow by Alexandre Honoré

Sigil

Followers

Skeletal arm scales

Priests, ordinary people


Kelemvor, a classic D&D deity if ever there was one, is the traditional god of the dead in the Forgotten Realms setting. His emblem is a skeletal arm holding a set of scales. As such, it weighs the balance of life and death and guards the barrier between the living world and the next.

Related

Dungeons & Dragons: Top 10 Campaign Ideas Using the Outer Planes

The Outer Plains is a vast area with tons of potential. Here are a few things you can do for your campaign within its vastness.

While many classic paladin builds serve life force, worshiping Kelemvor as an oath-breaking paladin can prove to be an interesting roleplaying challenge. Kelemvor is not necessarily evil, but rather a servant of the natural order of things. Abandoning the oath to preserve life and instead vowing to preserve the power of death offers a complex dimension to any paladin roleplaying gamer.

7 Hextor, Scourge of Battle

A group of soldiers fight against orcs and other monsters in Dungeons & Dragons.
Climax Battle by Sam Keizer


Sigil

Followers

Six downward pointing arrows in a fan

Soldiers, tyrants

If your paladin is facing a crisis of faith in the inherent goodness of the world, consider Hextor the oath-breaking deity of choice. Part of Hextor's dogma is that ruthlessness and cruelty are necessary aspects of life. They should not be feared, but rather respected.

There are many religious-military factions from various versions of the Greyhawk campaign setting (of which Hextor is a part) that worship the Bane of Battle. Homebrewing a theocratic military order for your paladin can be a great stepping stone to creating your paladin. It's also worth considering if your paladin previously came from a more peaceful order of worship and how they were pushed towards Hextor instead.

6 Incabulos, The Black Rider

A hooded dark rider drives a black carriage through a Dungeons & Dragons setting.
Dark Carriage by David Auden Nash


Sigil

Followers

A reptilian eye inside a horizontal diamond

Necromancers

Often appearing as a deformed figure with bony arms, Incabulos is a deeply sinister deity. Oathbreakers who seek to inflict disease and pestilence on their enemies and reserve their healing for only their most trusted allies should consider this deity as their building. Incabulos revels in contagion and other ailments.

If you plan to use the previous 5th edition D&D rules and play your own oathbreaker subclass, the subclass' expanded spell list will help season the Incabulos paladin perfectly with spells like Blight and Contagion at your disposal. If you're playing with the 2024 Player's Handbook rules, consider using an Origin Feat like Magic Initate to round out your spell list. Also, ask your DM about magic items that might allow your paladin to inflict disease on others.


5 Nerull, The Reaper

A cloaked figure propels a gondola down a mysterious and dark river in Dungeons & Dragons while ghostly hands reach out for the passengers inside.
Supernatural boat ride by Irina Nordsolová

Sigil

Followers

Skull with scythe

Assassins, necromancers

Nerull is a favorite god of death-loving necromancers and other magic users who seek to alter the barrier between life and death. Nerullo's followers, feared by most commoners, believe that only murder will quench their god's thirst for blood. Nerullo is also said to reside in the prison plane of Carceri, which can be an interesting place for higher level players to visit.

Related

Dungeons & Dragons: The best subclass of each class

While there are plenty of subclasses available in D&D, here are the best ones for each class option.

To give Nerull a taste of paladin builds, consider adding more effects to healing spells. Work with your DM to determine if the Cure Wounds spell cast by your paladin Nerull temporarily reduces maximum hit points. Or you can simply add flare to your spells by giving your healing magic a darker aura or tone.


4 Shar

A paladin with glowing yellow eyes in brilliant armor in Dungeons & Dragons.
The Dedicated Warrior by Michael Broussard

Sigil

Followers

Black disc with purple border

Traitors, you mourn loss

Probably familiar to all Baldur's Gate 3 fans, Shar is often known as the Dark Traitor or Mistress of the Night. Her worshipers favor cunning and deception above all else. If your campaign is set in Faerun, Shar is an excellent choice from this pantheon.

Shar's underlying motif is darkness. When building a Shar paladin, consider whether your paladin previously worshiped a deity such as Pelor whose primary theme is light and goodness. This can create an interesting contrast when you decide to break your oath in favor of a new one.


3 Vecna, Whispered

Archlich Vecna ​​in full armor with glowing purple eyes in Dungeons & Dragons
Vecna ​​by Kieran Yanner

Sigil

Followers

Eye in palm of left hand

Necromancers, Undead

Long-time fans of Critical Role will surely remember Vecna. Formerly a mortal, Vecna ​​has attained godhood and is now one of the darkest and most mysterious characters in the greater realms of D&D. Followers of Vecna ​​desire above all arcane knowledge and often the ability to cheat death.

If your paladin is frustrated with a mysterious, benevolent god who refuses to answer or speak directly, consider Vecna ​​as your oath-breaking deity. Vecna ​​often makes promises to her worshippers. And giving your DM a chance to roleplay as one of the meanest characters in canon will probably be worth the effort.


2 Cyric, God of Lies

A skull set in stone with a dark sun around it in Dungeons & Dragons.
Cyric symbol via Wizards of the Coast

Sigil

Followers

White skull without jaws

Traitors, thieves, barbarians

Cyric's followers, another wily god from the Forgotten Realms pantheon, are among the most vicious. Signified by the symbol of a skull sitting in the middle of a dark sun, Cyric thrives on intrigue and illusion. His designs seek to turn lifelong friends into enemies or just rulers into tyrants.

Related

Dungeons & Dragons: How to Build a Paladin

We are sworn to be the best resource on this matter.

Players interested in RPG-heavy campaigns should consider Cyric for their Oathbreaking Paladin. If your build includes a block with high Charisma stats, roleplaying with the delusional worshiper of Cyric can be really engaging and fun. This is especially true if your campaign takes place in a densely populated center or is driven by palace intrigue.


1 Bhaal, God of Murder

A Dungeons & Dragons image showing Avernus.
Avernus by Kent Davis

Sigil

Followers

A skull surrounded by a Ring of blood droplets

Killers, compulsive killers

Another classical deity known across pantheons, Bhaal desires murder and death above all else. Assassins who work in the shadows also favor Bhaal. After all, a knife in the back is safer than a sword through the chest.

If you or your player has recently committed a murder in the campaign, perhaps even unjustly, consider using Bhaal to tempt your paladin into breaking his oath. This can create a truly unique roleplaying moment for you or your player. You can also build your build at home and include the Touch of Death channel divinity feature from the original fifth edition Death Domain subclass, which adds necrotic damage to weapon attacks.


dungeons-and-dragons-series-tabletop-game-franchise

Dungeons and Dragons

Original release date
1974-00-00

Designer
E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson

Number of players
2+

Leave a Comment