Tenets

You follow a code of conduct, beginning with tenets shared by all champions of an alignment (such as good), and continuing with tenets of your cause. Deities often add additional strictures. Tenets are listed in order of importance, starting with the most important. If a situation places two tenets in conflict, you aren’t in a no-win situation; instead, follow the more important tenet. For instance, as a paladin, if an evil king asked you if you’re hiding refugees so he could execute them, you could lie to him, since the tenet against lying is less important than preventing harm to innocents. Trying to subvert your code by creating a situation that forces a higher tenet to override a lower tenet (for example, promising not to respect authorities and then, to keep your word, disrespecting authorities) is a violation of the champion code.

If you stray from your alignment or violate your code of conduct, you lose access to your grace and cannot perform sacred spells until you demonstrate your repentance by conducting an atone ritual, but you keep any other champion abilities that don’t require those path features. If your alignment shifts but is still one allowed by your deity, your DM might let you retrain your cause while still following the same deity.

Good

• You must never perform acts anathema to your deity or willingly commit an evil act, such as murder, torture, or the casting of an evil spell.

• You must never knowingly harm an innocent, or allow immediate harm to one through inaction when you know you could reasonably prevent it. This tenet doesn't force you to take action against possible harm to innocents at an indefinite time in the future, or to sacrifice your life to protect them.

Evil

While evil characters in general can range from self-serving but loyal allies to the extremes of depravity, evil champions are particularly vile, with a code that requires, enforces, and depends upon their villainous behavior. This means they can be extremely disruptive to a typical game and should be accessible player character options only in appropriate adventures or campaigns where the group collectively decides to embrace them. While the feats and actions suitable for evil champions don't separately list access entries, typically if your DM grants you access to evil tenets, you also gain access to champion actions and feats that require those tenets.

• You must never perform acts anathema to your deity or willingly commit a purely good act, such as giving something solely out of charity, casting a good spell, or using a good item.

• You must never put another person's needs before your own, and you must never put your own needs before those of your deity. Though you can perform acts others might consider helpful, it must be done with the expectation that it ultimately furthers your own goals or those of your master.