Along with the Death Cleric, the Oathbreaker was originally designed not with players in mind, but for NPCs statted out as players. As someone who has now been running D&D for almost precisely 10 years (started in November of 2015) I can tell you: don't stat out NPCs like players. Use NPC stat blocks. It's a nightmare to try to run a character that way.
But the thematics of a dark paladin have been very popular, and some have played Oathbreakers despite the subclass having some weird interactions.
Here, WotC has reimagined the Oathbreaker as a more player-facing option, in case you want to play as an evil paladin who abandoned their righteous oath, or perhaps someone who wants to use these powers to atone for a past deed.
While the whole idea here is that you've abandoned the tenets of your oath, there are some that unite Oathbreakers: Fear is a tool in the hands of the powerful, strive for power at any cost, and do what must be done but never lose sight of your goal.
I think you could play this, arguably, as a more morally neutral character, but the clear intent is that you're basically an antipaladin, and on the path to becoming a death knight.
Personally, I love a "dark but not evil" character in an RPG (while my main is a Paladin in WoW, my "vice main" and almost-as-main is a Death Knight,) so let's see if this subclass would be worth playing!
Oathbreaker Spells: Yeah, we don't have an oath, but we have oath spells.
1st: Hellish Rebuke, Witch Bolt
2nd: Crown of Madness, Darkness
3rd: Fear, Summon Undead
4th: Blight, Phantasmal Killer
5th: Contagion, Steel Wind Strike
A few strong spells here, though I think it doesn't really pick up until we're level 9 and can get Fear. Summon Undead is good but far better upcast to 4th level, meaning not until we're level 13. I will say that there are later features that will encourage you to invest heavily in Charisma. A Warlock dip for Pact of the Blade (maybe getting Undead Patron if we put 3 whole levels in) might not be a bad idea.
Level 3:
Conjure Undead:
As a bonus action, you can expend a Channel Divinity use to summon a number of undead minions equal to half your Charisma modifier rounded down (so if you have +3, that's 2, and capping at 3 if you have +5). The undead appear in unoccupied spaces within 30 feet of you that you can see, and use the Skeleton or Zombie stat blocks, you choice. They are under your control for 1 minute, and then they dissolve into ash.
Each of these undead is an ally to you and your allies. They share your initiative but take their turns immediately after yours. They obey your verbal commands (no action required to command them) and will take the dodge action and move to avoid danger if they aren't commanded.
This. Freaking. Rocks. While the stat blocks won't scale very well, popping up a pair of minions to fight for you is exactly the kind of death knight vibe we're going for with this subclass, and the fact that once they're summoned, we don't need to worry about our action economy to command them is great.
Dreadful Aspect:
After you cast Divine Smite, you can use a Channel Divinity to cause each creature of your choice within a 30 foot emanation of you to make a wisdom save, becoming frightened for 1 minute. They can repeat the save at the end of each of their turns.
Not as flashy, maybe, as Conjure Undead, but fear's a good condition to inflict, and for sure thematic.
Level 7:
Aura of Hate:
You and any allied Fiend or Undead that is within your Aura of Protection that hits with a melee attack deals extra Necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
First off, the big fix from the old version: this no longer buffs enemies! That's a huge deal. While your Zombies and Skeletons might not often hit with their attacks (though Skeletons now have a +5 to hit, which is at least decent) remember that you're also getting this bonus. You're getting this bonus, and while you likely don't have any fiends with you, if an allied Wizard or Warlock has a Summon Fiend ally, that Demon/Yugoloths (Devils have a ranged attack) will be hitting all the harder. Also, your Summon Undead ally is going to benefit from this as well.
Level 15:
Supernatural Resistance:
You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
These are still very common damage types, and while some supernatural creatures might deal force damage with their attacks, you're still going to mostly be dealing with these. Simple but good.
Level 20:
Dread Lord:
As a bonus action, you can grant new benefits to your Aura of Protection for 10 minutes or until you end it (no action required). You can do this once per long rest, or expend a 5th level spell slot to restore your use of it.
Darkness: Magical darkness fills your Aura of Protection. You and allies within the aura can see in this magical darkness.
Fear: When a creature with the Frightened condition starts its turn in your aura, it takes 4d10 Psychic damage.
Shadow Strike: As a bonus action, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within your aura of protection. On a hit, the attack deals 3d10 plus your Charisma modifier in Necrotic damage.
So, barring Truesight or Blindsight, that's going to blind most creatures. Naturally, Dreadful Aspect will allow you to frighten foes, though the Ghostly Spirit from Summon Undead can also do this automatically on a hit now. The Shadow Strike is not quite as much damage as a high-level divine smite, but it's free.
Overall Thoughts:
I like this. I think it really gets the death knight fantasy right - I sort of wish that the Aura of Hate improved attack rolls rather than damage rolls so that our Conjure Undead minions were more likely to hit (or if it did both, like Danse Macabre) but I'll take it.
Genuinely, I really want to play this (as well as the Warrior of Intoxication Monk,) which is a good sign for the design.
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