PDA

View Full Version : Alternate Paladin Ability: Banish Evil



Lysander
2009-06-19, 09:43 AM
Here's something Paladins could get instead of Smite Evil. What do you think?

Banish Evil (Su)
Once per day, a paladin may attempt to banish evil with one normal melee attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and attempts to banish an evil entity to another plane. To banish, one's paladin level plus charisma check must exceed the creature's will save plus number of hitdice.

Evil outsiders are returned to their home plane. Undead creatures are banished to the negative energy plane. Evil creatures of the material plane are physically sent to whatever lower plane their soul would go to when they die.

If the paladin tries to banish someone that is not evil it has no effect, but uses up the banishing attempt. At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the paladin may banish evil one additional time per day to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.

Tempest Fennac
2009-06-19, 09:46 AM
It's an interresting idea, but the fact that it's a save-or-die could be problematic early on, and later on, it's going to be really hard to banish people due to how the save scales. Incidentally, the evil creatures who are banished are still alive after being banished, right?

Lysander
2009-06-19, 09:48 AM
It's an interresting idea, but the fact that it's a save-or-die could be problematic early on, and later on, it's going to be really hard to banish people due to how the save scales. Incidentally, the evil creatures who are banished are still alive after being banished, right?

Unless that last hit does enough damage to kill them, then banishing them leaves them alive.

This is a save or die (or save or go to another plane) effect, but it's also more of a gamble. Smite Evil pretty much guarantees bonus damage in a fight. Banish Evil either gets rid of them instantly or doesn't affect them at all.

paddyfool
2009-06-19, 09:50 AM
I'd rather trade in the Turn Undead for something specific to Outsiders. Smite Evil is too generally useful to lose.

Roderick_BR
2009-06-19, 01:17 PM
It's an interesting ability, but it's generaly less useful than a ranger's favored enemy, if you rarely to never meet undeads or outsiders at all. Especially outsiders, as you're likelly to start meeting them (if any) around levels 6-10.
Maybe change it to deal "status ailments" instead of damage? Str damage, penalty to attack rolls, etc.

Dagren
2009-06-19, 01:26 PM
It's an interesting ability, but it's generaly less useful than a ranger's favored enemy, if you rarely to never meet undeads or outsiders at all. Especially outsiders, as you're likelly to start meeting them (if any) around levels 6-10.As written, it affects all evil creatures, not just undead/outsiders. Hit a CE human with it and he gets a one-way all expenses paid trip to the Abyss.

Lysander
2009-06-19, 01:31 PM
As written, it affects all evil creatures, not just undead/outsiders. Hit a CE human with it and he gets a one-way all expenses paid trip to the Abyss.

Yup. Imagine the crowning moment of awesome when a paladin strikes a wicked human and cries "SINNER, I DAMN YOU TO HELL!"

Djinn_in_Tonic
2009-06-19, 01:32 PM
I'd rather trade in the Turn Undead for something specific to Outsiders. Smite Evil is too generally useful to lose.

Actually, it specifies that this works on all evil creatures, not just Outsiders.

That said, a flat Will save would be better...and more traditional. The current method requires more math than is necessary. Perhaps 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier?

Xefas
2009-06-19, 01:38 PM
As written, it affects all evil creatures, not just undead/outsiders. Hit a CE human with it and he gets a one-way all expenses paid trip to the Abyss.

Which may, incidentally, kill them or end up getting their soul devoured, depending on if that particular horrifying environment on the layer they're sent to is horrifying enough to kill them before the demons get to them.

Personally, I like it much more than Smite Evil, though I do agree that a more traditional saving throw would be my preference.