Golden-Esque
2009-09-04, 01:01 PM
"You cannot have Good without Evil, Joy without Sadness.
For without the other, each would be an alien concept."
~ The Paladin Knight
http://www.truegamer.org/images/content/dnd_paladin.png
The Paladin
Supreme faith and devotion are the primary tools of the paladin. Few have the dedication to serve unwaveringly to a cause or deity the way a paladin does, but in return paladins are rewarded with the power to protect, to destroy, to smite, and to heal those as they see fit. The best and worst can be found in the ranks of the paladins; compassionate benefactors of peace and righteousness and vile malefactors of psychotic rage and slaughter.
Adventures
Paladins of all varieties take adventures very seriously. They seldom set out on whims or for their own personal gain. Even a mundane mission is a chance for the paladin to prove their devotion to their cause and deity. Paladins see quests of all sorts as opportunities for growth in skill, swordplay, and personality. However, paladins tend to enter their own element when battling the armies of their foes, rather than looting ruins or slaughtering cows.
Characteristics
Divine power protects the paladin and gives them special powers. It wards off harm, protects them from disease, lets them heal themselves and harm others, and blankets them in its glow. Paladins can also use this power to detect particularly powerful members of enemy alignments and influence, possibly even annihilate, the undead. Paladins can draw forth mighty steeds from their deity’s home realm and imbue it with above average strength, endurance, and intelligence.
Alignment
A paladin must be devoted to a cause. He or she can never truly be neutral, but he or she can choose to side with good, chaos, law, or evil as according to their beliefs. The deity the paladin chooses to worship is less important than the cause, for a paladin takes on the will of the cosmos and attempts to either keep the balance between good, evil, law, and chaos or shift it in the favor of their beliefs.
As a result, all paladins follow a strict code of conduct with which they receive their powers. Breaking this code causes them to lose all of their paladin powers.
Religion
A paladin usually devotes themselves to a single deity, but as mentioned before, it is the cause that counts. Paladins that do follow religion follow the most zealous and influential of gods more often than not, and clerics truly value the martial prowess paladins offer their churches. Though paladins are often not high ranking members of a clerical institution, they are always welcome with open arms as a gift from the gods.
Background
No one chooses to be a paladin. Becoming a paladin is answering a call, accepting one’s destiny. No one, no matter how diligent, can become a paladin through practice. The nature is either within one or not, and it is not possible to gain the paladin’s nature by any act of will. It is possible to fail to recognize this call, however, ignoring one’s own potential and destiny. Occasionally one who hears the call of the paladin denies it and pursues another life, but such cases are extraordinarily rare. Most paladins do answer the call and begin training as youths. Typically, they become squires and sword boys to more experienced paladins until they have mastered the ways of their order with the help of their master. Occasionally, one is called to the ways of the paladin later in life.
There are eight well-established Paladin Orders. The first three are extremely ordered, the second three are scarcely ordered at all, and the final two have very casual orders. The Brotherhood of Order trains its members to unconditionally uphold the law. They are more dedicated in justice and vengeance then virtually any other individual is capable of, and often serve as police and judges. The Order of Honor represents those paladins who wish to uphold the law, but do so while protecting the rights and liberties of their people. They are compassionate do-gooders. The Enclave of Shadows make up an order of paladins who are dedicated to wrap the world in unholy chains of slavery and servitude with themselves on the ladder’s top rung. They are scheming and devious, bent on enslaving the weak of heart and will. The Brotherhood of Freedom is a paladin order that seeks to protect the oppressed and downtrodden. Their order is more of a high court of equals, for they believe nothing good comes from tightly-knit laws and procedures; they are merely tools for evil to manipulate. The Sons of Anarchy take this philosophy one step further and choose to attempt to overthrow all government. The Sons see no benefit in placing people in places of power, so they attempt to assassinate leaders and destroy government all for the seak of “the greater good”. The Slaughter Court forgo the entire concept of chaos for the betterment of people and seeks nothing more than the death of millions and the destruction of everything. They believe only ones who survive through trial and sufferings are worth the air they breathe. The Rose Knights are an order dedicated to spreading good across the land, caring not for law or chaos, but only for the betterment of everyone. The Soldiers of Decay, on the flip side, seek nothing more than the corruption of everything good in the world. The Paladins of the same order regard themselves as brothers; of similar orders as cousins, and as opposed orders as mortal enemies.
Races
Humans, with their ambitious souls, make great paladins. Many half-humans share this ambition and also make good paladins. Dwarf and gnome paladins are rare, because the way of the paladin puts the greater cause before duties to home and clan. Elves of all types make particularly good paladins when they belong to less structured orders.
Paladins are all but unheard of in savage humanoids, for even though the most chaotic and dark souls thrive among savage humans, it takes a formal trainer to make a paladin, and few paladins choose savages for students.
Other Classes
Even though paladins are, in some ways, set apart from others, they eagerly accept aid from those who share their visions. They work well with clerics and favored souls of similar alignments, and they value anyone whose traits coincide with their dogmas. Paladins will never travel with those whose actions and morals go against their own.
Role
The paladin’s chief role is melee combatant. They excel at surviving large amounts of damage, and they have powers that increase their staying power. They can take the role of secondary healer if assisted by a more able healer. A paladin’s high Charisma makes them an excellent party leader.
http://www.shadowtek.net/Forum/adr/images/classes/%28+4%29%20Anti-Paladin.gif
Vital Stastics
Ability Scores
STR - Adds STR to Weapon Attack and Weapon Damage rolls, Adds to STR skills.
DEX - Increases their AC, Adds DEX to Ranged Attack rolls, adds to DEX skills.
CON - Increase Fort Save, Increase HP, adds to Concentration.
INT - Increases total number of skill points, adds to INT skills.
WIS - Increases Will Save, increases WIS skills.
CHA - Add CHA bonus to Smite Attack rolls, add CHA bonus to all saves, add CHA bonus to number of Turn / Rebuke attempts per day, paladin level x CHA = total damage / healing done, 10 + CHA must equal spell level to cast a spell, CHA is added to Spell Save DCs, increases CHA skills.
Alignment
Any, except for True Neutral.
Hit Die
d10
Class Skills
Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal,
Intimidate, Knowledge {Nobility}, Knowledge {Religion}, Knowledge {Royalty}, Martial Lore, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft,
Skill Points
(4 + INT modifier) x 4 @ 1st Level
4 + INT modifier @ all other levels
{table=head] Level | BAB | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special
01 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Aura, Smite 1/Day
02 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Divine Grace, Divine Resolve 5
03 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Endurance, Lay on Hands / Deadly Touch
04 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Turn / Rebuke Undead
05 | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Smite 2/Day, Summon Special Mount
06 | +6 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Divine Health, Improved Aura
07 | +7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Divine Resolve 10
08 | +8 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Die Hard
09 | +9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Improved Smite
10 | +10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Smite 3/Day
11 | +11 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Mettle
12 | +12 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Divine Resolve 15
13 | +13 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Empowered Aura
14 | +14 | +9 | +4 | +4 | Divine Exchange
15 | +15 | +9 | +5 | +5 | Smite 4/Day
16 | +16 | +10 | +5 | +5 | Improved Mettle
17 | +17 | +10 | +5 | +5 | Divine Resolve 20
18 | +18 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Empowered Smite
19 | +19 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Inner Focus
20 | +20 | +12 | + | +6 | Might Smite, Smite 5/Day[/table]
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A paladin is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Aura (Su)
A paladin radiates a powerful aura that corresponds to their own alignment. This aura can be detected using detect evil, or any other similar detection spell.
Maneuvers
A 1st level paladin starts with the knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to a paladin are Devoted Spirit and White Raven. Once a paladin knows a maneuver, they must ready it before they can use it. A maneuver usable by paladins is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. A paladin’s maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and initiating a maneuver does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
A paladin learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown on Table: Paladin Maneuvers below. A paladin must meet the prerequisites for a maneuver before he or she can learn it. Table: Paladin Maneuvers also lists the maximum Maneuver Level a paladin can use at a given level.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered paladin level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), a paladin can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one he or she already knows. In effect, the paladin looses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. A paladin may choose a new maneuver of any level they like, so long as the paladin observes the restriction on the highest-level maneuvers they know; a paladin need not replace the old maneuver with one of the same level, and a paladin can only swap a single maneuver for another one at any given level.
Maneuvers Readied
A paladin can ready all three of the maneuvers they know at 1st level, but as the paladin advances in level and learns more maneuvers, they must choose which maneuvers to ready. A paladin readies a maneuver by exercising for 5 minutes. The maneuvers the paladin chooses remain readied until the paladin decided to exercise again and change them. The paladin need not sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready their maneuvers; any time the paladin spends 5 minutes practicing allows the paladin to change their ready maneuvers.
A paladin begins an encounter with all their readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times they might have used them since the maneuvers were chosen. When the paladin initiates a maneuver, it is expended for the current encounter, so each readied maneuver may be used one per encounter until they are recovered.
A paladin can recover all expended maneuvers with a single full round action, during which the paladin prays to their deity for the strength to continue fighting. This prayer does not provoke an attack of opportunity, but the paladin does loose the benefits of their stance until the start of their next round while praying. Although the paladin is no longer in their battle stance, he or she is not defenseless against oncoming attacks; the paladin is not considered flat-foot or prone while performing this prayer.
Stances Known
A paladin begins play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to paladins. At 4th, 10th, and 16th level, a paladin may choose additional stances. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and you do not have to ready them. All the stances the paladin knows are available to them at all times and a paladin can change stances as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description. Unlike with maneuvers, a paladin cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one they already know.
Smite (Su)
A paladin has the ability to imbue their melee attacks with divine energy to smite their foes. Once per day, a paladin can declare a smite attack by rolling a normal attack roll. He or she adds their Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll. If the attack successfully hits, the paladin deals their normal weapon damage, plus bonus damage equal to their paladin level.
This attack may only be used against foes who are opposed to the paladin’s alignment. For example, a Lawful Good paladin may use their smite ability against Evil creatures, Chaotic creatures, or Chaotic Evil creatures. If a paladin declares a smite attack against a target whose alignment does not oppose their own, then the smite attempt is used up for the day but the paladin gains no bonuses to their weapon attack roll and they do not deal smite bonus damage.
At 5th level and at every 5 levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th), a paladin can use their smite ability one additional time per day, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.
Divine Grace (Su)
At 2nd level, a paladin’s faith and unwavering will grants them the power to more easily shrug off various spells and effects. A paladin adds their Charisma bonus (if any) to all saving throws he or she makes.
Divine Resolve (Ex)
At 2nd level, a paladin’s supreme faith and dedication to their deity allows them to temporarily set aside the pain and hindering effects of injuries. A paladin has a delayed damage pool that allows them to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. Whenever a paladin is dealt damage, it is added to their delayed damage pool instead of being automatically subtracted from their hit point total. At the end of the paladin’s next turn following the injury, the paladin takes damage equal to the total amount of damage stored in their delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing received can either increase the paladin’s hit point total or remove damage from the paladin’s delayed damage pool (a paladin can split healing received as they wish).
Special effects tied to attacks, such as energy drain, stunning, and so forth still effect the paladin as normal and their effects are not delayed by this ability. So, for example, while a paladin can delay the damage dealt by a spider’s bite, he or she cannot delay the poison, so he or she must still attempt the Fortitude save against the poison immediately.
At 2nd level, a paladin’s delayed damage pool can hold up to 5 points of damage. Any damage beyond the pool’s maximum is subtracted from the paladin’s hit points as usual. The maximum damage the paladin’s delayed damage pool can hold increases by 5 at 7th, 12th, and 17th, to a maximum of 20 points of damage delayed at 17th level.
Endurance
At 3rd level, a paladin gains [[[Endurance]]] as a bonus feat.
Lay on Hands / Deadly Touch (Su)
At 3rd level, the paladin with a Charisma score of 12 or greater gains the ability to either heal or cause wounds with a single touch. A Good paladin gains the Lay on Hands ability, which allows the paladin to heal a number of hit points of damage equal to their Charisma bonus x their paladin level. An Evil paladin gains the Deadly Touch ability, which allows the paladin to make a touch attack in order to deal damage to the touched target equal to their Charisma bonus x their paladin level. In both cases, this healing need not be used all at once, and it can be split among multiple uses. A neutral paladin must select either the Lay on Hands or the Deadly Touch ability to receive. This choice cannot be changed and it affects later abilities that the paladin receives.
Lay on Hands channels positive energy and Deadly Touch channels negative energy, so both abilities have adverse effects on undead creatures. A Good paladin can use Lay on Hands to make a touch attack against an undead creature to deal any amount of their allotted Lay on Hands healing as damage to the touched undead, and an Evil paladin can use any amount of their allotted Deadly Touch damage as healing to the touched undead.
Turn / Rebuke Undead (Su)
At 4th level, a Good paladin gains the ability to turn undead creatures, while an Evil paladin gains the ability to rebuke them. A neutral paladin must select Turn Undead if he or she selected Lay on Hands or Rebuke Undead if he or she selected Deadly Touch. A paladin turns or rebukes undead as a cleric of three levels lower would.
Spells
At 4th level, a paladin gains the ability to call on a small number of spells. These spells are divine spells that are drawn from the [[[paladin spell list]]]. A paladin must choose and prepare their spells in advanced, and in order to prepare or cast a spell, a paladin must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell’s level. The DC for a saving throw against a paladin’s spells is 10 + the spell’s level + the paladin’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a paladin can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Their base spell allotment is given on Table: Paladin Spells per Day below. In addition, a paladin receives [[[bonus spells]]] for having a high Wisdom score. When Table: Paladin Spells Per Day indicates that the paladin receives 0 spells per day, he or she only gains the bonus spells that they would get for having a high Wisdom score. The paladin, unlike the cleric, does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers.
A paladin prepares and casts spells the same way a cleric does, though a paladin cannot lose a prepared spell in order to spontaneously cast a //cure// spell in its place. A paladin may prepare and cast any spell they know, provided that the paladin can cast spells of that level, but a paladin must choose which spells to prepare during their daily meditation.
Through 3rd level, a paladin has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, their caster level is one-half their paladin level.
Summon Special Mount (Su)
Upon reaching 5th level, a paladin gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve in their divine crusades. This mount is usually either a heavy warhorse (for Medium creatures) or a war-pony (for Small creatures), though a paladin may acquire more exotic companions through various means.
Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin can magically call their mount from the plane on which it resides to their side. The paladin’s mount appears adjacent to the paladin and remains for 2 hours per paladin level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though a paladin may release a particular mount from service (if it has grown too old, for instance). Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any other damage it took previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed (including barding, saddle, saddlebags, and the like). Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should a paladin’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The paladin may not summon another mount for thirty days, until he or she gains a new paladin level (whichever comes first), or until the mount is raised from the dead (if possible). During this 30 day period, the paladin takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls.
Improved Aura (Su)
Starting at 6th level, a paladin’s aura shines more brightly then before, to the point where others can feel its effects. A Good paladin radiates an aura of justice and righteousness, granting allies within 10 feet of the paladin a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and compulsion effects. An Evil paladin radiates an aura of tyranny and slaughter, granting a -1 penalty on saving throws and AC to enemies within 10 feet of the paladin. A neutral paladin must choose to radiate a Good aura if he or she choose the Lay on Hands ability or an Evil aura if he or she choose the Deadly touch ability (this choice does not cause a paladin who is neutral on the Good vs. Evil axis to become detectable by //[[[detect evil]]]// or //[[[detect good]]]// spells respectively; their aura merely takes on the properties of that alignment).
A Good paladin’s aura affects him as well as his or her allies. A paladin’s aura has no effect if the paladin is unconscious or dead.
Die Hard
At 10th level, a paladin gains [[[Die Hard]]] as a bonus feat.
Improved Smite (Su)
At 11th level, a paladin’s ability to smite their foes improves. A paladin who initiates a smite attack against a foe whose alignment opposes the paladin’s on both the Good vs. Evil axis and the Chaos vs. Law axis deals damage equal to one and a half their paladin level (rounded down) to their foe on a successful smite attack. For example, a Lawful Good paladin deals their normal weapon damage + 1.5 their paladin level (rounded down) against Chaotic Evil creatures.
A paladin who is neutral on the Good vs. Evil axis is treated as being opposed to Evil creatures if he or she selected the Lay on Hands ability and a paladin who selected Deadly Touch is treated as being opposed to Good creatures, so the paladin gains 1.5 x their paladin level on smite attacks on respective creatures whose Law vs. Chaos axis is opposed to their own. A paladin who is neutral on the Law vs. Chaos axis must select either Law or Chaos to be opposed to.
Improved Smite does not increase the number of times a day a paladin can use their smite ability, nor does it allow a paladin to use smite against creatures whose alignment are not opposed to their own.
Mettle (Ex)
At 11th level, a paladin can use extreme force of will in order to overcome potentially dangerous spells and effects. Whenever a paladin makes a successful Fortitude saving throw against an attack that normally deals damage on a successful save, the paladin instead takes no damage. A paladin that is asleep or unconscious does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Empowered Aura (Su)
At 13th level, the paladin’s aura grows in power again as it drastically effects those around the paladin. A creature that is opposed to the paladin on at least one alignment axis must make a Fortitude save against the paladin’s aura (DC 10 + paladin level) or be shaken while within the range of the paladin’s aura, and for 5 rounds thereafter. A creature who is opposed to the paladin on both alignment axis takes a -4 penalty to this Fortitude save.
Divine Exchange (Su)
At 14th level, a paladin’s rigorous discipline perfectly melds their Martial Discipline with their Spellcasting abilities. Once per day, as a swift action a paladin may either expend a spell to ready a number of maneuvers equal to the spell’s level or expend a maneuver to refresh a total number of spell levels equal to the maneuver’s level.
Improved Mettle (Ex)
At 16th level, a paladin’s mettle improves. A paladin still takes no damage from successful Fortitude saving throws, and now even if a paladin fails a Fortitude saving throw, he or she takes only half damage from the attack or effect. As with mettle, a paladin who is asleep or unconscious does not gain the benefit of improved mettle.
Empowered Smite (Su)
At 17th level, a paladin’s smite ability improves again. Whenever a Good paladin uses their smite ability, he or she heals a number of points of damage equal to half of the total number of points of damage dealt to the smitten creature. This healing can be used on the paladin or any ally within 5 ft. of the smitten creature. Whenever an Evil paladin uses their smite ability, he or she deals a number of points of damage equal to half of the total number of points of damage deal to the smitten creature. This damage can be used on any enemy creature other then the smitten creature within 5 ft. of the paladin. A Neutral paladin gains the Good paladin equivalent if he or she chose to turn undead or the Evil paladin equivalent if he or she chose to rebuke undead.
A paladin can only use the Empowered Smite ability once per day, and it only effects the first smite attack made (see Mighty Smite, below).
Inner Focus (Su)
At 19th level, a paladin learns to use their worldly hurt to their advantage. For every 5 points of damage he or she has stored in their delayed damage pool (see Divine Resolve, above), he or she gains a +1 to weapon attack rolls and the DC of his or her spells are increased by 1.
Mighty Smite (Ex)
At 20th level, a paladin’s learns how to execute their smite ability as easily as he or she breaths. Once per day, a paladin can opt to use their smite ability in conjunction with any of their martial strikes. A paladin must declare that their martial strike is also a smite attack before they make their attack roll, and all of the normal benefits of a smite attack are added to the martial strike. A paladin can choose to make this martial smite into their daily Empowered Smite ability if they wish. Using a martial smite this way consumes one of the paladin's daily smite attempts as normal.
Tables
Table: Paladin Maneuvers
{table=head] Level | Maneuvers Known | Maneuvers Ready | Stances Known | Max Maneuver Level
01 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1st
02 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1st
03 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2nd
04 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2nd
05 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3rd
06 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3rd
07 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 4th
08 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 4th
09 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5th
10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5th
11 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 6th
12 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 6th
13 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 7th
14 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 7th
15 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 8th
16 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 8th
17 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 9th
18 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 9th
19 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 9th
20 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 9th[/table]
Table: Paladin Spells per Day
Level | 1st Level | 2nd Level | 3rd Level | 4th Level
01 | _ | _ | _ | _
02 | _ | _ | _ | _
03 | _ | _ | _ | _
04 | 0 | _ | _ | _
05 | 1 | _ | _ | _
06 | 1 | _ | _ | _
07 | 1 | _ | _ | _
08 | 1 | 0 | _ | _
09 | 1 | 0 | _ | _
10 | 1 | 1 | _ | _
11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | _
12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | _
13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | _
14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0
15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1
16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1
17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1
18 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1
19 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2
20 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3
Enjoy. Please be honest, but remember that I retain the right to refute your logic :).
EDIT: Added Fluff and Vital Statics.
For without the other, each would be an alien concept."
~ The Paladin Knight
http://www.truegamer.org/images/content/dnd_paladin.png
The Paladin
Supreme faith and devotion are the primary tools of the paladin. Few have the dedication to serve unwaveringly to a cause or deity the way a paladin does, but in return paladins are rewarded with the power to protect, to destroy, to smite, and to heal those as they see fit. The best and worst can be found in the ranks of the paladins; compassionate benefactors of peace and righteousness and vile malefactors of psychotic rage and slaughter.
Adventures
Paladins of all varieties take adventures very seriously. They seldom set out on whims or for their own personal gain. Even a mundane mission is a chance for the paladin to prove their devotion to their cause and deity. Paladins see quests of all sorts as opportunities for growth in skill, swordplay, and personality. However, paladins tend to enter their own element when battling the armies of their foes, rather than looting ruins or slaughtering cows.
Characteristics
Divine power protects the paladin and gives them special powers. It wards off harm, protects them from disease, lets them heal themselves and harm others, and blankets them in its glow. Paladins can also use this power to detect particularly powerful members of enemy alignments and influence, possibly even annihilate, the undead. Paladins can draw forth mighty steeds from their deity’s home realm and imbue it with above average strength, endurance, and intelligence.
Alignment
A paladin must be devoted to a cause. He or she can never truly be neutral, but he or she can choose to side with good, chaos, law, or evil as according to their beliefs. The deity the paladin chooses to worship is less important than the cause, for a paladin takes on the will of the cosmos and attempts to either keep the balance between good, evil, law, and chaos or shift it in the favor of their beliefs.
As a result, all paladins follow a strict code of conduct with which they receive their powers. Breaking this code causes them to lose all of their paladin powers.
Religion
A paladin usually devotes themselves to a single deity, but as mentioned before, it is the cause that counts. Paladins that do follow religion follow the most zealous and influential of gods more often than not, and clerics truly value the martial prowess paladins offer their churches. Though paladins are often not high ranking members of a clerical institution, they are always welcome with open arms as a gift from the gods.
Background
No one chooses to be a paladin. Becoming a paladin is answering a call, accepting one’s destiny. No one, no matter how diligent, can become a paladin through practice. The nature is either within one or not, and it is not possible to gain the paladin’s nature by any act of will. It is possible to fail to recognize this call, however, ignoring one’s own potential and destiny. Occasionally one who hears the call of the paladin denies it and pursues another life, but such cases are extraordinarily rare. Most paladins do answer the call and begin training as youths. Typically, they become squires and sword boys to more experienced paladins until they have mastered the ways of their order with the help of their master. Occasionally, one is called to the ways of the paladin later in life.
There are eight well-established Paladin Orders. The first three are extremely ordered, the second three are scarcely ordered at all, and the final two have very casual orders. The Brotherhood of Order trains its members to unconditionally uphold the law. They are more dedicated in justice and vengeance then virtually any other individual is capable of, and often serve as police and judges. The Order of Honor represents those paladins who wish to uphold the law, but do so while protecting the rights and liberties of their people. They are compassionate do-gooders. The Enclave of Shadows make up an order of paladins who are dedicated to wrap the world in unholy chains of slavery and servitude with themselves on the ladder’s top rung. They are scheming and devious, bent on enslaving the weak of heart and will. The Brotherhood of Freedom is a paladin order that seeks to protect the oppressed and downtrodden. Their order is more of a high court of equals, for they believe nothing good comes from tightly-knit laws and procedures; they are merely tools for evil to manipulate. The Sons of Anarchy take this philosophy one step further and choose to attempt to overthrow all government. The Sons see no benefit in placing people in places of power, so they attempt to assassinate leaders and destroy government all for the seak of “the greater good”. The Slaughter Court forgo the entire concept of chaos for the betterment of people and seeks nothing more than the death of millions and the destruction of everything. They believe only ones who survive through trial and sufferings are worth the air they breathe. The Rose Knights are an order dedicated to spreading good across the land, caring not for law or chaos, but only for the betterment of everyone. The Soldiers of Decay, on the flip side, seek nothing more than the corruption of everything good in the world. The Paladins of the same order regard themselves as brothers; of similar orders as cousins, and as opposed orders as mortal enemies.
Races
Humans, with their ambitious souls, make great paladins. Many half-humans share this ambition and also make good paladins. Dwarf and gnome paladins are rare, because the way of the paladin puts the greater cause before duties to home and clan. Elves of all types make particularly good paladins when they belong to less structured orders.
Paladins are all but unheard of in savage humanoids, for even though the most chaotic and dark souls thrive among savage humans, it takes a formal trainer to make a paladin, and few paladins choose savages for students.
Other Classes
Even though paladins are, in some ways, set apart from others, they eagerly accept aid from those who share their visions. They work well with clerics and favored souls of similar alignments, and they value anyone whose traits coincide with their dogmas. Paladins will never travel with those whose actions and morals go against their own.
Role
The paladin’s chief role is melee combatant. They excel at surviving large amounts of damage, and they have powers that increase their staying power. They can take the role of secondary healer if assisted by a more able healer. A paladin’s high Charisma makes them an excellent party leader.
http://www.shadowtek.net/Forum/adr/images/classes/%28+4%29%20Anti-Paladin.gif
Vital Stastics
Ability Scores
STR - Adds STR to Weapon Attack and Weapon Damage rolls, Adds to STR skills.
DEX - Increases their AC, Adds DEX to Ranged Attack rolls, adds to DEX skills.
CON - Increase Fort Save, Increase HP, adds to Concentration.
INT - Increases total number of skill points, adds to INT skills.
WIS - Increases Will Save, increases WIS skills.
CHA - Add CHA bonus to Smite Attack rolls, add CHA bonus to all saves, add CHA bonus to number of Turn / Rebuke attempts per day, paladin level x CHA = total damage / healing done, 10 + CHA must equal spell level to cast a spell, CHA is added to Spell Save DCs, increases CHA skills.
Alignment
Any, except for True Neutral.
Hit Die
d10
Class Skills
Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal,
Intimidate, Knowledge {Nobility}, Knowledge {Religion}, Knowledge {Royalty}, Martial Lore, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft,
Skill Points
(4 + INT modifier) x 4 @ 1st Level
4 + INT modifier @ all other levels
{table=head] Level | BAB | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special
01 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Aura, Smite 1/Day
02 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Divine Grace, Divine Resolve 5
03 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Endurance, Lay on Hands / Deadly Touch
04 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Turn / Rebuke Undead
05 | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Smite 2/Day, Summon Special Mount
06 | +6 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Divine Health, Improved Aura
07 | +7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Divine Resolve 10
08 | +8 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Die Hard
09 | +9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Improved Smite
10 | +10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Smite 3/Day
11 | +11 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Mettle
12 | +12 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Divine Resolve 15
13 | +13 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Empowered Aura
14 | +14 | +9 | +4 | +4 | Divine Exchange
15 | +15 | +9 | +5 | +5 | Smite 4/Day
16 | +16 | +10 | +5 | +5 | Improved Mettle
17 | +17 | +10 | +5 | +5 | Divine Resolve 20
18 | +18 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Empowered Smite
19 | +19 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Inner Focus
20 | +20 | +12 | + | +6 | Might Smite, Smite 5/Day[/table]
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A paladin is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Aura (Su)
A paladin radiates a powerful aura that corresponds to their own alignment. This aura can be detected using detect evil, or any other similar detection spell.
Maneuvers
A 1st level paladin starts with the knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to a paladin are Devoted Spirit and White Raven. Once a paladin knows a maneuver, they must ready it before they can use it. A maneuver usable by paladins is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. A paladin’s maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and initiating a maneuver does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
A paladin learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown on Table: Paladin Maneuvers below. A paladin must meet the prerequisites for a maneuver before he or she can learn it. Table: Paladin Maneuvers also lists the maximum Maneuver Level a paladin can use at a given level.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered paladin level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), a paladin can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one he or she already knows. In effect, the paladin looses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. A paladin may choose a new maneuver of any level they like, so long as the paladin observes the restriction on the highest-level maneuvers they know; a paladin need not replace the old maneuver with one of the same level, and a paladin can only swap a single maneuver for another one at any given level.
Maneuvers Readied
A paladin can ready all three of the maneuvers they know at 1st level, but as the paladin advances in level and learns more maneuvers, they must choose which maneuvers to ready. A paladin readies a maneuver by exercising for 5 minutes. The maneuvers the paladin chooses remain readied until the paladin decided to exercise again and change them. The paladin need not sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready their maneuvers; any time the paladin spends 5 minutes practicing allows the paladin to change their ready maneuvers.
A paladin begins an encounter with all their readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times they might have used them since the maneuvers were chosen. When the paladin initiates a maneuver, it is expended for the current encounter, so each readied maneuver may be used one per encounter until they are recovered.
A paladin can recover all expended maneuvers with a single full round action, during which the paladin prays to their deity for the strength to continue fighting. This prayer does not provoke an attack of opportunity, but the paladin does loose the benefits of their stance until the start of their next round while praying. Although the paladin is no longer in their battle stance, he or she is not defenseless against oncoming attacks; the paladin is not considered flat-foot or prone while performing this prayer.
Stances Known
A paladin begins play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to paladins. At 4th, 10th, and 16th level, a paladin may choose additional stances. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and you do not have to ready them. All the stances the paladin knows are available to them at all times and a paladin can change stances as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description. Unlike with maneuvers, a paladin cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one they already know.
Smite (Su)
A paladin has the ability to imbue their melee attacks with divine energy to smite their foes. Once per day, a paladin can declare a smite attack by rolling a normal attack roll. He or she adds their Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll. If the attack successfully hits, the paladin deals their normal weapon damage, plus bonus damage equal to their paladin level.
This attack may only be used against foes who are opposed to the paladin’s alignment. For example, a Lawful Good paladin may use their smite ability against Evil creatures, Chaotic creatures, or Chaotic Evil creatures. If a paladin declares a smite attack against a target whose alignment does not oppose their own, then the smite attempt is used up for the day but the paladin gains no bonuses to their weapon attack roll and they do not deal smite bonus damage.
At 5th level and at every 5 levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th), a paladin can use their smite ability one additional time per day, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.
Divine Grace (Su)
At 2nd level, a paladin’s faith and unwavering will grants them the power to more easily shrug off various spells and effects. A paladin adds their Charisma bonus (if any) to all saving throws he or she makes.
Divine Resolve (Ex)
At 2nd level, a paladin’s supreme faith and dedication to their deity allows them to temporarily set aside the pain and hindering effects of injuries. A paladin has a delayed damage pool that allows them to forestall the effects of many injuries. This pool begins at 0 with each encounter. Whenever a paladin is dealt damage, it is added to their delayed damage pool instead of being automatically subtracted from their hit point total. At the end of the paladin’s next turn following the injury, the paladin takes damage equal to the total amount of damage stored in their delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. Any healing received can either increase the paladin’s hit point total or remove damage from the paladin’s delayed damage pool (a paladin can split healing received as they wish).
Special effects tied to attacks, such as energy drain, stunning, and so forth still effect the paladin as normal and their effects are not delayed by this ability. So, for example, while a paladin can delay the damage dealt by a spider’s bite, he or she cannot delay the poison, so he or she must still attempt the Fortitude save against the poison immediately.
At 2nd level, a paladin’s delayed damage pool can hold up to 5 points of damage. Any damage beyond the pool’s maximum is subtracted from the paladin’s hit points as usual. The maximum damage the paladin’s delayed damage pool can hold increases by 5 at 7th, 12th, and 17th, to a maximum of 20 points of damage delayed at 17th level.
Endurance
At 3rd level, a paladin gains [[[Endurance]]] as a bonus feat.
Lay on Hands / Deadly Touch (Su)
At 3rd level, the paladin with a Charisma score of 12 or greater gains the ability to either heal or cause wounds with a single touch. A Good paladin gains the Lay on Hands ability, which allows the paladin to heal a number of hit points of damage equal to their Charisma bonus x their paladin level. An Evil paladin gains the Deadly Touch ability, which allows the paladin to make a touch attack in order to deal damage to the touched target equal to their Charisma bonus x their paladin level. In both cases, this healing need not be used all at once, and it can be split among multiple uses. A neutral paladin must select either the Lay on Hands or the Deadly Touch ability to receive. This choice cannot be changed and it affects later abilities that the paladin receives.
Lay on Hands channels positive energy and Deadly Touch channels negative energy, so both abilities have adverse effects on undead creatures. A Good paladin can use Lay on Hands to make a touch attack against an undead creature to deal any amount of their allotted Lay on Hands healing as damage to the touched undead, and an Evil paladin can use any amount of their allotted Deadly Touch damage as healing to the touched undead.
Turn / Rebuke Undead (Su)
At 4th level, a Good paladin gains the ability to turn undead creatures, while an Evil paladin gains the ability to rebuke them. A neutral paladin must select Turn Undead if he or she selected Lay on Hands or Rebuke Undead if he or she selected Deadly Touch. A paladin turns or rebukes undead as a cleric of three levels lower would.
Spells
At 4th level, a paladin gains the ability to call on a small number of spells. These spells are divine spells that are drawn from the [[[paladin spell list]]]. A paladin must choose and prepare their spells in advanced, and in order to prepare or cast a spell, a paladin must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell’s level. The DC for a saving throw against a paladin’s spells is 10 + the spell’s level + the paladin’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a paladin can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Their base spell allotment is given on Table: Paladin Spells per Day below. In addition, a paladin receives [[[bonus spells]]] for having a high Wisdom score. When Table: Paladin Spells Per Day indicates that the paladin receives 0 spells per day, he or she only gains the bonus spells that they would get for having a high Wisdom score. The paladin, unlike the cleric, does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers.
A paladin prepares and casts spells the same way a cleric does, though a paladin cannot lose a prepared spell in order to spontaneously cast a //cure// spell in its place. A paladin may prepare and cast any spell they know, provided that the paladin can cast spells of that level, but a paladin must choose which spells to prepare during their daily meditation.
Through 3rd level, a paladin has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, their caster level is one-half their paladin level.
Summon Special Mount (Su)
Upon reaching 5th level, a paladin gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve in their divine crusades. This mount is usually either a heavy warhorse (for Medium creatures) or a war-pony (for Small creatures), though a paladin may acquire more exotic companions through various means.
Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin can magically call their mount from the plane on which it resides to their side. The paladin’s mount appears adjacent to the paladin and remains for 2 hours per paladin level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though a paladin may release a particular mount from service (if it has grown too old, for instance). Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any other damage it took previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed (including barding, saddle, saddlebags, and the like). Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should a paladin’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The paladin may not summon another mount for thirty days, until he or she gains a new paladin level (whichever comes first), or until the mount is raised from the dead (if possible). During this 30 day period, the paladin takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls.
Improved Aura (Su)
Starting at 6th level, a paladin’s aura shines more brightly then before, to the point where others can feel its effects. A Good paladin radiates an aura of justice and righteousness, granting allies within 10 feet of the paladin a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and compulsion effects. An Evil paladin radiates an aura of tyranny and slaughter, granting a -1 penalty on saving throws and AC to enemies within 10 feet of the paladin. A neutral paladin must choose to radiate a Good aura if he or she choose the Lay on Hands ability or an Evil aura if he or she choose the Deadly touch ability (this choice does not cause a paladin who is neutral on the Good vs. Evil axis to become detectable by //[[[detect evil]]]// or //[[[detect good]]]// spells respectively; their aura merely takes on the properties of that alignment).
A Good paladin’s aura affects him as well as his or her allies. A paladin’s aura has no effect if the paladin is unconscious or dead.
Die Hard
At 10th level, a paladin gains [[[Die Hard]]] as a bonus feat.
Improved Smite (Su)
At 11th level, a paladin’s ability to smite their foes improves. A paladin who initiates a smite attack against a foe whose alignment opposes the paladin’s on both the Good vs. Evil axis and the Chaos vs. Law axis deals damage equal to one and a half their paladin level (rounded down) to their foe on a successful smite attack. For example, a Lawful Good paladin deals their normal weapon damage + 1.5 their paladin level (rounded down) against Chaotic Evil creatures.
A paladin who is neutral on the Good vs. Evil axis is treated as being opposed to Evil creatures if he or she selected the Lay on Hands ability and a paladin who selected Deadly Touch is treated as being opposed to Good creatures, so the paladin gains 1.5 x their paladin level on smite attacks on respective creatures whose Law vs. Chaos axis is opposed to their own. A paladin who is neutral on the Law vs. Chaos axis must select either Law or Chaos to be opposed to.
Improved Smite does not increase the number of times a day a paladin can use their smite ability, nor does it allow a paladin to use smite against creatures whose alignment are not opposed to their own.
Mettle (Ex)
At 11th level, a paladin can use extreme force of will in order to overcome potentially dangerous spells and effects. Whenever a paladin makes a successful Fortitude saving throw against an attack that normally deals damage on a successful save, the paladin instead takes no damage. A paladin that is asleep or unconscious does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Empowered Aura (Su)
At 13th level, the paladin’s aura grows in power again as it drastically effects those around the paladin. A creature that is opposed to the paladin on at least one alignment axis must make a Fortitude save against the paladin’s aura (DC 10 + paladin level) or be shaken while within the range of the paladin’s aura, and for 5 rounds thereafter. A creature who is opposed to the paladin on both alignment axis takes a -4 penalty to this Fortitude save.
Divine Exchange (Su)
At 14th level, a paladin’s rigorous discipline perfectly melds their Martial Discipline with their Spellcasting abilities. Once per day, as a swift action a paladin may either expend a spell to ready a number of maneuvers equal to the spell’s level or expend a maneuver to refresh a total number of spell levels equal to the maneuver’s level.
Improved Mettle (Ex)
At 16th level, a paladin’s mettle improves. A paladin still takes no damage from successful Fortitude saving throws, and now even if a paladin fails a Fortitude saving throw, he or she takes only half damage from the attack or effect. As with mettle, a paladin who is asleep or unconscious does not gain the benefit of improved mettle.
Empowered Smite (Su)
At 17th level, a paladin’s smite ability improves again. Whenever a Good paladin uses their smite ability, he or she heals a number of points of damage equal to half of the total number of points of damage dealt to the smitten creature. This healing can be used on the paladin or any ally within 5 ft. of the smitten creature. Whenever an Evil paladin uses their smite ability, he or she deals a number of points of damage equal to half of the total number of points of damage deal to the smitten creature. This damage can be used on any enemy creature other then the smitten creature within 5 ft. of the paladin. A Neutral paladin gains the Good paladin equivalent if he or she chose to turn undead or the Evil paladin equivalent if he or she chose to rebuke undead.
A paladin can only use the Empowered Smite ability once per day, and it only effects the first smite attack made (see Mighty Smite, below).
Inner Focus (Su)
At 19th level, a paladin learns to use their worldly hurt to their advantage. For every 5 points of damage he or she has stored in their delayed damage pool (see Divine Resolve, above), he or she gains a +1 to weapon attack rolls and the DC of his or her spells are increased by 1.
Mighty Smite (Ex)
At 20th level, a paladin’s learns how to execute their smite ability as easily as he or she breaths. Once per day, a paladin can opt to use their smite ability in conjunction with any of their martial strikes. A paladin must declare that their martial strike is also a smite attack before they make their attack roll, and all of the normal benefits of a smite attack are added to the martial strike. A paladin can choose to make this martial smite into their daily Empowered Smite ability if they wish. Using a martial smite this way consumes one of the paladin's daily smite attempts as normal.
Tables
Table: Paladin Maneuvers
{table=head] Level | Maneuvers Known | Maneuvers Ready | Stances Known | Max Maneuver Level
01 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1st
02 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1st
03 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2nd
04 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2nd
05 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3rd
06 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3rd
07 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 4th
08 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 4th
09 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5th
10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5th
11 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 6th
12 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 6th
13 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 7th
14 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 7th
15 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 8th
16 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 8th
17 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 9th
18 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 9th
19 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 9th
20 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 9th[/table]
Table: Paladin Spells per Day
Level | 1st Level | 2nd Level | 3rd Level | 4th Level
01 | _ | _ | _ | _
02 | _ | _ | _ | _
03 | _ | _ | _ | _
04 | 0 | _ | _ | _
05 | 1 | _ | _ | _
06 | 1 | _ | _ | _
07 | 1 | _ | _ | _
08 | 1 | 0 | _ | _
09 | 1 | 0 | _ | _
10 | 1 | 1 | _ | _
11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | _
12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | _
13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | _
14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0
15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1
16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1
17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1
18 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1
19 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2
20 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3
Enjoy. Please be honest, but remember that I retain the right to refute your logic :).
EDIT: Added Fluff and Vital Statics.