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Zaydos
2009-10-01, 08:20 PM
Okay I started reading forums and such in August and well I got the impression spellcasters are totally stronger than melee combatants. I somehow got the idea to completely remake the Paladin class and decided to do it without using ToB system of maneuvers but aim for approximately Warblade level power. I don't know if I succeeded but...

To summarize I retained the mount ability unchanged, limited their uses of Detect Evil, removed all spellcasting, improved lay on hands, kept Divine Favor, changed Aura of Courage to just fear immunity for you and kept Divine Health, and kept Turn Undead. I gave them the mounted combat feat tree as a bonus feat line, healing spell like abilities, mettle and continuous death ward at high level, bonus to hit and damage against evil, and gave them four "Divine Gifts" that give them an ability when first chosen and as they level another 2 or 3.

Honestly I'm a little afraid they're overpowered, especially when compared to Core martial classes. I was reading too much about the total superiority of mages when I made this, I think.

Here goes:


Paladin
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Detect Evil, Lay on Hands, Divine Gift (Least), Blessed Healing (Least), Aura of Good

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Divine Grace, Fearless

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Turn Undead, Skill Focus (Ride)

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Divine Gift (Lesser), Immunity to Disease

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Mount, Blessed Healing (Lesser)

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Mounted Combat

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Holy Strike

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Ride-by Attack

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Divine Gift (Greater)

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Blessed Healing (Intermediate)

11th|
+11|
+7|
+3|
+7|-

12th|
+12|
+8|
+4|
+8|Spirited Charge

13th|
+13|
+8|
+4|
+8|Mettle

14th|
+14|
+9|
+4|
+9|Divine Gift (Bright)

15th|
+15|
+9|
+5|
+9|Blessed Healing (Greater)

16th|
+16|
+10|
+5|
+10|Trample

17th|
+17|
+10|
+5|
+10|Resist Death

18th|
+18|
+11|
+6|
+11|-

19th|
+19|
+11|
+6|
+11|-

20th|
+20|
+12|
+6|
+12|Blessed Healing (Bright)[/table]

HD: d10.
Skills per level: 2 + Int
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Weapon/Armor: simple and martial plus all armor and shields.

Special Abilities:
Detect Evil (Sp): 1/day per class level at a CL = to class level.

Lay on Hands (Su): As standard paladin ability but you count as double your level.

Divine Gift (Least): Select one least divine gift from the list below.

Blessed Healing (Least): 2/day you may heal a creature 6 hp or 1 point of ability damage with a touch. You may instead use this ability to remove paralysis or fear on one creature.

Divine Grace (Su): As paladin ability.

Fearless (Ex): You are immune to fear of all sorts.

Turn Undead (Su): As a cleric 2 levels lower.

Skill Focus (Ride): Bonus feat.

Divine Gift (Lesser): You gain a second divine gift chosen from the lesser list.

Immunity to Disease (Su): You gain immunity to all disease.

Mount (Su): As paladin ability… for now.

Blessed Healing Lesser: 1/day you may heal a creature 20 hp or 3 points of ability damage with a touch. You may instead use this ability to neutralize poison, remove disease, or remove blindness/deafness.

Mounted Combat: Bonus feat.

Holy Strike: You add your Charisma bonus up to your Strength bonus as an additional bonus to melee attacks and damage against evil creatures.

Ride-by Attack: Bonus feat.

Divine Gift (Greater): You gain a divine gift chosen from the intermediate list.

Blessed Healing (Intermediate): 2/day you may heal the target 60 hp or of all ability damage with a touch.

Spirited Charge: Bonus feat.

Mettle (Ex): If you succeed at a Fort or Will half/partial you instead negate the effect entirely.

Divine Gift (Greater): You gain a divine gift chosen from the greater list.

Blessed Healing (Bright): This ability functions as the Heal spell usable 2/day.

Trample: Bonus feat.

Resist Death (Su): You are permanently protected as if by the Death Ward spell.

Blessed Healing (Bright): This ability functions as the Mass Heal spell usable 1/day.

Divine Gifts (all Su unless noted otherwise):
Least:
Avenger:
• You gain Smite Evil (as normal paladin ability) usable 1/day +1/day per 5 class levels.
• At 7th level When you Smite Evil the target of your smite must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ your class level + your Charisma modifier) or be shaken for 1d4 rounds.
• At 13th level you may expend 2 smites on a single attack against an undead creature or an evil outsider.
• At 20th level if you use Smite Evil you gain an extra attack at 5 less than your highest attack bonus whether this is part of a standard attack or full attack.

Sacred Defender:
• When a creature adjacent to you takes damage you may choose to take half of their damage for them as a free action.
• At 7th level any squares you threaten are considered difficult terrain for enemies and allies within these squares gain a +2 shield bonus to AC. This increases to +3 at 13th level, +4 at 16th, and +5 at 19th.
• At 13th level you gain an additional +4 AC if you are using a shield.
• At 20th level if you are adjacent to an ally you can add your Charisma bonus as a bonus to 1 save they make each round.

Hunter of the Dead
• You gain turn undead as a cleric of your level instead of cleric 2 levels lower.
• You may score critical hits against undead (Ex).
• At 7th level your project an aura that bolsters yourself and allies against typical weapons of the undead. You and your allies gain a sacred bonus on saves against any effect which Death Ward protects against equal to 1/3 your class level. Also 1/day you can perform a greater turning as per the Sun Domain granted power.
• At 13th level you gain a dodge bonus to AC equal to your Charisma modifier against attacks from undead (Ex).
• At 20th level you can use Mass Death Ward as a spell-like ability 1/day CL = class level (Sp).

Blessed Commander:
• All allies within 60-ft of you gain a Sacred bonus to saves versus mind-affecting effects equal to 1/3 your class level (minimum +1). You do not receive this bonus.
• At 7th level 1/day as an immediate action you can grant an ally a reroll of 1 failed save.
• At 13th level if both you and an ally must make a saving throw against the same effect you may take a penalty to your save up to half your level to grant your ally an equal sacred bonus to his saving throw.
• At 20th level if you make a full attack 1 ally within 60-ft may make a standard attack.

Terror to the Foul
• You can produce bright light out to a radius of 10-ft per class level (shadowy goes another 10-ft per class level). This ability interacts with magical darkness as a light spell of ½ your class level. The light produced lasts 10 minutes per class level and can be created a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
• 1/day +1/day per 4 levels you can produce an aura of fear which extends 5-ft from you. Any evil creature in the aura must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ class level + Charisma modifier) or be shaken for 1d4 rounds. This aura lasts 1 round. This aura also produces light as the light spell while active.
• At 7th level you instead frighten the target instead of merely causing it to be shaken.
• At 13th level you can maintain this aura for a number of rounds equal to ½ your Charisma modifier.
• At 20th level 1/day you can affect every evil creature within the area of the bright light you produce with this ability as if with your fear aura.

Battle-Front Healer:
• You gain an extra daily use of each Blessed Healing ability you have gained access to.
• Whenever you use a Blessed Healing ability you add your Charisma modifier to the amount healed.
• At 7th level you can heal yourself 10 hp/level as a swift action 1/day.
• At 13th level you can heal +50% with Lay on Hands.
• At 20th level you can cast Revivify 3/day as spell-like ability (Sp).

Lesser:
Spell Purger:
• You gain a cleansing strike usable 1/day per 4 class levels. This cleansing strike functions as a regular melee attack, and may be used as part of a full attack. If the cleansing strike hits you may attempt a targeted dispel magic on the target of the attack, CL = Class Level.
• At 11th level you gain SR = to your class level +5.
• At 14th level your cleansing strike now functions as Greater Dispel Magic.
• At 18th level you can use Greater Dispel Magic as a spell-like ability (CL = class level) 3/day (Sp).

Sacred Warrior
• You gain the ability to shroud yourself in a divine mantle 1/day per 4 class levels. This divine mantle is activated as a swift action and grants you a +4 sacred bonus to Str and DR 2/evil and lasts 3 + Charisma modifier rounds. While your divine mantle is active any weapon you wield and your unarmed strikes count as good for the purposes of overcoming DR. The divine mantle also provides light as the light spell.
• At 11th level your divine mantle now grants +6 to Strength and DR 4/evil.
• At 14th level you gain an extra attack at your highest bonus whenever you make a standard or full attack while your Divine Mantle is active.
• At 18th level your divine mantle grants +8 Str and DR 6/evil.

Healing Soul
• You gain an aura that grants allies within 60-ft fast healing 1 while at less than half hit points. This increases to 2 at 8th level, 3 at 12th, 4 at 16th, and 5 at 20th. This is positive energy based and as such cannot heal undead or constructs.
• At 11th level once per day as a swift action you can increase the strength of your aura making it grant allies fast healing equal to your level while at less than half hit points. This effect lasts for 3 + Charisma modifier rounds.
• At 14th level whenever you hit an evil creature which was a threat to you and your party you can heal one creature other than yourself within 60-ft. This creature is healed your 2d8 + charisma modifier in hit points. This ability may only activate once per round.
• At 18th level 1/day when you’d be reduced to 0 hp or less you can heal to half your maximum hp as an immediate action.

Angelic Form:
• You gain the ability to shroud yourself in a divine mantle 1/day per 4 class levels. This divine mantle is activated as a swift action and grants you a +4 sacred bonus to Charisma and fire, cold, electricity, and acid resistance 2 and lasts 3 + Charisma modifier rounds. The divine mantle also provides light as the light spell.
• At 11th level your divine mantle now grants +6 to Charisma and the energy resistance it provides increases to 5.
• At 14th level while your divine mantle is active you gain wings that grant you a fly speed equal to twice your base land speed with good maneuverability.
• At 18th level your divine mantle grants +8 Charisma and the energy resistance increases to 10.

Greater:
Sacred Commander
• All allies within 60-ft of you gain a Sacred bonus to attack rolls equal to 1/3 your class level. This bonus does not apply to yourself.
• At 13th level this ability also adds to your allies’ melee weapon damage.
• At 17th level you may double the bonus granted by this ability for 1 round/2 class levels as a standard action. Afterwards you are fatigued until end of encounter.
• At 20th level you may grant an ally a reroll on any d20 roll a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.

Mouthpiece of the Gods
• You gain a +4 sacred bonus on Diplomacy checks.
• At 13th level you gain a continual tongues ability.
• At 17th level you may use Holy Word 2/day as a spell-like ability.
• At 20th level you may use your words to bolster allies and daze foes. 1/day as a standard action you may grant all allies within 30-ft who can hear you a +4 sacred bonus on attack and melee damage rolls for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) and cause all enemies within range to make a Will save (DC 19 + your charisma modifier) or be dazed for 1 round.

Celestial Resistance
• You gain a +4 bonus on saves versus petrification and electricity resistance 10. You gain DR 2/evil. The save bonuses and electricity resistance are Ex.
• At 13th level you gain a +4 on saves versus poison and your electricity resistance becomes 20. Your DR becomes 5/evil. The save bonuses and electricity resistance are Ex.
• At 17th level you are permanently surrounded by a magic circle against evil (as spell, CL = class level), and become completely immune to petrification. Your electricity resistance increases to 30. Your DR increases to 7/evil. The petrification immunity and electricity resistance are Ex.
• At 20th level you become completely immune to electricity. Your DR becomes 10/evil. The electricity immunity is Ex.

Sanctified Knight:
• You deal +4 damage whenever you attack an evil creature and any weapon you wield as well as your unarmed strikes count as good for the purposes of overcoming DR.
• At 13th level you gain a sacred bonus to melee attacks and AC equal to either the number of enemies adjacent to you or the number of size categories larger than you the largest creature adjacent to you is.
• At 17th level you automatically confirm critical hits against evil creatures and any critical hit against an evil creature deals +3d6 damage and forces them to make a Fort save DC (10 + ½ your class level + your charisma modifier) or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.
• At 20th level any evil creature within 15-ft of you takes damage equal to your Charisma modifier every round.

Bright:
Marshal of Heaven
• 1/day you may summon a sword archon as a full-round action. It remains for 1 round/level. You can use this ability 2/day at 17th level and 3/day at 20th (Sp equivalent to a 7th level spell).
• At 17th level you may summon an astral deva as a full-round action 1/day. It remains for 1 round/level (Sp equivalent to an 8th level spell).
• At 19th level you may summon 4 sword archons as a full-round action 1/day. These remain for 1 round/level (Sp equivalent to a 9th level spell).

Divine Abjurer:
• 3/day you may negate any spell which includes you within the area as an immediate action. To do so you must make a Will save opposed by the caster’s Will save.
• At 17th level you gain SR = 5 + your class level; if you already have Spell Purger this becomes 10 + your class level.
• At 19th level 1/day you may negate 1 spell cast by a creature within 100-ft of you as an immediate action. This is automatically successful.

Wandering Knight:
• You may teleport your speed as a move action. Whenever you do so you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
• At 17th level you may teleport your speed as part of an attack or full attack action and when you do so you still gain the dodge bonus to AC. Also the dodge bonus increases to +4.
• At 19th level you may use Greater Teleport 3/day (CL = class level) as a spell-like ability, but may only teleport yourself and your mount and any objects you are carrying up to your heavy load each. Also your dodge bonus for teleporting becomes +6.

Sword of Heaven
• You gain a +4 Sacred bonus to Strength. Any weapon you wield or your unarmed strikes counts as good for the purposes of overcoming DR.
• At 17th level you gain a +2 sacred bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls. Also you gain a +5 bonus to all attacks after your first attack.
• At 19th level a number of times a day equal to your Charisma modifier you may make a single melee attack against each creature within 60-ft of you as a standard action. This attack is resolved as a melee touch attack and deals double damage to undead and evil outsiders.

Guardian Knight:
• You gain a +4 Sacred bonus to AC.
• At 17th level whenever an ally within 30-ft would take damage you can take all the damage instead; if you do so the damage is reduced by 10 points but anything else to mitigate the damage does not apply. If the ally took 10 points of damage or less you still take 1.
• At 19th level Whenever you take damage, excluding from this ability, you can heal one ally within 60-ft the same amount.

Shadowbane
2009-10-01, 09:38 PM
I read through it, and I quite like it!

A suggestion, though: find some way to eliminate the dead levels. Dead levels always strike my players as boring, which is why my classes have none. :smallsmile:

Zaydos
2009-10-01, 09:42 PM
Thanks. I made sure at the very least your Lesser or Bright divine power improved every level you didn't get something else, but if you have a suggestion to fill the dead levels I'd be glad to hear it.

Shadowbane
2009-10-01, 09:44 PM
Perhaps bonus feats in the Mounted Combat chain or the Divine Might group? That's the first thing that came to mind, I'll think of more and get back to you when I can.

Altair_the_Vexed
2009-10-02, 01:09 PM
I like the divine gifts - they're cool. Maybe too cool...

I'm tending to think the Greater and Bright divine gifts are a bit over-powerful. It's hard for me to tell if they're balanced at high level, as I'm not so familiar with high-end play as I am with low-to-mid - but some of them seem to exceed the power and frequency of use of spells that an equivalent level caster could use.

The Blessed Healing progression seems to be way powerful. At equivalent level, no-one else in the game is dishing out the same sort (except for the Bright tier, which is fine).

The bonus feats (mounted combat, ride-by-attack, etc.) are granted at too high a level, I think. These are feats you can get at 1st level. I'd either grant them at lower level, or grant other feats or abilities with similar flavour. Maybe something like "Charge while mounted as a standard action" or "Ride-by-attack as a standard action, moving up to your full speed" or other enhanced versions of the standard feats.

A few editorial points:
You should state what kind of power each feature is: Su, Sp, Ex, etc.
You should state what kind of action the powers use: standard, move, full round, swift, etc.

Still - very cool, altogether.

Zaydos
2009-10-02, 03:03 PM
Thanks. Those are actually the two things that worried me most, I'm pretty sure that the high level powers of the divine gifts can probably get broken at high levels which is why I posted it here. The low level Blessed Healing is rather like a lesser vigor all at once so I probably should reduce it to 5 or 6 points for the Lv 1 ability and 20 for the level 5; 80 at Lv 10 is a little strong compared to 5th level healing spells but Heal which is gained at Lv 11 just blows it out of the water so I don't think that's too bad but I might reduce it to 60.
The mounted combat feats are just there for filler to avoid dead levels and too allow you to use your Mount effectively without spending all your feats on it but mostly just to avoid dead levels (people like a level where you get something useless more than a level where you get nothing at all). I do like the idea of giving them improved mounted combat... I might make a Divine Gift for that sometime.

Edit: realized the Lv 10 ability was 2/day so I reduced it to 60 hp per use. Reduced the daily use of Holy Word granted by Mouth Piece of the Gods and noted whether things were Ex, Su, or Sp although for Divine Gifts I only marked exceptions. I also made it so that Wandering Knight's Greater Teleport ability only affected you and mount.