Latronis
2009-11-13, 08:31 AM
So the paladin is far too restrictive for a base class, it really should be a PrC, and not too difficult to do either really, it works well enough basically compressed into 10 levels. But then I don't really like it anyway, but there's certainly a place for it in many games, and i find myself needing that kind of class available.
At the moment it's kind of a rough draft and I'd like some opinions on the crunchy stuff since i have a tendency to balance things on the fly rather than have something suitable out of the gate.
I will be using female terms since the default fluff paladin is a female.
Ok what I have:
PALADIN
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Righteous Fury, Divine Grace, Mount |-
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Aura of Courage, Lay on Hands\Smiting Hands|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|-|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|-|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Battle Blessing|-
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Restorative Hands\Accursed Hands|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|-|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|-|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Battle Summons|-
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Protective Hands\Dictator's Hands|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class [/table]
Hit Die
d10.
Requirements
To qualify to become a paladin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment
Becomes Lawful
I should note here that I use alignment mechanically as a character's alignment to cosmic forces(such as deities) Only things like clerics and those with the subtypes have an alignment. I guess 'Any Lawful' though given the True Believer requirement it would mean lawful good or lawful neutral
Base Attack Bonus
+4
Skills
Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks.
Spells
Ability to cast divine spells.
Feats
True Believer, Weapon Focus (with her deity’s favored weapon).
Special
The character must have Illyana has her patron diety.
Deity specific PrC, can be used for any appropiate deity in other campaigns I suppose
Class Skills
The paladin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Points
2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the paladin.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Paladins are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Aura of Law (Ex)
The power of a paladin’s aura of law(see the detect law spell) is equal to her class level plus her cleric level, if any.
Righteous Fury (Ex)
A paladin can fly into a fury of righteous fervor once per day, dealing powerful blows to her enemies. Entering a righteous fury is a free action. While in a righteous fury, the paladin gains a +2 morale bonus on melee weapon damage rolls.
This bonus increases by 1 for every two class levels, to +3 at 3rd level, +4 at 5th level, up to a maximum of +6 at 9th level. The paladin remains in this fury for 1 round plus 1 round per point of Charisma bonus (minimum 1 round).
At every even level, the paladin may enter this righteous fury one additional time per day, upto a maximum of five times per day.
Never liked smite, never will. Besides it's pretty dodgy when most of your foes don't even have an alignment :smallbiggrin: IIRC I based this on Half-Orc Paladin substitution levels from Races of Destiny
Divine Grace (Su)
A paladin gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Lay on Hands (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to twice her paladin level × her Charisma bonus. A paladin may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action.
While in a state of righteous fury a paladin's lay on hands functions differently instead smiting foes she touches. Upon a successful melee touch attack the paladin deals her righteous fury bonus damage + 1 damage per point of healing spent using this ability. If the paladin does not spend any healing(or can't) this ability has no effect. A successful will save at a DC of 10 + paladin level + cha mod halves the damage taken.
Alternatively, a paladin of 6th level or higher may use her lay on hands ability to end any one of the following adverse conditions, at the cost of 5 points of healing per condition unless otherwise noted: ability damage (costs 1 point per ability point restored), blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, feebleminded, insanity, nauseated, sickened, stunned, or poisoned. The paladin can remove adverse conditions at the same time that she heals damage, but any points of healing spent to end adverse conditions don’t also cure hit point damage.
In a state of righteous fury the paladin instead channels the power of her fervor into a powerful curse. By making a successful melee touch attack the paladin's righteous fury ends and inflicts a penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks of the target equal to damage bonus of her righteous fury. (-4 at paladin level 6) The curse bestowed by this ability cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell.
Your opponent can make a will save to negate the effects of the curse with a save DC of 10 + your paladin level + your Cha modifier +1 for each 10 points of healing spent to inflict the curse.
EDIT ADDED: At 10th level the Paladin can unleash her healing power as a wave of force forming a protective shield around her allies. Aslong as she spends atleast 10 points of healing all allies within 40' of the paladin receive a deflection bonus to AC equal to her charisma modifier and spell resistance of 10 + 1 for each additional points of healing spent. The ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to her charisma modifier and then begins to drain 1 point of healing each round until deactivated(as a free action) the paladin enters a state of righteous fury, is rendered unconscious or is slain.
EDIT ADDED:If activated during a state of righteous fury the paladin can spend 20 points of healing to have the energy instead spread out in a 40' area centered on the paladin that functions like the Dictum spell(treat your caster level as your character level) except it can affect foes of any alignment(or none) Non-Chaotic foes can make a will save at a DC of 10 + paladin level + cha mod + 1 for each point of additional healing spent. To avoid the effect.
Aura of Courage (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects.
This ability functions while the paladin is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.
Battle Blessing (Ex)
Beginning at 5th level a paladin can cast spells more quickly than usual in the heat of battle.
This ability functions only for spells with a range of personal or touch from the class that the paladin used to meet the divine spell casting prerequisite. If the spell normally requires a standard action, you can cast it as a swift action. If it normally requires a full round to cast, you can cast it as a standard action. Spells with longer or shorter casting times are not affected by this ability.
This ability can only be used once per round, So a paladin can not use it to cast a spell as a swift action, and then use it again to cast a spell with a 1 round casting time as a standard action(though she can cast a spell that takes a standard action normally).
EDIT ADDED:At 9th level any Conjuration(summoning) from the class the paladin used to meet the divine spellcasting requirements of paladin entry can also be cast as part of the paladin's Battle Blessing. Creatures summoned as a standard action can act the round it was summoned, but can only take a move or standard action.
Spells per Day
When a new paladin level is gained that increases spellcasting progression as noted on table: The Paladin, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in any one divine spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the level of paladin to the level of whatever other divine spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly. If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before she became a paladin, she must decide to which class she adds each level of appropiate level of paladin for the purpose of determining spells per day.
EDIT(possible):A character without spellcasting before taking the Paladin treats each level that advances divine spellcasting as cleric levels to determine the spells per day and caster level.
Special Mount (Sp)
A paladin gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her in her crusades against injustice.
Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin may magically call her mount from the celestial realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-half the paladin’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the paladin and remains for 4 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 the paladin may release a particular mount from service.
Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the paladin’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The paladin may not summon another mount for thirty days or until she gains a paladin level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the paladin takes a -1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Code of Conduct
Ex-Paladins
blah blah blah mostly fluff stuff, and I only have notes atm anyway probably end up a little less restrictive than phb paladin(on paper if not in practice), but a little harsher on the fallen
The Paladin’s Mount
The paladin’s mount is superior to a normal mount of its kind and has special powers, as described below.
{table=head]Paladin Level|Bonus Hit Dice|Natural Armour Adj.|Str. Adj.|Intelligence|Special
1st-3rd|
+2|
+4|
+1|
6|Celestial Mount, Empathic link, Share Spells, Share Saving Throws
4th-5th|
+4|
+6|
+2|
7|Improved Evasion
6th-8th|
+6|
+8|
+3|
8|Improved Speed
9th-10th|
+8|
+10|
+4|
9|Command Creatures of it's Kind[/table]
Paladin’s Mount Basics
Use the base statistics for a creature of the mount’s kind, but make changes to take into account the attributes and characteristics summarized on the table and described below.
Celestial Mount (Ex)
Your mount benefits from your divine connection. The Celestial template can be applied to your mount, if you so desire. Since this is not possession but rather a sympathetic link, the creature's alignment need not change.
Natural Armor Adj.
The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.
Str Adj.
Add this figure to the mount’s Strength score.
Int
The mount’s Intelligence score.
Empathic Link (Su)
The paladin has an empathic link with her mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The paladin cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically.
Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible.
Because of this empathic link, the paladin has the same connection to an item or place that her mount does, just as with a master and his familiar.
Improved Evasion (Ex)
When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells
At the paladin’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts on herself also affect her mount.
The mount must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the mount if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the mount again even if it returns to the paladin before the duration expires. Additionally, the paladin may cast a spell with a target of "You" on her mount (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A paladin and her mount can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the mount’s type (magical beast).
Share Saving Throws
For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the paladin’s, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.
Improved Speed (Ex)
The mount’s speed increases by 10 feet.
Command (Sp)
Once per day per paladin level of its master, a mount can use this ability to command other any normal animal of approximately the same kind as itself (for warhorses and warponies, this category includes donkeys, mules, and ponies), as long as the target creature has fewer Hit Dice than the mount. This ability functions like the command spell, but the mount must make a DC 21 Concentration check to succeed if it’s being ridden at the time. If the check fails, the ability does not work that time, but it still counts against the mount’s daily uses. Each target may attempt a Will save (DC 10 + paladin’s level + paladin’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect.
Ok let me have it... :smalleek:
At the moment it's kind of a rough draft and I'd like some opinions on the crunchy stuff since i have a tendency to balance things on the fly rather than have something suitable out of the gate.
I will be using female terms since the default fluff paladin is a female.
Ok what I have:
PALADIN
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Righteous Fury, Divine Grace, Mount |-
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Aura of Courage, Lay on Hands\Smiting Hands|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|-|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|-|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Battle Blessing|-
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Restorative Hands\Accursed Hands|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|-|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|-|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Battle Summons|-
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Protective Hands\Dictator's Hands|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class [/table]
Hit Die
d10.
Requirements
To qualify to become a paladin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment
Becomes Lawful
I should note here that I use alignment mechanically as a character's alignment to cosmic forces(such as deities) Only things like clerics and those with the subtypes have an alignment. I guess 'Any Lawful' though given the True Believer requirement it would mean lawful good or lawful neutral
Base Attack Bonus
+4
Skills
Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks.
Spells
Ability to cast divine spells.
Feats
True Believer, Weapon Focus (with her deity’s favored weapon).
Special
The character must have Illyana has her patron diety.
Deity specific PrC, can be used for any appropiate deity in other campaigns I suppose
Class Skills
The paladin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Points
2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the paladin.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Paladins are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Aura of Law (Ex)
The power of a paladin’s aura of law(see the detect law spell) is equal to her class level plus her cleric level, if any.
Righteous Fury (Ex)
A paladin can fly into a fury of righteous fervor once per day, dealing powerful blows to her enemies. Entering a righteous fury is a free action. While in a righteous fury, the paladin gains a +2 morale bonus on melee weapon damage rolls.
This bonus increases by 1 for every two class levels, to +3 at 3rd level, +4 at 5th level, up to a maximum of +6 at 9th level. The paladin remains in this fury for 1 round plus 1 round per point of Charisma bonus (minimum 1 round).
At every even level, the paladin may enter this righteous fury one additional time per day, upto a maximum of five times per day.
Never liked smite, never will. Besides it's pretty dodgy when most of your foes don't even have an alignment :smallbiggrin: IIRC I based this on Half-Orc Paladin substitution levels from Races of Destiny
Divine Grace (Su)
A paladin gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Lay on Hands (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to twice her paladin level × her Charisma bonus. A paladin may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action.
While in a state of righteous fury a paladin's lay on hands functions differently instead smiting foes she touches. Upon a successful melee touch attack the paladin deals her righteous fury bonus damage + 1 damage per point of healing spent using this ability. If the paladin does not spend any healing(or can't) this ability has no effect. A successful will save at a DC of 10 + paladin level + cha mod halves the damage taken.
Alternatively, a paladin of 6th level or higher may use her lay on hands ability to end any one of the following adverse conditions, at the cost of 5 points of healing per condition unless otherwise noted: ability damage (costs 1 point per ability point restored), blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, feebleminded, insanity, nauseated, sickened, stunned, or poisoned. The paladin can remove adverse conditions at the same time that she heals damage, but any points of healing spent to end adverse conditions don’t also cure hit point damage.
In a state of righteous fury the paladin instead channels the power of her fervor into a powerful curse. By making a successful melee touch attack the paladin's righteous fury ends and inflicts a penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks of the target equal to damage bonus of her righteous fury. (-4 at paladin level 6) The curse bestowed by this ability cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell.
Your opponent can make a will save to negate the effects of the curse with a save DC of 10 + your paladin level + your Cha modifier +1 for each 10 points of healing spent to inflict the curse.
EDIT ADDED: At 10th level the Paladin can unleash her healing power as a wave of force forming a protective shield around her allies. Aslong as she spends atleast 10 points of healing all allies within 40' of the paladin receive a deflection bonus to AC equal to her charisma modifier and spell resistance of 10 + 1 for each additional points of healing spent. The ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to her charisma modifier and then begins to drain 1 point of healing each round until deactivated(as a free action) the paladin enters a state of righteous fury, is rendered unconscious or is slain.
EDIT ADDED:If activated during a state of righteous fury the paladin can spend 20 points of healing to have the energy instead spread out in a 40' area centered on the paladin that functions like the Dictum spell(treat your caster level as your character level) except it can affect foes of any alignment(or none) Non-Chaotic foes can make a will save at a DC of 10 + paladin level + cha mod + 1 for each point of additional healing spent. To avoid the effect.
Aura of Courage (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects.
This ability functions while the paladin is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.
Battle Blessing (Ex)
Beginning at 5th level a paladin can cast spells more quickly than usual in the heat of battle.
This ability functions only for spells with a range of personal or touch from the class that the paladin used to meet the divine spell casting prerequisite. If the spell normally requires a standard action, you can cast it as a swift action. If it normally requires a full round to cast, you can cast it as a standard action. Spells with longer or shorter casting times are not affected by this ability.
This ability can only be used once per round, So a paladin can not use it to cast a spell as a swift action, and then use it again to cast a spell with a 1 round casting time as a standard action(though she can cast a spell that takes a standard action normally).
EDIT ADDED:At 9th level any Conjuration(summoning) from the class the paladin used to meet the divine spellcasting requirements of paladin entry can also be cast as part of the paladin's Battle Blessing. Creatures summoned as a standard action can act the round it was summoned, but can only take a move or standard action.
Spells per Day
When a new paladin level is gained that increases spellcasting progression as noted on table: The Paladin, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in any one divine spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the level of paladin to the level of whatever other divine spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly. If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before she became a paladin, she must decide to which class she adds each level of appropiate level of paladin for the purpose of determining spells per day.
EDIT(possible):A character without spellcasting before taking the Paladin treats each level that advances divine spellcasting as cleric levels to determine the spells per day and caster level.
Special Mount (Sp)
A paladin gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her in her crusades against injustice.
Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin may magically call her mount from the celestial realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-half the paladin’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the paladin and remains for 4 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 the paladin may release a particular mount from service.
Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the paladin’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The paladin may not summon another mount for thirty days or until she gains a paladin level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the paladin takes a -1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Code of Conduct
Ex-Paladins
blah blah blah mostly fluff stuff, and I only have notes atm anyway probably end up a little less restrictive than phb paladin(on paper if not in practice), but a little harsher on the fallen
The Paladin’s Mount
The paladin’s mount is superior to a normal mount of its kind and has special powers, as described below.
{table=head]Paladin Level|Bonus Hit Dice|Natural Armour Adj.|Str. Adj.|Intelligence|Special
1st-3rd|
+2|
+4|
+1|
6|Celestial Mount, Empathic link, Share Spells, Share Saving Throws
4th-5th|
+4|
+6|
+2|
7|Improved Evasion
6th-8th|
+6|
+8|
+3|
8|Improved Speed
9th-10th|
+8|
+10|
+4|
9|Command Creatures of it's Kind[/table]
Paladin’s Mount Basics
Use the base statistics for a creature of the mount’s kind, but make changes to take into account the attributes and characteristics summarized on the table and described below.
Celestial Mount (Ex)
Your mount benefits from your divine connection. The Celestial template can be applied to your mount, if you so desire. Since this is not possession but rather a sympathetic link, the creature's alignment need not change.
Natural Armor Adj.
The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.
Str Adj.
Add this figure to the mount’s Strength score.
Int
The mount’s Intelligence score.
Empathic Link (Su)
The paladin has an empathic link with her mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The paladin cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically.
Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible.
Because of this empathic link, the paladin has the same connection to an item or place that her mount does, just as with a master and his familiar.
Improved Evasion (Ex)
When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells
At the paladin’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts on herself also affect her mount.
The mount must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the mount if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the mount again even if it returns to the paladin before the duration expires. Additionally, the paladin may cast a spell with a target of "You" on her mount (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A paladin and her mount can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the mount’s type (magical beast).
Share Saving Throws
For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the paladin’s, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.
Improved Speed (Ex)
The mount’s speed increases by 10 feet.
Command (Sp)
Once per day per paladin level of its master, a mount can use this ability to command other any normal animal of approximately the same kind as itself (for warhorses and warponies, this category includes donkeys, mules, and ponies), as long as the target creature has fewer Hit Dice than the mount. This ability functions like the command spell, but the mount must make a DC 21 Concentration check to succeed if it’s being ridden at the time. If the check fails, the ability does not work that time, but it still counts against the mount’s daily uses. Each target may attempt a Will save (DC 10 + paladin’s level + paladin’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect.
Ok let me have it... :smalleek: