Pechvarry
2010-07-06, 01:17 AM
A preface: I've seen many-a-beautiful paladin remakes. But, alas, even when I'm smitten by Surrealistik's take on Paladin for example, it's pretty far from the "by-the-book" paladin. So one of my main design goals is to make a Paladin which, for a seasoned pro, takes very little additional reading. It won't magically make melee compete with mages, and it probably won't be as good as a Duskblade. But while it often feels like all a normal paladin can be is the "stick-in-the-mud" because your bubonic plague of a moral code is the only "interesting" thing about you, this will at least have some well-rounded skills and abilities.
"Paladin of Cursory Behavior" for 2 reasons:
a) This is rather uncreative and could be seen as a "can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality as it's pretty Cleric-y.
b) I built this under the concept of a Cleric who needs 30 hour days. He has a lot to do; kingdoms to save, orcs to smite, damsels to impress... and only one full round action/turn! So he cuts the extraneous bits to make the most of his abilities. Mechanically: he's a Cleric whose special abilities are weaker but done quicker and more frequently. And of course, he has an extra iterative attack to miss with.
Summary:
Upped skill points, added most cha skills and other basic and/or useful skills. Upped will saves. Reduced MAD. Added Domains and increased casting. bonus feats of doom. Smites are changed but I'm not married to the current idea.
With the exception of Remove Disease (bye!), if it's not mentioned in the text, it's unchanged.
{table]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|1st|2nd|3rd|4th
1st|1|2|0|2|Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil/5 rounds, 1st Domain||||
2nd|2|3|0|3|Divine Grace, Lay on Hands||||
3rd|3|3|1|3|Aura of Courage, Divine Health||||
4th|4|4|1|4|Turn Undead|0|||
5th|5|4|1|4|Smite Evil/4 rounds, Special Mount|0|||
6th|+6/+1|5|2|5|2nd Domain|1|||
7th|+7/+2|5|2|5|Bonus Feat|1|||
8th|+8/+3|6|2|6|Divine Blessing 1/day|1|0||
9th|+9/+4|6|3|6|Rapid Turning|1|0||
10th|+10/+5|7|3|7|Smite Evil/3 rounds, Bonus feat|1|1||
11th|+11/+6/+1|7|3|7|Divine Blessing 2/day|1|1|0|
12th|+12/+7/+2|8|4|8|3rd Domain|1|1|1|
13th|+13/+8/+3|8|4|8|Bonus Feat|1|1|1|
14th|+14/+9/+4|9|4|9|Divine Blessing 3/day|2|1|1|0
15th|+15/+10/+5|9|5|9|Smite evil/2 rounds|2|1|1|1
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|10|5|10|Bonus Feat|2|2|1|1
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|10|5|10|Divine Blessing 4/day|2|2|2|1
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|11|6|11|4th Domain|3|2|2|1
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|11|6|11|Bonus Feat|3|3|3|2
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|12|6|12|Smite Evil/round, Divine Blessing 5/day|3|3|3|3[/table]
Class Skills
The paladins class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (History)(Int), Knowledge (local)(Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge(religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes)(Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points/Level: 4 + Int modifier
Spellcasting: A Paladin's spellcasting is based entirely off of Charisma and his caster level is full Paladin level.
Domains: At 1st level, you may choose a domain offered by your associated deity (or faith, if you have no specific deity). Additionally, regardless of what domains your deity offers, you may elect to choose domains that correspond to both of your alignment components (traditionally, Law and Good). You gain the special ability, using your Paladin as your effective Cleric level. When you learn to cast spells, the spells of this domain are considered Paladin spells and can be prepared normally.
As you advance in levels (6th, 12th, 18th), you gain additional domains. As before, you gain the domain ability and add the spells to your spell list.
If another base class grants access to domains, use only the higher number of the 2 classes. For instance, if a Paladin 1 took his next level in Cleric, he would gain only 1 additional domain. Prestige Classes and other abilities that grant additional domains continue to function as normal.
Smite Evil: At 1st level, this can be performed once every 5 rounds. As your level increases, the delay shortens.
If you want to keep this remake even simpler, just change the normal Paladin smites/day into smites/encounter.
Bonus Feats: Starting at 7th level and every 3 levels thereafter, you gain a Bonus Feat. This feat may be Extra Turning, any Divine feat, or any feat with a requirement of a Smite ability. You must meet the requirements as usual.
Divine Blessing: As of 8th level, you're a pretty cool dude. Once per day as a Spell-Like Ability, you may spontaneously cast any spell from your domains, up to the level of a cleric of an equal level could cast (up to 4th level at level 8, 6th level spells at level 11 Paladin, etc). You must supply any costly material components and pay XP costs as normal for the spell. Caster level and spell DCs are determined as normal for your Paladin spellcasting.
Every 3 levels after 8th, you gain 1 additional daily use of this ability.
Rapid Turning: When it comes to turning undead, you really can't waste your time with something of questionable reliability. Starting at 9th level, you may lower the usage time of your Turn Undead abilities, as well as that of any Divine feats you possess. If an ability has a Standard action usage time (including the Turn Undead action), you may instead perform it as a swift action. If it is a full round action, you may choose to use a standard action. Anything with a usage time longer than a full round action is unaffected by this ability.
---
Thoughts/improvements?
>>>If it's not already declared public domain by virtue of being posted on Gitp (I'm not sure), then I hereby declare this public domain. Feel free to use/abuse/rip off as much as you see fit.
"Paladin of Cursory Behavior" for 2 reasons:
a) This is rather uncreative and could be seen as a "can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality as it's pretty Cleric-y.
b) I built this under the concept of a Cleric who needs 30 hour days. He has a lot to do; kingdoms to save, orcs to smite, damsels to impress... and only one full round action/turn! So he cuts the extraneous bits to make the most of his abilities. Mechanically: he's a Cleric whose special abilities are weaker but done quicker and more frequently. And of course, he has an extra iterative attack to miss with.
Summary:
Upped skill points, added most cha skills and other basic and/or useful skills. Upped will saves. Reduced MAD. Added Domains and increased casting. bonus feats of doom. Smites are changed but I'm not married to the current idea.
With the exception of Remove Disease (bye!), if it's not mentioned in the text, it's unchanged.
{table]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|1st|2nd|3rd|4th
1st|1|2|0|2|Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil/5 rounds, 1st Domain||||
2nd|2|3|0|3|Divine Grace, Lay on Hands||||
3rd|3|3|1|3|Aura of Courage, Divine Health||||
4th|4|4|1|4|Turn Undead|0|||
5th|5|4|1|4|Smite Evil/4 rounds, Special Mount|0|||
6th|+6/+1|5|2|5|2nd Domain|1|||
7th|+7/+2|5|2|5|Bonus Feat|1|||
8th|+8/+3|6|2|6|Divine Blessing 1/day|1|0||
9th|+9/+4|6|3|6|Rapid Turning|1|0||
10th|+10/+5|7|3|7|Smite Evil/3 rounds, Bonus feat|1|1||
11th|+11/+6/+1|7|3|7|Divine Blessing 2/day|1|1|0|
12th|+12/+7/+2|8|4|8|3rd Domain|1|1|1|
13th|+13/+8/+3|8|4|8|Bonus Feat|1|1|1|
14th|+14/+9/+4|9|4|9|Divine Blessing 3/day|2|1|1|0
15th|+15/+10/+5|9|5|9|Smite evil/2 rounds|2|1|1|1
16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|10|5|10|Bonus Feat|2|2|1|1
17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|10|5|10|Divine Blessing 4/day|2|2|2|1
18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|11|6|11|4th Domain|3|2|2|1
19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|11|6|11|Bonus Feat|3|3|3|2
20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|12|6|12|Smite Evil/round, Divine Blessing 5/day|3|3|3|3[/table]
Class Skills
The paladins class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (History)(Int), Knowledge (local)(Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge(religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes)(Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points/Level: 4 + Int modifier
Spellcasting: A Paladin's spellcasting is based entirely off of Charisma and his caster level is full Paladin level.
Domains: At 1st level, you may choose a domain offered by your associated deity (or faith, if you have no specific deity). Additionally, regardless of what domains your deity offers, you may elect to choose domains that correspond to both of your alignment components (traditionally, Law and Good). You gain the special ability, using your Paladin as your effective Cleric level. When you learn to cast spells, the spells of this domain are considered Paladin spells and can be prepared normally.
As you advance in levels (6th, 12th, 18th), you gain additional domains. As before, you gain the domain ability and add the spells to your spell list.
If another base class grants access to domains, use only the higher number of the 2 classes. For instance, if a Paladin 1 took his next level in Cleric, he would gain only 1 additional domain. Prestige Classes and other abilities that grant additional domains continue to function as normal.
Smite Evil: At 1st level, this can be performed once every 5 rounds. As your level increases, the delay shortens.
If you want to keep this remake even simpler, just change the normal Paladin smites/day into smites/encounter.
Bonus Feats: Starting at 7th level and every 3 levels thereafter, you gain a Bonus Feat. This feat may be Extra Turning, any Divine feat, or any feat with a requirement of a Smite ability. You must meet the requirements as usual.
Divine Blessing: As of 8th level, you're a pretty cool dude. Once per day as a Spell-Like Ability, you may spontaneously cast any spell from your domains, up to the level of a cleric of an equal level could cast (up to 4th level at level 8, 6th level spells at level 11 Paladin, etc). You must supply any costly material components and pay XP costs as normal for the spell. Caster level and spell DCs are determined as normal for your Paladin spellcasting.
Every 3 levels after 8th, you gain 1 additional daily use of this ability.
Rapid Turning: When it comes to turning undead, you really can't waste your time with something of questionable reliability. Starting at 9th level, you may lower the usage time of your Turn Undead abilities, as well as that of any Divine feats you possess. If an ability has a Standard action usage time (including the Turn Undead action), you may instead perform it as a swift action. If it is a full round action, you may choose to use a standard action. Anything with a usage time longer than a full round action is unaffected by this ability.
---
Thoughts/improvements?
>>>If it's not already declared public domain by virtue of being posted on Gitp (I'm not sure), then I hereby declare this public domain. Feel free to use/abuse/rip off as much as you see fit.