My lord's power flows through me! I AM HIS SWORD! [3.5, Base Class, PEACH]

[Sgt. Cookie]

The Paladin
I was bored, OK?

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs36/f/2008/277/a/b/Paladin_Concept_by_liquidology.jpg

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17506545/images/1326331064598.jpg

All credit to the original creators

A good and evil paladin, respectively

Bringers of divine might and unholy power, all are labeled "Paladin". The very word brings forth an image of a shining knight, giving hope to the weak and bringing fear to evil. But warriors of demons most foul are Paladins too, except that they slaughter, pillage and oppress.

Game rule information:
Paladins have the following game statistics.
Abilities: As front line warriors, they require Strength, Dexterity and Constitution. They also require a high wisdom score, as it powers all Paladin and domain abilities and spells.

Alignment: Any Good or Any Evil
Hit Die: d10
Starting age: As PHB Paladin
Starting gold: As PHB Paladin

Class skills:
The paladin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather information (Cha) Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language, Spot (Wis) and Tumble (Dex)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0|1|2|3|4|5

1st|+1|+2|+0|+2|Smite 1/encounter, Domain, Turn/Rebuke undead, Aura|3|2|-|-|-|-

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3|Divine Grace, Lay on hands/deadly touch|4|3|-|-|-|-

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3|Smite 2/encounter, Aura of courage|5|4|-|-|-|-

4th|+4|+4|+1|+4|Divine channeling, Divine bonus, +1 bonus|6|5|-|-|-|-

5th|+5|+4|+1|+4|Smite 3/encounter, Divine companion|6|5|2|-|-|-

6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+5|Lesser transformation, Lesser planar ally|6|6|3|-|-|-

7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+5|Smite 4/encounter, |6|6|5|-|-|-

8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+6|+2 bonus|6|7|6|-|-|-

9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+6|Smite 5/encounter,l|6|7|6|2|-|-

10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+7|Divine skills|6|8|7|3|-|-

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+7|Smite 6/encounter,|6|8|7|5|-|-

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+8|Planar ally, +3 bonus|6|8|8|6|-|-

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+8|Moderate Transformation, Smite 7/encounter, Divine Channeling|6|9|8|6|2|-

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+9|Special|6|9|8|7|3|-

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+9|Smite 8/encounter,|6|9|8|7|5|-

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+10|+4 bonus|6|9|9|8|6|-

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Smite 9/encounter,|6|10|9|8|6|2

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|Greater planar ally|6|10|9|8|7|3

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11|Smite 10/encounter,|6|10|10|9|7|5

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Greater Transformation, +5 bonus|6|10|10|9|7|5

[/table]


Class features:

The following are considered class features of the Paladin:

Important note: Paladins of evil gods, but not Paladins of demons/devils or an evil cause, choose from the celestial list, when appropriate, but the outsider's colouration, abilities and subtype are considered evil, instead of good.


Weapon and armour proficiencies:
The Paladin is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armours and all shields (except tower shields).

Spells:
The Paladin casts Divine spells, drawn from the Paladin spell list below. The Paladin may cast any spell on his list spontaneously. The difficulty class against any of his spells is 10+the spell's level+the Paladin's wisdom modifier. The only spell that a Paladin may cast regardless of alignment, is Deathwatch, which does not register as an evil spell.

Additionaly, at every even level (2, 4, 6, etc.), the Paladin may add a single spell from the Cleric list to his spells known list.

Spell list:
0: The Paladin's orisons are the same as the Cleric's.

1: Bless, Bless/Curse water, Command, Cure/Inflict light wounds, Deathwatch, Detect Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Detect undead, Divine favour, Magic weapon, Obscuring mist, Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Shield of Faith, Summon Monster I

2: Align weapon, Consecrate, Cure/Inflict moderate wounds, Death knell, Delay poison, Desecrate, Gentle repose, Hold person, Lesser Restoration, Spiritual weapon, Status, Summon monster II

3: Animate dead, Bestow curse, Contagion, Create food and water, Cure/Inflict serious wounds, Dispel magic, Magic Circle against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Remove curse, remove disease, Searing light, Speak with dead, Summon monster III

4: Cure/Inflict critical wounds, Death ward, Discern lies, Divine power, Greater magic weapon, Neutralize Poison, Lesser planar ally, Poison, Restoration, Sending, Summon Monster IV

5: Atonement, Break enchantment, Cure/inflict mass light wounds, Dispel Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Disrupting Weapon, Flame strike, Mark of justice, Raise dead, Slay living, Summon monster V, True Seeing

Smite (Su):
Once per encounter, a Paladin may make a smite attack as part of an attack. The Paladin adds his wisdom bonus to the attack roll and deals 1 point of extra damage per Paladin level. When smiting a creature on the opposite side of the good-evil axis, your attack automatically threatens a critical. At level 7, the attack automatically confirms criticals. Smite damage is doubled on a critical.

Additionaly, any Smited creature must succed on a will save (DC= 10 + half the Paladin's level + Wisdom modifer) or be unable to cast any spells or spell like abilities for a number of rounds equal to the Paladin's Wisdom Modifer.

Domain:
The Paladin gains the use of a single domain, uses Wisdom in place of charisma for domain abilities, and the spells are added to the Paladin's spells known list. This is otherwise identical to the Cleric ability.

Turn/Rebuke undead (Su):
The Paladin turns/rebukes undead as a cleric of his class level. He may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his wisdom modifier.

Aura (Ex):
As the PHB Paladin class feature, except that evil Paladins have an evil aura.

Divine grace:
As the PHB Paladin class feature, except that it uses Wisdom, rather than Charisma. It also applies to AC starting at level 6.

Lay on hands/Deadly touch (Su):
See the class abilities in the PHB and UA, except that it is keyed of wisdom. This ability may be used in conjunction with Divine Channeling.

Aura of courage (Su)
At third level, the Paladin becomes immune to fear effects. Any ally within 10ft + 5ft/Paladin level gains the Paladin's wisdom modifier as a sacred/profane bonus against fear effects. At level 10, this becomes immunity to fear.

Divine channeling (Su)
See the Arcane Channeling class feature.

Divine bonus (Su):
Starting at 4th level, a Paladin's weapons are empowered with Holy (or Unholy) power. This manifests itself as a Sacred or Profane bonus to weapons, as depicted on the Paladin class table.

This functions as an enhancement bonus, and at the start of the day, can be traded in for any weapon enchancement that the Paladin has a large enough bonus for. The weapon does not need to be a +1 weapon to gain these enchantments.

Divine bonus can only be used on any weapon the Paladin wields, including improvised weapons and gauntlets, but excluding unarmed strikes, but the bonus only applies to any one weapon at any moment.

Divine companion:
Starting at level 5, the Paladin gains the use of a divine companion. A divine companion is a normal animal companion that has the Celestial or Fiendish template applied.

Treat the Paladin as a Druid, to determine the companion and any abilities.

Divine Companion functions as the Special Mount and animal companion features for any prerequisites.

Lesser transformation:
The Paladin's holy (Or unholy) service starts to affect him physically. The Paladin gains the Celestial or Fiendish template without incurring any LA or the Extraplanar subtype.

Planar ally (Sp)
Once per day as a swift action, the Paladin may use lesser planar ally as a spell like ability, with the following restrictions:

The Paladin may only summon an ally that has the same alignment, on both axis, as the Paladin and it lasts for a number of rounds equal to twice the Paladin's wisdom modifer OR until the end of the encounter. Whichever comes first.

At level 10 this improves to Planar Ally, with the same restrictions.

At level 14 this improves to Greater Planar Ally, with the same restrictions.

Divine skills (Ex)
Once per encounter as an immediate action, the Paladin may grant himself or any ally within 30ft the Paladin's wisdom modifer as a sacred/profane bonus to the next skill check the character makes.

Moderate transformation:
Agents of the Paladin's lord (Or alignment appropriate agents, if the Paladin gains his spells from a cause) have taken notice of him, and welcome them into their hierarchy. The Paladin gains the Half-celestial or Half-fiend template without incurring any LA. This ability replaces Lesser Transformation.

Greater transformation:
The Paladin's lord himself (Or an alignment appropriate deity, if the Paladin gains his spells from a cause) has taken notice of the Paladin, and welcomes him as a member of his divine army.

Select any outsider from the MM(s) that matches the Paladin on the good-evil axis and the law-chaos axis. If the outsider has HD equal to or less than the Paladin's HD, then the Paladin transforms into the outsider, gaining all abilities possessed by the new form, except that he retains his own mental scores and does not incur any RHD or LA.

The Paladin may abstain from choosing when he gains this class feature, so that he may gain more HD to choose a stronger form.

This ability replaces Moderate Transformation

[Sgt. Cookie]

So, my Paladin is almost done. It is still a WIP, due to the fact that there are still several dead levels, but it is done to the point that I would like a PEACH, please.

And yes, I am well aware that the Paladin's capstone allows him to become a Solar, but really, any semblance of balance was lost well before epic levels.

[Virdish]

I would like to see a list of possible divine companions. The idea if changing into an outsider is nice but you need to think about the two templates your giving plus the outsider change may be great but it may be a little broken. You might move the final transformation to 20th level and make it your capstone.

[GunbladeKnight]

One major problem is I can see this easily being a 2-level dip class for druids and cleric, and even if someone wants to go monk. Since druids don't care about their physical scores past level 4, the improved divine grace makes it even more desirable.

[Sgt. Cookie]

I would like to see a list of possible divine companions.

Alright.


The idea if changing into an outsider is nice but you need to think about the two templates your giving plus the outsider change may be great but it may be a little broken. You might move the final transformation to 20th level and make it your capstone.

I forgot to state that each transformation overrides the last, so no Celestial-half celestial-hound archons.

The capstone is at 18th as it follows the 6-12-18 pattern, but you are probably right. Perhaps if I change it to 6-13-20. Might be a little better.


One major problem is I can see this easily being a 2-level dip class for druids and cleric, and even if someone wants to go monk. Since druids don't care about their physical scores past level 4, the improved divine grace makes it even more desirable.

Perhaps make a new ability, at level 4-5 that gives the wisdom to AC?

[madock345]

Maybe give evil paladins Summon Undead instead of summon monster? I would just like to see more necromancy on the spell list, I suppose, although you can do that with domains I guess.

Your table has "Special" on the dead levels. Was that supposed to mean something? I can't find it in the ability descriptions.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Good idea about the Summon Undead spell.


And no, special does not mean anything on the dead levels. It's there so that I didn't get confused when adding the spells to the table.

[Morph Bark]

With Greater Transformation, I wonder how many Paladins there are with abysmal physical ability scores and good mental scores that become shining knights so they can shed the pathetic mortal coil and become awesome celestial beings of JUSTICE.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Or alternatively, how many are devoted entirely to slaughter and chaos so that they can join the abyssal hordes.

[Baron Corm]

I think you should make the enhancement bonus a sacred/profane bonus instead, and make it more flavorful. Maybe the paladin gets that bonus any time he uses Smite, and for a few rounds after. Otherwise I don't see the connection to the class.

What's the reason for changing Special Mount into Divine Companion? I don't see where the nature flavor fits in here. Even though you're adding the celestial/fiendish template to the animal, it still looks mostly like an animal, or even more like a wizard's familiar. I would make this class feature summon a real outsider instead.

I would say for Transformation that you don't gain any granted spells of your chosen form. Even before epic levels, you can turn into a Planetar, and gain the casting of a 17th level cleric. While retaining full BAB and all of your other class features. This makes your class balance lopsided, with it still being mostly tier 4-5 before level 18, then suddenly jumping up to tier 1-2. If you wanted to keep the full transformation, then I think you should give him a better spell list and make him a solid tier 1-2.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Good point about the bonus.

The reason for the divine companion was that a special mount wasn't always that useful. I was thinking about the outsider summon, but wasn't sure how to fluff it.

I forgot about the spells. Gonna get rid of those. What spells would you recommend I add to the spell list, to bump it up to about tier 3 or so, keeping the spells per day and the like the same?

[toapat]

it is a nice standard fix for paladin, but i honestly cant see a value in taking more then 12 levels of this class. LA free Half-Celestial/Half-Fiend Templates both turn the character into a paladin/blackgaurd before you take class levels.

besides that, i dont really see why people feel paladins should become outsiders. Paladins are divine warriors and angels that have sacrificed their divinity. it doesnt make sense that they get what they intentionally lost already.

[Baron Corm]

I forgot about the spells. Gonna get rid of those. What spells would you recommend I add to the spell list, to bump it up to about tier 3 or so, keeping the spells per day and the like the same?

I'm not positive on this stuff and it's all very debatable. After re-reading how your Smite works, the class is more of a tier 3-4 to me now, rather than 4-5. To make it a tier 3, you need to fit this description:

Capable of doing one thing quite well, while still being useful when that one thing is inappropriate, or capable of doing all things, but not as well as classes that specialize in that area. Occasionally has a mechanical ability that can solve an encounter, but this is relatively rare and easy to deal with. Challenging such a character takes some thought from the DM, but isn't too difficult. Will outshine any Tier 5s in the party much of the time.

Since it's already quite good at hitting things, it would just need a bit more utility. I don't know if utility spells fit into the paladin flavor though. I don't think healing spells are generally considered to help with this, since you can replicate their effects with items, and they prevent you from hitting things that round when you use them. Might have to go through the BoVD and BoED and pick out some cool alignment-related utility spells, I'm sure there are some.

[madock345]

A couple of a bunch of ideas to bump to Tier 3:

6 level spell progression (as Bard)

2 domains instead of one

allow them to add a spell from the cleric spell list to their spells known every level

let them use up a spell slot to get an extra smite attack

Give them Planar Ally as a 1/week spell like ability (Lesser at level 5, regular at level 9, Greater at level 13)

let Divine Grace also apply to some or all skill checks

Sorry if that's too much junk.

[Kyuu Himura]

To bump into tier 3... how about giving some bonus to the party?? Like the PF auras of X that buff the party's saves a little, or the combat spirits from Dungeonscape. Maybe giving the pally an ability to shut down Spells and SLA's from evil outsiders he smites??

maybe something to make people who share an alignment with the paladin more friendly to him by default, that would make him a decent party face, for what that's worth.

Anyway, my 2 copper pieces, looks like a good class, though.

[Sgt. Cookie]

A couple of a bunch of ideas to bump to Tier 3:

All help is welcomed, thanks!


6 level spell progression (as Bard)

2 domains instead of one

While I like those ideas, I don't think it would fit thermaticly. The way I see it, a Paladin is not a divine conduit the same way a cleric is. While two domains wouldn't be overpowered, it would encroach on cleric teratory a bit.

*Glosses over the fact that the Paladin turns undead as a cleric*


allow them to add a spell from the cleric spell list to their spells known every level

Perhaps every other level, I personaly think that a new spell every level is a biiit much.


let them use up a spell slot to get an extra smite attack

That's a good idea, actualy. But considering that smite is much more general and applies on a per encounter basis, I'm a little hesitant to add it.


Give them Planar Ally as a 1/week spell like ability (Lesser at level 5, regular at level 9, Greater at level 13)

How about once per day as a swift action, with the stipulation that it lasts Wisdom modifer rounds or until the end of the encounter?


let Divine Grace also apply to some or all skill checks

I'll add this ability at level 10:

"As an imediate action, the Paladin may grant himself or an ally his Wisdom modifier as a sacred or profane bonus on the next skill check the character makes"

That look good?


Sorry if that's too much junk.

No need to be sorry, all help is good help.



To bump into tier 3... how about giving some bonus to the party?? Like the PF auras of X that buff the party's saves a little,

Never seen the Pathfinder version. That have an SRD?


or the combat spirits from Dungeonscape.

I remember reading about those, I'll go back and have a look.


Maybe giving the pally an ability to shut down Spells and SLA's from evil outsiders he smites??

That...thats actualy a really good idea. Thank you. I'll make oit more general though, so that the Paladin can be a mage slayer.


maybe something to make people who share an alignment with the paladin more friendly to him by default, that would make him a decent party face, for what that's worth.

*Rubs chin* Not really sure how to implement this. How would people go about it?


Anyway, my 2 copper pieces, looks like a good class, though.

Thanks. Always glad to see people enjoying my classes.