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Alanrex
2012-11-04, 01:39 PM
The setting I'm building is a low magic one. There are religions and worship - but the god(s) either do nothing to prove their existence or do not exist at all. (Faith is just that - faith in something not tangible).

Anywho, since wizard, cleric, sorcerer and druid have already been nixed, I couldn't see myself getting rid of yet another class. On the other hand, due to the lack of divinity, the paladin wouldn't work as is. So, what I did was take the 3.5 PHB 2 Knight class and the Pathfinder cavalier class and mixed them together. The cavalier of my setting will be a PRC based largely on the complete warrior version.

So, without further adieu, here's the class. Please let me know how you fell about class balance. I don't want it to be to overpowered/underpowered.

Sentinel
Hit Die: d12
Alignment: Any Lawful
Skills: 2+Int (as per paladin without know: religion)
{table=head] Level | BAB | F | R | W | Special
1|1|2|0|2|Challenge 1/day, Order, Code, Tactician
2|2|3|0|3| Shield Block +1, Order Ability, Test of Mettle
3| 3| 3| 1| 3| Bulwark of Defense
4| 4| 4| 1| 4| Challenge 2/day, Armored Ease (Medium)
5| 5| 4| 1| 4| Vigilant Defender, Banner
6| 6| 5| 2| 5| Shield Ally, Call to Battle
7| 7| 5| 2| 5| Challenge 3/day
8| 8| 6| 2| 6| Order Ability
9| 9| 6| 3| 6| Armored Ease (Heavy), Greater Tactician
10| 10| 7| 3| 7| Challenge 4/day. Daunting Intimidation
11| 11| 7| 3| 7| Shield Block +2
12| 12| 8| 4| 8| Demanding Challenge
13| 13| 8| 4| 8| Challenge 5/day
14| 14| 9| 4| 9| Improved Shield Ally, Greater Banner, Bond of Loyalty
15| 15| 9| 5| 9| Order Ability
16| 16| 10| 5| 10| Challenge 6/day
17| 17| 10| 5| 10| Impetuous Endurance, Master Tactician
18| 18| 11| 6| 11| Loyal Beyond Death
19| 19| 11| 6| 11| Challenge 7/day
20| 20| 12| 6| 12| Shield Block +3
[/table]

Challenge (Ex): Once per day, a sentinel can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, the sentinel chooses one target within sight to challenge. The sentinel’s melee attacks deal extra damage whenever the attacks are made against the target of his challenge. This extra damage is equal to the sentinel’s level. The sentinel can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every three levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level. Challenging a foe requires much of the sentinel’s concentration. The sentinel takes a –2 penalty to his Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of his challenge. The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious or until the combat ends. Each sentinel’s challenge also includes another effect which is listed in the section describing the sentinel’s order.
Order (Ex): At 1st level, a sentinel must pledge himself to a specific order. The order grants the sentinel a number of bonuses, class skills, and special abilities. In addition, each order includes a number of edicts that the sentinel must follow. If he violates any of these edicts, he loses the benefits from his order’s challenge ability for 24 hours. The violation of an edict is subject to GM interpretation. A sentinel cannot change his order without undertaking a lengthy process to dedicate herself to a new cause. When this choice is made, he immediately loses all of the benefits from his old order. He must then follow the edicts of his new order for one entire level without gaining any benefits from that order. Once accomplished, he gains all of the bonuses from his new order. Note that the names of these orders might vary depending upon the campaign setting or GM’s preference.
Code: You fight not only to defeat your foes but to prove your honor, demonstrate your fighting ability, and win renown across the land. The stories that arise from your deeds are just as important to you as the deeds themselves. A good sentinel hopes that her example encourages others to lead righteous lives. A neutral sentinel wishes to uphold the cause of his liege (if he has one) and win glory. An evil sentinel seeks to win acclaim across the land and to increase her own personal power. The sentinel’s code focuses on fair play: A victory achieved through pure skill is more difficult, and hence wins more glory than one achieved through trickery or guile.
-A sentinel does not gain an attack bonus while flanking (but does provide it for allies).
-A sentinel never strikes a flat footed opponent.
- A sentinel never deals lethal damage against a helpless foe. However, you can strike with nonlethal damage.
If you violate any part of this code, you lose one use of your challenge ability for the day. If your challenge ability is not available when you violate the code (example: if you have exhausted your uses for the day), you take a -2 penalty on attack and damage rolls and saving throws for the rest of the day. Your betrayal of the code of conduct undermines the foundation of confidence and honor that drives you forward. While you cleave to your view of honor, chivalry and pursuit of glory, you do not force your views on others. You might chide a rogue for sneaking around a battlefield, but you recognize (and perhaps even feel a bit smug about) the reality that not everyone is fit to follow the sentinel’s path.
Tactician (Ex): At 1st level, a sentinel receives a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. As a standard action, the sentinel can grant this feat to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear him. Allies retain the use of this bonus feat for 3 rounds plus 1 round for every two levels the sentinel possesses. Allies do not need to meet the prerequisites of these bonus feats. The sentinel can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day at 5th level and for every 5 levels thereafter.
Shield Block: The sentinel gains this bonus to her shield AC, when using a shield.
Test of Mettle: Starting at 2nd level, you can shout a war cry that attracts the attention of the mightiest enemy or enemies around. Any target of this ability must have a language of some sort and an intelligence score of 5 or higher. Creatures that do not meet these requirements are immune to the test. Additionally, you must have line of sight and line of effect to the targets of this ability.
As a swift action, you can expend one use of your sentinel’s challenge to cause all your enemies within 100 ft with a CR greater than or equal to your character level minus 2 to make Will saves (DC 10+1/2 class level+Cha mod). Creatures that fail this save are forced to attack you with their ranged or melee attacks in preference over other available targets. If a foe attacks by casting a spell or using a supernatural ability, he must target you with the attack or include you in the AOE.
An opponent compelled to act in this manner is not thrown into a mindless rage and does not have to move to attack you in melee if doing so would provoke attacks of opportunity. In such a case, he can use ranged attacks against you or attack any opponents he threatens as normal. If anyone other than you attacks the target(s), the effect of the test ends for that specific target.
If you are reduced to 0 or fewer HP by an opponent forced to attack you due to this ability, you gain one additional use of your challenge for that day. This additional use comes from increased confidence and the knowledge that you have proved your mettle as a sentinel against your enemies by calling out foes even against overwhelming odds. This additional use is lost if you have not used it by the start of the next day. You can only gain one additional use of the challenge ability in this manner per day.
Bulwark of Defense (Ex): An opponent that begins its turn in your threatened area treats all the squares that you threaten as difficult terrain. Your strict vigilance and active defensive maneuvers force your opponents to move with care.
Armored Ease (Ex): Starting at 4th level, you are able to wear your armor like a second skin and ignore the standard speed reduction for wearing medium armor. Starting at 9th level, you ignore the speed penalty for heavy armor as well.
Vigilant Defender (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you stand your ground against all enemies, warding the spot where you make your stand to prevent foes from slipping past and attacking those you protect. If an opponent attempts to use the tumble/acrobatics skill to move through your threatened area or your space without provoking attacks of opportunity, the DC to avoid your attacks of opportunity increases by an amount equal to your class level.
Banner (Ex): At 5th level, a sentinel’s banner becomes a symbol of inspiration to his allies and companions. As long as the sentinel’s banner is clearly visible, all allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made as part of a charge. At 10th level, and every five levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by +1. The banner must be at least Small or larger and must be carried or displayed by the sentinel or his mount to function.
Shield Ally (Ex): Starting at 6th level, as an immediate action you can opt to absorb part of the damage dealt to an adjacent ally. Each time this ally takes damage from a physical attack before your next turn, you can take half this damage yourself. The target takes the other half as normal. You can only absorb damage from physical melee or ranged attacks, such as an arrow or sword blow, not spells/effects.
Call to Battle (Ex): Starting at 6th level, you become an inspiring figure on the battlefield. When all seems lost, you are a beacon of hope who continues to fight on despite the odds. No cause is yet lost when a sentinel still battles on. As a swift action, you can expend one use of your challenge ability to grant an ally another save against a fear effect. The target gains a bonus equal to your Charisma modifier (if any). If the target succeeds on this save, they gain the benefit for a successful save against the attack or spell. This ability reflects your talent to inspire your allies in the face of a great foe.
Greater Tactician (Ex): At 9th level, the sentinel receives an additional teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. The sentinel can grant this feat to his allies using the tactician ability. Using the tactician ability is a swift action.
Daunting Intimidation (Ex): Starting at 10th level, you can call out opponents, striking fear into the hearts of your enemies. In this manner you separate the strong-minded from the weak-willed., allowing you to focus on opponents that are worthy foes. As a swift action you can expend one use of your challenge ability to issue the intimidation. This ability affects all creatures within 100 ft of you that have a CR less than your character level minus 2. Targets must be able to hear you, speak or understand a language of some sort, and have an intelligence score of 5 or more. All targets who meet these conditions must make Will saves DC (10+1/2 level+Cha mod) or become shaken. Whether a creature fails or succeeds on its save against your daunting challenge, it can only be targeted by this effect 1/day.
Demanding Challenge (Ex): At 12th level, whenever a sentinel declares a challenge, his target must pay attention to the threat he poses. As long as the target is within the threatened area of the sentinel, it takes a –2 penalty to its AC from attacks made by anyone other than the sentinel.
Improved Shield Ally (Ex): At 14th level, your ability to absorb damage increases. Once per round you may absorb all the damage from a single attack directed against an adjacent ally. In addition, you continue to absorb half the damage from other physical attacks on an adjacent ally, if you so choose. You must decide whether to use this ability after the attacker determines the successful hit, but before damage is rolled.
Greater Banner (Ex): At 14th level, the sentinel’s banner becomes a rallying call to his allies. All allies within 60 feet receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion spells and effects. In addition, while his banner is displayed, the sentinel can spend a standard action to wave the banner through the air, granting all allies within 60 feet an additional saving throw against any one spell or effect that is targeting them. This save is made at
the original DC. Spells and effects that do not allow saving throws are unaffected by this ability. An ally cannot benefit from this ability more than once per day.
Bond of Loyalty (Ex): Starting at 14th level, your loyalty to your comrades endures even in the face of powerful magic. You can expend one use of your challenge to make an additional saving throw against a mind-affecting spell or ability. You can use this ability once per round as a free action and can continue to use it even if an opponent is controlling your actions with the mind-affecting spell or ability.
Impetuous Endurance (Ex): At 17th level, your fighting spirit enables you to push your body beyond the normal limits of endurance. You no longer automatically fail a saving throw on a roll of 1. You might still fail the save if your result fails to equal or beat the DC.
Master Tactician (Ex): At 17th level, the sentinel receives an additional teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. The sentinel can grant this feat to his allies using the tactician ability. Whenever the sentinel uses the tactician ability, he grants any two teamwork feats that he knows. He can select from any of his teamwork feats, not just his bonus feats.
Loyal Beyond Death (Ex): If you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by an effect that otherwise leaves your body intact, you can expend one use of your challenge ability to remain conscious and continue to act for 1 more round before dying. You can use this ability even if your HP total is -10 or lower. If your body is somehow destroyed before your next action (such as by disintegrate), then you cannot act. You can continue to expend challenge uses to survive from round to round until you run out. If you receive healing that leaves you with more than -10 hit points, you survive (or fall unconscious, as appropriate to your new hit point total) when you stop using this ability. Otherwise, death overtakes you when you run out of challenges.

Sentinel Orders: As per Pathfinder cavalier Orders.

EtherianBlade
2012-11-04, 02:25 PM
Quite a busy character table, but all in all I don't think this character would be overpowered for a low-magic campaign.

EXCEPT

The damage bonus provided by the Challenge special ability seems awfully high. Damage bonus equal to class level? For a smite-like ability, that's fine, but the way I read the description of Challenge, the bonus is added to all attacks until the enemy is defeated. I can just see a 10th- level Sentinel gaining what amounts to a +20 damage bonus every round.

Perhaps making the bonus equal to Wisdom, or one-half class level (with a cap) would be more balanced.

Grod_The_Giant
2012-11-04, 03:27 PM
The damage bonus provided by the Challenge special ability seems awfully high. Damage bonus equal to class level? For a smite-like ability, that's fine, but the way I read the description of Challenge, the bonus is added to all attacks until the enemy is defeated. I can just see a 10th- level Sentinel gaining what amounts to a +20 damage bonus every round.

Perhaps making the bonus equal to Wisdom, or one-half class level (with a cap) would be more balanced.

+1 damage/level works out to 1d6/3 levels. For an ability with limited uses/day, you're probably OK.

I would suggest a little formatting, though. A nice table (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205677), some paragraph breaks and a little bold text would make this a bunch more readable.