Xuldarinar
2013-08-05, 09:31 PM
PALADIN OF MYSTERIES
Clad in ebon armor and with a blade enveloped in righteous darkness, the Paladin of Mysteries is considered by most an enigma at best and at worst, a heretic. Wielders of divine might and shadow magic, there are almost as many trained as there are those who simply find this path on their own. Those who start along this path seldom leave it. Those that take this path alone, often remain alone. Those that are trained formerly in this art seldom find their allies far from their side.
Hit Die: d10
Requirements
Alignment: Any good
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Concentration 4, Knowledge (the planes) 2, Knowledge (religion) 2,
Special: Must have Smite Evil 1/day
Special: Must have access to Apprentice Mysteries
Class Skills
The Paladin of Mysteries’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Cha)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier
Table 1-1: Paladin of Mysteries
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Mysteries
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Smite Evil 1/day, Mysteries of Light|-
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Hand of Shadow, Turn Undead|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Special mount, Shadowborne Smite 1/day|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Remove disease 1/week|-
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Smite Evil 2/day|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Shadowborne Smite 2/day|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Rebuke Shadow|-
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Remove disease 2/week|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|Shadowborne Smite 3/day|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Smite Evil 3/day|- [/table]
Class Skills
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: a Paladin of Mysteries gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Mysteries: At each level, excluding 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th, you gain new mysteries and an increase in caster level (and mysteries known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in your mystery-using class. You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of these classes would have gained. If you had more than once mystery-using class before becoming a paladin of mysteries, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining uses per mystery per day, caster level, and mysteries known.
Mysteries of Light: A Paladin of Mysteries, upon taking first level, loses the ability to cast paladin spells. Instead, their paladin spells are converted to mysteries, put on their mystery casting class’s list of known mysteries. Treat all paladin spells of any given level as a single mystery for the purposes of uses per day. For example, a Paladin of Mysteries upon entering may cast any 1st-level paladin spell once per day as a spell. When apprentice mysteries advance to spell-like abilities, so do 1st-3rd paladin spells, allowing a Paladin of Mysteries to cast 2 per day of each level. 4th level paladin spells are treated as 4th-level initiate mysteries, and advance accordingly.
Smite Evil (Su): At 1st level, you can smite evil once per day. At 5th, and 10th, a Paladin of Mysteries gains an additional use of smite evil. Levels in other classes that grant the smite evil class feature stack for the purpose of determining the extra damage dealt.
Hand of Shadow (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Paladin of Mysteries’s class levels stack with their paladin levels for the purpose of using lay on hands. Furthermore, when using lay on hands, a paladin of mysteries can choose to bestow or replace a number of hit points the target, rather than simply healing damage normally. These temporary hit points drain at a rate equal to the paladin of mystery's charisma modifier per turn. In all other ways this functions as lay on hands.
Turn Undead (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Paladin of Mysteries’s class levels stack with their paladin levels for the purpose of using Turn Undead.
Special mount (Sp): at 3rd level, a Paladin of Mysteries gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed. For the purpose of determining the stats of the steed, add up the charicter’s paladin and paladin of mysteries levels. If the paladin of mysteries has the shadow familiar feat, their mount gains the Dark creature template in place of a familiar and their shadowcaster levels are added to their Paladin of Mysteries levels and paladin levels for the purpose of determining their mount’s statistics. A paladin of mysteries who already possesses a mount from their paladin class levels does not gain an additional mount.
Shadowborne Smite (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, you can use a standard action to cast any touch mystery you know and deliver the mystery through your weapon with a smite. Using a mystery in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. At 6th and again at 9th level, you gain additional uses of this ability.
Remove disease (Su): At 4th-level, and again at 8th-level, a Paladin of Mysteries gains one additional use of remove disease per week.
Rebuke Shadow: Beginning at 7th level, you gain the ability use your turn undead to rebuke creatures native to the plane of shadow.
Code of Conduct: A Paladin of Mysteries must be of good alignment and loses all class abilities if they ever willingly commit an evil act. They no longer are bound by their code of conduct in terms of behavior between law or chaos.
Ex-Paladin of Mysteries
A Paladin of Mysteries who violates their code of conduct loses all paladin abilities, and access to paladin mysteries. They do not however lose access to their accumulated levels in a mystery using class.
Note: If you entered this class without using the paladin class, treat the spells of the class you used instead as you would the spells of the paladin. Each level of spells counts as a single mystery for the purposes of UpMpD, and for determining their form ('Spell', Spell-Like, or Supernatural). This ability only functions on spells that are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th level and only for one class.
__________________
Granted, the mystery system is far from perfect. As such, I suggest using one of the following.
A: Use the fixes to the shadowcaster by Ari Marmell: [Here] (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?184955-Shadowcaster-fixes-by-Mouseferatu)
(If you don't know who he is, look on the cover of Tome of Magic, Drow of the Underdark, and Cityscape)
B: Use this wonderful piece of homebrew, Decent of Shadows: [Here] (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74519)
__________________
I will not begin to pretend this is an incredible class. But, in my defense, this is a reposting of my first piece of homebrew here. I want to make this into something good, something great. The concept is laid out, and I want input. If I have to rebuild the PrC from the ground up, then I will. I want to make a prestige class that integrates the shadowcaster and paladin.
Clad in ebon armor and with a blade enveloped in righteous darkness, the Paladin of Mysteries is considered by most an enigma at best and at worst, a heretic. Wielders of divine might and shadow magic, there are almost as many trained as there are those who simply find this path on their own. Those who start along this path seldom leave it. Those that take this path alone, often remain alone. Those that are trained formerly in this art seldom find their allies far from their side.
Hit Die: d10
Requirements
Alignment: Any good
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Concentration 4, Knowledge (the planes) 2, Knowledge (religion) 2,
Special: Must have Smite Evil 1/day
Special: Must have access to Apprentice Mysteries
Class Skills
The Paladin of Mysteries’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Cha)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier
Table 1-1: Paladin of Mysteries
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Mysteries
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Smite Evil 1/day, Mysteries of Light|-
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Hand of Shadow, Turn Undead|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Special mount, Shadowborne Smite 1/day|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Remove disease 1/week|-
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Smite Evil 2/day|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Shadowborne Smite 2/day|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Rebuke Shadow|-
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Remove disease 2/week|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|Shadowborne Smite 3/day|+1 level of existing mystery-using class
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Smite Evil 3/day|- [/table]
Class Skills
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: a Paladin of Mysteries gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Mysteries: At each level, excluding 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th, you gain new mysteries and an increase in caster level (and mysteries known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in your mystery-using class. You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of these classes would have gained. If you had more than once mystery-using class before becoming a paladin of mysteries, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining uses per mystery per day, caster level, and mysteries known.
Mysteries of Light: A Paladin of Mysteries, upon taking first level, loses the ability to cast paladin spells. Instead, their paladin spells are converted to mysteries, put on their mystery casting class’s list of known mysteries. Treat all paladin spells of any given level as a single mystery for the purposes of uses per day. For example, a Paladin of Mysteries upon entering may cast any 1st-level paladin spell once per day as a spell. When apprentice mysteries advance to spell-like abilities, so do 1st-3rd paladin spells, allowing a Paladin of Mysteries to cast 2 per day of each level. 4th level paladin spells are treated as 4th-level initiate mysteries, and advance accordingly.
Smite Evil (Su): At 1st level, you can smite evil once per day. At 5th, and 10th, a Paladin of Mysteries gains an additional use of smite evil. Levels in other classes that grant the smite evil class feature stack for the purpose of determining the extra damage dealt.
Hand of Shadow (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Paladin of Mysteries’s class levels stack with their paladin levels for the purpose of using lay on hands. Furthermore, when using lay on hands, a paladin of mysteries can choose to bestow or replace a number of hit points the target, rather than simply healing damage normally. These temporary hit points drain at a rate equal to the paladin of mystery's charisma modifier per turn. In all other ways this functions as lay on hands.
Turn Undead (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Paladin of Mysteries’s class levels stack with their paladin levels for the purpose of using Turn Undead.
Special mount (Sp): at 3rd level, a Paladin of Mysteries gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed. For the purpose of determining the stats of the steed, add up the charicter’s paladin and paladin of mysteries levels. If the paladin of mysteries has the shadow familiar feat, their mount gains the Dark creature template in place of a familiar and their shadowcaster levels are added to their Paladin of Mysteries levels and paladin levels for the purpose of determining their mount’s statistics. A paladin of mysteries who already possesses a mount from their paladin class levels does not gain an additional mount.
Shadowborne Smite (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, you can use a standard action to cast any touch mystery you know and deliver the mystery through your weapon with a smite. Using a mystery in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. At 6th and again at 9th level, you gain additional uses of this ability.
Remove disease (Su): At 4th-level, and again at 8th-level, a Paladin of Mysteries gains one additional use of remove disease per week.
Rebuke Shadow: Beginning at 7th level, you gain the ability use your turn undead to rebuke creatures native to the plane of shadow.
Code of Conduct: A Paladin of Mysteries must be of good alignment and loses all class abilities if they ever willingly commit an evil act. They no longer are bound by their code of conduct in terms of behavior between law or chaos.
Ex-Paladin of Mysteries
A Paladin of Mysteries who violates their code of conduct loses all paladin abilities, and access to paladin mysteries. They do not however lose access to their accumulated levels in a mystery using class.
Note: If you entered this class without using the paladin class, treat the spells of the class you used instead as you would the spells of the paladin. Each level of spells counts as a single mystery for the purposes of UpMpD, and for determining their form ('Spell', Spell-Like, or Supernatural). This ability only functions on spells that are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th level and only for one class.
__________________
Granted, the mystery system is far from perfect. As such, I suggest using one of the following.
A: Use the fixes to the shadowcaster by Ari Marmell: [Here] (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?184955-Shadowcaster-fixes-by-Mouseferatu)
(If you don't know who he is, look on the cover of Tome of Magic, Drow of the Underdark, and Cityscape)
B: Use this wonderful piece of homebrew, Decent of Shadows: [Here] (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74519)
__________________
I will not begin to pretend this is an incredible class. But, in my defense, this is a reposting of my first piece of homebrew here. I want to make this into something good, something great. The concept is laid out, and I want input. If I have to rebuild the PrC from the ground up, then I will. I want to make a prestige class that integrates the shadowcaster and paladin.