Paladin options, ACFs, Variants, and one or two Questions

[Phelix-Mu]

Looking for handbooks you like, ACFs/variants that are good, and one or two things in specific. For paladins.

1.) Wasn't there a feat that makes the paladin Cha-SAD. Dragon material is okay, I just can't remember the name.

2.) Mount options beyond ubermounting. I know there are a couple of ACFs that get rid of it or feats that make it better.

Just looking to trawl the community intelligence on the matter. Thanks in advance.

[emeraldstreak]

It's been awhile but I remember two paladin tricks

- golden dragon mounts (DMG) with optimized hit dice

- heal mount looped back with the shared healing ring

[toapat]

Looking for handbooks you like, ACFs/variants that are good, and one or two things in specific. For paladins.

1.) Wasn't there a feat that makes the paladin Cha-SAD. Dragon material is okay, I just can't remember the name.

2.) Mount options beyond ubermounting. I know there are a couple of ACFs that get rid of it or feats that make it better.

Just looking to trawl the community intelligence on the matter. Thanks in advance.

Cha-SAD paladin is from Dragonlance's Legends of the Twins book, called Dynamic priest. Gives them the casting parameters of Favored Soul. then theres Serenity from Dragon/compendium that makes them WisSAD

otherwise, the other stuff is here (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/08/paladins-handbook.html)

[Phelix-Mu]

Cha-SAD paladin is from Dragonlance's Legends of the Twins book, called Dynamic priest. Gives them the casting parameters of Favored Soul. then theres Serenity from Dragon/compendium that makes them WisSAD

otherwise, the other stuff is here (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/08/paladins-handbook.html)

Thanks. Everything I have read from dictum mortuum in the past has proven most helpful, so I'm interested to see what he has to say about paladins.

[Phelix-Mu]

*innocuous bump*

[sleepyphoenixx]

There's the A-Game Paladin (http://community.wizards.com/content/forum-topic/3407376) which, while not 100% rules compliant, is worth a look if you're looking to play a paladin, if only for inspiration.
You can also take a look at the List of Alternative Class Features (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7908) and the List of Dragon Mag Alternative Class Features (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=9028).

[jiriku]

I am fond of the Underdark Knight mount replacement ACF. Highly useful in campaigns that have dungeons. The one that gives you triple bonus damage on a smite is pretty sweet too -- combines well with damage multipliers like rhino's rush.

[Flickerdart]

Check out the DMG's alternate mount rules. It's really quite easy to have a cool mount without resorting to HD stacking - a 6th level paladin can have a Half-Celestial Magebred Light Warhorse (or camel, if you're feeling exotic), which has a bunch of SLAs and is quite difficult to hurt between its SR, DR, and high AC.

[Valwyn]

Here are some ACFs that look nice:

Eternal Order: give up Divine Health for +2 Religion checks vs undead and extraordinary immunity to negative levels bestowed by undead.

Divine Spirit: give up mount and get healing/buffing spirit.

Mystic Fire Knight: reduce HD to d8 and force evil creatures to make concentration checks when casting spells or using spell completion/trigger items.
Reduce HD to d8 and give up Remove Disease to get daily uses of targeted Greater Dispel Magic as a melee attack.

I like the idea of combining all of these into a single build, but I haven't tried it.

[Theomniadept]

Depending on your build, if it's too feat intensive to have any room for something like Law Devotion or Travel Devotion feel free to sack Turn Undead for the Planar Handbook substitution level 4 that grants Smite Evil Outsider - note you can use it AND Smite Evil as one attack.

And of course Planar Substitution 6 is always best. You can take it and make your mount Celestial, or you can not take it and....remove disease once a week.

And if all else fails just go Halfling Paladin 6/Beastmaster 1/Halfling Outrider 10/Wild Plains Outrider 3, take Devoted Tracker, the Slow trait and Flaw, Dragon Steed and Leadership so you fly around on a dragon 10 levels higher than you.

[Deox]

The feat Serenity (Dragon 306) can key Divine Grace, Lay on Hands, Smite Evil and Turn Undead on wisdom instead of charisma.

As far as ACFs, I'm partial to the Shadow Cloak Knight substitution levels (Champions of Valor web enhancement). Gnome only, adds Hide and Move Silently to your class skills. In addition, you gain a favored enemy, and at the second sub level (6th) gain Hide in Plain Sight.

I also like the Elf substitution levels (Races of the Wild). Ranged smite can be decent, the aura isn't that great, but the last sub level gives you a unicorn mount.

Also, I think it was in Dungeonscape, but there is a Divine Spirit ACF that grants fast healing 10 and can revive fallen allies. IIRC, you trade your special mount for the spirit.

[Gwendol]

From Smite to Song is immensly useful.

In the A-game Paladin they suggest using Illumian and base casting off strength (Krau sigil?).

Regarding the mount you have been given a bunch of suggestions already. Adding to the list would be PrC's that allow for level stacking and access to alternate mounts. Ashworm Dragoon is one (get an ashworm mount), and Aglarondan Griffonrider another. There are others, of course, but just to give a start.

[WeaselGuy]

The feat Serenity (Dragon 306) can key Divine Grace, Lay on Hands, Smite Evil and Turn Undead on wisdom instead of charisma.

As far as ACFs, I'm partial to the Shadow Cloak Knight substitution levels (Champions of Valor web enhancement). Gnome only, adds Hide and Move Silently to your class skills. In addition, you gain a favored enemy, and at the second sub level (6th) gain Hide in Plain Sight.

I also like the Elf substitution levels (Races of the Wild). Ranged smite can be decent, the aura isn't that great, but the last sub level gives you a unicorn mount.

Also, I think it was in Dungeonscape, but there is a Divine Spirit ACF that grants fast healing 10 and can revive fallen allies. IIRC, you trade your special mount for the spirit.

Wish I had known about the Gnome thing when I was building my Paladin, would've saved me 2 levels of feat rogue that I could've taken elsewhere...