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Xuldarinar
2015-06-05, 12:45 AM
GREY KNIGHT
-Long stood has the conflict between the forces of good and evil. Their champions great, found in the paladin and their antithesis, the antipaladin. From time to time, a great hero may fall and become a greater villain, or a villain may rise up and repent for all that have done, yet there is another way. Those that have known the powers of both may grow weary the concepts of good and evil, grow numb to the conflict and walk away. With both good and evil coming to reject her, their eyes open to a new path to power, one they can bend to their own goals and protect themselves against those they may have once called allies. The binding of spirits.
-Grey knights, as they are called, are champions of their own will and the spirits they bind in defiance of their former masters. Weary of the ancient conflict, they become wielders of magics that both sides reject and forever lie outside the embrace of good and evil. Many of those that walk this road find themselves beyond repentance to either path, though few who do would ever wish to turn back.
-Role: Grey knights serve as both a boon for their allies and a bane to their enemies. Attuned to the spirit bound to themselves, and in possession of great martial prowess, they can equip themselves to smite virtually any foe, and because of the nature of the magics they wield and the path they walked, foes are one thing they have no shortage of.
-Alignment: Disillusioned with both good and evil, grey knights typically find themselves of neutral alignment, but a grey knight may be of any alignment.
-Hit Die: d10.

Requirements
To qualify to become a grey knight, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
-Base Attack Bonus: +5
-Special: To become a grey knight, one must have been at one point in time an ex-paladin and an ex-antipaladin. A paladin who had fallen, traded all their ex-paladin levels for anti-paladin levels and then later fell once again, or the reverse case, is sufficient.

Class Skills
-The grey knight's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex) Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Cha).
-Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Grey Knight

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special*
1st +1 +1 +0 +1 Bind Spirits, Detect Favored Enemy, Smite Favored Enemy (1/day), Vestiges of Paladine
2nd +2 +1 +1 +1 Grey Hand, Spurned Grace
3rd +3 +2 +1 +2 Aura of Stolen Courage, Divine Health, Method
4th +4 +2 +1 +2 Grey Channeling, Smite Favored Enemy (2/day)
5th +5 +3 +2 +3 Grey Boon
6th +6 +3 +2 +3 Method
7th +7 +4 +2 +4 Smite Favored Enemy (3/day)
8th +8 +4 +3 +4 Aura of Stolen Resolve
9th +9 +5 +3 +5 Method
10th +10 +5 +3 +5 Smite Favored Enemy (4/day)
11th +11 +6 +4 +6 Aura of Reprisal
12th +12 +6 +4 +6 Method
13th +13 +7 +4 +7 Smite Favored Enemy (5/day)
14th +14 +7 +5 +7 Aura of Amorality
15th +15 +8 +5 +8 Method
16th* - - - - Smite Favored Enemy (6/day)
17th* - - - - Aura of ???
18th* - - - - Method
19th* - - - - Smite Favored Enemy (7/day)
20th* - - - - Grey Champion
*Class features are based upon the character's antipaladin and paladin level, or more accurately their cumulative ex-antipaladin and ex-paladin level, plus their levels in the grey knight prestige class. A character is unable to become a 16th level grey knight prior to 20th level.

Class Features
-All the following are class features of the grey knight prestige class.
-Vestiges of Paladine: By becoming a grey knight, the former paladin and anti-paladin's abilities become changed to suit their new stance, a force for their good nor evil but rather their own wishes and, more often than not, against their former masters. For the purpose of calculating a grey knight's class features, treat her as a grey knight of her ex-antipaladin level + her ex-paladin level + her grey knight level. A grey knight may not, and would not, atone for their violations as such to regain their paladin or antipaladin class features, regardless of their alignment.
-Bind Spirit: A grey knight can seal pacts with spirits. The character's binder level equals her grey knight level, and the character binds spirits as an occultist of that same level.
-Detect Favored Enemy (Sp): At will, a grey knight can use detect favored enemy. This functions identically to detect evil, except it detects the presence of any creature that is considered her current bound spirit's favored enemy. A grey knight can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60ft and determine if they are their their spirit's favored enemy, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the grey knight does not detect favored enemy in any other object or individual within range.
-Smite Favored Enemy (Su): Once per day, a grey knight can call upon her currently bound spirit to help strikes own her foes. As a swift action, the grey knight chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is her spirit's favored enemy, the grey knight adds her Cha bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her grey knight level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. The bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the grey knight possesses. Regardless of the target, smite favored enemy attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
-In addition, while smite favored enemy is in effect, the grey knight gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the grey knight targets a creature that is not their spirit's favored enemy, the smite is wasted with no effect.
-The smite favored enemy effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the grey knight rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the grey knight may smite favored enemy one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Grey Knight, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
-Grey Hand (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a grey knight can produce a monochrome flame that damages most creatures it touches. Each day she can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 her grey knight level plus her Charisma modifier. With one use of this ability, a grey knight can make a melee touch attack against a creature to deal 1d6 points of damage for every two grey knight levels she possesses. Using this ability is a standard action, unless the grey knight targets herself, in which case it is a swift action.
-Alternatively, a grey knight can use this power to heal herself, other grey knights, or creatures that are their spirit's favored ally. Doing so restores 1d6 hit points for every two grey knight levels she possesses. This ability is modified by any feat, spell, or effect that specifically works with the lay on hands paladin class feature.
-Spurned Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a grey knight gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all Saving Throws.
-Aura of Stolen Courage (Su): At 3rd level, a grey knight is rendered immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Allies within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws gainst fear effects, and each enemy with 10 feet of her takes a -4 penalty on saving throws against fear effects and lose immunity to fear. A grey knight may not bestow the benefits of aura of stolen courage to more allies than she does enemies within 10 feet of herself. This ability functions only while the grey knight remains conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead.
-Divine Health (Ex): At 3rd level, a grey knight is immune to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases. (Placeholder, ultimately. )
-Method (Su): At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, a grey knight can either select one cruelty or one mercy. Each mercy adds an effect to the grey knight's grey hand when used to heal, and each cruelty adds an effect to the grey knight's grey hand when used to deal damage. For the purpose of determining which mercies and cruelties a grey knight may select from, and for all effects related to them, treat her as both an antipaladin and a paladin of her grey knight level.
-Grey Channeling (Su): When a grey knight reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to channel energy like a cleric, except their channeling harms and heals creatures as with the grey knight's grey hand class feature. This ability consumes two uses of her grey hand ability. A grey knight uses her level as her effective cleric level when using grey channeling. This is a Charisma-based ability.
-Grey Boon (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a grey knight is granted a boon by forces opposed to those she once fought along side. This boon can take one of two forms. Once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed. Regardless of the type of boon selected, either ability can only be used so long as she has a spirit bonded to her, and the object of her boon also takes on the physical signs imposed by the spirit bound.
-The first type of boon allows the grey knight to enhance her weapon as a standard action by calling upon the aid of the spirit bound to her for 1 minute per grey knight level. When called, the spirit causes the weapon to ahead light as a torch. At 5th level, this spirit grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. For every three levels beyond 5th, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. These bonuses can be added to the wagon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: brilliant energy, defending, disruption, flaming, flaming burst, keen merciful, speed, vicious, wounding, and vorpal. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's cost. These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. The bonus and properties granted by the spirit are determined when the spirit is called and cannot be changed until the spirit is called again. The spirit imparts no bun uses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the grey knight, but resumes giving bonuses if returned to the grey knight. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. A grey knight can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 5th, to a total of four times per day at 17th level.
-If a weapon bonded with a spirit is destroyed, the grey knight loses the use of this ability for 30 days, or until she gains a level, whichever comes first. Durring this 30-day period, the grey knight takes a -1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
-The second type of bond allows a grey knight to gain the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her. This mount is usually a heavy horse (for a Medium grey knight) or a pony (for a Small grey knight), although more exotic mounts are also suitable. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using the grey knight's level as her effective druid level. Bonded mounts have an Intelligence of at least 6.
-Once per day, as a full-round action, a grey knight may magically call her mount to her side. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the grey knight's level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the grey knight. A grey knight can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every 4 levels thereafter, for a total of four times per day at 17th level.
-At 11th level, the mount gains a minor granted ability from her current spirit presently bound and becomes a magical beast for the purposes of determining which spells affect it.
-At 15th level, a grey knight's mount gains spell resistance equal to the grey knight's level + 11.
-Should the grey knight's mount die, the grey knight may not summon another mount for 30 days or until she gains a grey knight level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the grey knight takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
-Aura of Stolen Resolve (Su): At 8th level, a grey knight is immune to charm spells and spell-like abilities. Allies within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against charm effects and enemies, and enemies within 10 feet of her take a -2 penalty of all saving throws, though this penalty does not stack with the penalty from aura of stolen courage. A grey knight may not bestow the benefits of aura of stolen resolve upon more allies than she does enemies within 10 feet of herself.
-Aura of Reprisal (Su): At 11th level, a grey knight can expend two uses of his smite favored enemy ability to grant the ability to smite his favored enemy to all allies within 10 feet, using his bonuses. Allies must use this smite favored enemy by the start of the grey knight's next turn and the bonuses last for 1 minute. The targets this ability can effect are based upon the spirit the grey knight currently has bound to him. Using this ability is a free action.
-Aura of Amorality (Su): At 14th level, a grey knight's weapons ignore alignment based Damage Reduction. Any attack made against an enemy within 10 feet of her also ignores alignment based Damage Reduction. This ability functions only while the grey knight is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead.
-Aura of ??? (Su): At 17th level,
-Grey Champion (Su): At 20th level,

Debihuman
2015-06-05, 05:42 AM
Umm prestige classes normally have 5 or 10 levels; 20 levels is too much.

Xuldarinar
2015-06-05, 08:03 AM
Umm prestige classes normally have 5 or 10 levels; 20 levels is too much.

Generally, I am inclined to agree. However, I am taking more of the Maho-Tsukai's approach to prestige classes. A 20 level PrC that you aren't going to be reaching 20th level in pre-epic (and epic isn't really a concept in pathfinder), and the class features are more or less a result of trading things in from other classes previously possessed.


The idea is this:

You have a paladin. they fall (becoming an ex-paladin, at least for a time) and convert their levels to antipaladin. Later, they fall again (becoming an ex-antipaladin) and provided they at least have a BaB of +5, which isn't unlikely given you aren't likely to switch between such extremes and fall shortly thereafter and 5 levels isn't that much to ask for. Neither paladin nor antipaladin are providing you with class features, save for proficiencies, as you are an ex-paladin and an ex-antipaladin. Upon entering this prestige class, the ex-antipaladin levels (and ex-paladin levels if you'e any not converted) are added to your grey knight level for the purpose of your class features.

An ex-antipaladin 5/grey knight 1, is a grey knight 6 for the purpose of class features and the aim is to have it equal to, if not stronger than (within reason), than a paladin 6 or an antipaladin 6. In essence, this is a form of PrC that takes over the advancement, and odds are no one is going to take more than 15 levels in the grey knight class.

Sacrieur
2015-06-08, 03:38 AM
First, Debihuman is right; it's not a good idea to break the paradigm. It's best to let mythic classes handle mythic levels. Prestige classes should never be any more than 10 levels.

Second, a class already exists which is a "grey paladin". It's called the Envoy of Balance.

Third, why a paladin and where are they getting their powers from? Paladins often serve a cause, not themselves or their own desires. Antipaladins, for example, are committed to spreading destruction and chaos and aren't out for personal gain. It seems strange that a twice fallen paladin who only cares about his own interests is getting divine health, when he is serving no divine cause.

Xuldarinar
2015-06-08, 11:51 AM
First, Debihuman is right; it's not a good idea to break the paradigm. It's best to let mythic classes handle mythic levels. Prestige classes should never be any more than 10 levels.


I like messing with convention where I can. Though, I don't see how this treads on mythic. This class doesn't take you past CL 20, and unless you put class levels elsewhere, you are getting the full benefits of the PrC before you'd ever cross into "Epic" levels.



Second, a class already exists which is a "grey paladin". It's called the Envoy of Balance.


I don't feel the envoy of balance falls under the same category as this prestige class. Where an envoy of balance is opposed to an imbalance between alignments, and I see them as a cleric PrC for neutral (between good and evil) deities, this falls under one who has tasted both and has grown weary of both. They seek to forge their own path, and their tools against the other alignments are to oppose those who would come for him, individuals who where former allies more than likely.



Third, why a paladin and where are they getting their powers from? Paladins often serve a cause, not themselves or their own desires. Antipaladins, for example, are committed to spreading destruction and chaos and aren't out for personal gain. It seems strange that a twice fallen paladin who only cares about his own interests is getting divine health, when he is serving no divine cause.

Largely, inspired by the vestige Andras, the grey knight. Andras was a paladin famed for his prowess and dedication to what was right and good for all. Andras fell after his faith was broken, and became a blackguard. Eventually, after nearly three hundred years, he grew tired of the constant battle on behalf of good and evil, and just laid down his weapon and left, and ultimately was fated to become a vestige.

Divine health will be replaced, as I find something appropriate, I assure you. I picked that one as a model, over the antipaladin's, for arbitrary reasons.



Edit: Given that the inspiration is drawn from a vestige, I saw fit to change some things, putting it more into that realm. They bind spirits, their smiting and channeling effect both. Their power comes from the spirits bound to them. Keeping the ability to ignore alignment based DR, because they don't care for alignment and the will inevitably, if they haven't already, piss something off that has it.

Hazzardevil
2015-06-08, 12:33 PM
The convention only exists because it makes sense in that context. For Grey Knight it makes sense to go beyond level 10, since it drops you off at a point without any clear path to follow. On the fluff of the class itself, I like the idea of someone who doesn't want good or evil, reminds me of a character from a old Star Wars comic I forget the name of. The character could see good and evil as two petty forces that aren't worth picking a side for and thinks the only thing worth trusting in is themselves.

Is it also a deliberate choice to not have a level trading option like the Antipaladin? I was looking at the class as something that becomes a semi-base class and absorbing Paladin and AntiPaladin into itself.

Xuldarinar
2015-06-08, 12:42 PM
The convention only exists because it makes sense in that context. For Grey Knight it makes sense to go beyond level 10, since it drops you off at a point without any clear path to follow. On the fluff of the class itself, I like the idea of someone who doesn't want good or evil, reminds me of a character from a old Star Wars comic I forget the name of. The character could see good and evil as two petty forces that aren't worth picking a side for and thinks the only thing worth trusting in is themselves.

Is it also a deliberate choice to not have a level trading option like the Antipaladin? I was looking at the class as something that becomes a semi-base class and absorbing Paladin and AntiPaladin into itself.

It is a deliberate choice. Functionally, it would be virtually identical to have a trading option with a grey knight 10, and as it stands with having an ex-antipaladin 5/grey knight 5. Once you are a grey knight, those ex-paladin and ex-antipaladin levels just serve each as just +1 to class level applied to the grey knight. I though the approach taken by the maho-tsukai was an interesting one, and so took a presentation approach not dissimilar to it. The antipaladin's level trading option is an interesting one, granted, but I didn't feel quite like taking its approach. The effect is the same ultimately, and thats really what counts.



Edit: Alright people. Home stretch on this one. Need a name and ideas for what to do with the 17th level ability, and ideas for the 20th level ability. Input on everything else is, of course, more than welcome.