Variant Paladin

[Quellian-dyrae]

Paladin

HD: d10.
SP: 4.
Skills: Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty, Religion), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim.
Profs: Martial weapons, all armor, shields.
Alignment: LG.

Paladin
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Blessing, Paladin's Aura (Good), Zeal +1, Zeal Boosts (2)

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Divine Grace, Lesser Healer's Hands

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Paladin's Aura (Courage)

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Mettle

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Zeal +2

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Paladin's Aura (Health), Zeal Boost

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Healer's Hands

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Improved Blessing

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Paladin's Aura (Duty)

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Zeal +3

11th|
+11|
+7|
+3|
+7|Zeal Boost

12th|
+12|
+8|
+4|
+8|Paladin's Aura (Harmony)

13th|
+13|
+8|
+4|
+8|Improved Healer's Hands

14th|
+14|
+9|
+4|
+9|Greater Blessing

15th|
+15|
+9|
+5|
+9|Paladin's Aura (Divinity), Zeal +4

16th|
+16|
+10|
+5|
+10|Zeal Boost

17th|
+17|
+10|
+5|
+10|Greater Healer's Hands

18th|
+18|
+11|
+6|
+11|Paladin's Aura (Purity)

19th|
+19|
+11|
+6|
+11|Superior Blessing

20th|
+20|
+12|
+6|
+12|Zeal +5[/table]

Blessing (Su): All paladins receive special blessings to allow them to better combat evil. Upon entering the class, the paladin can choose to receive the blessings of a Knight, an Inquisitor, a Guardian, or a Healer. A Knight is given blessings of protection that apply to its mount, allowing a high-level paladin to ride into battle even against mighty monsters. An Inquisitor is blessed with the power to root out evil and thwart its secrets. A Guardian possesses the ability protect against powerful forces of magic or evil. A Healer can remove debilitating status effects from its allies. All spell effects resulting from blessings are cast at the paladin’s class level and have save DC’s of 10 + ½ the paladin’s level + the paladin’s Charisma modifier, regardless of the level of spell emulated.

Paladins receive their blessings in a special ceremony, in which they make a solemn vow to uphold the code of their order. Each blessing, thus, entails a specific requirement on the part of the paladin. If the paladin breaks its code, it loses access to its blessing for the rest of the day. Particularly severe infractions result in the loss of the blessing for a year and a day.

Knight Blessings: A paladin with the Knight blessings receives a bonus pool of hit points equal to its full normal hit point total. These hit points do not improve the paladin’s ability to endure damage, but the paladin may spend them to absorb damage that would be suffered by its mount, as long as the paladin is riding it. These bonus hit points may be healed normally (the paladin must be targeted by the healing). The mount, while ridden by the paladin, also gains the evasion ability and a +4 enhancement bonus to its Strength score.

Starting at 8th level, the mount receives a deflection bonus to AC, enhancement bonus to its natural armor, and resistance bonus on saving throws while the paladin rides it. While being ridden by the paladin, the mount may use the paladin's base attack bonus in place of its own, if desired.

At 14th level, as long as it is ridden by the paladin, the mount receives benefits from the paladin’s aura as if it were the paladin. It also gains the benefits of the improved evasion class feature and the air walk spell (it is considered trained to accept the air walk). For purposes of damage, grapples, and size-based checks, the mount functions as one size category larger. Finally, its base land speed increases by 20' while ridden by the paladin.

At 19th level the mount gains DR 15/evil and Resistance 30 against all energy types while ridden, and all of its natural weapons are treated as lawful and good aligned +3 magic weapons.

None of the Knight blessings function on a mount with a CR equal to or higher than half that of the paladin. It also fails on any creature that is receiving benefits from a bonded creature ability (such as a druid's animal companion).

The Knight's mount becomes a powerful ally, but its power comes at the cost of the paladin's tactical options, for the paladin must vow to follow a strict code of honor to receive its Knight blessing. The paladin may not attack a surprised or flat-footed foe (though it may ready an action to do so) and does not receive a bonus for flanking (although it can help an ally get one). The paladin also may not attack a foe who is helpless or one who has surrendered. The paladin may not resort to poison or utilize other dishonorable tactics against its opponents.

Inquisitor Blessings: A paladin with the Inquisitor blessing may utilize detect good, detect evil, and detect magic at will.

Starting at 8th level, the paladin can use detect thoughts, see invisibility and zone of truth at will.

A 14th level paladin can use divination, scrying, and discern lies at will.

A 19th level paladin can use quest, true seeing, and analyze dweomer at will.

An Inquisitor is charged with rooting out evil, and also with reporting lawlessness to the authorities. An Inquisitor is required to report any major legal infractions to the proper authorities, even those committed by itself or its allies (although it is allowed to explain any mitigating circumstances).

Guardian Blessings: A paladin with the Guardian blessing can create a protective ward a number of times per day equal to 3 + its Charisma modifier. This grants a touched target a resistance bonus on its next saving throw (if made within one hour per class level) equal to the paladin’s level or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher.

At 8th level, a paladin can spend one daily use of its protective ward to cast dispel magic (except without a limit on its dispel check) or minor globe of invulnerability.

At 14th level, the paladin can spend one daily use of its protective ward to cast dispel evil or banishment.

At 19th level, the paladin can spend one daily use of its protective ward to cast holy word or holy aura.

The Guardian is sworn to defend the helpless, and will give its life in the protection of others. The paladin is prohibited from leaving a battle until all other allies (except Guardian paladins of equal or higher level) have disengaged. The paladin is also sworn to protect goodly or innocent beings from immediate harm, regardless of personal danger.

Healer Blessings: A Healer gains access to to the lesser healer's hands ability at 1st level rather than second. It adds its Charisma modifier to its class level for purposes of determining its healing potential (so a level 1 Healer with a Charisma of 15 could heal 6 damage, and recharge its healing twice). Additionally, at the cost of 10 hit points of healing, it can cure any of the following conditions: dazed, dazzled, deafened, fatigue, fear, sickened. At the cost of 50 points of healing, it can cure the following conditions: blinded, confused, disease, exhausted, nauseated, paralyzed, poison, or stunned.

At 8th level, the paladin can heal ability damage (25 hit points per point), ability drain (50 hit points per point), and negative levels (100 hit points each).

At 14th level the paladin can duplicate a Raise Dead or Revivify spell. Doing so does not drain any hit points from the paladin's healing potential, but saps two of its daily recharges. No material component is required, but the paladin must pay 500 XP to channel the powerful divine energies involved. The normal casting time for the spells apply.

At 19th level the paladin, at the cost of one of its daily recharges (spent along with any hit points for the healing), can heal all allies within 5' per point of its Charisma modifier with a single expenditure of its healing potential. All allies are healed the same amount of damage and the same status effects. The paladin cannot use Raise Dead or Revivify in conjunction with this ability.

The Healer paladin vows to preserve life. The paladin must stabilize any dying creature it encounters, provided there is time to do so (it would not have to stop fighting to stabilize a character, for example, but would be required to stabilize as many of the fallen as it could once a battle ended, including enemies). The healer will not attack a helpless opponent or one who has surrendered, and will fight (using nonlethal methods where appropriate) to defend them. The paladin's vow, however, does not apply towards nonliving creatures, creatures with the evil subtype, or creatures with an overwhelming aura of evil.

Paladin’s Aura (Su): The paladin’s devotion to its ideals manifests in an aura of divine energy. The aura extends out to a radius equal to 5’ per point of the paladin’s Charisma modifier. The effects of the aura increase as the paladin gains levels:

Good: A first level paladin’s aura of good is equal to the paladin’s class level. The paladin can call upon the sacred power of its aura at will to emanate light. The aura sheds bright light out to its normal radius and shadowy illumination an equal distance past that.

Courage: A third level paladin becomes immune to fear. Allies within the paladin’s aura get a sacred bonus on saves against fear equal to the paladin’s Charisma modifier.

Health: A 6th level paladin becomes immune to disease, poison, and supernatural afflictions (such as lycanthropy). Allies within the aura get a sacred bonus on saves against these effects equal to the paladin’s Charisma modifier.

Duty: A 9th level paladin becomes immune to charms, compulsions, possessions, and any magical attempts to change its alignment. Allies within the aura get a sacred bonus on saves against these effects equal to the paladin’s Charisma modifier.

Harmony: Starting at 12th level, the paladin’s aura creates a bond of harmony among allies, allowing them to fight together and support each other more effectively. Within the aura, no one is considered flanked or flat-footed unless all are. Allies in the aura can use touch range effects on their allies who are also in the aura regardless of distance. When one ally within the aura is damaged, other allies may take on the injury (dividing the damage as desired among all who wish to do so). Finally, all allies in the aura are considered under the effects of a status spell and mindlink power keyed to other allies within the aura.

Divinity: Starting at 15th level, the paladin becomes immune to all negative energy and death effects. Allies within the aura get a sacred bonus on saves against such effects equal to the paladin’s Charisma modifier.

Purity: An 18th level paladin becomes immune to spells with the evil descriptor. Allies within the aura get a sacred bonus on saves against such effects equal to the paladin’s Charisma modifier.

Zeal (Ex): Paladins oppose the forces of evil with righteous zeal. At first level, the paladin can choose any two of the following stats for which it receives a zeal boost: attack rolls, weapon damage rolls (double the bonus for damage rolls), AC, saving throws, or opposed checks. The paladin may choose one more stat every five levels after first.

Against evil opponents, the paladin receives a morale bonus to all its zeal-boosted stats equal to +1, with an additional +1 per five class levels.

Divine Grace (Su): A second level paladin receives a sacred bonus on all saving throws equal to its Charisma modifier.

Lesser Healer’s Hands (Su): A paladin of second level or higher can heal its allies by touch. This is a positive energy effect, and thus can be used to harm undead. Using healer’s hands is a standard action. The paladin provokes an attack of opportunity when actively healing, but when attacking undead with the ability it does not. The paladin can heal an amount of damage each day equal to twice its class level. The paladin can divide this healing among multiple uses as desired.

At 7th level the paladin's healing power per day becomes four times its class level. This becomes seven times it level at 12th level and ten times its level at 17th level.

Once per day per point of its Charisma modifier as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the paladin can fully recharge its daily healing potential.

Mettle (Ex): A 4th level paladin gains the mettle ability.

Paladin Restrictions: None of the benefits of a paladin’s supernatural or spell-like abilities apply to any character who is currently performing an evil action. Directly and intentionally reaping the benefits of an evil action previously performed or performed by proxy also counts. For example, if a character tortures an enemy for information about its leader’s lair, and then goes to attack the leader, the paladin’s abilities would not function for that character for the duration of the invasion. Indirect benefits do not count; for example, the character would not be precluded from the paladin’s abilities if it used a magic item gained in the enemy leader’s lair, unless it actually acquired the item through another, direct evil action. The only exception to this rule is that the paladin can use its healing powers to stabilize such characters if they are dying. If the paladin is the one performing the evil action, the effect is worse; the paladin cannot even use its supernatural or spell-like abilities. An atonement spell from a good-aligned cleric can allow the target to again benefit from the paladin’s abilities.

A paladin who ceases to be lawful good can no longer advance as a paladin, but retains abilities earned. However, the normal restrictions on its ability use remain in place, so an evil paladin probably won’t be able to use its abilities much. A paladin who ceases to be lawful good may elect to advance in the NPC warrior class and, upon regaining its LG alignment and receiving an atonement spell from a good-aligned cleric, convert its warrior levels to paladin levels.

[Fizban]

I like. Essentially a normal paladin on steroids, minus the bookkeeping of the minor spells. I'm inclined to dislike the number of times things are based on charisma bonus, but it's a solid mechanic to use. The Zeal ability could be worded better, and I think there was something else I was going to mention, but I forgot it, so it all looks good to me.

[Erk]

Wow, nicely done indeed! I came in expecting to be annoyed and leave, because Paladin is one of my favourite character archetypes and I rarely see it done well. This, sir, is done well. It has much more flavour than the original "I'm a fighter/cleric with none of the big advantages of either" Paladin class (no, it's not that bad, I know. The fact that at least half of my characters are Paladins should indicate my opinions on the class).

I, for one, like that the Paladin no longer has to rely on already being a combat/caster class (and therefore having to have good physicals AND a caster ability score in Wisdom) but then having Charisma as a special ability powering attribute. Cripes, Pallies have to focus on 5 attributes if they want to shine in all their fields [which means they are usually dumb as posts, and frankly I don't care for that at all in RP terms]. This guy gets to drop Wisdom a bit as well, which lets him be nicer at what he's supposed to do.

I agree that Zeal is worded awkwardly, and I don't really see any reason for the d12 hit points myself. Paladins don't need them, they're already healers and they aren't really tanks by design. Let the Barbarians keep their magic die, I say.

I also think the Healing Hands ability needs some work. Why not steal Lay on Hands' idea of having distributable HP/day limits, making status ailments draw out of those limits, and increasing the cap of points and granting the ability to cure status ailments at levels where you get the improved versions? eg. 2x(level+cha bonus) at level 2, 3x(level+cha bonus) at level 7, 4x(level+cha bonus) at 13, and 5x(level+cha bonus) at level 17, with the status ailments costing (based on the level the ability to cure them is gained) 5, 10, 20, and 40 points? Or something to that effect. And have Raise Dead cost something like 1/2 of the Paladin's full daily heal limit (as well as XP), or be a strictly 1/day thing, I dunno. I can see the Pally getting on his knees and pleading with his god to save his fallen friend, but not running around the battlefield raising half a dozen fallen companions. That's what Clerics are for.

At present it is very hard to increase the usage/day limit, but at high levels a single heal attempt can basically fully cure most allies. That makes it a little too precious IMO... recall that pallies have to still focus on both physical stats and charisma, so they can't dump all attribute increases straight into Cha, and aren't going to be getting +20 charisma bonus any time soon. A level 14 pally is probably going to have something like +8 (I am never sure, since the games I play in tend to be low on attribute increases)? but can cure 94 damage in a single heal attempt. That feels upside-down to me. Likewise, what if this 14th level paladin just wants to, say, remove Fatigue status? It still uses up an entire daily use of the power, as far as I can tell.

Another option (even if you change the Heal system) is to present a feat that allows better heal/day casting or add a Healer Blessing. The latter seems like a great idea since I like your Blessing system but none of the Blessings presented suit the kind of character I play (maybe the Purifier one. BTW: maybe name that one Protector instead? The name seems slightly incongruous).

Finally, it would be cool to have the Blessings offer a penalty as well, even something small. Also, I think your rewording of the alignment restrictions is a bit confusing, though I figured it out the second time 'round.

Awesome work so far. Reread it again and fixed up some mistakes I made in this post, and I think it's even more awesome now.

PS: when does this pally get his mount?

[Quellian-dyrae]

Glad you both like it. I'll see what I can do on zeal, it is rather awkward.

I went with the format for healer's hands because my theory is that honestly, a cleric can probably fight at least as well, and often better, than a paladin. As a result, I see no reason why a paladin should not be able to heal almost as well as a cleric. Now, myself, I play using the spell point variant from unearthed arcana, so a high-level cleric can cast a bunch of heals per day if necessary. That being said, even with these new rules, a paladin can't heal as well as a cleric, and I had completely overlooked the possibility of having to waste an entire, rather potent healing use for a piddling status effect, so I'll go back and make that more lay-on-hands like. Maybe I'll take your advice on the healer's blessing, let healer's hands only cure damage, and with the blessing allow for status healing.

I could go back and add a small code adjustment for blessings, too. Good idea.

The d12 HD is because I have always thought that knight-style characters deserved one. And every time I try to slip one into my homebrew, someone calls me on it, so I'm gonna work on the assumption that it's just an ideosyncracy of mine and take it out.

And the paladin never actually receives a special mount using this variant. The intent of the Knight blessing is that a paladin can ride any mount into battle and keep it alive. Although, come to think of it, I may go and add some mount offense boosting abilities, since in general a paladin's mount is supposed to be a credible warrior. Just look at Argent. Better also set some caps to prevent, say, a centaur player taking leadership to get a paladin cohort, or something equally ludicrous.

Thanks for the suggestions, going to edit now.

[Erk]

No time for big sweeping suggestions (I like the idea of taking status effects out and giving them to Healer Blessing). I do want to say, though, that I think Mounts are a big deal to some Paladins in terms of flavour. It might be a good idea to include a Variant on this that uses the mount, sacrificing an ability to do it (eg. sacrificing Aura effects, or at least pushing their "gain time" up a few levels and making the radius smaller or personal-only or something).

I have some ideas for this which I'll try to remember to post when I'm at work.

[Dryad]

I love the healing thing. A healer paladin sounds EXTREMELY appealing to me, and I'd play it any day, thanks! Why? Because FINALLY something that's GOOD at it, and wants to do it. Clerics don't, usually, because they focus more on damage. Druids are a bit lacking in healing, and don't get enough spells to keep it up. Bards.. Enough said.
But this! I'd actually love to pick up my pen and dice, and make me a charisma-paladin of the healer tree!
Only.. At first level, a healer pala would be able to heal three hit points per heal, and could do that, at cha 16, three times per day. At lvl 20, her healing would be very good. What; 8x level? That's 160 hp to heal, times her cha-mod! Yippie!
(Of course; by that time, you've got spells that deal that kind of damage, aswell, so that's fair enough, I think.) Perhaps make it two full round actions to recharge, so that it isn't very appealing in a combat situation, and make it provoke AoO's.
I don't care about dealing damage; a heal-bot is what this game really needs, and failed to get with a cleric, which turns out to be a damage-bot, mostly.

[Quellian-dyrae]

20th level healer paladin would actually have 400 points before recharging; a total of 10 * level from Superior Blessing (Healer), and the base 10 * level from Greater Healer's Hands. Which sounds like too much, now that I realize what I was saying. I think I'll take out the extra boost from the blessing and add something so it has decent low-level healing potential.

I think a full-round action should be sufficient to deter excessive use in combat. After all, you have to recharge, and then spend a standard action next round to actually heal. And it should provoke AoO's, must have forgotten that.

[Duke Malagigi]

Is it okay if I use your paladin skill list for my paladin variant? Be warned I will change some skills though. I'll get rid of spot and listen then replace them Knowledge (History, Geography, and Tactics). Other than having 4 skill points per level my variant will be quite a bit different from yours. My variant can still cast spells, but only after reaching 9th level as in 1st and 2nd edition, and still gets a mount, but doesn't call or dismiss it. I may give them auras equal to that of a marshal half their level to compensate. Is that good enough?

[Quellian-dyrae]

Use and/or change whatever you feel like. I'm not too familiar with the marshal, so no idea on how that will all work.

[Duke Malagigi]

This is the marshal (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b).

[Quellian-dyrae]

The marshal auras would make for a good leadership-style paladin. I'm not sure how useful the spells will be starting at 9th level, unless they advance real quickly, but I'm biased against non-full-casting anyway.

[Duke Malagigi]

Would being able to cast spells as a cleric 8 levels lower than you be fast enough? This means that you can 4th level spells once you reach your 15th paladin level. They can also cast spells spontaneously.

[Quellian-dyrae]

I guess it kinda depends on what other abilities you give them. Like I said, I'm biased against partial spellcasting, but casting as Clr - 8 is better than what they have currently. It seems like it'd be pretty potent at the high levels, when you get things like Heal and Righteous Might, but in the mid-levels it wouldn't help much.

[Duke Malagigi]

They still get a maximum of up to 4th level spells. But they do get to cast them spontaneously. I just finished it. Go here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2624227#post2624227) to find it.

[Fizban]

On the subject of mounts, the wild cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) feat is great for getting anyone a mount, providing essentially what is an animal companion with -1 HD and less autonomy. It would go great with the mounted bonuses of this paladin.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Actually, the Knight blessing doesn't work on bonded creatures or creatures with high CRs (had ECLs as well, but now that I think of it, I believe I'll take that out, since LA is often more about useful special abilities than combat power). The abilities provided to the mount are pretty powerful; they're intended to keep a weaker mount alive in high-level combat and let it deal a bit of damage. If they worked on already-empowered creatures, it'd risk making the mount better than the paladin (worse would be, say, a centaur character that takes the leadership feat and gets a paladin cohort).

[Matthew]

Yeah, looks pretty good. Zeal is an interesting idea, but +1 DB is not equal to +1 AB. If you go by Specialisation, it's +2 DB = +1 AB. Personally, I think the ratio is greater, but there you go. I also think that it should be possible to add Zeal to aspects other than the two chosen at the outset.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Yeah, good point. I'll double the damage boost. Also, you can choose a new stat every six levels when you gain a Zeal Boost, so an 18th level paladin adds zeal to all five areas. Make that, every five levels after first, and 16th level adds it to all stats

[Matthew]

So, a Paladin 20 gets +5 Save, +5 Opposed Rolls, +5 AC, +5 AB and +10 DB against Evil Opponents via Zeal? Sounds pretty good to me and not overpowered.