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Zim
2007-12-20, 01:32 PM
Hi All,

I've been puttering away at a facelift for the 3.5 paladin class based on some of the new mechanics from PHB2. I wanted to make the class a non-caster with good martial abilites and some supporting supernatural abilities.

Here's my first draft. I don't have the auras written up yet, but the Dragon Shaman is my inspiration, so they'll be similar.

Comments, suggestions, constructive criticism?

[edited with changes]
Paladin
Alignment: Lawful good.
Hit Die: d10

Class Skills:
The paladin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) ×4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Paladin
Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will Class Ability Auras Known
1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite (Magic) -
2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Divine Grace, Lay on Hands -
3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Divine Health, Holy Conviction -
4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Holy Aura +1 1
5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Smite (Lawful or Good) 1
6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 Companion, Lay on Hands (Improved) 1
7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Bonus Feat 2
8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 Holy Aura +2 2
9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 Lay on Hands (Greater) 2
10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Smite (Cold Iron or Silver) 3
11 +11/+6/+5 +7 +3 +3 Bonus Feat 3
12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 Holy Aura +3 3
13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4 Lay on Hands (Superior) 4
14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 Holy Conviction (Share With Allies) 4
15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 Bonus Feat 4
16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 Smite (Adamantine), Holy Aura +4 5
17 +17/+12/+7/+1 +10 +5 +5 - 5
18 +18/+12/+7/+2 +11 +6 +6 5
19 +19/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Bonus Feat 6
20 +20/+14/+9/+4 +12 +6 +6 Smite (Epic), Holy Aura +5 6

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the paladin.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Paladins are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Aura of Good (Ex)
The power of a paladin’s aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to her paladin level.

Detect Evil (Sp)
At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell.

Smite (Su)
A paladin may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. She adds her paladin level attack and damage rolls, and the weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction or harming incorporeal foes. If the paladin accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, then Smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up. A paladin may Smite 1 + Cha bonus (if any) times per day.

At 5th level, a paladin’s smite attack counts as good or lawful aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. A 10th level paladin’s smite counts as silver or cold iron. At 15th level, the paladin’s smite attempt counts as adamantine, and at 20th level the paladin’s smite attempt counts as Epic.

Divine Grace (Su)
At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.

Lay on Hands (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her paladin level × her Charisma bonus. A paladin may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. She may also sacrifice 5 points of healing to remove 1 point of ability damage or remove the Dazed, Fatigued or Sickened condition from one individual. Using lay on hands is a standard action.

At higher levels, the Paladin may use Lay on Hands to have additional effects. At 6th level, a paladin may sacrifice 10 points of healing to remove the Exhausted, Nauseated, Poisoned or Stunned condition. At 9th level, she may sacrifice 20 points of healing to remove a negative level or Blinded, Deafened, Diseased or Paralyzed conditions. At 13th level, she may spend 40 points to restore 1 point of ability or level drain or remove a Curse, Domination or Geas effect.

Alternatively, a paladin can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The paladin decides how many of her daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature.

Holy Conviction (Su)
Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). At 14th level, the paladin may share this ability with all allies within 30’ as long as she his alive and conscious.

Divine Health (Ex)
At 3rd level, a paladin gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Holy Aura (Su)
Starting at 4th level, a paladin can begin to project the favour of their in the form of a magical aura (see Holy Auras sidebar). These auras can protect her companions or demoralize evil foes.

Projecting an aura is a swift action, and a paladin can only project one aura at a time. An aura remains in effect until the she uses a free action to dismiss it or project a new one in its place. It may be active continuously, and may be in effect even before an encounter begins. Auras affect all allies (including the paladin) within a 30’ radius with line of effect. It is automatically dismissed if you become unconscious or dead, but remains active if you are otherwise incapacitated and unable to act (eg. Paralyzed),

The bonus granted by the aura is +1, and increases by +1 every 4 levels (8th, 12th, 16th, 20th). The paladin may only learn a limited number of auras and cannot change them once they are selected.

Paladin Holy Auras:
Succour: Allies gain fast healing equal to the paladin’s aura bonus. Characters may only heal until half of their original HP are recovered.
Steadfastness: Allies gain a morale bonus to their saving throws equal to the paladin’s aura bonus.
Peace: Allies gain a morale bonus to Diplomacy and Heal Checks equal to twice the paladin’s aura bonus
Defiance: Allies gain DR/Evil equal to twice the paladin’s aura bonus.
Puissance: Allies gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to the paladin’s aura bonus.
Lifekeeping: Allies gain a resistance to damage from negative energy effects (vampiric touch, inflict spells etc…) equal to 5 times the paladin’s aura bonus.
Wrath: Evil foes suffer a morale penalty to their saving throws equal to the paladin’s aura bonus.
Companion (Ex)
At 5th level, a paladin attracts a special follower. They may choose from a Mortal or Celestial Companion. All companions are Lawful Good. Calling a Companion takes 24 hours of uninterrupted prayer and meditation.

A Mortal Companion is a fighter of the paladin’s race. They begin play 2 levels lower than the paladin and progress as a regular NPC Cohort (see the Leadership feat). Celestial Companions are extraplanar magical beasts (celestial template) or outsiders that are sympathetic to the Paladin’s cause. The ECL of a celestial Companion is 2 below that of the paladin. If the paladin calls upon a celestial magical beast that is willing to serve as a mount, ignore the LA of +2 when calculating its ECL.

If a Companion dies, the paladin may attract a new one immediately. If the paladin ceases to be Lawful Good or looses her class abilities, the Companion departs and a new one must be called if her status is restored. A paladin may still select Leadership as a feat, but the Companion counts as a familiar, for the purposes of determining the other cohort’s level.

Bonus Feat:
At 7th, 11th and 14th levels, a paladin may select a bonus feat from the following list. They must still meet the feat’s perquisites in order to select it: Cleave, Extra Smiting, Great Cleave, Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery, Power Attack, Ride-By Attack, Skill Focus (Ride), Spirited Charge, and Trample.

Code of Conduct
A paladin must be of lawful good alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits an evil act.

Additionally, a paladin’s code requires that she respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth), help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents.

Associates
While she may adventure with characters of any good or neutral alignment, a paladin will never knowingly associate with evil characters, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. A paladin may accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are lawful good.

Ex-Paladins
A paladin who ceases to be lawful good, who willfully commits an evil act, or who grossly violates the code of conduct loses all paladin auras and abilities (including their Companion, but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies or bonus feats). She may not progress any farther in levels as a paladin. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.

Like a member of any other class, a paladin may be a multiclass character, but multiclass paladins face a special restriction. A paladin who gains a level in any class other than paladin may never again raise her paladin level, though she retains all her paladin abilities.

Umarth
2007-12-20, 04:37 PM
Do you have people that like playing shamans or marshals? If so they might be a bit unhappy about this version of the paladin.

Also I don't know if ECL is really the best way to measure a Celestial Companion. What's the ECL on a Celestial war horse? I doubt it's 4 or less so it would be unavalible when the paldain gets this ability.

Zim
2007-12-20, 04:45 PM
I've played a dragon shaman and our group thinks the Miniatures Handbook classes are great ideas, just poorly put together. This paladin class sort of rebuilds the old class using the ideas experimented with in these other classes.

I'm going to add a provision for celestial mounts. Any celestial creature (animal or magical beast as base creature) may ignore the +2 LA for ECL. This gives a Paladin 6 a celestial warhorse. Not the same as a paladin's mount, but I'm trying to steer away from the "pokemount" concept.

Umarth
2007-12-20, 05:24 PM
I guess I'm confused why your using ECL (effective character level) rather than CR for the Celestial Companion.

ECL tends to be either not listed or much much higher than CR.

Meek
2007-12-20, 07:26 PM
I'm curious, why are you trying to stray away from the "Pokemount" concept?

Zim
2007-12-20, 09:48 PM
I guess I'm confused why your using ECL (effective character level) rather than CR for the Celestial Companion.

ECL tends to be either not listed or much much higher than CR.

I'm making it based on the Leadership chart. Not all paladins want a mount or would be culturally appropriate. This lends the opportunity for a paladin to have a doughty squire, celestial charger or guardian angel. This is not a summoned creature, but an actual being on your plane.

Meek
2007-12-21, 09:57 AM
I see. Well that sounds pretty good I suppose.

Umarth
2007-12-21, 11:12 AM
Okay so using your system say I wanted the following companions what ECL are they?

Warhorse, Heavy

Blink Dog

Ape

What's are the ECLs if I'm a halfling? Does it change because I can now ride the Blink Dog?

The aura's look good.