Mystic Paladin [3.5 PrC PEACH]

[dspeyer]

Mystic Paladin

As I fought greater foes, I found my sword and wits were not enough. I prayed for a new way and my prayers were answered.

Prerequisites:

• Smite evil 2/day
• Knowledge Religion: 11 ranks
• Able to cast 2nd level divine spells

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Spells per Day
						1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1	0	0	0	2	Paladin Continuation	2	1	1
2	1	0	0	3		2	2	1	1
3	2	1	1	3		3	2	2	1	1
4	3	1	1	4		3	3	2	2	1	1
5	3	1	1	4	Eclectic Learning	3	3	3	2	2	2
6	4	2	2	5		4	3	3	3	2	2	1
7	5	2	2	5	Eclectic Learning	4	4	3	3	3	3	2
8	6	2	2	6		5	4	4	4	3	3	2	1
9	6	3	3	6	Eclectic Learning	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	2
10	7	3	3	7		5	5	5	5	4	4	3	2	1
11	8	3	3	7	Eclectic Learning	5	5	5	5	5	4	4	3	2
12	9	4	4	8	Domain	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	4	3

Hit Die: d6
Skills: 4+int
Class Skills: Concentration, Knowledge(religion), Knowledge(the planes), Spellcraft, and any class skills from previous evil-smiting classes

Spellcasting
A Mystic Paladin is a prepared divine caster. She uses the same casting ability as in her previous evil-smiting class (if she has multiple evil-smiting classes with different casting abilities, she may choose; if none of her previous evil-smiting classes included spellcasting, she may choose between charisma and wisdom). She adds all evil-smiting class levels to her caster level. Her class spell list is the union of the following:

• The list(s) of her previous evil-smiting class(es) *
• Mass, greater or non-lesser versions of the preceeding spells, provided they are available to clerics
• The Good, Healing, Protection, Inquisition, Glory and Mysticism domains (she does not gain the domain powers)
• The Law or Chaos domain if she is lawful or chaotic respectively. If she is neither, she gains both domains but each spell at one level higher (e.g. Protection from Law/Chaos as second level spells)
• One of the Community, Trickery, or War domains, based on whichever she has relied on primarily in fighting evil until that point.

* If an evil-smiting class progresses another class's spellcasting, that does not count as the class's spell list.

Paladin Continuation
Levels in Mystic Paladin stack with all preceding evil-smiting classes for any class features based on class level, such as Lay on Hands.

Eclectic Learning
At these levels, a Mystic Paladin may add a single spell from the cleric list or any domain list to her class spell list. The spell must be of a level she can cast. She may then prepare this spell normally.

Domain
At 12th level, a Mystic Paladin gains a domain of her choice. She gains the domain power and adds all the domain's spells to her class list (and is then able to prepare them normally, without restriction).

[genericwit]

Looks like a pretty nice way of turning a paladin into a cleric with smite evil and better saves.

[Just to Browse]

1) I'd give it a good will save since BAB is being dropped.
2) Why add spells to a class that advances with spells? Why not just make it an ACF like mystic ranger?
3) The spell list looks pretty crappy after 5th level. Domains don't exactly offer killer buff spells, so the paladin ends up being weak in melee due to its low hit die. I'd hand-write the spell list so it ends up not-terrible.

[dspeyer]

It has a good will save.

I don't see how this would work as an ACF. A ton of extra complexity, at a minimum.

For a standard PHB paladin (guardian paladin of valor), the spell list would be:

Spoiler

Show

1 -- Bless; Bless Water; Bless Weapon; Create Water; Cure Light Wounds; Detect Chaos; Detect Poison; Detect Undead; Disrupt Undead; Divine Favor; Endure Elements; Magic Weapon; Protection from Chaos/Evil; Read Magic; Resistance; Restoration, Lesser; Sanctuary; Virtue

2 -- Aid; Bless Weapon; Bull's Strength; Calm Emotions; Cure Moderate Wounds; Delay Poison; Eagle's Splendor; Owl's Wisdom; Remove Paralysis; Resist Energy; Shield Other F; Spiritual Weapon; Undetectable Alignment; Zone of Truth

3 -- Cure Serious Wounds; Daylight; Detect Thoughts; Discern Lies; Dispel Magic; Heal Mount; Magic Circle against Chaos; Magic Circle against Evil; Magic Vestment; Magic Weapon, Greater; Prayer; Protection from Energy; Remove Blindness/Deafness; Remove Curse; Searing Light; Visage of the Deity, Lesser

4 -- Break Enchantment; Cure Critical Wounds; Death Ward; Discern Lies; Divine Power: Dispel Chaos; Dispel Evil; Holy Smite; Holy Sword; Mark of Justice; Neutralize Poison; Order’s Wrath; Restoration; Spell Immunity; Weapon of the Deity

5 -- Cure Light Wounds, Mass; Flame Strike; Righteous Might; Spell Resistance; True Seeing

6 -- Antimagic Field; Blade Barrier; Bolt of Glory; Bull's Strength, Mass; Cure Moderate Wounds, Mass; Dispel Magic, Greater; Eagle's Splendor, Mass; Heal; Hold Monster; Geas/Quest; Owl's Wisdom, Mass; Visage of the Deity

7 -- Cure Serious Wounds, Mass; Dictum; Holy Word; Power Word Blind; Regenerate; Repulsion; Restoration, Greater; Sunbeam

8 -- Holy Aura; Cure Critical Wounds, Mass; Mind Blank; Power Word Stun; Shield of Law; Crown of Glory

9 -- Summon Monster IX (good or law); Imprisonment; Heal, Mass; Power Word Kill; Prismatic Sphere; Gate; Visage of the Deity, Greater

It's not the cleric list, nor should it be, but there's some fairly decent buffs and save-or-loses on there, plus a little blasting and lots of healing.

[eftexar]

I can see why you wouldn't make it an ACF. It's not like the Paladin has a whole lot to trade out anyway.

The skill list is still pitiful. I never understood why a Paladin, who upholds the law, can't find rogues.

I think it does what it needs to, but I wonder if it wouldn't be better to make it a base class. That and I'm still not a fan of 9th level spells with any BaB over low progression. It might not be as big a deal with the list you compiled, but if I plug in domains from other books we could see some problems.

But as a base class you could do some revisions to the Paladin's abilities and avoid the whole clericzilla thing. Of course you might be fine with that power level. In which case sorry for blustering on and on.

[Just to Browse]

It has a good will save.

I swear I edited that when I wrote it. I meant "more than a good will save".

I don't see how this would work as an ACF. A ton of extra complexity, at a minimum.

Because it's identical in name and similar in function to the mystic ranger, which is also an ACF. I see no reason not to follow convention.

Spell list

Well the non-core domains help a bit. Let's see, Righteous Might, Visage of the Deity, and Crown of Glory are pretty good buff spells. That's about it. It also comes with healing that's generally weaker than Lay on Hands (except not really because Lay on Hands doesn't stack with Mystic Paladin level, so I guess it's bad healing all around), and some SoDs and weak blast spells running off what will likely be your tertiary stat if you wanted to be useful the eight levels before this.

It's definitely stronger than the standard paladin, but it's less of a paladin and more of a nerfed blaster cleric.