Chadius: Paladin Variant
Analysis
Do you feel the Paladin's a bit weak? Maybe a bit too front loaded? Well I'm making a paladin variant. Hopefully this should be fun.
Ah, the Paladin. God-directed warrior at best, featless fighter at worst. The Paladin has received a lot of flak.
Good
- d10 HP / Good BAB
- Good Saves (Thanks to Charisma bonus)
- Smite Evil
- Mount (Don't ever underestimate the mount)
Bad
- No skill points
- Mediocre Spells (There are many spells that are too weak to be of any use to a paladin who can cast them)
- No fighter feats
- Multiple Remove Disease Spells? (Per WEEK!?)
- Extremely front loaded (Why stay after level 5? Or even level 2?)
Overall, the paladin is overpowering in the short run (very high saves, especially with 18 Cha) and very weak in the long run (Often stated as a featless fighter.)
Actually, the spell list has improved dramatically, especially if you look beyond the Player's Handbook. Complete Warrior and Complete Divine have some sweet spells, and Sword and Sorcery's Relics and Rituals has a great set of supplementary spells. So a smart paladin will stop looking trying to cast Cure Serious Wounds.
I decided to remove the disciplines I put in my previous revision. I decided they were too specific and too hard to balance. Also, I figured that a paladin prestige class would take care of things.
In the end, I give the Paladins extra Divine Feats to help give them a use for their crappy turning attempts.
Revision
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) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level 2 + Int modifier.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Aura of good, detect evil, smite evil 1/day |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Divine grace, lay on hands |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Aura of courage, divine health |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Turn undead |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Smite evil 2/day, special mount |
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Remove disease 1/week |
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +2 | +2 | |
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Divine Feat |
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Remove disease 2/week |
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Smite evil 3/day |
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +3 | +3 | |
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Remove disease 3/week |
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +4 | +4 | |
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +4 | +4 | Divine Feat |
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +5 | +5 | Remove disease 4/week, smite evil 4/day |
| 16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +5 | +5 | |
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +5 | |
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Remove disease 5/week |
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +6 | |
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +6 | Smite evil 5/day |
Spell progression is the same as standard Paladins.
The only class feature that I changed is Divine Grace. This was made to prevent gaining 2 levels of paladin and then multiclassing just to get good saves.
Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus on all saving throws. This bonus is equal to her Charisma bonus or half of her paladin level, whichever is lower.
Divine Feats: At the listed levels, a Paladin gets a bonus feat. This feat must be chosen from the list of Divine Feats (found in Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, and Defenders of the Faith.)
Old Revision
Old Revision So here's the breakdown: 1 - Give extra abilities to a paladin 2 - Give free divine feats
What I propose is to offer disciplines to the Paladin that adds extra flavor and gives them a reason to exist past 5th level. So here's the summary table:
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) x4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special 1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Aura of good, detect evil, smite evil 1/day 2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Divine grace, lay on hands 3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Aura of courage, divine health 4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Turn undead 5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Smite evil 2/day, special mount 6th +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 Remove disease 1/week 7th +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 8th +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 Minor Discipline 9th +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 Remove disease 2/week 10th +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Smite evil 3/day 11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 Divine Feat 12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 Remove disease 3/week 13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4 14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 Divine Feat 15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 Remove disease 4/week, smite evil 4/day 16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Major Discipline 18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Remove disease 5/week 19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Smite evil 5/day
Spell progression is the same as standard Paladins.
The only class feature that I changed is Divine Grace. This was made to prevent gaining 2 levels of paladin and then multiclassing just to get good saves.
Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus on all saving throws. This bonus is equal to her Charisma bonus or half of her paladin level, whichever is lower.
Now, for the extra goodies I added: Divine Feats: At the listed levels, a Paladin gets a bonus feat. This feat must be chosen from the list of Divine Feats (found in Complete Warrior, revised in Defenders of the Faith.)
Discipline: Paladins train themselves in combat, valor, and spells. Eventually Paladins begin to specialize in different aspects of paladin training.
When a Paladin reaches 6th level, she may choose one discipline to study. She immediately recieves the minor benefits of the discipline. She later learns the major benefit of the discipline.
Why did I put this feature in? For one thing, it helps paladins specialize. Many of the other classes have their own ways to differentiate two characters of the same class: Spellcasters use different spellsets, fighters use vastly different feats, rogues have different skill points, etc. But Paladins don't vary enough (usually only the mount changes, when the player/DM are feeling lucky.) Hopefully the disciplines will give a Paladin an edge in one school of training.
Current Disciplines Demon Slayer Inquisitor One with the Mount Undead Hunter
Demon Slayer The Demon Slayer spends her time studying and fighting evil outsiders. Minor Power: The Demon Slayer learns how to use her turning abilities to censure evil outsiders, just like how clerics can turn undead. Censure works exactly like Turning, with a few exceptions. The effective cleric level is the same as the paladin level (instead of paladin - 3.) Only Evil Outsiders are affected by this ability. Instead of running away, affected creatures are stunned for 1 round.If the Demon Slayer has twice as many Paladin levels as the Outsiders have hit die, they are banished to their home plane instead, as if they were subject to the dismissal spell..
Major Power: When fighting evil outsiders, the Demon Slayer gains three benefits. Any of her physical attacks are considered good for purposes of damage reduction against evil outsiders. Secondly, she deals 2 extra damage against evil outsiders, due to her memorization of their weak points. Finally, if she decides to use her Smite Evil ability and it hits an evil outsider, it must make a FortitudeSaving Throw (DC 10 + 1/2 Paladin level + Cha Modifier) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.
Inquisitor Inquisitors are good at interrogating people. They are also more aware than most paladins, and have caught several rogues by surprise. Minor Power: Inquisitors get the Negotiator and Awareness feats for free. Once a day, a paladin can use the detect thoughts spell. The effective caster level is half the paladin's level.
Major Power: Inquisitors gain the Presuasive and Improved Initiative feat for free. The paladin can use detect thoughts three times per day.
One with the Mount These Paladins have achieved an incredible amount of mobility with their mounts. They have been able to chase their targets through all sorts of areas and terrain. Minor Power: The paladin can cast the follow spells on her mount: Jump (2/day), Longstrider (1/day), Spider Climb (2/day). The Paladin's caster level is equal to her Paladin level.
Major Power: The One with the Mount can enter a special movement mode that offers protection as well as travel. By using a turning attempt, the Paladin can surround herself and her mount with a nimbus of light. This gives the mount fly, swim, or burrow speed (paladin's choice) at half the mount's normal movement rate. This also grants the paladin's mount a damage reduction of 5/good and a spell resistance of 6 + the Paladin's level. The nimbus is bright as if the daylight spell were cast on the paladin. The nimbus is also loud, so the paladin takes -10 to Move Silently checks.
This ability lasts a number of rounds equal to the paladin's level. The paladin can use another turn attempt to move at normal speed.
Undead Hunter The Undead Hunter does just that. She hates undead with all of her heart and soul.
Minor: The paladin turns undead without the same proficiency as a cleric (instead of three levels lower.)
Major: When fighting undead, the Hunter gains extra fighting capability. When fighitng undead, the paladin adds her Cha Bonus to damage, due to her powerful aura. When using her smite evil ability, she has a chance of utterly destroying undead. When hit by the smite undead's ability, it must make a fortitude save of DC 5 + 1/2 Paladin level + Cha Modifier or be instantly destroyed.
