A place to post my thoughts on 4e and gaming in general.
Specialized Classes: The Holy Paladin
Class specialization is a concept similar to multiclassing and works using similar mechanics. Characters with specialized classes have access to abilities that are not normally available to other members of their class. This could represent an area of focus or special training given by a specific organization.
Mechanically, characters become members of a specialized class by taking a class specialization feat, and gain access to additional abilities from the specialized class by taking additional feats. You cannot take a class specialization feat if you have a multiclass feat or another class specialization feat.
The following sample specialized class, the Holy Paladin, seeks to re-create some of the flavor and abilities of the 3e paladin.
Mechanically, characters become members of a specialized class by taking a class specialization feat, and gain access to additional abilities from the specialized class by taking additional feats. You cannot take a class specialization feat if you have a multiclass feat or another class specialization feat.
The following sample specialized class, the Holy Paladin, seeks to re-create some of the flavor and abilities of the 3e paladin.
Holy Paladin (Paladin Specialization)The following feats may be taken by a character with the Holy Paladin feat:
Prerequisites: Paladin class, Good or Lawful Good alignment, no other multiclass or class specialization feat
Benefit: You gain training in one skill from the paladin's class skill list. You also gain access to Holy Paladin powers, which you may select in place of a paladin power of the same level.
In addition, once per encounter as a free action, you may gain a +1 bonus to all your defences against a single attack. If the attack is made by an Evil or Chaotic Evil creature, the bonus increases to +2. You must decide to use this ability before the attack roll is made.
Aura of Courage (Holy Paladin)The following is an incomplete list of Holy Paladin powers. Additional powers may be added subsequently.
Prerequisites: Holy Paladin, Cha 13+
Benefit: You gain a +5 feat bonus to saving throws against fear effects. When you suffer a fear effect that a saving throw can end, you may make an saving throw against that effect as an immediate reaction.
In addition, your allies within 5 squares gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against fear effects.
Divine Grace (Holy Paladin)
Prerequisites: Holy Paladin, paragon tier, Cha 15+
Benefit: You gain a +1 feat bonus to all defences against attacks made by Evil or Chaotic Evil creatures.
Divine Health (Holy Paladin)
Prerequisites: Holy Paladin, trained in Heal
Benefit: You gain a +5 feat bonus to saving throws against infection, defences against attack rolls made by diseases, and Endurance checks made to recover from disease.
If you are 6th or higher level, you may perform the Cure Disease ritual once per day without expending any components. You do not need to have a ritual book or the Ritual Caster feat to do so.
Encounter Powers
Smite Evil
Holy Paladin Attack 3
Encounter * Divine, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Charisma modifier damage. If the target is Evil or Chaotic Evil, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to half your level.
Blessed Smite
Holy Paladin Attack 13
Encounter * Divine, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Charisma modifier damage. If the target is Evil or Chaotic Evil and you did not score a critical hit, you deal maximum damage. If you wield a magic weapon, you deal +1d6 damage per plus of your weapon in addition to dealing maximum damage.
Utility Powers
Detect Evil
Holy Paladin Utility 2
Daily * Divine
Standard Action
Personal
Effect: You may use your Insight skill instead of your Perception skill to detect the presence of Evil or Chaotic Evil creatures within 10 squares of you. A successful Insight check (opposed by the creature's Hide check, or against a DC of 10 + 1/2 creature's level, if it is already in plain sight) reveals an Evil or Chaotic Evil creature's location and alignment.
Sustain Minor: You can sustain this power until the end of the encounter or for 5 minutes. You may make an Insight check every round as part of the minor action used to sustain this power.
Protection From Evil
Holy Paladin Utility 6
Daily * Divine
Standard Action
Melee touch
Target: One creature
Effect: The target gains a +2 power bonus to all defenses against attacks made by Evil or Chaotic Evil creatures until the end of the encounter.
Summon Mount
Holy Paladin Utility 10
Daily * Divine
Standard Action
Ranged 5
Effect: You conjure a celestial charger (see Monster Manual) to use as a mount. It appears in a suitable space within range, and comes equipped with a saddle. If there is no space within range large enough for it to appear, the prayer fails.
The celestial charger does not take any actions unless you ride it. If you have the Mounted Combat feat, you may also use its mount ability.
The celestial charger disappears after 5 minutes, if it is slain, or if you dismiss it as a free action.
Total Comments 7
Comments
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Kind of a neat idea - focus on one class, instead of going into another.
Kind of reminds me of 2e's kits, actually.Posted 2nd July 2008 at 07:24 PM by Wik
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You might be on to something there.
Hopefully, it will be better balanced, though.Posted 3rd July 2008 at 01:42 AM by FireLance -
I like it a lot more than I thought I would when I first started looking at it. (Not a huge alignment fan).
I generally like everything in terms of flavor. Just to quibble a bit...
I think that the Specialized Power (Holy Paladin) shouldn't be necessary. Unlike a defender getting a controller power these powers (at least) stay well within the realm of "normal defender/paladin" abilities.
It's not like a situation where a rogue is picking up powers like spectral hound (wizard utility from dragon) and getting an unkillable ally that provides flanking.
If you want have that sort of flavor you could have a minimum # of holy paladin feats requirement. So each power swapped after the first requires that you take an additional feat; its a bit less burdensome.
And... for some most games Divine Grace is going to be active for everything (certainly all the big fights). Obviously the charisma 15 thing is a barrier but...Posted 3rd July 2008 at 09:38 AM by Graf - Oh dear, my internal balance meter might be stuck on "conservative" again.
The Holy Paladin powers are meant to be slightly better than normal to account for the fact that you need to spend an additional resource (a feat) to get them. Let me think about this some more.
As for Divine Grace, maybe I should bump it to Paragon tier, where it will compete with feats like Shield Specialization, Iron Will, etc. I was hoping to retain it as a Heroic tier feat as it was a fairly low-level ability in 3e, though. Any suggestions on how to do that?Posted 3rd July 2008 at 10:46 AM by FireLance
Updated 3rd July 2008 at 11:02 AM by FireLance - Would protection from evil be worth a feat if it provided an untyped bonus instead of a power bonus? This would allow it to stack with other protective powers.Posted 3rd July 2008 at 03:57 PM by FireLance
- >The Holy Paladin powers are meant to be slightly
>better than normal to account for the fact that you
>need to spend an additional resource (a feat) to
>get them.
I appreciate that.
Wouldn't it be better to have powers that are "balanced" vs the default and easier to get access to?
Just asking.
With regard to the placement of Divine Grace & Protection from Evil... I actually would up making a post about it.
(Sorry to have picked your stuff up, I was thinking about the artificer and some other stuff and it kind of popped out fully formed this morning).
My response depends on whether you accept the premise of my post.
If you do, (i.e. most of the fights where it matters you'll be getting the bonus) then I think there are two positions you can take.
- Paladins are better than normal characters (not necessarily overwhelmingly so) of the same level. Maybe its a story thing. Maybe it's designed to encourage people to play them (much like the 3.x cleric was made uber in an attempt to get somebody to play heal-bot).
OR - Paladin's aren't supposed to be better. -> If this is the case then you need to, I think, "fully price" the power. So if Divine Grace is basically as useful as Shield Spec it needs to live in the same tier, etc.
If you -don't- accept my premise (i.e. most of the important fights won't be vs evil creatures) then I guess the question is "how often do you think they'll fight evil creatures".
A simple way to deal with it is just to say that the paladin is tank, the monsters generally attack the tank, and give some of them a +1 (which is pretty minor, so it's probably too petty a detail to fixate on really).
So the paladin is as good as they're supposed to be at taking hits and the rest of the party really likes the paladin to be up front taking those hits.
Not sure if that's clearly stated or not...Posted 4th July 2008 at 05:40 AM by Graf - Paladins are better than normal characters (not necessarily overwhelmingly so) of the same level. Maybe its a story thing. Maybe it's designed to encourage people to play them (much like the 3.x cleric was made uber in an attempt to get somebody to play heal-bot).
- Graf, I think what you've said makes a lot of sense. I think I'll make the basic powers about balanced with what a standard paladin could get, and introduce feats to upgrade the powers where necessary. For example, summon mount would normally last for an encounter, but you could take a feat to let it last for 10 hours or until you take an extended rest. I'll also bump Divine Grace up to the paragon tier.
Thanks for all the feedback, by the way. And for the mention in your blog as well!Posted 4th July 2008 at 06:31 AM by FireLance
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