Changing the paladin

In my campaign, the characters are generally teleporting all over the place, sometimes in the open, sometimes assaulting deep underground, so when one of my player's got a paladin cohort, I wanted him to actually have something useful instead of the mount.

I've heard of this summon mount ability alternative somewhere...but I'm not sure where, so I figured I'd come up with a new ability.

The idea I came up wiht was an intelligent sword. It's lawful good and wants to destroy all chaotic evil things (the cliche paladin if you will.) Looking at the paladin mount upgrade via level chart, and the different levels of intelligent items, I realized that the intelligent items chart has exactly twice as many levels as the paladin mount chart has upgrades.

So I figure start at 1 or 2, and every upgrade upgrades the intelligent item two levels. Everything is rolled randomly, except for the specific purpose. This gets better as level increases, as it has seemed to me that the mount gets less important as level increases.

We didn't really get to test out the power as right after the cleric got this cohort they assaulted a dragon's lair without too much of a plan and the entire party except for the wizard's cohort were sumerely destroyed (tricky dragons ).



So the questions are, would you change the upgrade process, is it too powerful, not powerful enough?

A dumb idea? a cool idea?

comments, questions, whatever.

Cool idea.

But how does the smart-sword compare to a Holy Avenger? Is it more powerful? Less? I've always liked the idea of a Paladin questing for the traditional Holy Avenger, and I'm just wondering how this new sword ability might conflict with a need for such a thing. But otherwise, I like the idea.

I really like this. It is a fantastic idea. Combined with the Item Familiar feat from Unearthed Arcana, the weapon can become even more powerful and is more useful to the player!

So, start at level 1 and get to one level below top or start at level 2 and get to the highest form?

I think it has lots of potential, but there is one thing about it that irks me: random abilities. Nothing about a LG paladin should be random. And what about the poor soul who has the ewok-bane sword randomly rolled up?

I don't have a suggestion for a mechanic though. Maybe a "buy" system like the kensai or the ancestral weapon feat (from BoED). That way you can "buy" your sword to vorpal if you want, or get a +5 weapon instead.

There would need to be some kind of limitation to them though because the bad guys would just be stocking them up like trophies! Can you imagine a 20th-level blackguard with 100 of these intelligent swords all blabbering? Hmm, that's kind of a cool visual I have there in my head.

Anyway, just some random thoughts...

Shadeus said:

There would need to be some kind of limitation to them though because the bad guys would just be stocking them up like trophies! Can you imagine a 20th-level blackguard with 100 of these intelligent swords all blabbering?

Click to expand...

Maybe the powers only function for the paladin that the swords are linked to.

Hmm, that's kind of a cool visual I have there in my head.

Click to expand...

Yeah, really.

remember

the swords purpose is to kill evil, so he blackguard wouldn't be too happy.

Plus I think I"d make a rule: something like "it loses it's intelligence 1 week per paladin level of its owner after the paladin dies"

Corlon said:

the swords purpose is to kill evil, so he blackguard wouldn't be too happy.

Click to expand...

Exactly - the purpose is to kill evil. What better trophy for a blackguard to mount on his wall as he tells tales of treachery and deceit to his pet vrock?

Shadeus said:

EDIT And what about the poor soul who has the ewok-bane sword randomly rolled up? EDIT

Click to expand...

He's a boon to all mankind, He's a boon to all mankind
if only he weren't a paladin he could really REALLY use that thing < did I mention the evil grin >