A Different Paladin

[Kaji]

I'm starting the process of creating my own setting, and I'd like to have a Paladin class that is not a divine spellcaster. Are there any existing variants folks can point me towards? If I can't find something, I'll post the same question on the hombrew forum and maybe we can make one up to fit.

 

[SWBaxter]

I'm starting the process of creating my own setting, and I'd like to have a Paladin class that is not a divine spellcaster.

There's a non-spellcasting Paladin in one of the splatbooks - Complete Warrior, I think.

I'm fond of using the Champion (from Arcana Unearthed/Evolved) in place of paladins. They get a suite of abilities tailored to their cause.

 

[Voadam]

The 3e D&D Diablo book has a variant that chooses powers and gets no spells. It is a great concept and flavor but the mechanics of the individual powers would have to be redone as they are horrible mechanically.

Complete Warrior has a quick version that gives some blessings at higher levels instead of spells.

As SWBaxter mentioned there is the Arcana Unearthed/Evolved themed champions who gain powers but not spells. I wanted to like them but their weapon and shield summonings for 1 round/level are crippled by being 1/day powers only and I feel the class could have been done much better.

 

[eris404]

I'm starting the process of creating my own setting, and I'd like to have a Paladin class that is not a divine spellcaster. Are there any existing variants folks can point me towards? If I can't find something, I'll post the same question on the hombrew forum and maybe we can make one up to fit.

Darn! I know I've seen replacement level abilities for paladins somewhere, though they might not specifically address the spellcasting issue. Maybe in Dragon? Sorry, I'm blanking here.

 

[Kaji]

There's a non-spellcasting Paladin in one of the splatbooks - Complete Warrior, I think.

I'm fond of using the Champion (from Arcana Unearthed/Evolved) in place of paladins. They get a suite of abilities tailored to their cause.

Looks like folks are not very impressed with The Complete Warrior Paladin without spells, (I read a few reviews quickly) and the opinion is mixed on the Unearthed Arcana version.

Anyone got a hombrew they can toss my way? Otherwise, I guess I'm off to building one from scratch...

 

[diaglo]

the Dragon 250 CD has the old variant paladins for other alignments.

iirc, there was an update for these in the newer Dragons. around 288.

mix and match some of those. not all of them had divine magic.

 

[hong]

Take a regular paladin. Rip out the spells. Every 4 levels, give a bonus feat. Et voila, non-spellcasting paladin.

 

[diaglo]

Take a regular paladin. Rip out the spells. Every 4 levels, give a bonus feat. Et voila, non-spellcasting paladin.

make sure his dump stat is Int.

 

[Lalato]

Looks like folks are not very impressed with The Complete Warrior Paladin without spells, (I read a few reviews quickly) and the opinion is mixed on the Unearthed Arcana version.

Anyone got a hombrew they can toss my way? Otherwise, I guess I'm off to building one from scratch...

Make sure you're looking at the Champion class from Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed/Evolved. It's easy to mixup that title with WotC's Unearthed Arcana. The Champion class is extremely flexible compared to the Paladin. I think it's a great Paladin replacement.

--sam

 

[Kaji]

Take a regular paladin. Rip out the spells. Every 4 levels, give a bonus feat. Et voila, non-spellcasting paladin.

That might work in a general way, but I'd like to maintain the "holy" factor, and this approach seems to create a fighter with detect evil, cure disease, and smite evil. Maybe if I create a list of feats to choose from, and not just any old feats? There's a ton of great stuff for this in BoXD, maybe Book of Hallowed Might from Malhavoc. I'll start looking around and post any results I divine (ha ha, clever pun. I hate puns.)