Need help with an unusual build: Gnoll Paladin 1st - 20th.

[Nightfall]

Alright people in another game I'm going to be in Eberron. Obviously while I'm not 100% sold on the world, I would like to be a kind of "outcast" and/or arachic type. Thus Paladin. But I want to be more than just a "mere" paladin. I want to be the kind of paladin people say "Huh. Now there's something you don't see every day."

Thus I plan to go Gnoll Paladin. I could REALLY use some advice on this. I'll be starting at first levels. Some ideas would help.

I'd probably like to fight Khyberian things and evil outsiders. So possibly Silver Flame, but I am certainly NOT as predijuced as my fellow brothers about lycanthropes. (I figure I was born in Drooam.)

Help!

 

[IcyCool]

Thus I plan to go Gnoll Paladin. I could REALLY use some advice on this. I'll be starting at first levels. Some ideas would help.

I'd probably like to fight Khyberian things and evil outsiders. So possibly Silver Flame, but I am certainly NOT as predijuced as my fellow brothers about lycanthropes. (I figure I was born in Drooam.)

Help!

Well, a 1st-level Gnoll paladin is ECL 4 (2 Racial Hit Dice, +1 level adjustment, +1 class level). So if you are starting at 1st-level, then you'll need to have your GM make you a monster class progression to get you through the first 3 levels before you can start taking Paladin levels. Your GM should also make you give a reason for why your Gnoll is Lawful Good and not Chaotic Evil (although this may not be required, depending on your GM).

That said, a good Paladin will have decent scores in the following:

Str
Con
Wis (at least 14, if you want to be able to cast all the Paladin spells)
Cha

Your Gnoll gets a boost to two of those abilities (+4 Str, +2 Con), and a penalty in one (-2 Cha). The hit in Cha really hurts, but you can start it out high because you don't have to buy up your stats in Str and Con as much.

Did that all make sense? If so, we'll go from there.

I like Gnolls, although it may only be due to this bit of text in the MM:

A gnoll is a nocturnal carnivore, preferring intelligent creatures for food because they scream more.

 

[Nightfall]

*figures his paladin gnoll heard the call of honor and justice, and believes deeply in the code that creates unity and honor, much like DL Minatour.*

This is starting to make sense. I just needed some outlines/guidelines to go with my character concept.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

If you or your DM has access to Races of Destiny, see if you can adapt the half-orc paladin substitution levels. Righteous fury is a cool subsitute for smite evil. Also, Races of the Wild has some cool gnoll stuff, I believe. I love gnolls.

 

[Nightfall]

Mm...hadn't thought of that. But I will check Races of the Wild if I see something I could use for my gnoll paladin.

 

[smootrk]

Races of the Wild has the Gnoll's Monster Levels, so that should pre-occupy your first three level choices (assuming you are starting at ECL of 1, along with other level one characters).
As for a Gnoll flavored Paladin... you might see if your DM will allow something like a variant mount like a Dire Hyena.
I am not familiar with Eberron deities but a Gnoll Paladin might have a special distaste for Undeads, stemming from turning his/her back on Yeenoghu (lord of ghouls), and maybe your DM could grant you some bonus based on that premise, like a Ranger style foe vs. Ghouls/Ghasts etc. based on Familiarity. If I were DM I could easily grant these as a minor compensation for the adverse social issues such a character might face in an otherwise normal party.

 

[Nightfall]

Smook,

Firstly Yeenough doesn't exist in Eberron. In fact NO Archfiends exist at all. Gods are just "constructs" to some people, forces of power that might or might not exist.

Well I checked again and it appears they are starting at 2nd level. Still means I have to spend another level in monster class before I can reach my first level of paladinhood.

Fighting undead is alright...but not sure I want to do that. I would, however, probably fight abberations and outsiders.

 

[RandomPrecision]

I think I'd like that Monster Manual quotation to be my signature...

That'll certainly make an interesting character.