D&D 5E Spelless 5E paladin - have you played one?

[Skyscraper]

Interesting options, thanks to all.

I've actually started working a bit on the paladin, but some ideas from above are likely to creep into my redesign.

I made Divine Smite a once-per-short-rest ability, that increases in power every 3-4 levels or so.

Conjuring the steed is a daily power. You can use a bonus action once per short rest, to have the steed attack as a bonus action. Otherwise, it won't attack unless you sacrifice one of your attacks to have it attack.

Divine sense and lay on hands stays the same. The usual paladin resistances also.

I'm also trying to introduce a (somewhat) unique aura mechanic, that would include a bunch of the auras that are already present in the design or through spells. The paladin could have only one aura active at all times. So he'd have an "aura of blessing" (equivalent to a bless spell, 10-foot radius), and "aura of vitality" (similar to the spell) and so on, that are each usable one or more per day, the auras being usable as of a certain level and increasing in the number of uses as the paladin levels up. The above idea of the "divine shield" could possibly make its way into an aura also.

The paladin would also get turn undead.

I guess that's the gist of it.

 

[Tony Vargas]

So. Have you played or designed a spelless 5E paladin? What does it look like? Or, if you were to design one, what would it look like?

I toyed with the idea of an 'Oath of Fealty' Paladin, who gains extraordinary abilities from devotion to temporal leader or cause rather than gaining magical abilities from faith in a divine one.

Might end up looking a bit like a PDK or Battlemaster. Inspirational and 'heroic effort' type abilities. So when you lay-on-hands, you're not using glowy divine magic to make wounds disappear, you're helping your ally tap a deep reserve like Second Wind that he didn't even realize he had, or when you Smite you're just making a profound effort based on your sense of duty. Instead of spells you get maneuvers, and CS dice instead of slots.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

Might end up looking a bit like a PDK or Battlemaster. Inspirational and 'heroic effort' type abilities. So when you lay-on-hands, you're not using glowy divine magic to make wounds disappear, you're helping your ally tap a deep reserve like Second Wind that he didn't even realize he had, or when you Smite you're just making a profound effort based on your sense of duty. Instead of spells you get maneuvers, and CS dice instead of slots.

Oh, a Warlord, I like it! Maybe the Paladin should have been a Warlord subclass all along.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Oh, a Warlord, I like it! Maybe the Paladin should have been a Warlord subclass all along.

More self-only than that, I'd think, except for the Lay on Hands. But, sure, if you think of the Warlord as the martial answer to the Cleric, a martial answer to the Paladin would obviously be similar - and the PDK is already available, it's Knightly, like the Paladin, but more focused on basic fighting (because it is, afterall, a fighter sub-class). Maneuvers like the Battlemaster's are an obvious swap-out for spells.

 

[Sunseeker]

I typically play my "hybrid" classes (Paladin, Ranger, etc..) without spells, because I don't really want to bother with them.

I simplified my Paladin and still kept Smite the same simply by converting "Spell slots" to "Spell Points" per the DMG. You use spell points appropriately to power Smite as if you would be spending Spell Slots. Call them "Divine Power" or "Holy Might" or whatever you want. End result: no spells, Smite works fine.

 

[Vicaring]

Yes, actually, I have come up with a spell-less paladin. I call it a Zealot, and it's a Fighter subclass:

FIGHTER — ZEALOT

PERSEVERANCE

Beginning at 3rd level, you gain a number of Perseverance Dice equal to your charisma modifier (minimum 1). If your charisma modifier increases, so does your number of Perseverance Dice. You can roll one of these dice any time you would normally roll a die, and add the results together for a final result. Your Perseverance Dice start out as a d8, but increase to d10 at 10th level and d12 at 18th level. You regain Perseverance Dice upon finishing a short or long rest.

DEFIANCE

Starting at 7th level, you cannot be charmed or frightened. Additionally, you are proficient in charisma saving throws.

TIRELESS

Beginning at 10th level, you can use a bonus action to spend a Perseverance Die to increase your hit points. Roll the Perseverance Die and add your charisma modifier. The result is the number of hit points that you have gained. Additionally, you can use an action to spend a Perseverance Die in order to reduce your exhaustion by one level; you do not roll the die to do this.

CONFIDENCE

Beginning at 15th level, others take heart when they are near you, pushing themselves beyond their normal limits. When a creature within 30 feet of you rolls a die, you may use your reaction to roll a Perseverance Die and add the result to the creature’s roll.

SACRIFICE

Beginning at 18th level, when you take damage from any source, you may use a reaction to roll a d12 and add the result to your damage taken in order to gain a Perseverance Die.

 

[Horwath]

As hawkeyefan said. just burn all slots on smite.

As a DM for +1d8 extra damage as you give up versatility for power.

so 1st lvl slot deals extra +3d8 damage, 2nd +4d8, 3rd +5d8, etc...

and to remove +bonus cap, so with improved divine smite and 5th level slot its +8d8 damage, plus one extra die vs undear or fiend.