comrade raoul
Explorer
I don't like the UA Prestige Paladin, partly because it's too close to the cleric -- paladins should be drawn from all walks of life; they shouldn't all be warrior priests (nor should they get to prepare and cast all of the sixth-level cleric spells!). Here's a version that sticks closer to what I think is the classic paladin archetype.
Prior to the writeup of the paladin you'll find a new feat -- Faith Healer -- that has high Charisma and a good alignment as a prerequisite. It lets you cast cure light wounds as a spell-like ability (generally once per day, or a bit more if you have high Wisdom): a spell that one has to be able to cast prior to becoming a paladin (of course, this is a requirement that can also be met by low-level bards and high-level rangers).
Prior to the writeup of the paladin you'll find a new feat -- Faith Healer -- that has high Charisma and a good alignment as a prerequisite. It lets you cast cure light wounds as a spell-like ability (generally once per day, or a bit more if you have high Wisdom): a spell that one has to be able to cast prior to becoming a paladin (of course, this is a requirement that can also be met by low-level bards and high-level rangers).
FAITH HEALER [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Charisma 15, good alignment.
You draw on your virtue, compassion, and unwavering sense of self to become a naturally gifted healer.
Benefit: A number of times per day equal to 1 + half your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1), you can cast cure light wounds (as a spell-like ability) as a cleric of a level equal to your character level.
[h1]The Paladin[/h1]
Hit Die: d10
Requirements
To qualify to become a paladin, a character must meet all of the following criteria.
- Alignment: Lawful good.
- Base Attack Bonus: +4.
- Skills: Diplomacy 3 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks, Ride 3 ranks.
- Feats: Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (any melee weapon).
- Spells: Able to cast cure light wounds.
- Proficiency: Proficient with at least three martial weapons.
The paladin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Code:
Base Attack Fort Reflex Will Spells Per Day
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
----- ----------- ---- ------ ---- ------- --- --- --- ---
1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Aura of good, divine grace, 0 - - -
detect evil, turn undead
2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Lay on hands 0 - - -
3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Smite evil 1/day, aura of courage 1 - - -
4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Divine health, remove disease 1/week 1 0 - -
5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Summon mount 1 0 - -
6 +6 +5 +2 +2 Smite evil 2/day 1 1 - -
7 +7 +5 +2 +2 Remove disease 2/week 1 1 0 -
8 +8 +6 +2 +2 1 1 1 -
9 +9 +6 +3 +3 Smite evil 3/day 2 1 1 -
10 +10 +7 +3 +3 Remove disease 3/week 2 2 1 1
11 +11 +7 +3 +3 3 2 1 1
12 +12 +8 +4 +4 Smite evil 4/day 3 2 2 1
13 +13 +8 +4 +4 Remove disease 4/week 3 3 2 2
14 +14 +9 +4 +4 Holy word 1/week 3 3 3 2
15 +15 +9 +5 +5 Smite evil 5/day 3 3 3 3All of the following are class features of the paladin prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Paladins are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Spells
A paladin casts a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the paladin spell list. A paladin must choose and prepare her spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, a paladin must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a paladin’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the paladin’s Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a paladin can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. When the paladin’s class table indicates that the paladin gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level The paladin does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does.
A paladin prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though she cannot lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast a cure spell in its place. A paladin may prepare and cast any spell on the paladin spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.
Aura of Good (Ex)
The power of a paladin’s aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to her Charisma modifier plus her paladin level.
Detect Evil (Sp)
At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell.
Divine Grace (Su)
A paladin gains a bonus equal to either her Charisma bonus (if any) or her class level, whichever is lower, on all saving throws.
Turn Undead (Su)
A paladin gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. She turns undead as a cleric of her class level would.
Lay on Hands (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her paladin level x her Charisma bonus. A paladin may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action.
Alternatively, a paladin can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The paladin decides how many of her daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature.
Smite Evil (Su)
Once per day, a paladin of at least 3rd level may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per paladin level. If the paladin accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.
At 6th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on the table above, to a maximum of five times per day at 15th level.
Aura of Courage (Su)
Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects.
This ability functions while the paladin is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.
Divine Health (Ex)
At 4th level, a paladin gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Remove Disease (Sp)
At 6th level, a paladin can produce a remove disease effect, as the spell, once per week. She can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times at 12th, and so forth).
Summon Mount (Sp)
Upon reaching 5th level, a paladin gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her in her crusade against evil (see below). This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium paladin) or a warpony (for a Small paladin).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin may magically call her mount from wherever it currently resides. The paladin’s mount originates in a distant celestial realm; when the paladin first summons it, she calls it from that location. (Should she leave her mount in some other place, it appears from there.) This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-half the paladin’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the paladin and remains with the paladin thereafter, as her constant steed and companion. However, a paladin may dismiss her mount (returning it to its celestial home) at any time as a free action; a paladin can (of course) summon her dismissed mount again the next day. A newly summoned mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the paladin may release a particular mount from service.
Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the paladin’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The paladin may not summon another mount for thirty days or until she gains a paladin level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the paladin takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Holy Word (Sp)
A paladin of 14th level can cast holy word, as the spell and as cast by a 20th-level cleric, once per week.
[h2]Code of Conduct[/h2]
A paladin must be of lawful good alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits an evil act.
Additionally, a paladin’s code requires that she respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth), help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents.
Associates: While she may adventure with characters of any good or neutral alignment, a paladin will never knowingly associate with evil characters, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. A paladin may accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are lawful good.
Ex-Paladins: A paladin who ceases to be lawful good, who willfully commits an evil act, or who grossly violates the code of conduct loses all paladin spells and abilities (including the service of the paladin’s mount, but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She may not progress any further in levels as a paladin. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.
[h2]THE PALADIN’S MOUNT[/h2]
The paladin’s mount is superior to a normal mount of its kind and has special powers, as described below. The standard mount for a Medium paladin is a heavy warhorse, and the standard mount for a Small paladin is a warpony. Another kind of mount, such as a riding dog (for a halfling paladin) or a Large shark (for a paladin in an aquatic campaign) may be allowed as well.
A paladin’s mount is treated as a magical beast, not an animal, for the purpose of all effects that depend on its type (though it retains an animal’s HD, base attack bonus, saves, skill points, and feats).
Code:
Paladin Bonus Natural Str
Level HD Armor Adj. Adj. Int Special
--------- ----- --------- ---- --- -------
Emphatic link, improved evasion,
share spells, share saving throws,
5th-7th +5 +7 +2 7 improved speed
8th-10th +7 +9 +3 8 Command creatures of its kind
11th-15th +9 +11 +4 9 Spell resistanceBonus HD: Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the mount’s base attack and base save bonuses. A special mount’s base attack bonus is equal to that of a cleric of a level equal to the mount’s HD. A mount has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The mount gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
Natural Armor Adj.: The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.
Str Adj.: Add this figure to the mount’s Strength score.
Int: The mount’s Intelligence score.
Empathic Link (Su): The paladin has an empathic link with her mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The paladin cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically.
Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible.
Because of this empathic link, the paladin has the same connection to an item or place that her mount does, just as with a master and his familiar (see Familiars).
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells: At the paladin’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts on herself also affect her mount.
The mount must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the mount if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the mount again even if it returns to the paladin before the duration expires. Additionally, the paladin may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her mount (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A paladin and her mount can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the mount’s type (magical beast).
Share Saving Throws: For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the paladin’s, whichever is higher. A paladin may also apply the bonus she gains from her divine grace ability to her mount’s saving throws. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have (except for divine grace).
Improved Speed (Ex): The mount’s speed increases by 10 feet.
Command (Sp):Once per day per two paladin levels of its master, a mount can use this ability to command other any normal animal of approximately the same kind as itself (for warhorses and warponies, this category includes donkeys, mules, and ponies), as long as the target creature has fewer Hit Dice than the mount. This ability functions like the command spell, but the mount must make a DC 21 Concentration check to succeed if it’s being ridden at the time. If the check fails, the ability does not work that time, but it still counts against the mount’s daily uses. Each target may attempt a Will save (DC 12 + 1/2 paladin’s level + paladin’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect.
Spell Resistance (Ex): A mount’s spell resistance equals its master’s paladin level + 10. To affect the mount with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the mount’s spell resistance.
