Alternate Paladin Class Features

[Nahat Anoj]

I'm redesigning paladins so that they're Cha primary and decided that, while I'm at it, I might as well give them some neato class features. Basically, I've decided that like how invokers have Covenants, paladins have Callings. I have three that I'm working on: Protector's Calling (tankadin), Redeemer's Calling (focused a bit more on the leader subrole), and Vindicator's Calling (basically an avenging paladin, but I use "vindicator" to avoid confusion with the avenger class).

Like the standard paladin, these pallies have Divine Challenge (DC). Like invokers, these pallies get two Channel Divinity (CD) powers: one that blasts undead and another based on Calling. In addition, each Calling gets a bonus that hopefully reinforces the subrole that the Calling is supposed to represent.

Here are the Callings:

Divine Calling

You have heard the call of your deity deep within your soul. Perhaps it was an impulse to ardently defend of the meek, a desire to lead others to salvation, or a righteous thirst to avenge wrongs. Whatever the case, through long years of training and prayer you have striven to answer this call and have developed an affinity for your chosen path.

Choose one of the options described below. The Divine Calling you choose provides you with a Channel Divinity power and also provides bonuses to certain paladin powers, as detailed in those powers.

Protector's Calling
Defending the followers of your deity and those under your care is the imperative of your calling. Whenever you use a divine power that lets you mark a target, the marked target receives an additional -1 penalty to attacks that don't include you.

Channel Divinity: You gain the Channel Divinity power divine intervention.

Redeemer's Calling
Your calling is to relieve the suffering of others and deliver them from darkness. You gain another daily use of Lay on Hands.

Channel Divinity: You gain the Channel Divinity power divine mettle.

Vindicator's Calling
Your god has chosen you to be its weapon, smiting those who oppose you and your faith. When you are wielding a two-handed weapon and using a divine power with the weapon keyword, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls against targets marked by you.

Channel Divinity: You gain the Channel Divinity power divine strength.

I feel like the side benefit for Vindicator's Calling is too wordy, but I'm not sure how to make it more concise. In addition, the benefit for Redeemer's Calling seems a little weak - I'm thinking of using something like Healer's Lore instead of (or maybe in addition to) the extra daily use of LoH.

Divine Mettle and Divine Strength are basically as they appear in the PH. Here's Divine Intervention:

Channel Divinity: Divine Intervention
You petition your deity to stymie an attack that would otherwise harm an ally.
Encounter; Divine
Immediate Interrupt Close burst 5
Trigger: An enemy marked by you hits an ally with an attack that targets AC.
Target: One enemy in burst
Effect: The enemy receives a penalty to the attack equal to your Wisdom modifier.

For those who are interested, here's Excoriate Undead:

Channel Divinity: Excoriate Undead
You shine like a beacon of righteousness and shout a condemnation to undead foes, searing them with holy light and compelling them to face you in combat.
Encounter; Divine, Implement, Radiant
Minor Action Close burst 5
Target: Each undead creature in the burst
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: 1d10 + Charisma modifier radiant damage, and you pull the target a number of squares equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). In addition, the target is marked until the end of your next turn.
Level 5: 2d10 + Charisma modifier radiant damage.
Level 11: 3d10 + Charisma modifier radiant damage.
Level 15: 4d10 + Charisma modifier radiant damage.
Level 21: 5d10 + Charisma modifier radiant damage.
Level 25: 6d10 + Charisma modifier radiant damage.
Miss: Half damage, and the target is not pulled or marked.

Let me know what you think!

 

[Garthanos]

Just a quickie for now why would the divine intervention be only AC?

 

[Garthanos]

Vindicators calling without the 2 handed weapon restriction reads better... I agree the avenging Paladin had its toes stepped on pretty badly with the new class name.

A charisma primary paladin build makes some cool sense
Their attacks are guided by their connection to the divine
and strong by virtue of their spirit! (both are charisma traits)

 

[Nahat Anoj]

Just a quickie for now why would the divine intervention be only AC?

Originally I had it so that it was to attacks against any defense (AC, Fort, Ref, Will), but I changed it because it felt too strong if it was to all of those. But I'm not completely set on the current version - I need to playtest this a few times to see if it feels right.

Vindicators calling without the 2 handed weapon restriction reads better...

It does. But, my conception for vindicating paladins is that, like great weapon fighters, they do lots of damage but don't have as good defenses. Creatures who ignore them in order to attack the squishier PCs do so at their own peril. I want to keep the 2H requirement because that encourages vindicating paladins to forgo the use of a shield in favor of 2H weapons. I figure the gain in offense is balanced by the loss in defenses.

A charisma primary paladin build makes some cool sense
Their attacks are guided by their connection to the divine
and strong by virtue of their spirit! (both are charisma traits)

I agree. The current Str-based pallies lose their good basic attacks, but they have reduced MAD and, with the Melee Training feat in PH2, all paladins can get good basic attacks pretty easily.

 

[Garthanos]

I agree. The current Str-based pallies lose their good basic attacks, but they have reduced MAD and, with the Melee Training feat in PH2, all paladins can get good basic attacks pretty easily.

If MAD were evenly distributed it wouldn't be as much of an issue but Paly's are pretty picked on in this regard.

I like the term "Callings" that has a definite connection. You may note I react to an will comment on flavor as well as mechanics ;-)

Apparently the baseline "divine", should be called the "Lords of Light" -- Or maybe kind of like Egypt having many sun gods one for morning son and others for noon day sun etc.

I mean wouldnt Bahamut be fire?
I think something with a Norse cast to it.. with lightning and thunder and sky all of over the place might be interesting too. Not as devoted to smashing the undead but cool anyway.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

Thanks for the feedback, Garthanos.

I'm thinking of changing Redeemer's Calling to:

Redeemer's Calling
Your calling is to relieve the suffering of others and deliver them from darkness. You gain another daily use of Lay on Hands. In addition, the target of your Lay on Hands may make a saving throw.

Channel Divinity: You gain the Channel Divinity power divine mettle.

That seems like it would help boost LoH a bit in the redeeming paladin's own "saving the world" sorta way.

 

[Garthanos]

Im curious wouldn't some of these Callings work nicely flavor wise if you had a wisdom build... no not vindicator.. but maybe redeemer or protector.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

Im curious wouldn't some of these Callings work nicely flavor wise if you had a wisdom build... no not vindicator.. but maybe redeemer or protector.

Yeah the redeemer and protector are Wisdom secondary. The vindicator is Strength secondary. The way I want them to work is that they are all basically defenders. The Protector's Call is the best calling for straight-up defendering. The Redeemer's call if you want a good side dose of Leader - this paladin defends by making his allies harder to kill. And the vindicator is your Striker-like Defender, doing lots of damage if you ignore him.

When I'm rewriting the powers, I'm not only making them Cha-based but I'm trying make it so that it's more optimal or generally worth the monster's time to fight the paladin. Some powers, like Enfeebling Strike, make it harder for a monster to hit both a paladin's allies *and* the paladin. In general, I don't think that's a good idea for the paladin in his capacity as a Defender - he should encourage monsters to attack him as much as possible. So I changed Enfeebling Strike to make it work the way I'd like (it's called Warding Strike now).

Here are the at-wills (most are modified, one is made up):

Bolstering Strike
Your attack against a hated foe emboldens and invigorates your allies.
At-Will; Divine, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage. If the target is marked by you, allies adjacent to you receive temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Charisma at 21st level.

Daunting Strike
Your powerful assault forces your enemy to fall back.
At-Will; Divine, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: Charisma modifier damage, and you push the target 1 square if it is your size, smaller than you, or one size category larger. You can shift into the space that the target occupied.

Holy Strike
You strike your chosen enemy with your weapon, which ignites with holy light.
At-Will; Divine, Radiant, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage. If the target is marked by you, you do additional damage equal to your Strength Modifier.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Charisma modifier + Strength modifier at 21st level.

Valiant Strike
(Same flavor text)
At-Will; Divine, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma + 1 per enemy adjacent to you vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Charisma modifier at 21st level.

Warding Strike
You imbue your attack with protective magic, making it harder for your foe to harm those under your protection.
At-Will; Divine, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage. If the target is marked by you, it takes a penalty to attacks that don't include you equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Charisma at 21st level.

 

[sora7548]

but where would you fine paladin calling, sure protection,blade of light, shackles of justice. in what book did this power come from and where would you look.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

but where would you fine paladin calling, sure protection,blade of light, shackles of justice. in what book did this power come from and where would you look.

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're asking.