Any word yet on 3.5 Paladins?

[KDLadage]

I would like to see (in the DMG) an optional Paladin-as-a-Prestige-Class treatment... same thing for Rangers and Barbarians.

 

[Raduin_Nimblegrund]

Alignment should stay the same... and I seriously doubt they are pushing for that kind of change in 3.5. (the way people are talking you would think that they are revamping the whole thing...) I think what they are changing is moving remove disease to the spell list, and giving them more abilities at later levels to look forward to. The paladin should be the best fighting class for taking out evil creatures... but as levels go on, he slowly gets outclassed by the fighter. I am hoping for more smites per day, myself, but I dont expect much; just something to keep high level paladin players happy. =]

 

[KDLadage]

Alignment should stay the same... and I seriously doubt they are pushing for that kind of change in 3.5. (the way people are talking you would think that they are revamping the whole thing...) I think what they are changing is moving remove disease to the spell list, and giving them more abilities at later levels to look forward to. The paladin should be the best fighting class for taking out evil creatures... but as levels go on, he slowly gets outclassed by the fighter. I am hoping for more smites per day, myself, but I dont expect much; just something to keep high level paladin players happy. =]

Not wanting to start an argument, or hijack the thread... but I would like to know a couple of things:

1. Why should the Paladin remains a LG only class? Certainly the Lord of Chaos or the Lords of Evil have thier own Holy Warriors do they not?
2. How would opening the class up to other alignments and showing how they might differ (especially if that discussion were reserved for the DMG) be a complete revamp? It would be the addition of options best I acn see.
3. I agree that the Paladin should be the best at fighting that which s/he is dedicated to fighting (Lawful Good paladins against the Evil and Chaos for example). Asside from a rather borish more smites per day how else could you see doing this?

 

[kibbitz]

Not wanting to start an argument, or hijack the thread... but I would like to know a couple of things:

1. Why should the Paladin remains a LG only class? Certainly the Lord of Chaos or the Lords of Evil have thier own Holy Warriors do they not?
2. How would opening the class up to other alignments and showing how they might differ (especially if that discussion were reserved for the DMG) be a complete revamp? It would be the addition of options best I acn see.
3. I agree that the Paladin should be the best at fighting that which s/he is dedicated to fighting (Lawful Good paladins against the Evil and Chaos for example). Asside from a rather borish more smites per day how else could you see doing this?

1. Probably a throwback to the past, as well as keeping specifically to the term Paladin perhaps? As pointed out, other alignments might have Holy Warriors and not Paladins, per se.

2. Well, you could take the Paladin as a specific implementation of a Holy Warrior for the Lawful Good, I guess. Reverse engineer the class and keep it non-alignment specifc and you'd have something which probably won't be messier than any other class, except that you'd have more tables or whatever for alignment/deity-specific abilities.

3. Well, perhaps by endowing more and proper abilities that help to identify the Paladin as a Champion of Lawful Good? Could be done as someone pointed out, make Paladin-specific Feat Chains with interesting feats borrowed from the various handbooks and instead of forcing abilities upon them, let them pick those abilities?

 

[KDLadage]

1. Probably a throwback to the past, as well as keeping specifically to the term Paladin perhaps? As pointed out, other alignments might have Holy Warriors and not Paladins, per se.

Then a whole host of 'Holy Warriors' as a core class needs to be defined, wouldn't you say? At least that is how I am handling it in my games.

2. Well, you could take the Paladin as a specific implementation of a Holy Warrior for the Lawful Good, I guess. Reverse engineer the class and keep it non-alignment specifc and you'd have something which probably won't be messier than any other class, except that you'd have more tables or whatever for alignment/deity-specific abilities.

Something like that, yes.

3. Well, perhaps by endowing more and proper abilities that help to identify the Paladin as a Champion of Lawful Good? Could be done as someone pointed out, make Paladin-specific Feat Chains with interesting feats borrowed from the various handbooks and instead of forcing abilities upon them, let them pick those abilities?

Sounds good. I would like to point you to the UMBRAGIA boards here at ENWorld. I would specifically like your feedback on the work we are doing to make the Priest and Holy Warrior concepts more faith based, rather than cookie-cutter implementations.

 

[Valiantheart]

Well you could automatically allow them to imbue any held weapon with Holy or Unholy power at higher levels. I assume a Neutral Pal would have to choose between Lawful and Chaotic. I dont know how you could have a True Neutral Pal though.....Champion of apathy or undecidedness maybe.

 

[Knight Otu]

Knight Otu and Derrick Reeves: why do you assume that it isn't any of those?

While I admit that guessing the abilities from the Blackguard is not the same as revealing the paladin class, I think it is save to assume that Piratecat did not mean those changes based on the excerpt. Plus, I think if Piratecat talks about a very interesting change, I tend to believe it to be something more flavorful.

But yes, basically it is just a guess.

 

[KDLadage]

Well you could automatically allow them to imbue any held weapon with Holy or Unholy power at higher levels. I assume a Neutral Pal would have to choose between Lawful and Chaotic. I dont know how you could have a True Neutral Pal though.....Champion of apathy or undecidedness maybe.

If you have access to the old DRAGON magazines, go check out the article A PLETHORA OF PALADINS. The True Neutral guy was a force (of nature) to be reconned with... I believe the class name was Paramander (sp?) with an insane version known as Paramandyre (sp?).

 

[Argent Silvermage]

I have always thought that the Paladin should be a Neutral Good class. or all good alignments. It's the positive energy power that makes him what he is. If he's lawful he is just more "knightly".

 

[Utrecht]

I am hoping it's going to be one of the following:

1. Celestial Companion (like the Holy Liberator) instead of Bonded Mount so that it would be more useful in a dungeon environment.

I do not know if this is THE change - but I have heard that a change similar to this is going to be made.