Condescension aside, I had a blast playing an "Arcane Paladin"- a true kludge from one of the last 3.5 campaigns I was in:
ANTARES WHITECHAPEL, Sword of Thoth (member of the Illuminated Society of Thoth): Marshal2/Duskblade2/Battle Sorcerer6 (Stalwart Sorcerer ACF)
The Marshal gets nifty auras, the 2 other classes get some necessary armored arcane spellcasting. Items, class features & feats make for more viability and "paladiny" flavor.
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ALTERNATIVE CLASS FEATURES:
Stalwart Sorc: +2 HP/lvl & WF for fewer spells known
Divine Companion "Maat": sub for Familiar- an invisible, intangible spirit guardian who Heals/Shields PC. The PC can sacrifice up to his caster level in targeted arcane spells, and that energy may be released to:
Heal (Su)- standard action, heals 1d6 per spell level expended (optional- energy discharged with translucent gold Ankh manifestation)
Shield (Su)- swift action, +1 deflection bonus to AC and resistance bonus to saves per level of spell energy expended, lasting 1rd/caster level (optional- energy discharged with translucent silvery ibis feather in circle manifestation)
(Unused stored energy is dissipated when the caster rests & recovers spell slots for the day; the Divine Companion cannot use its powers in antimagic field.)
FEATS:
Class Divine Companion (sub for Find Familiar)
Class WF: Longsword: +1 Att w/Longsword
Class Skill Focus: Diplomacy
Class Combat Casting
Lvl1 Celestial Sorcerer: You gain a bonus on saves against electricity and petrification equal to the number of celestial sorcerer feats you possess. You also add protection from evil to your list of 1st-level sorcerer spells known. This spell is in addition to the spells you gain normally based on your sorcerer level.
Human Celestial Sorcerer Lance (Su): As a standard action, you can expend a spell slot to create a 60-foot line of energy that deals damage only against creatures with an evil alignment. The bolt deals 1d8 points of damage per level of the spell slot spent to activate this ability. A Reflex save (DC 10 + the level of the spell slot expended + your Cha modifier) halves this damage.
CSL: 1d8/SpLvl Line vs evil only R:60' Ref: 10 + SpLvl + 3 for 1/2dam
Lvl3 Practiced Spellcaster (Battle Sorcerer): Your caster level for the chosen spellcasting class increases by 4. This benefit can't increase your caster level to higher than your Hit Dice. However, even if you can't benefit from the full bonus immediately, if you later gain Hit Dice in levels of nonspellcasting classes, you might be able to apply the rest of the bonus. A character with two or more spellcasting classes (such as a bard/sorcerer or a ranger/druid) must choose which class gains the feat's effect. This feat does not affect your spells per day or spells known. It increases your caster level only, which would help you penetrate spell resistance and increase the duration and other effects of your spells.
Lvl 6 Celestial Bloodline: Your ancestry gives you a bonus spell known at each spell level, starting at 1st. (Not a Sorcerer Heritage Feat)
Lvl9 Knowledge Devotion: One Knowledge skill of your choice is a class skills (KS:Religion) regardless of the class you are advancing. Whenever you fight a creature, you can make a Knowledge check based on its type, provided that you have at least one rank in the appropriate Knowledge skill, gaining an insight bonus on Att/Dam rolls against that creature type for the remainder of the combat.
Arcana: constructs, dragons, magical beasts
Dungeoneering: aberrations, oozes
Local: humanoids
Nature: animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, vermin
Religion: undead
The Planes: outsiders, elementals
The bonus value depends on your Knowledge check result, as given on this table:
Check Result Bonus Granted
Up to 15 +1
16—25 +2
26—30 +3
31—35 +4
36+ +5
MARSHAL AURAS (Ex):
Marshals may project one minor aura and one major aura at a time as a swift action, remaining in effect until a free action is used to dismiss it or another aura of the same kind (major or minor) is activated. Auras are dismissed if the Marshal is dazed, unconscious, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to be heard or understood by his allies. They can be active continually and can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before the Marshal takes his first turn.
Auras bonuses do not stack with each other, and affect the Marshal & allies (min Int 3+) in 60' radius who can hear & understand her.
Master of Tactics (Min): +3 circumstance bonus to damage rolls when flanking
Resilient Troops (Maj): +1 circumstance to all saves
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One thin utterly lacking is any form of Turn Undead.
