DotF Paladin Prestige Classes - Worth it?

[Malin Genie]

I've been planning the advancement of my Paladin character (currently only 1st level) and have wondered about heading toward either Hospitaler or Templar. I do plan to get Weapon Focus and the Mounted Combat tree of Feats anyway, so neither of the requirements are particularly onerous.

Hospitaler - d8 HD, give up smite and warhorse progression. Keep spell progression, lay on hands, and turn undead. Gain 4 bonus feats (by 10th level.)

Templar - gain cool abilities (Mettle, WS, DR, good Will save.) Retain Smite progression (and gain extra smites.) Gain own spell progression which is faster than the Paladin progression, but overall not as good a list IMHO. Lose lay on hands, turn undead, Paladin spell progression, warhorse progression, Ride as a class skill.

Are either of these PrCs worth it, or is straight Paladin a better destiny to aim for (I have never played a Paladin before, so would like input from those who have played one...)

And yes, I know it won't become an issue until 6th level or so, but my low-level feats may well depend on the choice I make....

 

[reapersaurus]

Well, the general impression held strongly by the few on this board that delve into such matters is that there are really no very good paladin PrC's put out by WotC..... yet.

This of course depends on what you see a paladin as being.
Most of the abilities a paladin gets in his class strongly define him, and there aren't any PrC's that properly take into account the paladin's abilities.
(For example, to not have a paladin PrC that continues the mount advancement is a CRIME.)

To sum up: (IMO) Paladins have to give up too much of what defines them to get not enough out of the PrC to make it worthwhile.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

For you it is to late now, , but when we started a new campaign at 6th level, one of my group members decided to play a paladin. He started with 1 level Fighter and Cleric, took some Levels Paladin and than went for the Hospitaler
Result: A Paladin without its Special Mount but with the Clerics Spell Casting ability (at least for 11 spell caster levels). When he is "finished" with Hospitaler, he will stay with Paladin...