Exchanging Class Abilities - Paladin

[masque]

For the longest time, she was nobody special. She lived in a tiny farming village. She tended the fields and the animals. She was courted by one or two boys, and was even thinking of marriage. Then, she was Called.

It was the right thing to do, heeding the Call. She left her friends and her family to do what her god bid. However much she loved her god, and knew with absolute conviction that what she was doing was Right, there was always a nagging, selfish desire to be nobody special.

This is a character concept I came up with after reading a few too many paladin argument threads. A normal person (female because I can’t play male characters to save my life) who was called to be a paladin, and wants to be normal, but her convictions will not allow her to be. Essentially the one spiritual weakness that could cause her to fall from grace.

I can’t see this character utilizing the special mount, and I’m looking at reducing armor proficiency to light and reducing martial weapon proficiency to farm and hunting weapons (flails, scythe, light axes). I was thinking that Endurance or Run or one of the +2/+2 feats would be a decent trade for medium and heavy armor proficiency. But I don’t know what to trade for the special mount, mostly because I’ve never played or played with a paladin so I’m not sure of its usefulness.

An extra spell-like ability on the order of remove disease? Spontaneous curing? Extra fighting feats? Full turning progression? Charisma bonus to AC? Feats from BoED (I don’t have it, unfortunately)? Does Unearthed Arcana suggest anything?

 

[Darklone]

Don't think so.... D&D is not built to start with farmerboy characters. I fear I can only offer you the houserule section with alternative starting classes and paladin as prestigeclass (similar to UA).

 

[masque]

Don't think so.... D&D is not built to start with farmerboy characters. I fear I can only offer you the houserule section with alternative starting classes and paladin as prestigeclass (similar to UA).

I'm not really looking for a "farmerboy" character. I'm just customizing the base class, mostly looking for a mountless paladin class, and how that would be balanced.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Hm.

The paladin is supposed to be a martial class. You're taking away its martial advantages (good weapons, armor, and mount). Are you planning on playing your character (nice concept, very Jeanne d'Arc) as a melee type? If not, then perhaps you should think about playing more of a cleric "optimized" for spellcasting?

Or, if you want to keep the paladin, you could give it a better spell progression. I was thinking about a bard-like spell progression, but then you'd have to play a lot with the spell list.

AR

 

[Crothian]

While you may be taking things away from the class, you ar enot limiting the character. You can keep the wepaons and armor stuff, and just not use them. Few people make use of all of those anyway. Most stick with a weapon and light armor. THe mount can be useful, it depends on the player.

Personally, I'd create a fighter with a few levels of cleric with what you are doing.

 

[shilsen]

While you may be taking things away from the class, you ar enot limiting the character. You can keep the wepaons and armor stuff, and just not use them. Few people make use of all of those anyway. Most stick with a weapon and light armor. THe mount can be useful, it depends on the player.

Personally, I'd create a fighter with a few levels of cleric with what you are doing.

What he said. A cleric can be called just as a paladin is, as long as your DM works with you where this is concerned.

 

[Moorcrys]

I've removed mounts from my paladins and allowed them an item familiar (from the variant rule in Unearthed Arcana). In my campaign it's their weapon imbued with the power of their patron -- as they grow in stature it grows in power and establishes itself as a conduit between them and their deity (kinda like the old paladin's Holy Weapon abilities). It also acts as a visible symbol of the paladin's purity and blessed nature.

You could easily do that with your paladin, allowing something personal to them to become their item familiar... a family heirloom, a rusty old weapon held by the family for generations, anything simple and humble would seem to fit your character.

Moorcrys

 

[dcollins]

House Rules, please.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Staying within the pale of the class as it is written, I'll offer a few suggestions. Reguarding the weapon and armor proficiencies, I'd say this calls for self limitation. The character concept I had for my Bard character was a storyteller, so he only took levels in oratory, thus "depriving" me of eight class skills.

As for the special mount, how about a riff on the story of St. Francis and the wolf of Gubbio. Instead of a war horse, get a wolf companion that receives special abilities identical to special mount.

 

[Darklone]

Did you check the Favored Soul in the MiniHB? It might fit the background better than a usual paladin...