Fixing The Paladin

[Plane Sailing]

Hardhead, I'm astonished that you dismiss out of hand (don't even mention) the paladins excellent spell list... Who wouldn't want their unique spells like Bless Weapon (no need to confirm a crit? yowsa!), Protection from Evil (begone summoned fiends, I'll ignore you. And mind control). Dispel Evil (automatically dispel a magical effect!), Holy Sword (not as insanely great as the 3e version, but no slouch either)

It was the paladins spell list that made the ranger green with envy

 

[Li Shenron]

Assuming that your unsatisfaction is with power and not versatility, I was going to suggest the following (not all at the same time, just pick one or two...).

- instead of Remove Disease progression, give the Paladin first Remove Disease 1/day, then Neutralize Poison 1/day, then Remove Paralysis 1/day, and finally Remove Curse 1/day (quite the same as Sejs suggestion)

- instead of the normal Smite Evil progression, give him Smite Evil 1 per day per level (or per 2 levels if you are already giving him other bonuses)

- give the mount bonus feats (or let the Paladin take mounted combat feats)

- grant 1 domain power from his deity list; you may also give him the domain spells once he is able to cast, although he'll at most cast up to level 4th

- give him spontaneous casting of Summon Monster spells (LG only)

- give the chance to swap the divine mount for a celestial companion

 

[Torm]

When played right, the Paladin class has one big advantage, both to himself and to his party (although they may not always see it that way ) and even to his DM that you may not be taking into account, because it isn't a stat or stated ability for the class. Clarity of purpose. How many times has your party been arguing about how to handle a situation (and getting ready to turn a long period of a gaming session into bureaucracy), when the party paladin goes and does something that "decides" the matter quickly? You may not like it if it goes against how you wanted to handle it, but it DOES keep things moving.

I, obviously, like the Paladins pretty much the way they are. If there were one aspect of them that I might look at to change, it would be to unhitch some of their balance from their mount - not get rid of the mount as an option, but maybe provide some other packages that can be taken instead. Not all those who serve like animals, or like to be saddled (pardon the pun) with something else to provide care for.

 

[Thanee]

Plane Sailing already mentioned it, but I just want to second that the paladin spell list is very useful. Of course it's not a cleric or even a bard, but then again, you do have a full-fledged warrior class at your hands, so expecting any more powerful spells would be futile at best.

It's true, however, that some of the abilities are extremely situational.

Bye
Thanee

 

[mossfoot]

A different take I've seen on the Paladin was to make it a prestige class... though that is, or course, not what you had in mind. I just thought it was an interesting idea. It was in an issue of KODT, but I can't find it right now

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Immunity to Disease & Fear useless?

Ha!

I once felt that way but only when the entire party is brought low by one of those effects and only the Paladin stands firm do you realise how potent those abilities can be.

In a 3.0 game I played in the group fell victim to a Yellow Mold spore attack. Some players manage to escape the area but a couple didn't and were left in the room where the spores lingered. My paladin confindently walked into the room to retreive the two fallen comrades and once they were pulled to safety hit them with his Remove Disease ability. Fighting Werecreatures and Mummys also brought home how nice it is to be immune to disease. There were also a number of times (fighting dragons) where pretty much every character went screaming out of the room and were helpless with fear... not my Paladin.

From what it sounds like, your gripes come from the fact that your DM is not using Disease or Fear against your party when in reality they are attack forms that should never be overlooked. Fear effects force a Will save... what better way to get rid of pesky non-paladin tanks as the Warrior classes by and large have the worst Will saves in the game? Disease is great against Rogues and Arcane casters since they traditionally have weak Fortitude saves. The Paladin can walk through both and laugh. With anything else that he has to make a save against he gets his Divine Grace bonus.

Nope... I have to believe that if the DM is truely challenging the party by attacking their weaknesses it is the Paladin that really has none to attack and in such a situation can be the heroic ideal that the class is meant to be.

 

[Nightfall]

What Calico said.

Btw when I say SL that ALWAYS mean Scarred Lands. And while each campaign setting is different, with spells like Four Fold Forging, Prestige classes like Silver, Mithril, Iron and Gold Knight, Coreanic Steeds as mounts, along with the Body of Corean Spells to increase a Paladin's abilities, plus the Sacred Journey Spells, a Paladin is a force to be reckoned with in the Scarred Lands.

 

[Greybar]

One big advantage of Lay on Hands is definitely the ability to choose how much positive energy is going to go into it. So you can always keep one point of emergency healing handy. I have seen this pattern happen many times, particularly at low to middle levels:

Rogue: the Fighter's down, but I think he's still breathing!
Paladin: Righto. [pops 1 hit point of healing into him] All set until we can rest.

Not to mention the ability to save bystanders who got a piece of backlash from a fight in the same way, without blowing those all important healing spells.

Control. Discipline. Compassion. It's the Paladin's way.
(Disclaimer: may not be the Paladins way in your campaign... results may vary)

john

 

[Calico_Jack73]

If there is anything to the Paladin class that needs to be fixed it is the whole Moral Code and Alignment thing.

My view on the Palladin class allows my players to have a bit more freedom in character concept and frees them from the whole Moral Code problem. My view is that the Paladin is the hand picked champion of a god... not necessarily a Knight (that is what the Cavalier PrC is for). Some kid growing up in the sticks may have been chosen to be a champion but that kid wouldn't have the first clue on what the code of chivalry is. If there is a Moral Code beyond what is right and wrong then it is a personal one... two Paladins need not necessarily have the same Code. I'll develop it with a Paladin player and it will be between the DM (me) and the player. It is my belief that Paladins have been typecast into the D&D version of a "Knight" when Fighters could make even better Knights themselves. You could have a Knight (Fighter) who follows a stricter code than what the Farmboy Hero (Paladin) does.

Just my $0.02.

 

[spider_minion]

Personally, I think the paladin needs to have more built-in options. From what I've seen, their lack of versatility makes them less attractive options as a class. I'd reccomend making a list of holy powers the paladin might take instead of its default class abilities.

These could be based on the gad the paladin worships. A heavily lawful god might grant the power to smite and detect chaos; a paladin of a fire god could have a flame-protecting aura and a firery smite. A defender paladin could take blows for nearby allies (like the numerous bodyguard prestige classes). You get the idea.

I think the cure disease definately needs to be reaplaced. I like that hand of mercy power.

It also couldn't hurt to give the class two or three abilities on higher levels, juest to keep things interesting.