Good PrCs for Paladins?

[johnsemlak]

I"m looking for a good PrC for a Paladin that really enhances the character's abilities. Many of the ones I see aimed at LG fighter-types offer abilites the Paladin already has (smite) or offer the +1 Divine Spellcasting Level, which for a paladin not multiclassed into a cleric sucks.

Actually, my search so far has led me to believe the solution is to stick as a straight paladin, but I'm open to ideas.

 

[Liquidsabre]

From the core books only or are setting books available too?

 

[johnsemlak]

Sorry, should have specified.

The books allowed in this particular campaign are the Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, and 3.5 Core books. Unfortunately, this rules out books like the BoED.

 

[Liquidsabre]

I really enjoy the Cavalier from complete warrior though you won't be able to enter it until 8th level and it'll pretty much suck up all your feats to qualify (all mounted feats). Still a fav though as some very neat stuff comes from it: deadly charge/day, improved wpn focus (lance/sword), and the best of all are the levels of Cavalier contribute to a paladin's special mount progression. I'm a sucker for the mounted knight with shining lance battling the dragon sort.

Knight of the Chalice doesn't provide any synergies but is fun for a crusader against evil outsider paladin-typen and Knight Protector is another fav of mine because it's so fitting to the knight in shining armor paladin-type, not to mention the special class ability supreme cleave at 3rd lvl.

As for Complete Divine: Hospitaler is pretty good, you lose special mount progression and staggered spell progression in return for continued lay on hands, remove disease is still had by 3rd, and you get bonus feats from the PrC every 4 levels starting at first. Pious Templar gets it's own spell-casting, good Fort/Will saves, full BAB progression, DR/-, weapon specialization later on and some bonus feats. Mettle is had at first level and is the fighter-type's version of evasion: magical effects that have Fort/Will saves partial instead suffer no effects of these spells at all on a successful save.

I haven't really looked at Divine Crusader, though it looks like it offers little except some strange spell-casting in a single domail spell list, all the interesting stuff is had at the PrC's higher levels. Wouldn't recommend it at-a-glance.

All in all I'd probably mix and match believe it or not between Pious Templar and Cavalier for some interesting combinations, but that's just me. Have fun!

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

There aren't any really good prestige classes for paladins.

Some are good for characters who focus on mounted combat (Halfling Outrider, Cavalier, Hospitaller) and offer mount progression for paladins.

Others are decent for melee combat. Knight of the Chalice is good against demons and Hunter of the Dead is pretty good against Undead. Neither is obviously better than straight up paladin though except in their narrow range of expertise. Pious Templar offers continued smite progression and better saves.

Really, however, the core paladin class is the only way to maintain all of the paladin abilities.

Pious Templar gives up the mount progression and lay on hands abilities for slightly better smiting, slightly better spellcasting (if nothing else, the Templar gets its highest level spells slightly sooner and also has a couple of low level spells from paladin).

Hospitaller gives up mount progression and a little bit of spellcasting but gets some bonus feats.

If your DM doesn't require you to actually have the domain (the prerequisites are at odds with the flavor text and are oddly worded), Warpriest is a promising prestige class for paladin.

Properly power-gamed (for instance, Pal 6/Ftr 1/Divine Crusader (strength or mysticism) 4/Warpriest or Hospitaller 8 or 9 increasing Divine Crusader levels), Divine Crusader works well for paladins, however such a character is really a Divine Crusader rather than a paladin and functions as such.

 

[sledged]

The books allowed in this particular campaign are the Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, and 3.5 Core books. Unfortunately, this rules out books like the BoED.

Well, I was going to suggest the Vassal of Bahamut (BoED) or the Platinum Knight (Drac), but since those options aren't available to you, I recommend you just stick with Paladin levels.