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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 6097362" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 310: August 2003part 4/9Champions of the divine: While the other classes just offer new subclasses and variant abilities, Paladins get a full set of new classes for each alignment, as in issue 106. Curiously, not one of them shares the same name as in the old ones, although they do bring back companion set style Avengers as the chaotic good option. Given that, it's also not surprising that they don't share abilities with them either, and are far more standardised than the old set, all having the same key ability scores, and gaining the same number of powers and spells, full BAB, armor and weapon access, and a single good save. (plus divine grace boosting them all) So while the changes are slightly more drastic than fighters or monks, they're all very recognisably paladins, making this pretty dull when compared with the old collection, but a good deal more balanced and playable. I find it strange that they missed this opportunity to throw a nostalgia bomb at us. Still, at least this gives us other options than losing your powers entirely when you change alignment. At least, if they add retraining. I wonder if that'll be tested out in the magazine before appearing in Unearthed Arcana. Roles of the wild: After three slightly more adventurous articles, we return to multiclassing advice for Rangers. Curiously, we only get 5 options, presented in more detail than the barbarian ones. Their biggest difference now is an extra couple of skill points per level, and not having to spend one on animal empathy, making them the best fighty class for getting into prestige classes without BAB-sacrificing multiclassing. Greater choice of combat styles helps with that too. And then of course there's urban rangers, which remain pretty popular despite their role being filled almost as well by rogues. This isn't hugely insightful either, as these even splits aren't the best way to optimise your character full stop. In a whistle-stop tour of the classes like this, there really really shouldn't be this much filler. Don't make me wish I'd snoozed through three issues in a row.</blockquote>

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