What would an Anti-Paladin be like?

[gamecat]

IMHO, there is no anti-paladin class. Good is accepting. Good will accept you as a champion before you've proved yourself. Evil, on the other hand, is selfish, and will only acknowledge you after you've shown what a badass (a blackguard) you are.

 

[demiurge1138]

In defense of my "anti-paladin", it was done as more of an intellectual excersise to directly reverse the paladin's abilities than as a viable class. I would really just take the blackguard as written and roleplay him to a certain standard for an in-game anti-paladin.

Demiurge out.

 

[S'mon]

Alright, let me ask you guys this then. If an Anti-Paladin is Lawful Evil, then *what* do you call a fighter type character with unholy abilities like harming someone, being a carrier of disease, having an unholy aura against good, being able to smite good, having bonuses due to charisma, and able to cast unholy spells, that has an alignment of Chaotic Evil?? A 'Evil Chaotic Paladin'???? And don't tell me they don't exist, thats avoiding the question. Give me a real answer.

Chaos Warrior or Knight of Chaos, as in Warhammer. My anti-paladins are more like that anyway. I'd use 'Black Knight' as the LE equivalent.

 

[Eldorian]

One thing about the blackguard art in the DMG. It's horrible. But in the epic handbook.. The blackguard is the single coolest looking character in the book, IMO. As for the blackguard as a core class or the paladin as a prestige class.. well.. I can see arguements both ways. In fact, I think I favor the paladin as a prestige class, from a RP perspective. One does not become a paragon of virtue and goodness while an apprentice, ya know? However, that said, the Paladin and the Blackguard need enhanced undead abilites to compensate for not being 20 level classes. And the paladin would need his abilites spread throughout his 10 levels, instead of bunched up in the first 6, like the core class. I also advocate making them +1 divine caster level per every other level, so as to facilitate cleric multiclasses.

Eldorian Antar

 

[Chun-tzu]

I've always considered the concept of an Anti-Paladin as the opposite of a Paladin to be flawed. Other posters, in this thread and others, have already discussed why it's a bad idea from the start, because of the differences between good and evil.

Any kind of black knight should not be "the opposite" of a Paladin, but a dark reflection. I can't see a chaotic order of knights. Dark paladins, like the Knights of Takhisis, should have some kind of code of honor; chaotic evil knights would not. Being a reflection of the original, it would be identical in many ways, but different in others. I don't think that a dark knight should have the same abilities as a Paladin, but reversed. Their powers should reflect what they're made to do, whether that's acting as tyrants, or executioners/vigilantes, or whatever function they have.

 

[Alzrius]

On the name thing, "anti-paladin" seems like a stupid name anyway. It's completely lacking in originality, and reduces the entire class to a stereotype of just being everything a Paladin isn't (provoking the debate seen here). No evil character with any self-respect, regardless of alignment, would call himself that.

 

[s/LaSH]

My consideration turned up the following theory: Replace positive energy with negative energy. That's going to make the biggest difference. Anyone can swing a sword, but not everyone can heal with a touch or stride through a pit of diseased otyughs without fear. Really, the big 'thing' the paladin has is the magic '+' signs in his aura.

What happens when you invert that energy? Well, negative energy is generally associated with the undead, causing harm, and general evil. Not so much chaos.

So yeah, I'd say Lawful Evil only, with abilities that harm instead of heal, but otherwise serving much the same purpose - a charismatic leader type with a cause.