Foreword:
Those who seek to fight tyranny, to heal the sick, Those who fight darkness and help the fearful. They are the Paladins, and they fight for the good of others. They hope for peace, but fight an endless war against evil.
"Where Tyranny rules, Justice shall revolt
Who Fear holds, Hope shall free
Which Cruelty torments, Mercy shall reach
When Suffering spreads, I bring Release
Where Darkness Reigns, Light shall Conquer
Paladin" ~ Oath of the True Lightbringer Paladin order.
Gameplay Information:
Attributes: A paladin Favors strength, as it allows them better accuracy, and damage. Constitution for health and fortitude saves, and Charisma for saves, smite bonuses, and spells. Dexterity improves the paladin's reflex saves, AC, and Innitive.
Alignment: Any Good
Hit Die: 1d10
Starting Age: Moderate
Starting Gold: 150gp
Paladin
| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/encounter | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Divine Grace, Lay on hands | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Aura of Resolve, Enduring Personality | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Mercy, Battle Blessing, Mettle, Prayerbook | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Warden's Charge, Smite Evil 2/encounter | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Spellshatter 1/day | 4 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Bonus feat | 4 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Measure of Conviction, Mercy | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Spellshatter 2/day | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Bonus feat, Smite Evil 3/encounter | 4 | 4 | — | — |
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Hymnbook | 4 | 4 | 3 | — |
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Spellshatter 3/day, Mercy | 4 | 4 | 4 | — |
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Bonus feat | 4 | 4 | 4 | — |
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +4 | +9 | Improved mettle | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Spellshatter 4/day, Smite Evil 4/encounter | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Bonus feat, Mercy | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Wrathful Smiting | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Spellshatter 5/day | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 | Bonus feat | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 | Mercy, Smite Evil 5/encounter | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Abilities:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Paladins are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as a single exotic weapon. Paladins are also proficient with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Aura of Good (Ex): The power of a paladin’s aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to her paladin level.
Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell.
Smite Evil (Su): Once per encounter, a paladin may attempt to smite evil with one normal attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per paladin level. If the paladin accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect, and is not used up for the encounter.
At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per encounter, as indicated on Table: The Paladin, to a maximum of five times per encounter* at 20th level.
In addition to the normal effect, beginning at 5th level, whenever a creature is struck by the paladin's smite evil, that creature finds it difficult to cast spells or use magical items. For one round, any attempt to complete one of these actions requires a sucessful concentration check against a DC of (10+paladin level+charisma modifier); Failure means that the action fails. If a spell was being cast, the spell or spell slot is lost. If a magic item was being activated, the attempt mearly fails. Multiple Smite Evil attempts on the same creature do not have cumulative effect.
*An Encounter is a single unbroken period of combat. A period of 5 minutes must elapse for an encounter to be considered a separate instance.
Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Lay on Hands (Su): Starting at level 2, a paladin can channel 1d6+her charisma modifier positive energy damage* one time per day. For every 2 paladin levels afterwards, Lay on hands deals an additional 1d6 damage and can be used an additional time per day.
Lay on Hands is a swift action when the paladin uses it on herself, and a standard action when used on a friendly ally. When used offensively, The paladin must succeed a melee touch attack in order for the lay on hands to take effect. If she fails, the Lay on Hands has no effect and usage is lost for the day. A Paladin must have one hand free in order to use Lay on Hands.
* Positive energy heals Living and undying, but damages evil Outsiders and Undead
Aura of Resolve (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin is immune to compulsion and fear effects. Each ally within 30 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the paladin is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.
Enduring Personality (Ex): At 3rd level, a paladin becomes immune charisma damage and drain.
Battle Blessing (Ex): A Paladin can cast most of her paladin spell slots faster than normal. If the prepared spell normally requires a standard action, she can cast it as a swift action. If it normally requires a full round to cast, she can cast it as a standard action. Spells with longer or shorter casting times are not affected.
Mercies (Su): Slowly, over time, Paladins learn how to counteract more then just bleeding when the Lay on Hands. At 4th level, and every 4th level afterwards, a paladin may select a mercy from the following list, and each mercy applies whenever she uses her Lay on Hands ability to heal. Each mercy may be selected more then one time, so long as the paladin meets the minimum level prerequisite.
Spoiler
Name | Mercy | Minimum Level |
|---|
| Divine Influence | All variable numeric values of Lay on Hands are Maximized | 20 |
| Divine Verdict | You may affect upto 5 targets withing 30 feet of you with your lay on hands | 20 |
| Luck | Touched creature gets a +1 luck bonus to all rolls for 1 hour | 4 |
| Age | Cures 1d4 negative levels | 12 |
| Despair | As remove Curse | 8 |
| Poison | Completely removes one poison that the touched creature suffers from | 12 |
| Pestilence | Cures one disease the target suffers from | 4 |
| Disorientation | Cures Confusion | 4 |
| Sight | Cures Blindness | 8 |
| Hearing | Cures Deafness | 4 |
| Stone | As Stone to Flesh | 16 |
| Wellness | Cures 1d6 Ability damage/drain | 4 |
| Courage | Removes Shaken, or reduces Frightened and Panicked one step. | 4 |
Mettle (Su): The Paladin's conviction is so strong, that she is able to shrug off magical effects that would harm her. If a Paladin makes a successful Will or Fortitude saving throw that would normally reduce the spell's effect, she suffers no effect from the spell at all. Only those spells with a Saving Throw entry of "Will partial," "Fortitude half," or similar entries can be negated through this ability.
Improved Mettle (Su):As with Mettle, but the paladin also receives half damage on a failed Fortitude save, or partial effect on a failed Will save.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a paladin gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the paladin spell list*. A paladin must choose and prepare her spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, a paladin must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a paladin’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the paladin’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a paladin can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.
A paladin can cast any spell in her prayerbook without preparing it ahead of time. Paladins also have a Hymn book,
Through 3rd level, a paladin has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is three less then her paladin level.
Prayerbook: A paladin's prayerbook contains all spells on the paladin spell list*. Casting spells from her prayerbook takes no more time or effort then the spell would normally take.
*Add the following spells to the paladin's spell list: 1st—protection from law: 2nd—haste; 3rd—magic circle against law; 4th—dispel law, freedom of movement, Anarchic Sword.
Hymnbook: A paladin's Hymnbook contains mystic lore that each paladin believes would be of great benefit to her cause. A paladin may inscribe any spell from the Sorcerer and Favored Soul spell lists.
At 11th level, a paladin gains her Hymnbook, which begins with four spells each of each spell level that the paladin can wield. Two spells each from the Favored Soul and Sorcerer spell lists. Each time she levels, a spell each from the Sorcerer and Favored Spell list is automatically inscribed into the paladin's hymnbook.
In order to cast a spell from her hymnbook, a Paladin must spend 20 minutes studying the spell, or 1 hour total for many spells. any spells prepared from her hymnbook take two spell slots of their spell level to prepare though, and so she must decide whether preparation, or adaptability, is more important to her. These spells are treated as paladin spells for battle blessing.
Warden's Charge: A paladin at 5th level has to make her most important decision of her carreer. She decides whether to call to her service divine spirits or a majestic steed.
Mount:
Spoiler
Special Mount (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a paladin gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her in her crusade against evil (see below). This mount is usually a Griffon (for a Medium paladin) or a Medium Griffon (for a Small paladin).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin may magically call her mount from the celestial realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the paladin’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the paladin and remains for 2 hours per paladin level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the paladin may release a particular mount from service.
Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the paladin’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The paladin may not summon another mount for thirty days or until she gains a paladin level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the paladin takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Divine Spirit
Spoiler
Divine Spirit (Su): A Paladin beginning at 5th level can call forth the spirits of past Divine Crusaders. As a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, a Paladin can call forth a spirit from beyond the mortal realm.
| Level | Spirit |
| 5-9 | Spirit of Healing |
| 10-14 | Spirit of Combat |
| 15-19 | Spirit of Heroism |
| 20+ | Spirit of the Fallen |
Each Spirit has the following characteristics:
A Spirit takes up a 5' space on the battlefield
When summoned, the spirit appears within 30 feet of the paladin.
Spirits are insubstantial and transparent, and as such do not block line of sight or line of effect. They also can be moved through as though not occupying a square.
A spirit cannot attack or be attacked. It is not undead and cannot be turned. It is subject to dispel magic, dismissal, or banishment as if it were a summoned creature, using your paladin level as the caster level.
If you lose line of sight to a spirit, it disappears immediately.
You may summon a spirit by expending a use of Lay on Hands for the day.
A spirit remains for a number of rounds equal to your paladin level, until it is dismissed, or until special conditions in the spirit's description are met.
Spirit of Healing: The First spirit a paladin can summon is the Spirit of Healing. This spirit has a number of uses of Lay on Hands as the paladin, and each lay on hands heals for 1d3 hp per paladin level. The spirit must occupy the same square as the creature it is healing though.
Spirit of Combat: This spirit enhances combat ability. Whenever an ally (including yourself) is adjacent to the spirit of combat or occupying its space, that character gains holy fervor. Holy fervor grants a +1 sacred bonus on attacks and damage rolls for every four paladin levels you possess (up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level). In addition, affected characters' weapons are treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Spirit of Heroism: This spirit automatically occupies your space and does not leave until dismissed or dispelled, or the duration of the summoning ends. You gain DR 10/--. In addition, you gain the benefit of the Diehard feat (even if you do not meet the prerequisite) and can use your lay on hands ability as a free action once per round instead of as a swift action.
Spirit of the Fallen: At 20th level, a paladin can call fourth the mightiest of her spirits. While you or any of your allies are adjacent to this spirit, it grants fast healing 10 to those characters. If an affected character's hit points drop to 0 or fewer while within 30 feet of this spirit, it revives that character at the start of his next turn, allowing him to take his action as normal. The character heals an amount of damage equal to twice your paladin level, though if his hit points are still at -10 or below, he still dies. The spirit can use its revive ability once per round.
Spellshatter (Su): Once per day, beginning at 4th level, a Paladin can choose to deliver a targeted
Greater Dispel Magic with a physical attack she makes with a weapon attack. The decision to use this ability must be made before the attack is rolled. If the attack misses, the ability is wasted.
if the attack hits, treat this as if the paladin had cast Greater Dispel Magic on the creature struck, using twice her paladin level as the caster level (no maximum).
A paladin may use this ability an additional time each day every fourth level afterwards.
Bonus Feats: At 7th level, and every third level afterwards, a paladin recieves a bonus feat. This feat may be any feat of the Paladin's choosing, and she is considered a Fighter for any feat with which they are prerequisite.
Measure of Conviction (Ex): The Paladin's conviction strengthens, and she is now able to perform multiple attacks with a single use of her divine blow. Once activated, all bonuses of Smite Evil apply until the beginning of the Paladin's next turn.
Wrathful Smiting (Su): Beginning at 17th level, a paladin may sacrifice one of her uses of Smite Evil for each encounter in a day in order to deliver a massive shockwave of divine energy. As a Standard action, the paladin may perform a melee attack, and if she succeeds, she deals 1d6 holy damage per paladin level to each creature in a 20' burst from the struck creature.
Code of Conduct: A paladin must be of a good alignment. A paladin should act with honor and respect, help those in need, and to punish those who threaten or harm the innocent. A paladin who is not of good alignment looses all Supernatural abilities until she atones.
Paladin Afterlife: In death, a Paladin does not travel to the celestial plane of her alignment, but instead arrives at the Demiplane known as the Bastion of Righteous Hope. Here, paladins dine in magnificent mead halls, debate the best ways to fight evil, and prepare for raids on the infernal and Abyssal realms.
Paladin's Mount:
| Paladin Level | Bonus HD | Natural Armor Adj. | Str Adj | Int | Special |
| 5th-7th | +2 | +4 | +1 | 8 | Empathic Link, Improved Evasion, Share Spells, Share Saving Throws |
| 8th-10th | +4 | +6 | +2 | 9 | Improved Speed |
| 11th-14th | +6 | +8 | +3 | 10 | Command Creatures of Its Kind |
| 15th-20th | +8 | +10 | +4 | 11 | Spell Resistance |
Spoiler
Paladin’s Mount Basics: Use the base statistics for a creature of the mount’s kind, but make changes to take into account the attributes and characteristics summarized on the table and described below.
Bonus HD: Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Consitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the mount’s base attack and base save bonuses. A special mount’s base attack bonus is equal to that of a cleric of a level equal to the mount’s HD. A mount has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The mount gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
Natural Armor Adj.: The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.
Str Adj.: Add this figure to the mount’s Strength score.
Int: The mount’s Intelligence score.
Empathic Link (Su): The paladin has an empathic link with her mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The paladin cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically.
Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible.
Because of this empathic link, the paladin has the same connection to an item or place that her mount does, just as with a master and his familiar (see Familiars).
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells: At the paladin’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts on herself also affect her mount.
The mount must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the mount if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the mount again even if it returns to the paladin before the duration expires. Additionally, the paladin may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her mount (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A paladin and her mount can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the mount’s type (magical beast).
Share Saving Throws: For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the paladin’s, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.
Improved Speed (Ex): The mount’s speed increases by 10 feet.
Command (Sp): Once per day per two paladin levels of its master, a mount can use this ability to command other any normal animal of approximately the same kind as itself (for warhorses and warponies, this category includes donkeys, mules, and ponies), as long as the target creature has fewer Hit Dice than the mount. This ability functions like the command spell, but the mount must make a DC 21 Concentration check to succeed if it’s being ridden at the time. If the check fails, the ability does not work that time, but it still counts against the mount’s daily uses. Each target may attempt a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 paladin’s level + paladin’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect.
Spell Resistance (Ex): A mount’s spell resistance equals its master’s paladin level + 5. To affect the mount with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the mount’s spell resistance.