Paladin

Paladin Class Traits
Exp Rating: 3
Base Hitpoints: CHA/3 + CON/3
Level Hitpoints: 7 per level
Primary Attributes: Charisma, Strength, Constitution
Stamina: 2
Resolve: 2
Philosophies
Primary Class Philosophy: Divine Philosophy
Philosophy Training:
  • Rank 2 in Divine
  • 1 additional rank spent in Divine, Physical, or Mental
Disciplines:
Skills Training
Class Favored Skills:
Starting Skill Points:
  • 32 points to be spent in the above Class Skills. These points cannot be used to raise a skill above Rank 3.
Weapon & Armor Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiency: All Rank 1 & Rank 2 Weapons, and all Rank 3 Melee Weapons.
Armor Proficiency: All Rank 6 armors and less.
Shield Proficiency: All Rank 3 shields and less.
"Come and face me, foul Lich! By the Light of the Sun God, you will not torment the people of this city any longer! Send your horde of monsters at us all at once! We fear you not! My comrades and I will strike them down with righteous fury, and then we shall come for you!"
——Alexander Brightward, Anointed Warrior of the Blessed Light, challenging his latest adversary to open combat, much to the dismay of his party members

Paragons of Divine justice

The Paladin stands above others as a shining example of righteousness, compassion, morality and strength. They are holy warriors, sworn to uphold the laws and values of the patrons they serve. They do not bend the rules, they do not compromise with evil, and they are constantly in search of ways to aid the weak and mistreated. Paladins are notorious for their rigid views on right from wrong, sometimes to the great inconvenience of others. Occasionally, they even hinder conflicts covered in shades of grey because of their refusal to bend the rules as a matter of convenience. Despite this perceived shortcoming, Paladins understand that it is their example of unwavering dedication to the cause of justice, law and order that give others strength to stand up for themselves. Using them as a role model, the Paladin hopes their allies will do what is right should the time come.

Adventurers

Paladins are not as well suited to the adventuring life as other professions; their moral code preventing them and their comrades from participating in a great many otherwise lucrative ventures. The adventuring life of a Paladin is a difficult one; outside the church walls, they often find themselves questioning their own faith and discovering that the world around them is not as black and white as they believed it to be.

Still, if a Paladin is among the ranks of an agreeable group of heroes, the holy powers and strength of arms he brings to every new challenge cannot be denied. The Paladin is an unwavering ally and will never leave a comrade behind, protect himself over others, or turn and run in the face of evil. While sometimes they lack discretion against particularly powerful foes, it is a rare occurrence where the bravery of this holy warrior is not appreciated and admired by all who witness it.

History and Culture

Paladins emerged to prominence during the first great undead scourge that plagued the mortal plane, thousands of years ago. The need for a stronger divine presence had grown so great that some believe the holy power a Paladin wields may have actually come from a mortal yearning, an evolution of the spirit in order to ensure the survival of all humanoids. Given their ties to the faith they serve, this is largely speculation.

Paladins tend to frequent civilized locales more than most adventurers, usually working in conjunction with local churches or law enforcement. Most Paladins are summoned or given assignments by the church to deal with various threats, usually of an unholy nature, and as such a Paladin never stays in one place for too long. However, they tend to leave the mark of their god wherever they go, often inspiring those that they protect.

Alignment

Paladins are Lawful Good in almost all cases. Their strict code of chastity, chivalry, and valor demands nothing less. Their code also demands they vanquish evil and corruption wherever they encounter it, protect the innocent and offer charity when it is needed. To break that code is to betray their sacred vows and possibly lose access to their divine powers. In most cases this is permanent; occasionally, some Paladins are allowed to atone for their sins and regain their status and abilities, although these allowances are rare and the circumstances quite unusual.

Rituals

Paladins have the ability to become ritual casters. Rituals they would specialize in may include but are not limited to protection from evil and break enchantment. While they prefer ritual magic that helps them to carry out their duties, they are not restricted in what they may learn provided it does not conflict with their Paladin's oath.

Class Requirement

You must be of a Lawful Good Alignment to be a Paladin.

Class Features

♦ Divine Devotion – 1st Level
You utilize abilities granted through prayers offered up to your deity from the Divine Philosophy. Use Charisma to determine your Devotion and Divine Might when casting Divine Prayers. If you gain Divine Devotion from a different class feature, and that feature uses a different attribute, you may choose which attribute to use.
Devotion = ChaA + Casting Combat Training + LVLM + Misc. Bonuses
Divine Might = ChaP + Misc. Bonuses
♦ Divine Combatant – 1st Level
When making a Melee Basic Attack or Ranged Basic Attack, you may substitute your Divine Rank for Physical Rank for the purposes of using augments.
♦ Divine Focus – 1st Level
Many of your prayers require the use of a Divine Focus. You gain a Divine Focus for free that is appropriate for your Deity and alignment disposition.
♦ Fearless – 1st Level
You gain a +20 bonus to Defenses and Opposed Checks against abilities with the Fear keyword. Additionally, when you are subject to an ability or effect (including an injury) that causes Morale Damage, reduce the Morale Damage suffered by 1.
♦ Lay on Hands – 1st Level
You gain the Lay on Hands power.
♦ Savior's Aura – 1st Level
You gain the Savior's Aura power.
♦ Champion Against Evil – 1st Level
You gain the Smite Evil and Sense Evil powers.
♦ Turn Undead – 1st Level
You gain the Turn Undead power.
♦ Religious Arts – 1st Level
You gain access to the Religious Arts skill.
♦ Bonus Basic Savior Prayer – 1st Level
You master one Basic Prayer from the Savior Discipline. You must still meet all prerequisites of the chosen power.
♦ Divine Grace – 2nd Level
You gain a bonus on all Saving Throws equal to your Charisma Power [STB ChaP], with a minimum bonus of +1.
♦ Turn Hellspawn – 4th Level
You gain the Turn Hellspawn power.
♦ Basic Weapon Training – 5th Level
Decrease the Base Speed of any Weapon you wield by 1. This is a Class bonus. You must be proficient with the weapon to gain this benefit.
♦ Blessing of Health – 5th Level
The Paladin is Immune to All Diseases (Including Magical, etc).
♦ Advanced Melee Training – 13th Level
Decrease the Base Speed of any Melee or Thrown Weapon you wield by 1. This is a class bonus that stacks with Basic Weapon Training. You must be proficient with the weapon to gain this benefit.
♦ Legendary Melee Training – 21st Level
Decrease the Base Speed of any Melee or Thrown Weapon you wield by 1. This is a class bonus that stacks with Advanced Melee Training. You must be proficient with the weapon to gain this benefit.

Combat Training

Combat Training by Level
Type1st2nd3rd5th6th7th9th10th11th
Casting''?'''?''
Ranged''?'''?''
Melee'+1?'+1'?'?
Parry'+1?'+1'?'?
Fort+1''?'+1'?'
Reflex+1''?'+1'?'
Will+1''?'+1'?+1
  • 1st level, one point in Fortitude, one point in Reflex, and one point in Will.
  • 2nd level, one point in Melee Weapon Attacks and one point in Parry.
  • 3rd level, one point in your choice of the following: Casting, Melee Weapon Attacks, Ranged Weapon Attacks, or Parry.
  • 5th level, one point in your choice of the following: Fortitude, Reflex, or Will.
  • 6th level, one point in Melee Weapon Attacks and one point in Parry.
  • 7th level, one point in Fortitude, one point in Reflex, and one point in Will.
  • 9th level, one point in your choice of the following: Casting, Melee Weapon Attacks, Ranged Weapon Attacks, or Parry.
  • 10th level, one point in your choice of the following: Fortitude, Reflex, or Will.
  • 11th level, one point in Will and one point in your choice of the following: Melee Weapon Attacks or Parry.

Paladin Specialties

When your character earns a Class Specialty, you may choose one from the following list.

♦ Beacon of Light
You are considered to always have a Holy Symbol, becoming a symbol of faith in and of yourself. Additionally, you are always protected by an effect similar to the Ward Against Evil Ritual.
♦ Champion of Order
Your Sense Evil ability may now be used to alternatively sense Chaotic auras. The ability functions the same as Sense Evil does, except that it detects Chaotic auras instead of Evil ones. You may also use all of your Smite abilities against Chaotic creatures in addition to Evil creatures.
♦ Divine Fighter
For the purposes of choosing feats, you are considered to have a Martial Rank equal to your [Divine Rank – 1].
♦ Efficient Smite
When using a smite ability reduce the cost by 1 Stamina.
♦ Endless Morale
Increase your maximum morale by 1.
♦ Greater Smite
When you use the Smite Evil ability, and the Smite fails because the creature is not of Evil alignment, you do not need to pay the Stamina cost of your Smite.
♦ Great Savior
You may use two Aura Powers at a time to empower your Savior’s Aura, instead of just one.
♦ Holy Spirit
You are immune to all Curses, as long as the curse does not utilize your Truename.
♦ Strength of Character
You gain a bonus to saving throws equal to your Divine Rank against powers with the Mind-Affecting keyword. The bonus stacks with the bonus granted from Divine Grace.
♦ Stronger Sense Evil
You may now Sense Evil as a Free Action, instead of a Focus Action. Additionally, when you sense an evil presence you gain information as if you were focusing on the Evil for 1 round, and do not suffer an Affliction from exposure to the Evil unless you wish to concentrate on it for longer.