Crusader, Paladin (4e Class Variant)
![]() |
---|
Image by pulyx |
“ | Holy Avengers, these Crusaders fight valiantly for justice, throwing themselves headfirst in to their cause. | ” |
—JohnSmith82 |
Class Traits |
Role: Defender, Striker. A melee striker and defender, they shift between dealing damage to the damned and defending their allies from the injust. They are as much guardians as they are crusaders of justice. |
Power Source: Divine and Martial. Crusaders employ basic, martial attacks, that are enhanced by their divine vigor and will. |
Key Abilities: Strength, Wisdom |
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail, scale, plate; light shield, heavy shield |
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee, simple ranged |
Implements: Holy Symbol |
Bonus to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex, +1 Will |
Hit Points at 1st Level: 15 + Constitution score |
Hit Points per Level Gained: 6 |
Healing Surges per Day: 10 + Constitution modifier |
Trained Skills: Religion. From the class skills list below, choose 3 more trained skills at 1st level. Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Arcana (Int), Athletics (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), History (Int), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Religion (Int) |
Build Options: Crusader |
Class Features: Crusader's Wrath, Divine Aura, Holy Glyphs, Seals, Judgments, Blessings, Lending Hand, Lay on Hands |
Class Overview
Name: Crusaders
Characteristics: The crusader is a predominately melee striker and defender who uses divine powers and seals to enhance melee basic attacks. They don't gain daily powers, but do gain a scaling Encounter power and possess a number of augmentations for their melee basic attacks, as well as inherent abilities. They gain an extra Utility power at level 2, 6, 10, 16, and 22. They also gain access to an additional Seal at level 11 and 21, and additional Judgements and Glpyhs at level 7, 13, and 23. They are an essentials-style class, but differ in some ways.
Religion: A divine protectors of justice, they are heavily inspired by religion. While some are strong believers of their faith, others see it more as a means to an end, or only pay partial reverence to the Gods. Others still are more agnostic or Atheistic, and pay homage to the "Divine Light" of creation, and respect all living creatures and morality. While all crusaders are inspired by their faith, not all are inspired by Good. While all Crusaders believe their righteous, moral crusade is for the betterment of mankind, many Crusaders stray from the moral path, and grow to worship dark, or evil Gods. This Crusaders often believe themselves to be doing the right thing, but are authoritarian or ruthless in their execution. All Crusaders are uncompromising in their convictions, and this extremism can lead to the darker side.
Races: The Crusader naturally favors races with high Strength and Wisdom. This includes the Goliath, Minotaur and Shifter. Any strength based race can benefit, and humans are particularly effective in the role. Dwarves and muls are naturally inclined towards the role, as are Dragonborn. }}
Creating a Crusader
- Ability Scores
Strength should be your primary ability. As almost all of your powers and attack rolls utilize strength for the attack and damage roll, strength should be the primary ability, and 20 strength at character creation is recommended for power characters or strikers. However, wisdom is extremely important, as well. Virtually all of your secondary powers use wisdom, and many of your secondary damage roles use Wisdom. Wisdom is almost as important as strength, although some builds can get away with lower wisdom levels. 20/16 or 18/18 is recommended. 20/14 or 18/16 are plausible, albeit weaker builds.
- Feats
Crusaders emphasize durability and power. Feats which boost your defenses, such as toughness or improved defenses, will naturally augment your high defenses. Damage feats, such as weapon proficiency or expertise feats, should not be neglected, especially if you are going a more striker oriented route. Feats built for the Crusader should be considered, as should racial feats that are particularly powerful, such as Dwarven Weapon Training.
- Equipment
As you are a heavy armor dependent class with secondary abilities that do not boost lightly armored defenses (such as dexterity or intelligence), you should start with the highest armor you can, or plate. Choosing heavy shields or two-handed weapons will be your biggest choice; if you want to do more damage, you should go with two-handed weapons, which also can receive additional benefits with certain powers. As all of your melee attacks can substitute your enhancement with your implement bonus instead, and your minion attacks will be dependent on your implement bonus, it is wise to choose a magical holy symbol. Otherwise, standard adventuring gear is suggested.
- Implement Bonus
When you wear or hold your holy symbol, you can add its enhancement bonus to the attack rolls and the damage rolls of powers that have the implement keyword. You can also add its enhancement bonus to the attack rolls and the damage rolls of weapon attacks you make using a weapon with which you have proficiency.
You can also use a weapon with which you have proficiency as an implement. When wielding the weapon as an implement, the weapon's characteristics-proficiency bonus, damage die, and weapon properties like defensive or high crit-are irrelevant to your implement powers.
If you have both an implement and a magic weapon, you choose before you use an attack power whether to draw on the magic of the implement or the weapon. Your choice determines which enhancement bonus, critical hit effects, and magic item properties and powers you can apply to that power. You can't, for example, use the enhancement bonus of implement and the critical hit effect of your magic weapon with the same attack.
Crusader Class Features
Crusader's use melee basic attacks for most of their attacks, and generally modify them in order to do extra damage. Seals and Auras in general are passive benefits that always provide your character with a bonus, where as Blessings, Lending Hands and Judgments tend to be situational. Crusaders function as either Strikers or Defenders, capable of using a mixture of both to increase the damage of their attacks or increase their defending abilities. Crusader's possess a wide variety of special abilities, and can function mildly as leaders. Crusader Melee basic attacks gain both the Martial and Divine keyword, but still use strength for the attack and damage rolls.
Crusader's Wrath
When wielding a weapon, you gain a +1 bonus to all attack rolls.
Lay on Hands
You gain an additional healing surge. In addition, you can use your second wind as a minor action to heal an ally of your choice within 5 squares of you. If you do so, you gain no benefit from using your second wind, but the ally regains hit points equal to his or her healing surge value.
Divine Aura
You gain access to divine Auras. Divine Auras are auras that augment your character in innate ways. The Defender aura causes a -2 penalty to allies who don't target you and allows for opportunity attacks, as normal defender auras do. The other three auras effect damage, allow you to reduce your allies damage, and heal your allies. You gain access to the Defender Aura, Devotion Aura, Crusader Aura, and Sanctity Aura. While you have access to all 4 auras, you can only have 1 aura active at any given point in time. At the start of combat, you can activate one aura for free; when you roll for initiative, you can choose to activate one aura as a free action. After this, you must activate the Auras normally.
Seals
Seals are your basic attack abilities, similar to stances in the essentials rulebooks. However, Seals are not stances. While active, Seals provide some kind of benefit which usually modifies your melee basic attacks or movement in some way. They often provide extra damage or effects, and can even heal your allies. While you have access to multiple seals, you can only have 1 seal active at any given point in time. At the start of combat, you can activate one Seal for free; when you roll for initiative, you can choose to activate one aura as a free action. After this, you must activate the Seals normally. At level 11, you can increase the amount of seals you know by one, and by level 21 you can increase the amount of seals you know by one, again.
Holy Glyph
Glyphs are points that can be expended when in use with certain powers. They mostly are used for Blessings, Lending Hands and Judgments. As you level, the number of glyphs you have per encounter increases. Glyphs can be used with other powers, such as utility powers, but are not always. You regain a glyph each time an attack of yours results in the death of a non-minion enemy. You can only get one glyph in this manner, per turn. Furthermore, these glyphs are lost at the end of an encounter.
At level 1, you start each encounter with 2 glyphs. At level 7, you start with 3 glyphs. At level 13, you start with 4 glyphs. At level 23, you start with 5 glyphs.
Blessings
You gain access to Blessings. Blessings are special modifications that boost your allies powers in some way. Blessing usually require a glyph to activate, and generally can only be used once per encounter. They provide a powerful, static benefit that lasts for the entire encounter. While they vary in effect, all blessings provide extra bonuses to your allies in some way, that remain with them as you play. Only one blessing of any type can be used per encounter. At level 21, this increases this 2 blessings per encounter.
Lending Hands
You gain access to Lending Hands, which are similar to Blessings. Lending hands are special modifications that provide a boost to your allies in some way. While the effects of the powers varies, they consume a glyth to activate ,and generally can only be used once per encounter. They provide a powerful benefit to a character, which lasts for a variable length of time. Only one Lending Hands of any type can be used per encounter. At level 21, this increases to two blessings.
Judgments
Judgments are essentially attacks that consume a Glyph to activate. While not as powerful as encounter powers, they provide an additional bonus to a melee basic attack, to augment them in some way. This can range in effect from dazing the enemy to making the attack a close burst 1. You learn 2 judgments at level 1, and 3 at level 7, 4 at level 13, and 5 at level 23.
Heroic Crusader
Crusaders gain access to Auras, Seals, Judgments, Blessing, Hands, and Crusader's Strike.
Level 1: At-Will Auras
Benefit: You gain all of the following powers at level 1. You may only have 1 aura active at a time. At the beginning of an encounter, you may activate an aura for free, or when you roll an initiative check.
Battle Guardian While an ally is subject to one of your auras, you can use the "Battle Guardian" power.
Level 1: At-Will Seal Powers
Benefit: You gain two of the following powers at level 1. At level 11, you gain access to one additional Seal power, and at level 21 you gain access to one more additional Seal power from the list below. Seals are essentially your melee basic attack modifiers, similar to stances in essentials classes. They are your primary damage augmentation modifiers.
Level 1: At-Will Judgment Powers
Benefit: You gain two of the following powers at level 1. At level 7, 13, and 23, you gain access to one additional judgment power of your level or lower.
Judgments consume a Holy Glyph in order to be used. Judgments can be use no more than twice per encounter, regardless of how many judgments you have. While you can use as many judgments as possible equal to your number of Glpyhs, you can only use individual powers twice per encounter. You can only use 1 Judgment power per turn, regardless of how many Holy Glyphs you have remaining.
Level 1: Blessing Powers
Benefit: You gain all of the following powers at level 1. Blessings consume a Glyph in order to be activated. Blessing provide a benefit to the target, which usually lasts until the end of the encounter. Only one blessing can be used per encounter, regardless of how many Glyphs you have. At level 21, this increases to 2 blessings.
Level 1: Lending Hand Powers
Benefit: You gain all of the following powers at level 1. Hand powers consume a Glyph in order to be activated. Hand powers provide a benefit to the target, which usually last for a short period. Only one hand power can be used per encounter, regardless of how many Glyphs you have. At level 21, this increases to 2 hands.
Level 1: Crusader's Strike (Encounter)
Benefit: You gain access to the "Crusader's Strike" power. Like the "Power Strike" power, you gain extra uses of the power and deal extra damage with it as you level. You gain an extra use of this power at level 3, 7, and 13.
Note: You gain an extra use of this power at level 3, 7, and 13.
Utility Powers
You gain access to the Paladin Utility powers, including those found in PHB1 and Divine power, in addition to the following.
Level 2
Benefit: You can choose one of the following powers below or a Paladin Utility power of the same level.
Level 6
Benefit: You can choose one of the following powers below or a Paladin Utility power of the same level.
Level 10
Benefit: You can choose one of the following powers below or a Paladin Utility power of the same level.
Level 16
Benefit: You can choose one of the following powers below or a Paladin Utility power of the same level.
Level 22
Benefit: You can choose one of the following powers below or a Paladin Utility power of the same level.
Level 26
Benefit: You can choose one of the following powers below or a Paladin Utility power of the same level.
Level 11
Holy Avenger (Level 11): When you spend an action point, you gain temporary hitpoints equal to your wisdom modifier.
Righteous Fury (Level 11): You gain a +1 bonus to all attack rolls using a weapon or implement.
Divine Bulkwark (Level 16): Once per turn when you are struck with an attack, you gain temporary hitpoints equal to your wisdom modifier.
Back to Main Page → 4e Homebrew → Character Options → Class Variants