Paladin In The Dungeon (3.5e Class)
Paladin
A paladin is the champion of the weak, bulwark of justice, purity and loyalty. It's a warrior of high ideals, often religious, that wields its weapon and its integrity against the forces of evil and corruption. More than a holy fighter, though often one, a paladin is the embodiment of zeal and dedication to a cause or an oath. If you choose the paladin class you will be granted the righteous tools to smite and banish evil, to resist fear and fight against any odds, no matter how much overwhelming.
Making a Paladin
You are a martial class at the core but with a narrower scope: fight evil and defend the oppressed. Your class grants you the necessary features to fulfill your duty or die honourably while trying. You excel with good and lawful clerics, fighters, rangers, other paladins and sometimes monks. You are the most uncomfortable with classes that prefere falseness over forwardness such as rogues, cruelty over compassion as the barbarian or that outright dwell with occult forces such as warlocks or evil clerics. Your relationship with bards, sorcerers and wizards it's determinated by your personal attitude towards arcane magic and levity.
Abilities: Strength and Constitution are your key abilities, if you wish to fulfill your martial role (or Dexterity if you prefer ranged combat). Beside that, Charisma is fundamental to increase your offensive and defensive features as well as strenghtening your spells, for which you also need a good Wisdom score.
Races: Every race that feels the call of justice answers it with paladins, so they are not much limited to single races, so long the individual is strong and pure in its beliefs.
Starting Gold: 6d4 x 10 (150 gp).
Starting Age: Moderate.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spells per Day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Aura of good, Detect evil, Smite evil | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Divine grace, Lay on hands | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Aura of courage, Divine health | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Turn undead, Zeal +4/+2 | 0 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Critical smite, Special Mount | 0 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Remove disease 1/week | 1 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Battle blessing | 1 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Sacred resistance, Zeal +5/+3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Remove disease 2/week | 1 | 0 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Zealous smite | 1 | 1 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Extra smiting | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Remove disease 3/week, Zeal +6/+4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Improved aura of courage | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +4 | +4 | Innocents' champion | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +5 | +5 | Remove disease 4/week | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +5 | +5 | Improved sacred resistance, Zeal +7/+5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +5 | Holy champion | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Remove disease 5/week, Unweary zealot | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Aura of heroism | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +6 | Greater zeal, Zeal +8/+6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features
<-fluff about class features->. All of the following are class features of the paladin.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Paladins are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, 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 its paladin level.
Detect evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell.
Smite evil (Su): One time per Charisma modifier + 1 (minimum 1) per day, a paladin may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack or a ranged attack (within 30 feet-9 meters). It adds its Charisma bonus (if any) to its 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, but the ability is still used up.
A paladin may not smite an unaware oppontent as administring justice must be an honourable act.
Divine grace (Su): At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Lay on hands (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (its own or those of others) by touch. Each day it can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to its paladin level x its Charisma bonus. A paladin may choose to divide its healing among multiple recipients, and it doesn't have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action.
Alternatively, a paladin can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. The paladin decides how many of its daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature.
Aura of courage (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of it gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the paladin is conscious, but not if it is unconscious or dead.
Divine health (Ex): At 3rd level, a paladin gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
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 Wisdom 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 Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a paladin can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Its base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Paladin. In addition, it receives bonus spells per day if it has a high Wisdom score. When Table: The Paladin indicates that the paladin gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, it gains only the bonus spells it would be entitled to based on its Wisdom score for that spell level The paladin does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does.
A paladin prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though it cannot lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast a cure spell in its place. A paladin may prepare and cast any spell on the paladin spell list, provided that it can cast spells of that level, but it must choose which spells to prepare during its daily meditation.
Through 3rd level, a paladin has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, its caster level is one-half its paladin level.
Turn undead (Su): When a paladin reaches 4th level, it gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. It may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + its Charisma modifier. It turns undead as a cleric of three levels lower would.
Zeal (Su): Starting at 4th level, a paladin enters a state of righteous might when confronted with an enemy that clearly opposes the paladin's moral code, its religion or the group it belongs to or clearly does or will do or has done something against the paladin's ethics (during combat or outside).
In combat, it lasts one round per Charisma modifier + 1 (minimum 1) and the paladin gains a +4 to attacks and damage and +2 to Charisma. These bonuses increase by one at 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th level. At 8th level it gains also a +1 to AC as a sacred bonus. It increases by one at 12th level and at 20th level (+2/+3).
When the effect fades the paladin is fatigued for the rest of the encounter.
The DM and the player should agree whether zeal starts automatically or if the paladin may control it. A paladin may not enter zeal while hiding as it requires a certain dignity.
Critical smite (Ex): At 5th level whenever the paladin smites and threatens a critical it, it may add its Charisma bonus to the roll to confirm.
Special Mount (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a paladin gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve in its crusade against evil (see below). This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium paladin) or a warpony (for a Small paladin).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin may magically call its 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 class 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 it 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.
Remove disease (Sp): At 6th level, a paladin can produce a remove disease effect, as the spell, once per week. It can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times at 12th, and so forth).
Battle blessing: At 7th level the paladin gains the Battle Blessing[1] feat for free.
Sacred resistance (Su): At 8th level, while zeal is active, the paladin gains spell resistance 10 + its Charisma modifier, but only against spells and spell-like abilities with the evil, chaotic or vile descriptor or if used by evil or chaotic enemies.
Zealous smite (Ex): At 10th level, while zeal is active, any critical hit it confirms against a proper adversary activates the smite feature, as if it had successfully smitten the enemy. This effect doesn't waste any of the smite feature uses.
Extra smiting: At 11th level the paladin may smite 3 + Charisma modifier (minimum 3) times per day instead of 1 + Charisma modifier.
Improved aura of courage (Su): Beginning at 13th level your aura of courage doubles its range and the bonus it gives (now it's 20 feet-6 meters-and allies gain a +8 bonus against fear).
Innocents' champion (Ex): Beginning at 14th level if the paladin has 0 hit points or lower, it remains conscious and acts as if it had hit points above 0. Zeal immediatly becomes active. Until the paladin reaches -10 hit points and dies or it regains enough hit points to raise above 0 the zeal feature remains active, even beyond its normal duration. When the paladin regains hit points above 0 zeal persists but only for its normal duration.
If the paladin has the Diehard feat it may remain alive in this state until -20 hit points.
Improved sacred resistance (Su): At 16th level your spell resistance while zeal is active becomes 15 + Charisma modifier.
Holy Champion (Ex): At 17th level when the paladin reaches its negative limit of hit points (-10 or -20) its countdown for zeal begins. It may remain alive until zeal continues. If it's under its normal limit of negative hit points when zeal is over it dies. If hit points raise above the negative limit zeal remains active indefinitely as normal.
Unweary zealot (Ex): At 18th level a paladin does not suffer fatigue after zeal ends.
Aura of heroism (Su): From 19th level aura of courage improves drastically: allies in the area are immune to fear effects. Anyone immune to fear inside the aura (including the paladin and its allies) that is subject to a fear effect is instead affected by the spell greater heroism except that bonuses increase to +8 and temporary hit points are equal to double the paladin's class level (up to a maximum of 40). It lasts one round per Charisma modifier. This bonuses stacks with the bonuses given by zeal.
Greater zeal (Su): At 20th level the zeal feature lasts 3+Charisma modifier rounds and spell resistance increases to 20 + Charisma modifier.
The Paladin's Mount
The paladin’s mount is superior to a normal mount of its kind and has special powers, as described below. The standard mount for a Medium paladin is a heavy warhorse, and the standard mount for a Small paladin is a warpony. Another kind of mount, such as a riding dog (for a halfling paladin) or a Large shark (for a paladin in an aquatic campaign) may be allowed as well.
A paladin’s mount is treated as a magical beast, not an animal, for the purpose of all effects that depend on its type (though it retains an animal’s HD, base attack bonus, saves, skill points, and feats).
| Paladin Level | Bonus HD | Natural Armor Adj. | Str Adj. | Int | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th–7th | +2 | +4 | +1 | 6 | Empathic Link, Improved Evasion, Share Spells, Share Saving Throws |
| 8th–10th | +4 | +6 | +2 | 7 | Improved Speed |
| 11th–14th | +6 | +8 | +3 | 8 | Command Creatures of Its Kind |
| 15th–20th | +8 | +10 | +4 | 9 | Spell Resistance |
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 Constitution 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.
: 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).
: 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.
Ex-Paladins
<-Describe what happens when a character violates the alignment restrictions of any other class restrictions. If there are no behavior or alignment restrictions delete this section->.
Epic Paladin
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| 21st | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22nd | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23rd | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24th | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25th | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26th | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27th | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28th | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29th | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30th | <-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats-> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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<-number of skill points-> + Int modifier skill points per level. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
<-existing class feature->: <-how this class feature increases or accumulates at epic levels->
<-another existing class feature->: <-how this class feature increases or accumulates at epic levels->
<-Lather, rinse...->
<-... repeat.->
Bonus Feats: The epic <-class name-> gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic <-class name-> bonus feats) every <-number of feats per level-> levels after 20th.
Epic <-class name-> Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->.
<-Sample race of your choice-> <-class name-> Starting Package
Weapons: <-Weapon selection for starting at 1st level with this class.->.
Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.
| Skill | Ranks | Ability | Armor Check Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| <-Skill name-> | <-4 for class skills and 2 for cross-class skills-> | <-Abbreviated key ability-> | <-armor check penalty based on starting armor. If inapplicable put "—"-> |
| <-Skill name-> | <-4 for class skills and 2 for cross-class skills-> | <-Abbreviated key ability-> | <-armor check penalty based on starting armor. If inapplicable put "—"->
<-copy and paste the rows as necessary.-> |
Feat: <-1st-level feat selection->.
Bonus Feats: <-1st-level feat bonus feats due to class or sample race. remove this section if this sample doesn't get any bonus feats at 1st level. ->.
Gear: <-Starting armor and other equipment outside of weapons.->.
Gold: <-Starting gold using this package.->.
Playing a Paladin
Religion: <-description of how this class typically (but no exclusively) approaches religion including likely portfolios it would worship->.
Other Classes: <-How this class typically interacts with other classes and how characters of this class interact with characters of other classes->.
Combat: <-Typical role in combat->.
Advancement: <-Typical advancement options for characters with this class. Include desirable multiclass options->.
Paladins in the World
| “ | <-Some quote from a character of this class-> | ” |
| —<-NPC name->, <-race-> <-class-> | ||
<-Where characters of this class fit in a d20 world.->
Daily Life: <-day in the life of a character of this class->.
Notables: <-notable NPCs of this class->.
Organizations: <-info on what, where, when, and how characters of this class congregate and assemble->.
NPC Reactions: <-How NPCs react to PCs of this class->.
Paladin Lore
Characters with ranks in <-the appropriate skills-> can research <-pluralized class name-> to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 | <-common knowledge->. |
| 10 | <-not so common knowledge->. |
| 15 | <-rare information->. |
| 20 | <-very rare information->. |
Paladins in the Game
<-How characters of this class fit in the game (PC and NPC) and what roles they play.->
Adaptation: <-Possible variant conceptions of this class.->.
Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPCs of this class.->.
EL : <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter.->.
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