Paladin

The same faith and devotion which drives clerics also shines just as brightly in paladins. Like clerics, paladins have dedicated their lives to serving and enforcing the will of their deity. Unlike clerics, paladins do so through martial might, and are granted the power to do so through their faith and service to their deity.

d10 hit die, 2 + Intellect skill points per level

Class skills: Insight, Medicine, Religion, Intimidate, Diplomacy, Craft, Profession

Good resistances: Power, Vitality, Stature, Acumen, Resolve, Ego, Charm

Proficiencies: Heavy armor, shields, martial Weapons

**Devotion:**

At 1st level, a paladin must swear their service to a particular deity. The paladin’s alignment must be within one step of their deity’s alignment, and they must follow any codes set by their deity. If a paladin strays from their devoted path, they lose all class features until they either atone or devote themselves to the cause of another deity. The paladin must select an opposed alignment that is not part of their own alignment (Chaos, Good, Law, or Evil). They cannot choose neutral as an opposed alignment. A paladin can be the target of smite if the alignment targeted is opposite of the paladin’s opposed alignment (eg. A lawful neutral paladin that smites evil can be targeted by smite good). As a free action, paladin can detect whether the alignment of a creature within 30ft contains their opposed alignment.

**Smite:**

Once per long rest as a swift action, a paladin selects one creature of their opposed alignment to be the target of their smite. Against this target, the paladin adds their Ego modifier to attack rolls and their paladin level to their damage rolls. If the target is an outsider, the paladin’s first successful attack each round deals an extra 2 points of damage per level. This additional damage automatically bypasses the target creature’s DR. Additionally, while smite is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus to their AC equal to their Ego modifier, but only against the target of their smite. Once targeted, smite remains in effect until the target is dead or the paladin takes a short rest. The paladin gains an additional use of smite at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, to a maximum of 6 times per long rest at level 20. Smite becomes a free action at 11th level.

**Spellcasting**:

Paladins gain the ability to cast spells from the divine spell list. They prepare spells at the end of each long rest as a cleric does. The DC of spells cast by a paladin is equal to 16 + the MB used to cast + the paladin’s Charm modifier. A paladin can prepare additional spells per long rest if they have a high Charm score, as listed in Additional Spells.

**Paladin’s Resolve:**

At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus on all resistances equal to their Resolve modifier, to a maximum of their level.

**Lay on Hands:**

At 2nd level, a paladin gains a pool of energy with the ability to bestow either positive energy or holy damage with a touch. This pool refills each long rest and contains an amount of points equal to their Resolve modifier plus their Charm modifier (min 1 each). Each level beyond 2nd, the paladin increases this pool by 6. As a standard action, they may expend a number of points up to their level, creating positive energy or holy damage equal to 1d6 for every point spent. The paladin may use this energy to heal or harm another creature as a standard action, or use it on themselves as a swift action. At 10th level, the paladin can use Lay on Hands on themselves as a free action once per round. The damage can be halved with a successful RR ( DC 16 + ½ lvl +E).

**Divine Touch:**

At 3rd level a paladin gains the ability to cure or inflict conditions with their Lay on Hands ability. At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter, they gain access to one of the divine touch abilities that they qualify for. They must choose to inflict or cure the condition at this time if applicable. Some abilities have alignment descriptors, which may limit the paladin’s choices as they cannot select an option that has a descriptor of their opposed alignment. Even some options without an alignment restriction, however, may be in conflict with a deity’s specific values and violate the paladin’s code. When using lay on hands, a paladin must declare which, if any, divine touch condition they are using. The DC of the resistance to resist any divine touch effect is equal to 16 + ½ the paladin’s level + their Ego modifier.

At 3rd level, the following abilities are available:

Deception (Lawful, Chaotic)

Cure: The target makes a resistance against an ongoing illusion, charming, or compulsion effect at a +2 bonus.

Inflict: The target is *altered* for 1 round per two paladin levels. AR negates.

Fatigue (Neutral)

Cure: Removes the *fatigued* condition. The target is immune to fatigue for 1 round epr level.

Inflict: Target becomes *fatigued* for one round per paladin level. Resistance halves the duration. Multiple uses of this do not make the target exhausted, instead the duration is added. VR negates.

Fear (Neutral)

Cure: The *shaken* condition is removed from the target, and the target is immune to *shaken* for one round per level.

Inflict: The target is *shaken* for one round per paladin level. RR Negates.

Fury (Neutral)

Target gains the effects of the spell *Rage*. CR negates.

Sickness (Good, Evil)

Cure: The *sickened* condition is removed from the target, and the target is immune to *sickened* for one round per level.

Inflict: The target is *sickened* for one round per paladin level. VR Negates.

At 6th level, The following abilities are available:

Daze (Neutral)

Cure: The *dazed* condition is removed from the target, and the target is immune to *dazed, altered,* and *fascinated* for one round per level.

Inflict: The target is *dazed* for one round. AR Negates.

Disease (Good, Evil)

Cure: The target gains the benefits of the *Cure Disease* spell, and the target is immune to disease for one round per level.

Inflict: The target gains the effects of the *Contagion* spell. VR Negates.

Empower (Neutral)

Bestow: The target gains a +2 bonus to one ability score. This bonus lasts for one round per paladin level.

Remove: The target takes two points of ability drain to one of their ability scores. The paladin chooses which ability score to affect. This cannot stack with itself. No resistance.

Speed (Neutral)

Bestow: The target becomes *Hasted* for one round per two paladin levels.

Remove: The target is *Slowed* for one round per two paladin levels. RR negates.

Stagger (Neutral)

Cure: The *staggered* condition is removed from the target, and the target is immune to *staggered* for one round per level.

Inflict: The target is *staggered* for one round per 3 paladin levels. VR Negates.

At 9th level the following abilities are available:

Blood (Good, Evil)

Cure: The target gains fast healing equal to ⅓ level for one round per paladin level.

Inflict: The target takes bleed equal to ⅓ paladin level.

Curse (Good, Evil)

Cure: The target is affected by *Remove Curse* (as cast at a spell level equal to half the paladin’s level).

Inflict: The target is cursed as per the spell *Bestow Curse*. ER negates. Curse effect.

Exhaustion (Neutral)

The paladin must have previously selected the Fatigue divine touch ability to select this.

Cure: The target is no longer *exhausted*, and the target is immune to *fatigued* and *exhausted* for one round per level.

Inflict: The target becomes *exhausted*. A successful VR reduces this to *fatigued*. This does not stack with itself.

Heightened Fear (Neutral)

The paladin must have previously selected the Fear divine touch ability to select this.

Cure: The target is no longer *frightened*, and gains the paladin’s Resolve modifier as a morale bonus against fear effects for one round per level.

Inflict: The target becomes *frightened* for one round per two paladin levels.

Nauseated (Good, Evil)

The paladin must have previously selected the Sickness divine touch ability to select this.

Cure: The target is no longer *sickened* or *nauseated*, and is immune to *sickened* and *nauseated* for one round per level.

Inflict: The target becomes *nauseated* for one round per three paladin levels. A successful VR reduces this to *sickened*. This does not stack with itself.

Toxin (Good, Evil)

Cure: The target is cured of the negative effects of toxins, and is immune to toxins for one round per level.

Inflict: The target is affected as per the spell *Toxin*. VR negates.

At 12th level the following abilities are available:

Amputation (Good, Evil)

Cure: The paladin’s lay on hands acts as *Regenerate* for regrowing limbs and organs.

Inflict: One of the target’s limbs rots off and turns to dust. SR negates.

Clarity (Neutral)

Cure: The target is no longer *blinded* or *deafened*, and reduces any miss chance by 2 (min 0) for 2d6 rounds.

Inflict: The target becomes *blinded* and *deafened* for 1d6+1 rounds. A successful VR negates the blindness and the target is only *deafened* for one round.

Dispel (Neutral)

The paladin’s lay on hands acts as *Dispel Magic* on the target. IR negates.

Paralyze (Neutral)

Cure: The target is no longer *paralyzed*, and is immune to *paralyzed* for one round per level.

Inflict: The target is *paralyzed* for one round. VR negates.

At 15th level the following abilities are available:

Dominate (Good, Evil)

Cure: The target is no longer under the effect of any charming or compulsion effects. They gain a bonus to Ego resistances equal to the paladin’s Ego modifier (min 1) for 1 minute per level.

Inflict: The target is *Dominated* by the paladin. The paladin may only have a single target dominated in this manner at one time. ER negates. The target can attempt a new resistance at the end of each round.

Improved Curse (Good, Evil)

The paladin must have previously selected the Curse divine touch ability to select this.

Cure: Any curse effect is removed from the target, the target gets immunity to curse effects for one round per level.

Inflict: The target is affected by *Greater Curse*. ER negates. Curse Effect.

Transform (Neutral)

The target is affected by *Righteous Might*.

**Channel**:

At 4th level, the paladin gains the ability to channel their divine power.

Channeling delivers either positive energy or holy damage, and affects all creatures except the paladin within a 20ft radius. Channeling is a standard action that draws from the same pool as Lay on Hands, but each d6 costs two points instead of one. The paladin may expend a number of points up to their level when channeling.

The paladin may also select a single Divine Touch effect to affect all creatures within this radius, but this uses an additional number of points equal to the ability’s level prerequisite. These points stack with the points used for positive energy or holy damage to determine the maximum points the paladin can use to perform the channel.

The damage from a paladin’s channel can be halved with a successful RR (DC: 16 + ½ lv + E). If a Divine Touch ability is used, that resistance is made separately.

**Awesome Presence:**

At 5th level, a paladin’s devotion inspires their allies and strikes fear into their enemies. A paladin and all allies within 20ft receive a +2 to resistances against fear, charming effects, and any DC’s to intimidate them. Enemies within 20ft take a -2 to resistances against fear effects, as well as any DC’s to intimidate them. This bonus and penalty increase by 1 at 8th level, and every 3 levels thereafter.

**Devoted Might:**

At 8th level, the paladin selects one martial aspect to devote themselves to. They select one of the following abilities and must follow the edicts associated with them.

Armored - Select one armor. While the paladin is wearing this armor, it gains a +1 armor enhancement of the paladin’s choice and DR 2/-. It gains an additional +1 enhancement and DR 1/- at 13th and 18th level. The choice of armor enhancement cannot be changed after the initial selection is made.

Mage - The paladin gains two additional spells per long rest per spell level that they can cast. At 18th level, the paladin can prepare one 5th-level divine spell during a long rest, plus any additional spells that they would gain from a high Charm score.

Weapon-Bound - Select one weapon. While the paladin is wielding this weapon, it gains a +1 weapon enhancement of the paladin’s choice. It gains an additional +1 enhancement at 13th and 18th level. The choice of weapon enhancement cannot be changed after the initial selection is made.

Wrathful - Targets of the paladin’s smite take a penalty equal to the paladin’s Resolve modifier on attacks made against creatures other than the paladin. At 14th level, the target takes a -2 penalty to AC and to hit against the paladin’s allies. This increases to -4 at 17th level. At 20th level, any damage that the target deals against the paladin’s adjacent allies is halved.

**Vengeful Outcry:**

At 11th level, the paladin can expend two uses of Smite as a swift action to give half their Smite bonuses to all allies within 30ft against their designated target. Allies of the paladin’s opposed alignment cannot receive this bonus.

**Aligned Strikes:**

At 14th level, allies within 10ft of the paladin may give their attacks the same DR-bypassing properties of the paladin’s wielded weapon. The paladin’s weapon always counts as their alignment for the purposes of overcoming DR.

**Paragon:**

At 17th level, allies within 10ft gain a +2 bonus to all resistances and enemies in the radius take a -2 penalty to all resistances. Additionally, the paladin chooses one of the following abilities to gain:

Destruction - By expending two uses of Smite, the paladin instead adds 1.5 x their level to damage against a target of Smite. At 20th level, this increases to 2x their level. They can only use this ability once per short rest.

Divine Wrath - When the paladin makes a full attack, they can make an additional attack at their highest combat bonus. At 20th level, they can make an attack as a free action once per round. The paladin can make a total number of attacks as a free action in this manner up to their Resolve modifier each short rest.

Durability - The paladin gains DR 10/-. At 20th level this increases to DR 20/- against their target of Smite.

Heightened Magic - The paladin can cast an additional spell per spell level. Their MB increases to 7/2, and to 8/3 at 19th level. At 20th level, their MB increases to 9/4/1. They can cast *Invoke* at 7th level once per long rest as a spell-like ability, at 20th level they may instead cast it once per short rest.

**Banishing Strike:**

At 19th level, extra-planar beings of the paladin’s opposed alignment are *shaken* when within 20ft of the paladin. Once per short rest, when the paladin scores a critical hit against a target of their Smite, they can cast *Banishment* as a SLA as no action against the target.