Paladin Supplement

[wynteriii]

I hope to finish this before I leave for NJ in 2 weeks. Anybody have rules or anything else that would be neat to add. I also want to know what you guys have thought about past Paladin builds and hopefully I take the best out of all of them.

[dymondy2k]

Its one of the few builds that hasn't been played in my campaign yet but I did build an Paladin NPC using the Fighter Subclasses supplement. It seemed to jive with how Paladins are handled in other games I've played, they make them a fighter with crappy cleric skills They do make Charisma a very important stat for the Pally by basing his lay on hands on what his CHR modifier is. The only thing I might throw in is some sort of 'Protection from Evil' as another at-will for them when they hit a certain level.

I think if I had to run a Paladin I might start with the one from the Fighter Subclasses but take a few of the cooler things from the Divine Champions supplement like the protection from evil and the daily smite and because of those use the Level Increase chart from that supplement instead, since he does have powers that most fighters wouldn't, a slower level increase seems a good way to balance them.

[SmootRK]

For me, design of class options begin by asking, "What makes a Paladin, a Paladin?" (paladins being used for this example). Am I making assumptions and choices based solely on replicating other versions? or am I defining the class as it needs to work in my own campaign world, and is it really needed to fit a missing niche?

The answers you decide upon should help to guide some choices. Using previous editions and games as models is fine, but are you shoehorning into your campaign stuff that could be done more creatively.

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So, this sort of reflection is what ultimately led me to develop completely alternate ways to approach some class options. The issue of the Paladin was, in fact, the catalyst for me to design the Quasi-Class method. I had to decide, is being a Divine Champion (or pick your wording here, Holy Warrior, etc.) a Fighter thing?, or is being a devout Holy Person something else?... hence fighter subclass did not seem entirely appropriate any longer (to me... all of this is my reflections on the topic, and not meant to be directly persuasive in your design). Could I come up with a suite of abilities/powers that could empower such a champion of the powers of goodness/light. In reality, the powers of 'divine protection', 'lay hands' seemed fine. I did need something offensive in the mix. Smite seemed rather fighter-centric (considering the any-class direction I chose), so I needed something different. Clerical Turning (forcing away creatures of darkness) seemed like something I could tweak and make unique to this class --- so the Divine Burst sort of power came about.

A very similar process was used when Barbarians were the topic. Is being a barbarian a class thing, or is it a culture thing. For me, the defining feature of a barbarian was not double bonus str, con, dex... but something more. Tough was my word to define them. Take more, and therefore be able to dish out more.

Of course your choices are your own. That is what is great about such games of imagination. Feel free to grab from whatever sources seem to fit your concept of the class(es) you have to work with. And by all means, share what you develop, as I might need to steal an idea or two.