Paladin
Paladins take their adventures seriously, and even a mundane mission is, in the heart of the paladin, a personal test - an opportunity to demonstrate bravery, to learn tactics, and to do good in the world. Divine power protects these warriors of virtue, warding off harm, protecting them from disease, healing them and their allies, and guarding against fear.
| Type | Base class |
| Hit die | d10 |
| Skill points | 2 + Intelligence modifier per level |
| Attack bonus | full - 1 per level, +20 by level 20 |
| Strong saves | Fortitude |
| Spellcasting | Prepared |
| Alignment | Lawful good |
| Primary ability | Wisdom |
How it works
- While Divine Might is up, every hit you land carries smite damage. Its size comes from your weapon against your own frame rather than from your level, and it doubles against the undead.
- A pure Paladin smites the neutral as well as the evil.
- Paladin and Divine Champion levels are added together wherever smiting asks how much of a smiter you are.
- A Holy Avenger in a Paladin's hands works at your Paladin level, or at 10 if that is higher.
Requirements
| Alignment | Lawful good |
| Race | any except Undead, Stone Giant, Mountain Dwarf, Vampire, Lich, Mummy, Skeleton |
What you gain, level by level
| Level | Gain |
|---|---|
| 1 | Weapon Proficiency (simple), Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency (medium), Armor Proficiency (heavy), Shield Proficiency, Weapon Proficiency (martial), Divine Grace, Divine Health, Lay on Hands (3 + (your combined Paladin and Divine Champion levels / 10) a day), Weapon Proficiency (Paladin) |
| 2 | Aura of Courage, Smite Evil (1 + (your combined Paladin and Divine Champion levels / 10) a day, and 3 more with Extra Smiting) |
| 3 | Remove Disease (1 + (your Paladin levels / 5) a day), Turn Undead |
| 5 | Summon Mount, Mounted Combat |
| 21 | Epic Paladin, +1 Charisma |
| 23 | bonus feat (and again every 3 levels to 38) |
| 30 | +1 Charisma, +1 natural armour |
| 40 | Guardian Angel, +2 Charisma, +2 natural armour |
Spells
Spells are prepared in advance and spent as they are cast. The casting ability is Wisdom.
How a save is worked out, and what a slot is actually spent on, are on Magic.
Spells a day, by spell level. A level that is not listed has the same allowance as the last one listed above it.
| Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | - | 0 | - | - | - |
| 6 | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| 8 | - | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 10 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 11 | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | - |
| 12 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 14 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | - | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | - | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | - | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20 | - | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Bonus feat choices
A bonus feat is granted at the levels marked in the table above, and can be spent on any of the following.
As a bonus feat or as an ordinary feat: Armor Skin, Devastating Critical (any of 40), Divine Shield of Steel, Epic Prowess, Epic Reputation, Epic Spell Focus (any of 8), Epic Toughness (any of 10), Epic Weapon Focus (any of 40), Great Charisma (any of 10), Great Smiting (any of 10), Greater Spell Focus (any of 8), Improved Combat Casting, Improved Critical, Overwhelming Critical (any of 40), Perfect Health, Planar Turning.
Class skills
One point per rank instead of two: Concentration, Craft: Harvesting, Craft: Mastery, Craft: Speed, Discipline, Heal, Lore, Parry, Persuade, Ride, Taunt.
Races that favour it
Aasimar (male characters), Azer (male characters), Celestial (male characters). A character of one of those races who stays single-classed in this one earns extra experience - see Character development.