Potestas: a D&D3E supplement

Chapter Three: Classes

Paladin (PHB)

Description

Compassion, determination, and devotion describe the nature of the paladin. Endowed with tremendous gifts by the True God, paladins oppose the cruel and the malevolent wherever they are found, among both the pagans and the followers of the True Faith.

• Characteristics: the love of the True God protects paladins, giving them special powers. God's love wards off harm, protects from disease, grants healing at a touch, and steels the heart against fear. Devout followers of the True Faith, paladins are champions of the innocent against hostile pagans. Even the least experienced paladin can detect the presence of the arcane, and more experienced paladins can smite arcane foes and turn them away.
• Religion: all paladins are members of the True Faith, but their intensely personal relationship with the True God means they need not follow a specific tradition. Paladins who grossly violate the tenets of the True Faith lose all class abilities and spells and cannot progress in level as a paladin until they atone (see the atonement spell description)..
• Background: paladins are born, not made: nobody chooses to become a paladin, and you cannot become one through practice. It is possible to fail to recognise "the call", or to deny it. Most paladins, however, answer "the call" sooner or later, and find a more experienced paladin to teach them "the way". Some join organisations of paladins, like the Order of the Rose in Selentia and the Manifest Path in Khitai. All paladins, regardless of background, recognise in each other the common bond of the True God's love. They are among the most tolerant of all the followers of the True Faith, and rarely place any importance on following a particular tradition.

Game Rule Information

• Spells: paladins do not gain the ability to cast spells as they advance in level. Characters should multiclass as a mystic if they wish to cast spells using divine magic. However, a multiclassed mystic/paladin adds +1 to their mystic level for every 2 paladin levels when determining their effective caster level. This bonus cannot exceed the mystic's class level: any additional effective caster levels are ignored.
• Bonus Combat Feats: the paladin gets a bonus combat feat at 2nd level, 4th level, and every three levels thereafter.
• Detect Arcane: paladins can detect arcane at will as a spell-like ability. This ability duplicates the effects of the spell detect arcane.
• Devout Belief: paladins gain Devout Belief as a bonus feat at 1st level. Paladins who lose their faith lose all class abilities and spells and cannot progress in level as a paladin until they atone (see the atonement spell description)
• Smite Arcane: paladins may attempt to smite arcane creatures once per day at 1st level. The paladin adds their Charisma modifier (if positive) to the attack roll for one normal melee attack and deals 1 extra point of damage per paladin class level. The paladin may smite arcane one additional time per day at 5th level and every four levels thereafter. If the paladin accidentally smites a non-arcane creature, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for that day. Smite arcane is a supernatural ability.
• Remove Disease: paladins can remove disease as a spell-like ability once per day at 4th level. The paladin may remove disease one additional time per day at 6th level, 8th level, 11th level, and every three levels thereafter.
• Special Abilities: paladins have various special abilities according to their class level.
• 1st level - Detect Arcane, Devout Belief, Smite Arcane 1/day
• 2nd level - Divine Grace, Divine Health, Lay on Hands, bonus feat
• 3rd level - Aura of Courage, Turn Arcane
• 4th level - Remove Disease 1/day, bonus feat
• 5th level - Smite Arcane 2/day
• 6th level - Remove Disease 2/day
• 7th level - bonus feat
• 8th level - Remove Disease 3/day
• 9th level - Smite Arcane 3/day
• 10th level - bonus feat
• 11th level - Remove Disease 4/day
• 13th level - Smite Arcane 4/day, bonus feat
• 14th level - Remove Disease 5/day
• 16th level - bonus feat
• 17th level - Remove Disease 6/day, Smite Arcane 5/day
• 19th level - bonus feat
• 20th level - Remove Disease 7/day

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