Character Classes

PALADIN

The compassion to pursue good, the will to uphold law, and the power to defeat evil - these are the three weapons of the paladin. Few have the purity and devotion that it takes to walk the paladin's path, but those few are rewarded with the power to protect, to heal, and to smite. In a land of scheming wizards, unholy priests, bloodthirsty dragons, and infernal fiends, the paladin is the final hope that cannot be extinguished. Paladins take their adventures seriously and have a penchant for referring to them as quests. Even a mundane mission is, in the heart of the paladin, a personal test - an opportunity to demonstrate bravery, to develop martial skills, to learn tactics, and to find ways to do good. Still, the paladin really comes into her own when leading a mighty campaign against evil, not when merely looting ruins. Divine power protects the paladin and gives her special powers. It wards off harm, protects her from disease, lets her heal herself, and guards her heart against fear. The paladin can also direct this power to help others, healing their wounds or curing diseases. Finally, the paladin can use this power to destroy evil. Even the least experienced paladin can detect evil, and more experienced paladins can smite evil foes and turn away undead. In addition, this power draws a mighty steed to the paladin and imbues that mount with strength, intelligence, and magical protection. Paladins must be lawful good, and they lose their divine powers if they deviate from that alignment. Additionally, paladins swear to follow a code of conduct that is in line with lawfulness and goodness. Paladins need not devote themselves to a single deity - devotion to righteousness is enough. Those who align themselves with particular religions prefer Heironeous (god of valor) over all others, but some paladins follow Pelor (the sun god). Paladins devoted to a god are scrupulous in observing religious duties and are welcome in every associated temple. No one ever chooses to be a paladin. Becoming a paladin is answering a call, accepting one's destiny. No one, no matter how diligent, can become a paladin through practice. The nature is either within one or not, and it is not possible to gain the paladin's nature by any act of will. It is possible, however, to fail to recognize one's own potential, or to deny one's destiny. Occasionally, one who is called to be a paladin denies that call and pursues some other life instead. Most paladins answer the call and begin training as adolescents. Typically, they become squires or assistants to experienced paladins, train for years, and finally set off on their own to further the causes of good and law. Other paladins, however, find their calling only later in life, after having pursued some other career. All paladins, regardless of background, recognize in each other an eternal bond that transcends culture, race, and even religion. Any two paladins, even from opposite sides of the world, consider themselves comrades. Humans, with their ambitious souls, make great paladins. Half-elves, who often have human ambition, may also find themselves called into service as paladins. Dwarves are sometimes paladins, but becoming a paladin may be hard on a dwarf because it means putting the duties of the paladin's life before duties to family, clan, and king. Elf paladins are few, and they tend to follow quests that take them far and wide because their lawful bent puts them out of synch with life among the elves. Members of the other common races rarely hear the call to become paladins. Among the savage humanoids, paladins are all but unheard of. Even though paladins are in some ways set apart from others, they eagerly team up with those whose skills and capabilities complement their own. They work well with good and lawful clerics, and they appreciate working with those who are brave, honest, and committed to good. While they cannot abide evil acts by their companions, they are otherwise willing to work with a variety of people quite different from themselves. Charismatic, trustworthy, and well respected, the paladin makes a fine leader for a team. The paladin's chief role in most groups is as a melee combatant, but she contributes other useful support as well. She makes a good secondary healer, and her high Charisma opens up fine leadership opportunities.

Alignment: Lawful good.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The paladin's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Paladin

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 her paladin level.

Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell.

Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a paladin may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her 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 for that day.

At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: The Paladin, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.

Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus equal to her 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 (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her paladin level x her Charisma bonus. A paladin may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she 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 her 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 her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the paladin is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.

Divine Health (Ex): At 3rd level, a paladin gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Turn Undead (Su): When a paladin reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. She turns undead as a cleric of three levels lower would.

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. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Paladin. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. When Table: The Paladin indicates that the paladin gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her 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 she 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 she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.

Through 3rd level, a paladin has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is one-half her paladin level.

Special Mount (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a paladin gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her in her 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 her 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 she 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. She 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).

Code of Conduct

A paladin must be of lawful good alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits an evil act. Additionally, a paladin's code requires that she respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth), help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents.

Associates

While she may adventure with characters of any good or neutral alignment, a paladin will never knowingly associate with evil characters, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. A paladin may accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are lawful good.

Ex-Paladins

A paladin who ceases to be lawful good, who willfully commits an evil act, or who grossly violates the code of conduct loses all paladin spells and abilities (including the service of the paladin's mount, but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She may not progress any farther in levels as a paladin. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.

Like a member of any other class, a paladin may be a multiclass character, but multiclass paladins face a special restriction. A paladin who gains a level in any class other than paladin may never again raise her paladin level, though she retains all her paladin abilities.

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'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.

Share Spells: 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).

Share Saving Throws: 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.

PALADIN VARIANTS

Anarch

The anarch is a holy warrior tasked with opposing law and order and encouraging others to do the same. He is a roving force of chaos, never remaining in one location for long but leaving his mark in the form of mayhem wherever he goes. Some anarchs profess that chaos is the ultimate freedom. Others claim that change is the natural state of the world. Few anarchs view their holy mission in the same way, and most change their opinion many times.

Anarchs must be chaotic neutral, since they embody the unpredictable nature of entropy. Chaotic deities of war and destruction often have anarchs serving their needs, even if the chaotic nature of the anarch is sometimes at odds with the goals of the god's followers. Anarchs do not form knighthoods or similar societies; they work alone or in small groups. Two anarchs are just as likely to come into conflict with one another as they are to work together for a common goal.

Alignment: Chaotic neutral.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The anarch's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Anarch

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the anarch.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Anarchs 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 Chaos: The power of an anarch's aura of chaos (see the detect chaos spell) is equal to his anarch level.

Detect Law (Sp): At will, an anarch can use detect law, as the spell.

Smite Law (Su): An anarch's smite ability affects lawful creatures, but otherwise, it functions the same as the paladin's ability to smite evil.

Divine Grace (Su): An anarch gains this ability at 2nd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Destructive Strike (Su): A 2nd-level anarch gains the ability to critically hit objects and constructs with melee attacks. He may inflict critical hit damage (but not sneak attack damage) on an object or construct a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier. The anarch makes the decision to use this ability after a critical hit is rolled but before the roll to confirm is made. If the anarch fails to confirm the critical hit, that use of destructive strike is wasted.

Aura of Courage (Su): An anarch gains this ability at 3rd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Slippery Mind (Ex): The anarch has a powerful sense self and free will, and his mind fights much harder against magical control than most other minds. If an anarch is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails his saving throw, he can attempt the saving throw again 1 round later to break free of the effect. Failing this second saving throw does not grant the anarch further saving throws against the enchantment.

Turn Construct (Su): When an anarch reaches 4th level, he gains the supernatural ability to turn or destroy constructs. The anarch can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. The anarch turns constructs as a cleric three levels lower would turn undead.

Special Mount (Sp): Anarchs gain a special mount, just as a paladin does, at 5th level.

Dispel Law (Sp): At 8th level, an anarch gains the ability to dispel law, as the spell, once per week. He may use this ability an additional time each week every additional four levels, to a maximum of 4 times a week at 20th level. Caster level is equal to the anarch's class level.

Code of Conduct

An anarch must be of chaotic neutral alignment and loses all class abilities if he ever willingly commits a blatantly lawful act (such as abiding by an oath, fulfilling a contract, or joining an organization such as a brotherhood or fellowship). Aside from this, the anarch's code is really little more than a lack of code. As long as he continues to cause chaos and foment disrespect for law in others, his status as anarch is secure.

Associates

An anarch never knowingly associates with lawful characters, nor will he continue an association with someone who consistently offends his moral code. An anarch can accept only henchmen, familiars, followers, or cohorts who are chaotic neutral.

Anarch Spell List

Anarchs choose their spells from the following list:

1st Level: Bane, bless weapon, cause fear, cure light wounds, detect poison, divine favor, doom, endure elements, entropic shield, lesser confusion, magic weapon, obscuring mist, protection from law.

2nd Level: Align weapon, bear's endurance, blur, darkness, eagle's splendor, mirror image, misdirection, scare, shatter, touch of idiocy, undetectable alignment.

3rd Level: Blindness/deafness, contagion, cure moderate wounds, deeper darkness, dispel magic, greater magic weapon, magic circle against law, rage, slow.

4th Level: Break enchantment, chaos hammer, confusion, cure serious wounds, dispel law, freedom of movement, lesser planar ally, poison, shout.

Angel's Sight

You are blessed with the ability to see as celestials do.

Level: 3rd.

Replaces: if you choose this ability, you do not gain divine health.

Benefit: You gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision. If you already have one of these senses, you gain no additional bonus from this ability.

Anti-Paladin

Of the variant unholy warriors, the anti-paladin is certainly the most notorious. A loner, he eschews prolonged contact with all forms of society and companionship except on a temporary basis as his desires, needs, and lusts demand. He wanders the fringe of civilization, always seeking justice to upend, happiness to quash, and faith to destroy. Many anti-paladins are truly mad, completely overwhelmed with the burning desire to tear down what others have toiled to create, be it a comfortable home, a loving family, or even a powerful nation.

Anti-paladins must be chaotic evil, since they personify the raw destructive force of entropy and hatred without focus or direction. Evil deities of destruction often count anti-paladins among their devoted, but powerful beings from the lower planes (especially demon lords) also enlist these hateful souls as minions. Anti-paladins do not form knighthoods or similar societies, but they do work as mercenaries. An anti-paladin who finds himself in charge of a contingent of like-minded killers usually grows tired of his "allies" before long and leads them to their doom or kills them himself.

Alignment: Chaotic evil.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The anti-paladin's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Ride (Dex), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Anti-Paladin

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the anti-paladin.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Anti-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 Evil: The power of an anti-paladin's aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his anti-paladin level.

Detect Good (Sp): At will, an anti-paladin can detect good, as the spell.

Smite Good (Su): An anti-paladin's smite targets creatures of a good alignment, but otherwise, it functions the same as the paladin's ability to smite evil.

Divine Grace (Su): An anti-paladin gains this ability at 2nd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Slaughter the Weak (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, an anti-paladin takes a perverse and horrendous glee when facing opponents in battle that are weaker than himself. He gains a +2 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls with melee weapons when he attacks any creature that has fewer Hit Dice than he does. Dying creatures who have less Hit Dice than the anti-paladin suffer a -2 penalty to save against death knell spells cast by the anti-paladin.

Aura of Fear (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, an anti-paladin exudes an almost palpable aura of menace and evil. Each enemy within 10 feet of her suffers a -4 morale penalty on saving throws against fear effects. The anti-paladin herself is deadened to the emotion of fear, and is immune to all fear effects. This ability functions while the anti-paladin is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead. An anti-paladin can suppress or activate this aura as a free action.

Death Knell (Sp): The anti-paladin can cast death knell, as the spell, once per day at 3rd level, at a caster level equal to his anti-paladin level. At every five levels thereafter the anti-paladin can cast death knell an additional time each day.

Turn or Rebuke Outsider (Su): When an anti-paladin reaches 4th level, he gains the supernatural ability to turn or destroy good outsiders by channeling energy. He can instead rebuke or command evil outsiders with a use of this ability if he chooses. The anti-paladin may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. The anti-paladin turns or rebukes outsiders as a cleric of three levels lower would turn undead.

Fiendish Mount (Sp): Anti-paladins gain a fiendish mount at 5th level. This ability functions just like the special mount ability of the paladin class except that an anti-paladin's special mount always has the fiendish template, and it remains for 1 hour per anti-paladin level once called.

Contagion (Sp): At 6th level, an anti-paladin gains the ability to cast contagion, as the spell, once per week. He may use this ability an additional time each week every additional three levels, to a maximum of 5 times a week at 20th level. Caster level is equal to the anti-paladin's class level.

Code of Conduct

An anti-paladin must be of chaotic evil alignment and loses all class abilities if he ever willingly commits a good act. He must work at all times to undermine the works of civilization and good peoples, and must never offer mercy or grant quarter unless he betrays his word within the next hour. He cannot join an organization, but he can perform services for others as long as the services are for pay and ultimately lead to chaos and devastation.

Associates

An anti-paladin may adventure with any non-good alignment, but remains hateful and distrustful of any "allies." As soon as an ally is no longer useful, the anti-paladin usually kills her (or at the very least, sacrifices her for his own personal gain). He never knowingly associates with good characters, nor will he continue an association with someone who balks at senseless murder or refuses to reward him for his aid. An anti-paladin may only accept henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are chaotic evil. Anti-paladins always suffer the -2 penalty for cruelty when determining their effective Leadership score to recruit a cohort.

Anti-Paladin Spell List

Anti-paladins choose their spells from the following list:

1st Level: Bane, cause fear, curse water, deathwatch, doom, inflict light wounds, magic weapon, profane weapon, protection from good, protection from law, ray of enfeeblement, read magic, summon monster I.

2nd Level: Bull's strength, darkness, desecrate, shatter, summon monster II, undetectable alignment.

3rd Level: Bestow curse, blindness/deafness, deeper darkness, greater magic weapon, heal mount, inflict moderate wounds, magic circle against good, magic circle against law, summon monster III.

4th Level: Death ward, dispel good, dispel law, fear, inflict serious wounds, poison, unholy sword.

Aura of Banishment

An invisible aura surrounds you that prevents fiends from extraplanar travel onto your plane.

Level: 6th.

Replaces: If you choose this ability, you do not gain the ability to remove disease.

Benefit: An aura of banishment surrounds you to a distance of 30 feet. Only evil outsiders can feel the aura and suffer from its effects. No evil outsider with fewer Hit Dice than your paladin level can be summoned into this area, nor can such creatures use summoning or teleporting effects.

In addition, the aura grants you a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks against evil outsiders.

Aura of Sanctity

A sacred ritual conducted with a group of archons has left you with otherworldly protection.

Level: 4th.

Replaces: If you choose this ability, you do not gain the ability to turn undead.

Benefit: Choose one of the following effects: compulsion effects (including possession), death effects, petrification. You are immune to that effect. Allies within your aura of courage gain a +4 bonus on saves versus your chosen effect.

Avenger

The avenger is a guardian of the downtrodden and a champion of the victims of the world. She is a loner, wandering from town to town in constant search of wrongs to right and oppressive dictators and rulers to overthrow. Yet despite the avenger's obsession with vengeance and punishment of those who do evil to others, she is not a cruel or sadistic person. She aims to temper her acts of vengeance so that the punishment fits the crime. Execution is a punishment of last resort, reserved only for the truly evil and despicable.

Avengers must be chaotic good. They usually serve deities that value personal freedom or vengeance. Avengers prefer to work alone and form groups with other avengers only for brief missions. They prefer to keep their faith personal and generally look down upon organized religious worship. To an avenger, a deity is best served by action than by lip service.

Aligment: Chaotic good.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The avenger's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Avenger

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the avenger.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Avengers 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 Chaos: The power of an avenger's aura of chaos (see the detect chaos spell) is equal to his avenger level.

Detect Law (Sp): At will, an avenger can detect law, as the spell.

Smite Law (Su): An avenger's smite targets creatures with a lawful alignment, but otherwise, it functions the same as the paladin's ability to smite evil.

Divine Grace (Su): An avenger gains this ability at 2nd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Lay on Hands (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, an avenger with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. This ability is otherwise the same as the paladin ability of the same name.

Aura of Courage (Su): An avenger gains this ability at 3rd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Slippery Mind (Ex): The avenger has a powerful sense of self and free will, and her mind fights much harder against magical control than most other minds. If an avenger is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt the saving throw again 1 round later to break free of the effect. Failing this second saving throw does not grant the anarch further saving throws against the enchantment.

Turn Undead (Su): When an avenger reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to turn undead just like a paladin.

Animal Minion (Su): At 5th level, avengers gain an animal minion that can serve as a scout, a combatant, or a guardian. Most avengers select some form of bird as their minion. The animal minion must be equal in size or smaller than the avenger's size, since they are never used as mounts. This animal minion is otherwise treated as a paladin's special mount in all ways, including additional abilities gained as the avenger gains levels and the repercussions if the minion is lost.

Break Enchantment (Sp): At 6th level, an avenger can cast break enchantment as a spell-like ability once per week. She can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at gth, three times at 12th, and so forth).

Code of Conduct

An avenger must be of chaotic good alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits an evil act or willingly allies with a lawful government or affiliated agency. While the avenger's life is based around achieving vengeance and retribution for the oppressed and downtrodden, she must temper this vengeance appropriately. Killing should be the last resort of the avenger when a more appropriate and less destructive form of vengeance will do, and even then, slaying an oppressor should be reserved only for the most evil villains. Avengers must aid and assist anyone who asks for help (within reason) and must not join any organized association, order, or group. She may attend the services of her church but is encouraged to worship in private.

Associates

An avenger may adventure with characters of any good or neutral alignment. Although she can associate with lawful characters for a limited time, she will never knowingly associate with evil characters, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. An avenger can accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are chaotic good.

Avenger Spell List

Avengers choose their spells from the following list:

1st Level: Bless, bless water, bless weapon, disguise self, cure light wounds, detect poison, divine favor, endure elements, lesser restoration, magic stone, magic weapon, mending, protection from evil, protection from law, read magic, shield of faith.

2nd Level: Align weapon, alter self, cat's grace, cure moderate wounds, eagle's splendor, fox's cunning, invisibility, make whole, misdirection, resist energy, shield other, undetectable alignment.

3rd Level: Cure moderate wounds, dispel magic, flame arrow, greater magic weapon, magic vestment, magic circle against evil, magic circle against law, nondetection. obscure object.

4th Level: Cure serious wounds, detect scrying, dispel law, dispel evil, freedom of movement, greater invisibility, holy sword, neutralize poison, restoration. stone shape.

Berronar Valkyrie

Berronar's Valkyries are female dwarf paladins of the goddess Berronar Truesilver. They study tactics and charge into battle to save male dwarf warriors. Their special powers help them look after their allies and punish oathbreakers.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Berronar Valkyrie paladin substitution level, a character must be a female dwarf, have Berronar as her patron deity, be a member of the Berronar's Valkyries order, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 3rd, 4th, or 6th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Berronar Valkyrie paladin substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Berronar Valkyrie substitution levels.

Everbright Blessing (Su): Starting at 3rd level, a Valkyrie's armor, shield, and primary weapon are treated as if they had the everbright special ability; they shine like polished silver, they are immune to acid and rust attacks, and the armor provides her with resistance to acid 5. This ability only applies to the items the Valkyrie is wearing; if the items are removed or dropped, they lose this property until she picks them up again.

This benefit replaces the divine health class feature gained by a standard paladin at 3rd level.

Valiant Rescue (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a Valkyrie gains a special ability to charge into harm's way to protect an ally. A Valkyrie can charge into melee with a creature that threatens one of her allies and still make a full attack with a single melee weapon rather than a single attack. During this charge she acts as if she had the Mobility feat; if she is mounted, this bonus also applies to her mount.

A Valkyrie can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier.

This benefit replaces the turn undead class feature gained by a standard paladin at 4th level.

Binding Oath (Su): At 6th level, a Valkyrie gains the ability to magically link two willing individuals making an oath (or a legal agreement). This link has two effects. First, it informs both parties and the Valkyrie instantly if the oath is broken in any way. Second, the individual who breaks the oath is fatigued for one day per paladin level of the Valkyrie at the time of the oath-binding.

A Valkyrie can bind an oath once per week as a full-round action. For every three paladin levels gained thereafter, the Valkyrie can use this ability one extra time per week (2/week at 9th level, 3/week at 12th level, and so forth).

This benefit replaces the remove disease class feature gained by a standard paladin at 6th level. A Berronar Valkyrie who selects this substitution level never gains the remove disease ability.

Touch of Fatigue (Sp): Beginning at 6th level, a Valkyrie can use touch of fatigue at will. This ability is normally used to admonish those about to stray from their promises or to punish those guilty of minor infractions. The save DC against this spell-like ability is 10 + the Valkyrie's Charisma modifier.

Table: Berronar Valkyrie Substitution Levels

Charging Smite

Despite the glorious vision of a shining knight atop a warhorse charging into combat, the reality in the D&D game is that it's far from easy (and sometimes impossible) to bring a big animal along on your dungeon crawl. To avoid the drain on time and resources created by a special mount you might not even be able to use, you can select the charging smite alternative class feature instead. You still leap into the fray, taking the fight to the enemy, but you do so in a manner that better matches the typical combat found in a D&D game.

Level: 5th.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain a special mount.

Benefit: Beginning at 5th level, if you smite evil on a charge attack, you deal an extra 2 points of damage per paladin level to any evil creature you hit (in addition to the normal bonus damage dealt by a smite). If the charge attack misses, the smite ability is not considered used. This is a supernatural ability.

Claw of the Sun and the Ankh

The first Mulhorandi order of paladins to worship a god other than Osiris, the Claw of the Sun and the Ankh serves Horus-Re. Its fearless and fanatical soldiers are dedicated to energetically pursing the evil minions of Set, relentlessly destroying them and their foul plans whenever they are found.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Claw of the Sun and the Ankh substitution level, a character must have Horus-Re as his patron deity, be a member of the Claws of the Sun and the Ankh order, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take his 1st, 6th, or 12th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Claw of the Sun and the Ankh substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Claw of the Sun and the Ankh substitution levels.

Bird of Prey (Su): Beginning at 1st level, once per day a Claw of the Sun and the Ankh can pay homage to his god by taking on aspects of a hawk. His hands turn into claws that deal 1d4 points of damage; the attacks deal extra damage equal to one-half his paladin level to evil creatures. These attacks are considered magic, good-aligned weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. The paladin is considered to be proficient with these natural weapons while using this form. This transformation lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.

At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter, a Claw of the Sun and the Ankh can use this ability one extra time per day.

This benefit replaces the smite evil class feature gained by a standard paladin. A Claw of the Sun and the Ankh never gains any smite evil attacks at later levels.

Smite Minions of Set (Su): A Claw of the Sun and the Ankh is tasked with eliminating members of the church of Set. Starting at 6th level he can use a melee attack to attempt to smite a creature that has Set as its patron deity. This otherwise functions as the paladin's normal smite evil class feature.

A Claw of the Sun and the Ankh can use this smite attack once per day, plus one extra time per day for every three levels gained beyond 6th.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's remove disease class feature. A Claw of the Sun and the Ankh who selects this substitution level never gains the remove disease ability.

Horus-Re's Glory (Su): Starting at 12th level, a Claw's armor shines brightly (as the daylight spell). This illumination can be suppressed or resumed at will with a standard action.

This benefit replaces the 3rd-level spell slot gained by a standard paladin at 12th level. From this point forward, a Claw of the Sun and the Ankh who selects this substitution level can prepare one less 3rd-level paladin spell than normal.

Table: Claw of the Sun and the Ankh Substitution Levels

Corrupter

Of the three unholy warriors, none can match the corrupter in his capacity for evil. The despot serves as a guardian to those he oppresses and abuses, and the anti-paladin is often too self-destructive and capricious to be a long-term menace. Additionally, their goals are often focused on large scales, and as such their evil is blatantly obvious. The corrupter, on the other hand, specializes in smaller scale perversions and cruelties. He may not rule nations or drive his enemies before himself with waves of fear, but the effects of his deeds are arguably more terrifying. The corrupter is a hidden evil, a lurking menace that uses charm, guile, and deception to allow his evil to work like a slow poison in the souls of his victims.

The corrupter's primary focus is to corrupt the faith of others; his favored targets are good clerics, He uses the abilities granted by his deity to infiltrate the churches of other gods, usually in the guise of a mercenary looking to add purpose to his life in the form of newfound faith. Once he has corrupted as many priests as possible, but before he is discovered, he moves on to a new church. Another favorite tactic is to quietly slay the enemy clerics in a settlement so that minions of his own faith can fill the void left by their passing; often, a town readily accepts the arrival of a new band of clerics when the previous ones have mysteriously been slain.

Corrupters are always neutral evil; they ignore the laws of the land as they see fit to work their evil, yet must remain focused and true to their own deities. All evil deities count at least a few corrupters among their faithful, although most worship deities of deception and temptation. A corrupter's faith in his deity is absolute; he sees himself as a personal extension of his patron's will and strives to undo the work of all other faiths. While he does his best to survive in the wake of his anguished victims, he never hesitates to make great personal sacrifices in order to ensure the success of his hateful goals.

Alignment: Neutral evil.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The corrupter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Corrupter

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the corrupter.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Corrupters 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 Evil: The power of a corrupter's aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his corrupter level.

Detect Good (Sp): At will, a corrupter can detect good, as the spell.

Smite Heathen (Su): A corrupter's smite targets all creatures with the ability (including potential ability, such as a paladin or ranger who have yet to progress to a level that allows spellcasting) to cast divine spells, with the exception of worshipers of his own faith. Otherwise, it functions the same as the paladin's ability to smite evil.

Divine Grace (Su): A corrupter gains this ability at 2nd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Hidden Faith (Su): A corrupter's faith in his deity becomes hidden when he reaches 2nd level. He gains a +4 profane bonus to all Bluff, Disguise, and Forgery checks to maintain this deception, and any magical attempt to discern his actual faith fails unless the caster makes a successful level check (DC = the target's corrupter levels + 10).

Aura of Fear (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a corrupter exudes an almost palpable aura of menace and evil. Each enemy within 10 feet of him suffers a -4 morale penalty on saving throws against fear effects. The corrupter himself is deadened to the emotion of fear, and is immune to all fear effects. This ability functions while the corrupter is conscious, but not if he is unconscious or dead. A corrupter can suppress or activate this aura as a free action.

Disguise Self (Sp): At 3rd level, a corrupter can cast disguise self, as the spell. He may use this spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma bonus (minimum of once per day), at a caster level equal to his corrupter level.

Intercession (Su): When a corrupter reaches 4th level, he gains the supernatural ability to cut divine spellcasters off from their source of power. To do so, the corrupter makes a turning check as a cleric three levels lower would. The result indicates the highest-level divine spellcaster the corrupter can cut off from her connection to her deity. The turning damage result indicates the maximum total Hit Dice of divine spellcasters within 60 feet the ability can affect. The corrupter's intercession affects the closest divine spellcasters it can affect first.

Affected divine spellcasters cannot cast divine spells for 1 minute, except if the corrupter has twice as many corrupter levels as the creature has divine spellcaster levels; in this case, the divine spellcaster loses the ability to cast divine spells for 24 hours.

If the corrupter attacks an affected divine spellcaster in any way, or the affected spellcaster receives an atonement spell, the divine spellcaster is freed from this effect. The corrupter's allies and other creatures can attack the divine spellcaster without breaking the effect.

The corrupter may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.

Fiendish Familiar (Su): At 6th level, a corrupter gains the Improved Familiar feat as a bonus feat, even if he normally couldn't qualify for this feat's prerequisites. His new familiar must be an imp or a quasit. It benefits from the rules on the Familiars section. The corrupter's class level counts as the "master class level" for the purposes of determining what benefits the familiar gains.

Fallen Soul (Sp): At 8th level, a corrupter gains the ability to cast fallen soul, as the spell, once per week. He may use this ability an additional time each week every additional four levels, to a maximum of 4 times a week at 20th level.

Code of Conduct

A corrupter must be neutral evil, and loses all class abilities if he ever willingly commits a good act or an act that exposes his faith to an opposing religion and results in his detriment. He must strive to corrupt and taint all faiths apart from his own, with a special focus on good faiths. He is allowed to make whatever vows or declarations are required in order to maintain this deception, as long as he spends at least an hour each day in private prayer to his deity. He must strive to remain hidden, although the methods by which he undermines other faiths are left to his own discretion.

Associates

A corrupter can adventure with characters of any alignment, but remains suspicious and wary of good-aligned characters. He tolerates the presence of good associates only as long as he is secretly working to convert them to evil. He will not continue an association with someone who consistently offends his moral code by resisting his efforts to convert them. A corrupter may only accept henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are neutral evil.

Corrupter Spell List

Corrupters choose their spells from the following list:

1st Level: Bane, cause fear, charm person, cure light wounds, curse water, divine favor, doom, endure elements, inflict light wounds, magic weapon, profane weapon, protection from good, read magic, resistance, sanctuary, undetectable alignment.

2nd Level: Cat's grace, calm emotions, desecrate, detect thoughts, eagle's splendor, enthrall, owl's wisdom, silence, tongues.

3rd Level: Clairaudience/clairvoyance, cure moderate wounds, dispel magic, glibness, greater magic weapon, inflict moderate wounds, magic circle against good, nondetection, obscure object, scrying.

4th Level: Break enchantment, cure serious wounds, dispel good, dominate person, dream, greater command, inflict serious wounds, locate creature, unhallow.

Crescent Moon Knight

These unusual paladins of the Order of the Crescent Moon serve either Clangeddin Silverbeard or Selune. The order was founded by an alliance between humans and dwarves to defeat marauding lycanthropes; now, the descendants of the founders teach old family skills and pass heirlooms to the next generation of defenders.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Crescent Moon Knight paladin substitution level, a character must have Clangeddin Silverbeard or Selune as his patron deity, be related to or a close friend of one of the founding families, be a member of the Order of the Crescent Moon, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take his 4th, 6th, or 10th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Crescent Moon Knight paladin substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin plus Knowledge (local Impiltur).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Crescent Moon Knight Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Crescent Moon Knight substitution levels.

Favored Enemy (Ex): At 4th level, a Knight gains lycanthropes as a favored enemy, just as if he were a 1st-level ranger. Unlike standard ranger favored enemies, which are organized by monster type, the Knight's favored enemy bonuses apply to all lycanthropes regardless of type (for example, the bonuses apply against a human werewolf and a hill giant dire wereboar).

This benefit replaces the turn undead class feature gained by a standard paladin at 4th level.

Cure Lycanthropy (Su): Starting at 6th level, a Knight becomes versed in the methods of curing lycanthropy. A Knight counts as a 12th-level cleric for the purpose of curing lycanthropy within 3 days of a lycanthrope's attack. A Knight can use his remove disease spell-like ability as if it were break enchantment or remove curse to cure a lycanthrope on the nights of the full moon.

Battlesong (Su): Once per day starting at 10th level, a Knight can begin an inspiring battle song as a standard action. This song functions like a bard's inspire courage ability, using the Knight's paladin level minus 4 as his bard level. For example, a 10th-level paladin who selects this substitution level would receive a +1 morale bonus on the relevant rolls, while an 18th-level paladin would receive a +3 morale bonus. A Knight need not have any ranks in Perform to use this class feature.

This benefit replaces the 2nd-level spell slot gained by a standard paladin at 10th level. From this point forward, a Crescent Moon Knight who selects this substitution level can prepare one less 2nd-level paladin spell than normal.

Curse Breaker

Most paladins use their divinely granted powers to combat diseases that plague their allies. Paladins with an interest in the arcane - particularly those who battle necromancers - sometimes prefer to learn to counteract the effects of magical curses.

Class: Paladin.

Level: 6th.

Special Requirement: Knowledge (arcana) 1 rank.

Replaces: You do not gain the remove disease spell-like ability or any later improvement of that ability.

Benefit: At 6th level, you can produce a remove curse effect, as the spell, once per week. You can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels beyond 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times at 12th, and so forth).

Beginning at 12th level, you can spend two of your weekly uses to produce a break enchantment effect, as the spell.

These are spell-like abilities.

Dead Levels

The paladin has eight dead levels, none of which occur until 7th level. Despite being front loaded with special abilities, paladins gain smite evil and remove disease for the remainder of their levels, along with a special mount and minor spellcasting abilities. Despite these abilities, paladins still gain nothing except for base attack bonuses, hit points, and skill points at 7th and 13th level. Their dead level ability comes with two choices, the first of which has a prerequisite.

Righteous Cause (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a paladin is either rewarded with a bonus to form a lawful community or route out duplicitous intent. The paladin gains an additional bonus at 8th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, and 19th level. The bonus must be drawn from one of the following two abilities.

Inspiring Presence (Ex): A paladin can become the rallying standard for decency and fairness. If a paladin takes the Leadership feat, the character gains +1 to her leadership score, but only for the purpose of attracting 1st-level followers.

Discerning Insight (Ex): A paladin can recognize when a person is trustworthy or not, giving the character a +1 bonus on Sense Motive checks when trying to get a "hunch" about the subject's personality after a 1-minute conversation (see Sense Motive).

Despot

The despot can be a local thug who demands protection money from struggling businesses, or she can be the tyrannical ruler of an oppressed nation. In both cases, she profits and thrives from the oppression of those under her net of cruelty and domination. Yet for all her inability to empathize with the hurts and distress of those she stands upon for her own personal empowerment, the despot is not without a rigid form of law and warped honor. She and her minions protect those she rules from other forces. Indeed, in a region besieged with armies of goblinoids, rampaging giants, or ravenous hordes of undead, the local inhabitants might find the rule of a despot preferable.

The despot is always lawful evil, and strives to build an organization of thugs and police to enforce her laws and ideals. Deities of tyranny and oppression often have enforcer followers. Although rare, it is not unheard of for enforcers to serve despots as police, especially in regions where the despot's rule is less destructive than the threats to her domain. More often, despots are served by lower level despots who strive to serve their master as best they can until they find a chance or method to depose and replace their ruler.

Alignment: Lawful evil.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The despot's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Despot

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the despot.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Despots 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 Law: The power of a despot's aura of law (see the detect law spell) is equal to her despot level.

Detect Chaos (Sp): At will, a despot can use detect chaos, as the spell.

Smite Chaos (Su): A despot's smite targets creatures with a chaotic alignment, but otherwise, it functions the same as the paladin's ability to smite evil.

Divine Grace (Su): A despot gains this ability at 2nd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Slippery Mind (Ex): The despot has a powerful sense of self and free will, and her mind fights much harder against magical control than most other minds. If a despot is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt the saving throw again 1 round later to break free of the effect, Failing this second saving throw does not grant the despot further saving throws against the enchantment.

Aura of Fear (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a despot exudes an almost palpable aura of menace and evil. Each enemy within 10 feet of her suffers a -4 morale penalty on saving throws against fear effects. The despot herself is deadened to the emotion of fear, and is immune to all fear effects. This ability functions while the despot is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead. A despot can suppress or activate this aura as a free action.

Indomitable Will (Su): At 3rd level, the despot's mind has become an unassailable fortress of ego. She is now completely immune to all spells of the charm subschool.

Oppression (Su): When a despot reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to oppress other living creatures by speaking to them and channeling negative energy into the power of her voice. This is a language-dependant, mind-affecting ability.

When a despot tries to oppress, she makes a turning check (1d20 + her Charisma modifier) as if she were a cleric of three levels lower turning undead. The result of the check indicates how many targets within 60 feet (who must be able to understand the despot's words) are potentially affected, and the turning damage indicates the total Hit Dice of targets affected. Creatures with chaotic alignments are affected first, and creatures with lawful alignments are affected last. Within the alignment spectrum, closer creatures are affected first.

A target that is oppressed becomes sickened with guilt and depression (-2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks) for 1 minute.

If the despot has twice as many levels (or more) than any creature that is oppressed, that creature is instead nauseated (can only take a single move action each turn) for 1 minute.

A despot can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier.

Leadership (Ex): Upon reaching 5th level, a despot gains the Leadership feat as a bonus feat. Despots gain a +1 bonus to their Leadership score.

Mark of Justice (Sp): At 7th level, a despot can cast mark of justice, as the spell, once per week. She can use this ability one additional time per week for every four levels after 7th, to a maximum of 4 times a week at 19th level.

Code of Conduct

A despot must be of lawful evil alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits a chaotic act (such as breaking a vow or contract or betraying an ally). She must at all times work to expand and grow her domain, either by virtue of the Leadership feat or by strong-arming those less fortunate and powerful than herself. She is allowed to abuse her sovereignty in any way she sees fit to further her own personal strength and glory, but she must protect and defend her subjects and allies from harm from other forces. Likewise, she must not overburden her subjects so that they cannot support her.

Associates

A despot adventures only with characters of a non-chaotic alignment and remains suspicious and wary of those who are not lawful. She will never knowingly associate with chaotic characters, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. This includes remaining in a group in which she is not equal or superior to the highest-level member A despot can adventure or associate with those of equal level, although doing so makes her more uncomfortable and irritable than normal. A despot may only accept henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are lawful evil.

Despot Spell List

Despots choose their spells from the following list:

1st Level: Alarm, bane, bless, curse water, command, cure light wounds, detect poison, divine favor, endure elements, magic weapon, profane weapon, protection from chaos, protection from good, resistance, virtue.

2nd Level: Bull's strength, eagle's splendor, enthrall, fox's cunning, hold person, resist energy. status, zone of truth.

3rd Level: Crushing despair, cure moderate wounds, discern lies, helping hand, lesser geas, magic circle against chaos, magic circle against good, prayer, suggestion.

4th Level: Break enchantment, charm monster, cure serious wounds, dispel chaos, dispel good, dominate person, geas/quest, greater command, hold monster.

Detect Undead

Lightbringer paladins are little different from standard paladins, and share the same compassion to pursue good, the will to uphold law, and the power to defeat evil. However, the lightbringer paladin has made it her specialization to seek out and destroy undead, seeing them as the penultimate manifestation of evil in the world.

Level: 1st.

Replaces: Detect evil.

Benefit: A lightbringer paladin can use this ability at will. This is a divination effect similar to a detect evil spell, except that it finds undead only (of any alignment). Unlike with detect evil, the lightbringer paladin doesn't need to concentrate to know all relevant information. At the moment the paladin uses the ability, she knows if there are any undead within a chosen 60-degree arc, knows the exact number , and knows their exact location. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell. It is a spell-like ability.

Divine Counterspell

Although the ability to turn undead is arguably a defining cleric characteristic, some clerics (and paladins) find that they can be even more effective crusaders by opposing evil spellcasters. The ability to negate an enemy spellcasters magic grants a character an unexpected edge.

Class: Cleric or paladin.

Level: 1st (cleric) or 4th (paladin).

Special Requirement: Knowledge (arcana) 1 rank.

Replaces: You do not gain the ability to turn or rebuke undead.

Benefit: You gain the supernatural ability to counter another spellcaster's magic through pure force of will. This ability functions just as if you were using dispel magic to counter the spell, except that you add your cleric level (instead of your caster level) to the d20 roll. You don't need to identify the spell the opposing spellcaster is casting to make the attempt.

If you don't have a cleric level, use your effective cleric level for the purpose of turning undead. For example, a paladin would normally turn undead as a cleric of three levels lower; her effective cleric level for counterspelling is equal to her paladin level - 3.

You can attempt to counterspell a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Cha modifier.

A character with 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (arcana) gets a +2 bonus on counterspelling attempts when using this ability.

Divine Spirit

Most paladins form a special relationship with a celestial mount that aids them in battle. You, however, spend most of your time fighting below the ground or in enclosed spaces, where a mount is of little use. Instead, you have forged a bond with celestial spirits whose aid you can call upon when needed.

Level: 5th.

Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the special mount ability.

Benefit: Upon reaching 5th level, you can call upon your deity for aid in the form of a celestial spirit. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. See below for detailed spirit descriptions and rules.

Your paladin level determines which kinds of celestial spirits answer your summons. You can summon the spirit available at your current level as well as any that became available at lower levels.

The following entries describe how each of the different spirits function. Unless otherwise specified, all spirits share some characteristics, as set out below.

• A spirit occupies a 5-foot square on the battle map.
• When summoned, a spirit appears on the battlefield within 30 feet of you. You can use a free action to have it move once per round. The spirit has a land speed of 30 feet.
• All spirits are insubstantial and transparent. Any creature can move through them normally, and they do not block line of sight or line of effect.
• A spirit cannot attack or be attacked. It is not undead and cannot be turned. It is subject to dispel magic, dismissal, or banishment as if it were a summoned creature, using your paladin level as the caster level.
• If you lose line of sight to a spirit, it disappears immediately.
• Each spirit available to you can be summoned once per day.
• A spirit remains for a number of rounds equal to your paladin level, until it is dismissed, or until special conditions in the spirit's description are met.

Spirit of Healing: This spirit increases your ability to heal damage dealt to you or your allies. When summoned, it can heal an amount of damage equal to twice the amount you can heal using your lay on hands ability.

To use its healing ability, you or an ally must begin or end your turn in the same square as the spirit. That character can then use a standard action to transfer some or all of the hit points from the spirit to herself. Once the spirit has used all its healing ability, it dissipates.

Spirit of Combat: This spirit enhances combat ability. Whenever an ally (including yourself) is adjacent to the spirit of combat or occupying its space, that character gains holy fervor. Holy fervor grants a +1 sacred bonus on attacks and damage rolls for every four paladin levels you possess (up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level). In addition, affected characters' weapons are treated as goodaligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Spirit of Heroism: This spirit automatically occupies your space and does not leave until dismissed or dispelled, or the duration of the summoning ends. You gain DR 10/-. In addition, you gain the benefit of the Diehard feat (even if you do not meet the prerequisite) and can use your lay on hands ability as a free action once per round instead of as a standard action.

Spirit of the Fallen: While you or any of your allies are adjacent to this spirit, it grants fast healing 10 to those characters. If an affected character's hit points drop to 0 or fewer while within 30 feet of this spirit, it revives that character at the start of his next turn, allowing him to take his action as normal. The character heals an amount of damage equal to twice your paladin level, though if his hit points are still at -10 or below, he still dies. The spirit can use its revive ability once per round.

A spirit of the fallen cannot revive creatures whose bodies have been destroyed (such as by a disintegrate spell), nor can it reverse the effects of bodily changes, such as from flesh to stone or baleful polymorph, or other effects that slay a character without dealing damage.

Domain Paladin

Most of the core classes provide many opportunities for variation. With a wide range of abilities, feats, and skills to chose from, the rules provide players with enough choices to round out a unique personality.

Of all the core classes, however, paladins have the least room for uniqueness. They have few skill points, and almost all paladins focus on the same skills: Diplomacy, Heal, Ride, and Sense Motive. Feats follow more or less the same pattern - Mounted Combat and its feat tree are practically must-haves because of the paladin's special mount class ability. While strict codes for combat and behavior are integral to a paladin's orderly life, players of paladins sometimes would like a little more variety in the class. The real problem ends up being deities. No matter which deity a paladin worships, her class abilities and spells are always the same. Why should a paladin of Ehlonna be the same as a paladin of Heironeous, or a paladin of Saint Cuthbert the same as one worshipping Yondalla?

The optional rule presented in this article offers paladins a greater variety of powers by making a simple change. In order to select a paladin domain, the paladin gives up her ability to turn undead at 3rd level and selects a domain from the list of paladin domains instead. The domain chosen must belong to the deity worshipped by the paladin. Paladin domains do not provide a list of bonus spells as do cleric domains, but they all feature an associated special ability based on the corresponding cleric domain.

PALADIN DOMAINS

While only Chaos and Evil are banned, paladins rarely select domains other than the ones listed here.

Death: You may use a special death ward effect as a standard action, giving you or a good-aligned creature you touch a bonus on all saves against death effects. This saving throw bonus equals your paladin level -2 and lasts for 1 minute. This granted power may be used a total number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. It is a supernatural ability.

Knowledge: You gain a special divine inspiration power. You may make a special divine inspiration check that functions exactly as a bard's bardic knowledge class ability, except that it is a supernatural ability. Your divine inspiration bonus is equal to your paladin level + your Charisma modifier, and is usable a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier.

Luck: Once per day, as an extraordinary ability, you may reroll one roll you have just made before the DM declares whether the roll results in success or failure. You must take the result of the second roll, even if it's worse than the first one.

Magic: You may use scrolls, wands, and other devices with spell completion or spell trigger activation as a wizard of half your paladin level. Any actual wizard levels you have stack with the effective wizard levels gained from this ability. Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft are class skills for you.

Protection: You can generate a protective ward as a supernatural ability. This protective ward grants you or someone you touch a resistance bonus equal to your paladin level -2 on the recipient's next saving throw. Activating this power is a standard action. The protective ward is an abjuration effect with a duration of 1 hour. It is usable once per day.

Strength: You can perform a feat of strength as a supernatural ability. You gain an enhancement bonus to your Strength score equal to your paladin level -2. Activating this power is a free action. It lasts 1 round, and is usable once per day.

War: You may invoke a special true warrior power as a supernatural ability, allowing you to bypass the damage reduction of any evil-aligned creature. Invoking the true warrior ability is a free action, but it must be activated before rolling your attack. Its effects last for 1 round, and you can invoke it once per day.

Dragonborn Paladin

Lawful good dragonborn often become paladins. The class is in harmony with their dedicated nature to sanctify themselves through honorable service in the Dragonfall War. Many of the paladin's abilities make a dragonborn character extraordinarily well suited for fighting the spawn of Tiamat.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

A dragonborn paladin normally takes substitution levels at 1st level and when she would take her 4th and 5th paladin levels. However, a paladin who becomes a dragonborn later in her career can choose to retroactively take any or all dragonborn paladin substitution levels as replacements for class levels she has already gained.

Class Skills

Dragonborn paladin substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class, plus Knowledge (arcana).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier (or four times this number as a beginning character).

Table: Dragonborn Paladin Racial Substitution Levels

Class Features

All the following are class features of the dragonborn paladin racial substitution levels.

Detect Dragonblood (Sp): A 1st-level dragonborn paladin can use detect dragonblood at will. This is a divination effect similar to a detect evil spell, except that it detects dragonblood creatures of any alignment. A dragonborn paladin can scan a 60-degree arc each round. By concentrating for 1 round, she knows if any dragonblood creatures are within the arc; concentrating for 2 rounds reveals the exact number of such creatures; and concentrating for 3 rounds reveals their exact locations. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's detect evil class feature.

Bahamut's Blessing (Su): At 4th level, a dragonborn paladin who uses her smite evil ability against evil dragons and dragonbloods gains an additional +2 bonus on the attack roll. She also deals 1 extra point of damage per two paladin levels. For example, a 13th-level dragonborn paladin with a 20 Strength and armed with a +2 longsword deals 1d8+26 points of damage when using smite evil against an evil dragonblood (+13 from normal smite evil, +6 from Bahamut's blessing, + 5 from Str, and +2 from the longsword).

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's turn undead ability.

Fearless Special Mount (Sp): A 5th-level dragonborn paladin's special mount is immune to the frightful presence of dragons, in addition to having the standard qualities of a special mount.

This substitution feature replaces the improvement in base attack bonus normally gained by a 5th-level paladin. From 5th level on, a dragonborn paladin's base attack bonus is 1 lower than that of a standard paladin of her level.

Dragonscale Husk

Any warrior knows that skill in battle isn't enough; you must also guard against the attacks of your enemies. A well-forged suit of armor can mean the difference between life and death, but a warrior whose very body is his armor has an immediate advantage. Those who have the blood of dragons running in their veins can gain this benefit.

Class: Any standard class that grants proficiency in heavy armor, such as fighter or paladin.

Level: 1st (unless the class grants proficiency in heavy armor at a level other than 1st, in which case this feature can be taken only at that level).

Special Requirement: You must be of the dragonblood subtype to select this alternative class feature. As long as you gain the dragonblood subtype at the same level that you would gain heavy armor proficiency, you can select this class feature, even if you would normally choose class features before selecting the option that grants you the subtype. For example, a 1st-level human fighter who takes Dragontouched as one of his 1st-level feats could also select this class feature.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain proficiency with any kind of armor. If you would later gain some form of armor proficiency (such as by multiclassing or taking a feat), you can choose at that time to gain that profi ciency, but you then lose this class feature. If you already have proficiency with any kind of armor, you must lose that proficiency in order to select this class feature.

Benefit: You gain the extraordinary ability to grow a thick, scaly hide that protects you like armor. The dragonscale husk resembles the scales of a dragon of your choice (selected when you gain the class feature). The husk requires 8 hours to grow, but this process can take place at night while you are sleeping.

Your scaled hide grants you a bonus to your Armor Class equal to 6 + 1/3 your class level in the class that granted you heavy armor proficiency (+7 bonus to AC at 3rd level, +8 bonus to AC at 6th level, and so on, up to a maximum +12 bonus to AC at 18th level). Multiple classes that grant this proficiency stack for determining the dragonscale husk's total bonus. This bonus doesn't stack with any feat, racial trait, or other special ability that would grant you a bonus to Armor Class.

In addition, as you attain higher levels, your husk grants you increasing resistance to acid, cold, electricity, and fire. You gain resistance 5 at 5th level, resistance 10 at 10th level, resistance 15 at 15th level, and resistance 20 at 20th level.

Your dragonscale husk is treated as medium armor for the purpose of determining your speed and whether you can use class features or other special abilities. It allows a maximum Dexterity bonus to Armor Class of +2 and has an armor check penalty of -4. You can sleep in your husk without penalty. You cannot wear any other armor while your husk is present.

Your husk isn't treated as armor for the purpose of being affected by spells or other abilities. You can't grant it an enhancement bonus with magic vestment, nor can you imbue it with special properties, as you could a normal suit of armor.

You can't take off your dragonscale husk, but you can choose to shed it. Doing this requires 10 minutes of concentration and results in your sloughing off a pile of scales that crumble to dust if handled.

Drakkensteed Mount

Paladins who revere dragons or draconic deities, though few in number, sometimes summon dragon-descended beasts known as drakkensteeds to serve as their special mounts. Unlike a standard warhorse, unicorn, or other special mount used by paladins, drakkensteeds are more than just outstanding members of mundane races - they are nearly legendary beasts seen by few and mastered by even fewer.

Class: Paladin.

Level: 5th.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the standard paladin's special mount.

Benefit: You gain the service of a loyal drakkensteed. It functions in all ways as any other special mount gained by a paladin (including advancing its statistics, gaining special abilities, and so forth), except that it can't command animals.

Elf Paladin

Though elves typically tend toward chaos and freedom over law and order, an elf paladin can become a beacon of righteousness. He gives up some of his single-minded dedication in exchange for abilities that work well with his racial aptitudes.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take an elf paladin substitution level, a character must be an elf about to take his 1st, 3rd, or 5th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Elf paladin substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard paladin class, plus Survival.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier (or four times this number as a beginning character).

Table: Elf Paladin Racial Substitution Levels

Class Features

All the following are features of the elf paladin's racial substitution levels.

Ranged Smite Evil (Su): An elf paladin can only deliver his smite evil attacks with a longbow (or composite longbow) or shortbow (or composite shortbow). The target must be within 30 feet for the paladin to use this ability. This ability otherwise functions identically to the normal smite evil class feature.

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's class feature of smite evil. At each level at which the paladin would normally gain an additional daily use of smite evil, the elf paladin instead gains a daily use of ranged smite evil.

Aura of Freedom (Su): A 3rd-level elf paladin radiates an aura that helps his allies resist effects that would influence their minds. Each ally within 10 feet of him gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against enchantment effects. This ability functions while the paladin is conscious, but not if he is unconscious or dead.

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's ability of aura of courage.

Unicorn Mount (Sp): A 5th-level elf paladin gains the service of a unicorn to serve him in his crusade against evil. This ability is identical to the paladin's special mount class feature, except that the paladin is treated as six levels lower than normal for the purpose of determining the mount's bonus HD, natural armor adjustment, and Strength adjustment (but not other special abilities). The unicorn serves as a loyal steed regardless of the paladin's gender.

For example, an elf paladin's unicorn mount doesn't gain the adjusted statistics of a 5th-level paladin's mount (+2 HD, +4 natural armor adjustment, and +1 Strength adjustment - see The Paladin's Mount) until the paladin is 11th level. It gains the other special abilities of a paladin's mount at the normal levels (empathic link, improved evasion, share spells, and share saving throws at 5th level, improved speed at 8th level, command at 11th level, and spell resistance at 15th level). The unicorn mount may only use its command ability on horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules.

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's class feature of special mount.

Enforcer

The enforcer is the ultimate warrior for law and works hand in hand with his patron deity and his liege. To an enforcer, the laws of the land are as holy as the laws of his religion. Upholding and enforcing the laws take complete precedence over all other factors, and those who would flaunt or ignore the law deserve swift, but appropriate, punishment.

An enforcer is always lawful neutral. Deities of protection and nobility often have enforcer followers, especially in large cities where such deities are worshiped heavily. Enforcers form large knighthoods that are usually based within a structure built on the grounds of the local ruler's estate and often work with paladins to fight against crime and civil unrest.

Alignment: Lawful neutral.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The enforcer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Enforcer

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the enforcer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Enforcers 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 Law: The power of an enforcer's aura of law (see the detect law spell) is equal to his enforcer level.

Detect Chaos (Sp): At will, an enforcer can use detect chaos, as the spell.

Smite Chaos (Su): An enforcer's smite targets creatures with a chaotic alignment, but otherwise, it functions the same as the paladin's ability to smite evil.

Divine Grace (Su): An enforcer gains this ability at 2nd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Subdue (Ex): A 2nd-level enforcer has learned how to efficiently inflict non-lethal damage with weapons. He does not suffer the standard -4 penalty to attack rolls when he attacks to inflict non-lethal damage with a weapon that normally deals lethal damage, as long as he is proficient with the weapon being used. In addition, when an enforcer attacks to inflict non-lethal damage with a weapon specifically designed to do non-lethal damage (such as a sap or whip), he gains a +2 bonus to weapon damage rolls.

Aura of Courage (Su): An enforcer gains this ability at 3rd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Suggestion (Sp): At 3rd level, an enforcer may cast suggestion, as the spell. He may use this ability once per day at 3rd level. At 8th level, and every five levels thereafter, he may use this ability one additional time per day, to a maximum of four times a day at 18th level. Caster level is equal to the enforcer's class level.

Rebuke Undead (Su): When an enforcer reaches 4th level, he gains the supernatural ability to rebuke or command undead as an evil cleric three levels lower would. The enforcer can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. Enforcers are expected to use commanded undead to further the cause of law and generally don't keep commanded undead under their control for more than 24 hours, especially if the presence of undead causes chaos in society.

Leadership (Ex): Upon reaching 5th level, an enforcer gains the Leadership feat as a bonus feat. Enforcers gain a +1 bonus to their leadership score, although the maximum number and level of their followers and cohorts remains standard.

Dominate Person (Sp): At 7th level, an enforcer can cast dominate person, as the spell, once per week. He can use this ability one additional time per week for every four levels after 7th. Caster level is equal to the enforcer's class level.

Code of Conduct

An enforcer must be of lawful neutral alignment and loses all class abilities if he ever willingly commits a chaotic act (such as breaking a vow or contract or betraying an ally). Unlike the other holy warriors, enforcers are bound to the will of two beings. Their primary liege remains their divine patron, but they must also serve the will of their worldly liege. The enforcer's patron deity and his liege's patron deity must be the same. If an enforcer believes his liege is not acting in the best interests of his deity, he is permitted to act against his liege as long as he can expose his liege's heresy within 24 hours. An enforcer is not allowed to accept a position of leadership that would place him in a position where he would not have a liege above him in the rank of command, except in the case of an emergency (and even then, for no more than 24 hours). The enforcer must uphold and enforce the laws of the church and land at all times, even when the laws would prevent him from fully accomplishing a desired personal goal.

Associates

An enforcer can adventure with characters of any non-chaotic alignment but remains suspicious and wary of those who are not lawful. He will never knowingly associate with chaotic characters, nor will he continue an association with someone who consistently offends his moral code. An enforcer may only accept henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are lawful neutral.

Enforcer Spell List

Enforcers choose their spells from the following list:

1st Level: Alarm, bless, bless water, bless weapon, command, cure light wounds, detect poison, divine favor, endure elements, hold portal, magic weapon, protection from chaos, resistance, sleep, virtue.

2nd Level: Bull's strength eagle's splendor, fox's cunning, hold person, resist energy, shield other, status, zone of truth.

3rd Level: Cure moderate wounds, discern lies, magic circle against chaos, prayer, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, remove disease.

4th Level: Break enchantment, cure serious wounds, dispel chaos, greater command, hold monster, mark of justice, neutralize poison, restoration.

Eternal Order

The primary duty of the Knights of the Eternal Order - Kelemvor's main order of paladins - is to hunt and destroy powerful undead. They develop powerful undead-fighting powers by sacrificing other paladin abilities.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take an Eternal Order substitution level, a character must have Kelemvor as her patron deity, be a member of the Knights of the Eternal Order, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 1st, 3rd, or 6th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Eternal Order substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Eternal Order substitution levels.

Corpsestrike (Su): An Eternal Order paladin can, as a swift action, surround her weapon with a visible gray aura of holy power that sheds light equal to a candle. Any weapon so affected can ignore any damage reduction (other than DR #/epic) possessed by an undead creature, regardless of its source. This aura lasts for a number of minutes equal to the paladin's class level.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's smite evil class feature. Any time an Eternal Order paladin would later gain an extra smite evil attempt (such as at 5th level), she can instead use this ability one extra time per day.

Undead Knowledge (Ex): Each time an Eternal Order substitution level is taken, the character gains a cumulative +2 competence bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks concerning undead.

Eternal Vigor (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, an Eternal Order paladin can ignore the effects of negative levels bestowed upon her by an undead creature.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's divine health class feature.

Greater Turning (Su): At 6th level, an Eternal Order paladin gains the ability to perform a greater turning once per day in place of a regular turning, just as if she had access to the Sun domain.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's remove disease class feature normally gained at 6th level. At any level where a standard paladin gains an extra daily use of remove disease, an Eternal Order paladin instead gains another daily use of her greater turning ability.

Table: Eternal Order Substitution Levels

Gaze of Truth

For you, justice is paramount.

Level: 1st.

Replaces: If you choose this ability, you do not gain the ability to detect evil.

Benefit: You can discern when someone is lying to you, as the spell discern lies. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1/day). The target is afforded a Will save (DC 10 + half your paladin level + your Charisma modifier). If he succeeds, you cannot discern lies from him for 24 hours. Each use of this ability lasts for 1 round per paladin level.

Additionally, you add detect evil to the paladin spell list.

Note: You should discuss this ability with your DM before choosing it. While it is appropriate for some campaigns, such ready use of a truth-finding ability can quickly spoil a game in which lies, subterfuge, and intrigue play a significant part.

Gnome Paladin

Gnome paladins chuckle at the stereotype of paladins as self-righteous, honor-bound, humorless sticks-in-the-mud, especially when someone thinks it applies to them. You might make the following changes to a gnome paladins class features to emphasize her racial characteristics:

Class Skills: Replace Knowledge (nobility and royalty) with Perform (comedy).

Special Mount (Sp): A 5th-level gnome paladin may summon a dire badger as a special mount. It gains special abilities at the same rate as a standard special mount. Due to their connection with burrowing creatures, many gnome paladins call for a dire badger special mount when possible. Other gnome paladin mounts might include the black bear, boar, dire eagle, dire toad, dire weasel, and wolverine.

Golarion Paladin

Paladins trained in the Holy Citadel of Light focus specifically on the destruction of undead and are often charged with cleansing the land around Gallowspire of its necrotic taint. These paladins gain the above special ability, which replaces the remove disease ability gained at 6th level and all increases in that ability.

Light of Purity (Su): Starting at 6th level, a paladin with this ability can emit a radiance of blinding light once per week. This light acts like a daylight spell, save that it only lasts for 1 round per level of the paladin. In addition, any undead within 30 feet of the paladin emitting this light takes 1d6 points of damage per round for every two levels the paladin has attained. A Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the paladin's level + the paladin's Cha modifier) halves this damage. A paladin may use the light of purity one additional time per week for every three additional levels he has attained, to a maximum of five times at 18th level.

Golden Cup

Paladins who are members of the Order of the Golden Cup serve Ilmater and have dedicated themselves to healing the sick and weak and protecting the innocent. Peaceful counterparts to the Companions of the Noble Heart, they don't shy away from combating evil, but they allow their companions to actively hunt it down while they focus on protecting those who can't protect themselves.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Golden Cup substitution level, a character must have Ilmater as her patron deity, be a member of the Order of the Golden Cup, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 3rd, 4th, or 10th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Golden Cup substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Golden Cup Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Golden Cup substitution levels.

Defend the Weak (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, a Golden Cup paladin can protect nearby allies in combat. If she uses Combat Expertise, fights defensively, or uses the total defense action, she can grant the dodge bonus to AC from these actions to any single creature standing adjacent to her in addition to herself.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's aura of courage class feature.

Shield Other (Sp): Beginning at 4th level, a Golden Cup paladin can use shield other as a spell-like ability. She needs no focus for this ability, but she must be able to touch the character. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma bonus (minimum 1/day), though she can't affect more than one target simultaneously (a second use ends the duration of any previous use). Her caster level is equal to her paladin level.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's turn undead class feature.

Expanded Healing (Su): Beginning at 10th level, a Golden Cup paladin can treat her paladin level as three higher than normal for the purpose of determining the maximum amount of healing she can bestow with her lay on hands ability per day. She can also treat her caster level as three higher than normal for the purpose of any conjuration (healing) spell she casts.

This benefit replaces the third daily use of the smite evil ability gained by a standard paladin at 10th level. From this point forward, she has one less daily use of smite evil than normal.

Golden Lion

The Order of the Golden Lion serves Torm and was created specifically to serve the Penance of Duty accepted by those of his faith. Members of the order are a varied bunch but united in their devotion and strength of purpose. They develop special powers to defend good temples, defeat Faerunian evils, and repair damage to the Weave.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Golden Lion paladin substitution level, a character must have Torm as her patron deity, maintain the appearance of her armor and helm in accordance with the standards of the order, be a member of the Order of the Golden Lion, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 1st, 4th, or 6th level of paladin.

Furthermore, as part of an ongoing atonement for their church's hostilities toward other good churches in the years preceding the Time of Troubles, the Golden Lions pledge to help rebuild and defend these churches. Once per month each Golden Lion must perform a quest for or spend a day defending a good temple of another faith. The Golden Lion must follow orders from this temple as if they came from her own temple, but can disregard any order that conflicts with her own faith or that would certainly result in her death (the good faiths involved understand the boundaries of the Penance of Duty and won't ask for things they wouldn't ask of their own champions of the faith).

Class Skills

Golden Lion substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Golden Lion Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Golden Lion substitution levels.

Detect Magic (Sp): A Golden Lion can use a detect magic effect at will. Her caster level is equal to her paladin level.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's detect evil ability.

Enemy of Strife (Su): Golden Lions are tasked with eliminating the Zhentarim and the churches of Bane and Cyric. Beginning at 4th level, any smite evil attack used against a member of one of these groups (or a creature created or conjured by a member of one of these groups) automatically ignores any miss chance from concealment and overcomes damage reduction as if it were made with a good-aligned weapon.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's ability to turn undead.

Restore the Weave (Sp): At 6th level, once per day a Golden Lion can repair a 5-foot cube of dead magic or wild magic area, returning it to its normal function. This ability only works if the paladin stands in an area of normal Weave that is adjacent to the damaged area (in other words, it cannot create an "island" of normal Weave within a damaged area). Slowly but surely, the Golden Lions can repair large problem areas. This spell-like ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.

This benefit replaces the remove disease class feature gained by a standard paladin at 6th level. At any level where a standard paladin gains an extra daily use of remove disease, a Golden Lion can instead gain another daily use of her restore the Weave ability.

Half-Orc Paladin

At first glance, the concept of a half-orc paladin seems a contradiction in terms. But those rare half-orcs with the necessary dedication to law and goodness become the most zealous protectors of righteousness.

Hit Die: d12.

Requirements

To take a half-orc paladin substitution level, a character must be a half-orc about to take his 1st, 3rd, or 6th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Half-orc paladin substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class, except that Diplomacy is dropped and Intimidate is added.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier (or four times this number as a beginning character).

Table: Half-Orc Paladin Racial Substitution Levels

Class Features

All the following are features of the half-orc paladin racial substitution levels.

Righteous Fury (Ex): A half-orc paladin can fly into a fury of righteous fervor once per day, dealing powerful blows to his enemies. Entering a righteous fury is a free action. While in a righteous fury, the half-orc paladin gains a +2 morale bonus on melee weapon damage rolls. This bonus increases by 1 for every four class levels, to +3 at 4th level, +4 at 8th level, up to a maximum of +7 at 20th level. The half-orc remains in this fury for 1 round plus 1 round per point of Charisma bonus (minimum 1 round).

At 5th level, and at every five class levels thereafter, the half-orc paladin may enter this righteous fury one additional time per day.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's smite evil ability. A half-orc paladin who selects this substitution feature never gains any daily uses of smite evil.

Aura of Awe (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a half-orc paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). In addition, evil creatures within 10 feet of the character take a -2 penalty on saves against fear effects (or on checks made to resist his Intimidate attempts).

This substitution feature replaces the base paladin's aura of courage ability.

Remove Fatigue (Sp): At 6th level, a half-orc paladin can remove the fatigued condition from all allies within a 30-foot burst centered on him. (This has no effect on exhausted allies.) He can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times per week at 12th, and so forth).

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's remove disease ability. A half-orc paladin who selects this substitution feature never gains any weekly uses of remove disease.

Harmonious Knight

Paladins of the Harmonious Order, called Harmonious Knights, serve Milil and do good works in his name, though they tend to be egotistical and overly sure of themselves. Milil grants paladins of this order musical abilities to complement their fighting.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Harmonious Knight substitution level, a character must have Milil as his patron deity, be a member of the Harmonious Order, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take his 1st, 6th, or 9th level of paladin.

Class Skills

A Harmonious Knight adds Perform to the standard paladin's list of class skills.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Harmonious Knight Substitution Levels

Class Features

All the following are features of the Harmonious Knight substitution levels.

Inspire Courage (Su): A Harmonious Knight can use songs to inspire courage in his allies and himself. As a standard action, he can sing rallying or inspiring war songs that grant all allies that hear him a +1 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls. This effect lasts as long as the Harmonious Knight sings, and for 5 rounds afterward. This ability is usable once per day per paladin level, and Harmonious Knight substitution levels count as paladin levels for this purpose.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's detect evil ability.

Inspire Competence (Su): A 6th-level Harmonious Knight with at least 4 ranks in Perform can use singing to help an ally (but not himself) succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the Harmonious Knight. The ally gains a +2 competence bonus on skill checksmade with a particular skill as long as she continues to hear the Harmonious Knight's singing (maximum 2 minutes). Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability and is usable once per day.

This benefit replaces the remove disease ability that the standard paladin gains at 6th level. From this point onward, the character has one fewer weekly uses of remove disease than a normal paladin of his level does.

Inspire Greatness (Su): A 9th-level Harmonious Knight with at least 5 ranks in Perform can sing to inspire greatness in himself or one chosen ally as a standard action. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the Harmonious Knight sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. The affected ally gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (applying the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to both extra Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells such as sleep. Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability and is usable once per day.

This benefit replaces the second weekly use of remove disease that the standard paladin gains at 9th level. From this point onward, the Harmonious Knight gains another daily use of inspire greatness or inspire competence (if he took the 6th Harmonious Knight level) instead of each additional weekly use of remove disease that he would otherwise have gained.

Holy Judge

This group of Tyr-worshiping paladins is focused primarily on its god's lawful aspects. The Holy Judges hunt and punish criminals and lawbreakers, and they have a fervent hatred for devils, which they see as a terrible perversion of a lawful society.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Holy Judge substitution level, a character must have Tyr as her patron deity, be a member of the Knights of Holy Judgment, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 1st, 4th, or 6th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Holy Judge substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class plus Knowledge (the planes).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Holy Judge Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Holy Judge substitution levels.

Favored Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a Holy Judge gains devils as a favored enemy, just as if he were a 1st-level ranger. Unlike standard ranger favored enemies, which are classified by monster type, a Holy Judge's favored enemy bonuses apply only to devils, not all kinds of evil outsiders.

At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter, the bonus granted by the Holy Judge's favored enemy class feature improves by 2. This increase has no effect on any other favored enemies the Holy Judge might have.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's smite evil class feature.

Censure Devil (Su): A Holy Judge on his home plane can utter words of censuring that can daze a devil within 30 feet. The devil must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 paladin level + Cha modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. A Holy Judge can use this ability a number of times per day equal to three + his Charisma modifier.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's ability to turn undead.

Zone of Truth (Sp): A Holy Judge can use a zone of truth effect once per week, using his paladin level as his caster level.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin remove disease class feature. If the Holy Judge would later gain an extra weekly use of remove disease, he instead gains an extra weekly use of zone of truth.

Holy Warrior

By giving up your spellcasting ability, you gain access to bonus feats much as a fighter does. This choice does not, however, close you off from divine influence - in fact, several of these feats actually increase your divine power.

Level: 1st.

Replaces: To select this class feature, you must sacrifice your spellcasting ability.

Benefit: You no longer gain spells as a paladin, but you can now select a bonus feat at 4th, 8th, 11th, and 14th levels. You can select any feat from the following list for which you meet the prerequisites: any divine feat, Cleave, Extra Smiting, Extra Turning, Great Cleave, Improved Smiting, Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery, Power Attack, Ride-By Attack, Skill Focus (Ride), Spirited Charge, and Trample. This is an extraordinary ability.

Special: A paladin who selects this path can no longer use scrolls, wands, or other magic items that require access to a spell list, unless she has another spellcasting class that grants access to the appropriate spells.

Hunter of Fiends

You actively seek out demons and devils to slay rather than waiting for them to come to you.

Level: 1st.

Replaces: If you choose this ability you lose the ability to smite evil and give up Knowledge (royalty and nobility) as a class skill.

Benefit: You gain outsider (evil) as a favored enemy, as the ranger ability, except the bonus you gain equals half your paladin level (minimum +1). You gain no additional favored enemies at later levels. In addition, you gain Track as a bonus feat and Survival and Knowledge (the planes) as class skills.

Incarnate

The incarnate is unique among the divine champions in that she does not serve a patron deity. Rather, she focuses her faith and belief in the philosophy of Balance, that the best of all possible worlds is both good and evil, both lawful and chaotic, all in equal balance. She receives her divine spells and abilities through her unwavering devotion to Balance. When one force becomes too powerful in a region, she fights to restore the balance, either by allying with the opposing force or fighting on her own. An overly lawful society that oppresses its populace is just as wrong in the incarnate's eyes as a society that collapses into anarchy and barbarism. Likewise, a creature that indiscriminately treats everything with kindness and understanding is just as offensive as one that kills and slaughters without remorse.

Incarnates are always neutral. They rarely have patron deities. Incarnates form into loosely knit groups to better protect the Balance. The meetings of these groups take place in large secular buildings or natural regions and often involve long debates about whether imbalance exists and how to best correct it. The non-aligned aspect of the natural world appeals to many incarnates, and most of them prefer to live in the wild. They enjoy the company of druids and often work with them to accomplish a common goal, but most such alliances eventually fall apart due to the incarnates' belief that civilization and the natural world must also find balance.

Alignment: Neutral.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The incarnate's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Incarnate

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the incarnate.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Incarnates are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Detect Imbalance (Sp): Incarnates are sensitive to the presence of creatures with alignment subtypes because of how unbalancing the presence of such creatures can be. This ability functions as the detect undead spell, save that it detects creatures with an alignment subtype rather than the type. This ability does not determine the alignment or subtype of the creature, just the presence.

Elemental Affinity (Ex): The elemental planes are closer to the mind of an incarnate than the Outer Planes. As a result, an incarnate has a particular affinity to two elements, either air and earth or fire and water. She must select one of these pairings upon taking her first incarnate level. Each element is associated with a form of energy, as detailed below.

Smite Extremist (Su): An incarnate's smite targets creatures of the following alignments: lawful good, lawful evil, chaotic good, and chaotic evil. When the incarnate makes a smite attack, she must decide which alignment she is smiting, but otherwise, it functions the same as the paladin's ability to smite evil.

Divine Grace (Su): An incarnate gains this ability at 2nd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Elemental Burst (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, an incarnate with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can create a burst of energy appropriate to her elemental affinity. Use of this supernatural ability is a standard action. She can direct this burst of energy at any target within 60 feet as a ranged touch attack. A successful hit deals 1d4 points of damage plus the incarnate's Charisma modifier of both the incarnate's associated energy types. Thus an incarnate who has a Charisma of 13 and is associated with both fire and water would deal 1d4+1 points of fire damage and 1d4+1 points of cold damage to a target struck by the attack. The incarnate can generate a number of elemental bursts in a day equal to her Charisma bonus.

Aura of Courage (Su): An incarnate gains this ability at 3rd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Energy Resistance (Ex): At 3rd level, the incarnate gains energy resistance 5 to the types of energy associated with her elemental affinity.

Rebuke Outsider (Su): When an incarnate reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to rebuke or command outsiders. She can only use this ability while she is on the Material Plane. The incarnate can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. The incarnate turns outsiders as a cleric three levels lower would turn undead.

Elemental Minion (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, an incarnate gains the ability to summon a Medium elemental (air, earth, fire, or water) as a standard action usable once a day. This elemental must be one of the types she is associated with due to her elemental affinity. This elemental minion carries the same responsibilities as a paladin's special mount and gains the same bonuses to its HD, natural armor, Strength, Intelligence, and other special abilities that a paladin's special mount gains when the incarnate gains levels. Unlike the paladin's special mount, the elemental minion only remains for 1 hour/level before returning to the elemental plane from whence it came.

Commune with Nature (Sp): At 8th level, an incarnate gains the ability to commune with nature, as the spell, once per week. She may use this ability an additional time each week every additional four levels, to a maximum of 4 times a week at 20th level.

Code of Conduct

An incarnate must be of neutral alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits an act that endangers the natural balance of the world. The incarnate is most at home in the wilderness, but she does not take any special vows to avoid city life. She avoids travel to other planes (with the exception of the Elemental Planes to which she has an affinity) except in the most dire need. The incarnate prefers to arrive at peaceful solutions but is fully capable of using force against unwanted intrusions into this realm from beyond.

Associates

An incarnate can adventure with characters of any alignment but remains suspicious and wary of those who draw their powers from the Outer Planes (including most clerics and other holy warriors). She tolerates the presence of native outsiders such as aasimar and tieflings, but would prefer not to share their company if possible. She never knowingly associates with creatures of an alignment subtype, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. An incarnate may only accept henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are neutral.

Incarnate Spell List

Incarnates choose their spells from the following list:

1st Level: Bless, bless water, bless weapon, charm animal, cure light wounds, detect poison, divine favor, endure elements, entangle, longstrider, magic fang, magic weapon, pass without trace, protection from chaos, protection from evil, protection from good, protection from law, speak with animals.

2nd Level: Animal messenger, barkskin, bear's endurance, bull's strength, eagle's splendor, hold person, lesser restoration, owl's wisdom, resist energy, shield other, spike growth, tree shape.

3rd Level: Cure moderate wounds, diminish plants, dominate animal, greater magic fang, magic circle against chaos, magic circle against evil, magic circle against good, magic circle against law, plant growth, prayer, speak with plants.

4th Level: Break enchantment, command plants, cure serious wounds, dismissal, dispel chaos, dispel evil, dispel good, dispel law, freedom of movement, tree stride.

Inquisitor

The paladin who takes an active role in hunting her foul enemies must give up her defensive powers.

This variant simply swaps one or more of a class's features for one or more class features of another class. A class feature gained works just as it did for its original class, including the level at which it is gained and any other effects, except as noted below.

Lose: Lay on hands, turn undead, remove disease.

Gain: Favored enemy (as ranger; may only select aberrations, dragons, giants, monstrous humanoids, evil outsiders, or undead).

Lion Legionnaire

The mighty wemic paladins of Nobanion are called the Legion of Lions; they are small in number but great in their bravery. Unlike most of Lord Firemane's wemic followers, they travel outside the Shaar in search of evil, and partly because of their efforts Nobanion's faith has attracted humanoid followers. Though most Lion Legionnaires are wemics, a small number are humanoids, and at least one lammasu is a member of this elite group. Rather than traditional paladin abilities, they develop powers relating to Nobanion's strengths and tactics.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Lion Legionnaire substitution level, a character must have Nobanion as his patron deity, be a member of the Legion of Lions, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take his 3rd, 4th, or 5th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Lion Legionnaire substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class plus Knowledge (nature).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Lion Legionnaire Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Lion Legionnaire substitution levels.

Firemane Aura (Su): Once per day a Lion Legionnaire can create an aura of holy flame around his body. As this ability activates, the paladin's hair or mane (if any) momentarily turns into a brilliant golden flame. Any evil creature striking a Lion Legionnaire with a natural weapon, or a melee weapon that is not a reach weapon, takes damage equal to the Legionnaire's paladin level. Half of this damage is fire damage, but the other half results directly from divine power and is therefore not subject to being reduced by resistance to fire. This aura lasts for 1 minute.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's aura of courage class feature.

Wild Fighting (Su): Lion Legionnaires develop a fighting style that gives them extra attacks at the cost of accuracy. As a free action, a Lion Legionnaire can enter a state of wild fighting for 1 round. During this round, a Legionnaire can make one extra attack with any one melee weapon (including natural weapons), but all attacks made during the round (including the extra attack) take a -2 penalty. A Lion Legionnaire must use a full attack action to benefit from wild fighting. A Lion Legionnaire can use this ability a number of times per day equal to three + his Charisma modifier.

This benefit replaces the turn undead class feature gained by a standard paladin at 4th level.

Flying Lion (Su): At 5th level, a Lion Legionnaire gains the ability to grow eagle's wings, as Nobanion himself sometimes does in battle. Once per day as a full-round action, the Legionnaire grows feathered wings appropriate to the size of his body. The wings remain for up to 10 minutes per paladin level, though he can dismiss them as a free action. He can fly with the wings at his normal land speed, with poor maneuverability. Nonleonine creatures who use this ability temporarily gain a lionlike appearance while it is used (catlike eyes, a thick mane of hair, and larger teeth).

This benefit replaces the special mount class feature gained by a standard paladin at 5th level (Nobanion's wemic paladins have no need for a quadruped mount to carry them into battle).

Mystic Fire Knight

The Knights of the Mystic Fire serve Mystra by guarding her temples and questing for lost magical troves. They develop increased ability to use magic, counter hostile magic, and defeat enemy spellcasters.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

To take a Mystic Fire Knight substitution level, a character must have Mystra as her patron deity, be a member of the Knights of the Mystic Fire, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 4th, 5th, or 6th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Mystic Fire Knight substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin plus Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Mystic Fire Knight Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Mystic Fire Knight substitution levels.

Bonus Spells (Su): At 4th level, a Mystic Fire Knight gains a bonus 1st-level paladin spell slot as if from a high Wisdom score. At 8th level, she gains a bonus 2nd-level paladin spell slot, at 11th level she gains a bonus 3rd-level paladin spell slot, and at 14th level she gains a bonus 4th-level paladin spell slot.

This benefit replaces the turn undead class feature gained by a standard paladin at 4th level.

Improved Spellcasting (Ex): When casting paladin spells, a Mystic Fire Knight can treat her caster level as equal to one-half her paladin level +2. If she also has arcane spellcasting ability from another class, she can add her caster level from that class to this value to determine her paladin caster level.

Smite Evil (Su): In addition to the normal effect, when a Mystic Fire Knight of 5th level or higher hits a creature with her smite evil attack, that creature finds it temporarily difficult to cast spells or use spell completion or spell trigger items. For 1 round, any attempt to complete one of these actions requires a successful Concentration check (DC 10 + paladin's level + Cha modifier + spell level); failure means that the action fails. If a spell was being cast, the spell or spell slot is lost; if a magic item was being activated, the attempt merely fails. Multiple smite evil hits on the same creature don't have a cumulative effect.

This class feature augments, but does not replace, the standard paladin's smite evil class feature.

Spellshatter (Su): Once per day starting at 6th level, a Mystic Fire Knight can choose to deliver a targeted greater dispel magic effect with a melee attack. The decision to use this ability must be made before the attack is rolled; if the attack misses, the effect is wasted.

If the attack hits, treat this as if the Mystic Fire Knight had cast a targeted greater dispel magic on the creature struck, using her paladin level (plus any arcane caster level she might have from another class) as her caster level, up to a maximum of +20.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's remove disease class feature. If the Mystic Fire Knight would later gain an extra weekly use of remove disease, she instead gains an extra daily use of spellshatter.

Noble Heart

The Companions of the Noble Heart are aggressive knights in the service of Ilmater who have dedicated themselves to eliminating the evil of those who are known to enjoy the torturing and suffering of others. In particular, they oppose members of the church of Loviatar and destroy them and their temples whenever possible. When servants of the other members of the Triad crusade against Loviatar's servants, Noble Heart knights often join with them.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Noble Heart substitution level, a character must have Ilmater as her patron deity, be a member of the Companions of the Noble Heart, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 3rd, 4th, or 6th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Noble Heart substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class plus Survival.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Noble Heart Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Noble Heart substitution levels.

Tenacious Tracker (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a Noble Heart paladin gains the ability to follow the trail of those cruel enough to torture and maim others. She receives Track as a bonus feat. She gains a +10 competence bonus on Survival checks made to track those who have Loviatar as a patron deity.

Furthermore, whenever she physically touches the flesh of one who has been injured within the previous hour by someone who has Loviatar as his patron deity, she receives a clear mental image of that person's true appearance.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's divine health class feature.

Sunder the Sadistic (Su): At 4th level, a Noble Heart paladin gains the ability to reduce to rubble objects and structures dedicated to evil. Whenever she attacks an object owned by a character who has Loviatar as a patron deity, or an object that is part of a temple or other structure dedicated to Loviatar, she can ignore the object's hardness. She can also use her smite evil class ability against such objects as if they were evil creatures.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's ability to turn undead.

Delay Poison (Sp): The enemies of the Noble Heart paladin frequently employ poison in their efforts to spread evil and cruelty. Starting at 6th level, a Noble Heart paladin can use a delay poison effect once per week using her paladin level as her caster level.

This benefit replaces the remove disease class feature gained by a standard paladin. If she would later gain extra weekly uses of remove disease, the Noble Heart paladin instead gains extra weekly uses of delay poison.

Paladins of Freedom, Slaughter, and Tyranny

The three paladin variants presented here demonstrate examples of alternative-alignment paladins. Each one follows a specific code of conduct tailored to its specific alignment. The paladin of freedom is chaotic good, dedicated to liberty and free thought. The paladin of tyranny is the opposite, a lawful evil villain bent on dominating those weaker than she. The paladin of slaughter is a brutal champion of chaos and evil who leaves only destruction trailing in his wake. (If you use these versions of the paladin class, you might consider designating the standard paladin as the "paladin of honor" to differentiate it from the variants.)

These paladin variants aren't meant to be unique classes in and of themselves, but rather alignment-based variations of the paladin. They have the same Hit Die, skill points per level, weapon and armor proficiencies, and spells per day as the standard paladin. Their class skill lists are nearly identical, with exceptions noted below. Their spellcasting functions identically to that of the standard paladin (though their spell lists are somewhat different). When a class feature has the same name as a paladin class feature, it functions the same as the one described for the standard paladin.

Table: Variant Paladin Class Features

PALADIN OF FREEDOM

Class Skills

Replace Diplomacy with Bluff on the class skill list.

Class Features

The paladin of freedom has all the standard paladin class features, except as noted below.

Aura of Resolve (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin of freedom is immune to compulsion effects. Each ally within 10 feet of him gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects. This ability otherwise functions identically to the paladin's aura of courage class feature.

Spellcasting: Remove the following spells from the paladin's spell list: death ward, discern lies, dispel chaos, magic circle against chaos, protection from chaos.

Add the following spells to the paladin's spell list:

1st -?protection from law;?

3rd - magic circle against law, remove curse;?

4th - dispel law, freedom of movement.

Code of Conduct

A paladin of freedom must be of chaotic good alignment and loses all class abilities if he ever willingly commits an evil act. Additionally, a paladin of freedom's code requires that he respect individual liberty, help those in need (provided they do not use the help for lawful or evil ends), and punish those who threaten or curtail personal liberty.

Associates

While he may adventure with characters of any good or neutral alignment, a paladin of freedom will never knowingly associate with evil characters (except on some sort of undercover mission), nor will he continue an association with someone who consistently offends his moral code. A paladin of freedom may accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are chaotic good.

PALADIN OF SLAUGHTER

Class Skills

Replace Diplomacy with Intimidate on the class skill list.

Class Features

The paladin of slaughter has all the standard paladin class features, except as noted below.

Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of a paladin of slaughter's aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to her paladin of slaughter level, just as with the aura of a cleric of an evil deity.

Detect Good (Sp): At will, a paladin of slaughter can use detect good, as the spell.

Smite Good (Su): Once per day, a paladin of slaughter may attempt to smite good with one normal melee attack. This ability is otherwise identical to the standard paladin's ability to smite evil, including increased daily uses as the paladin of slaughter gains class levels.

Deadly Touch (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin of slaughter can cause wounds with a successful touch attack. Each day she can deal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her paladin level x her Charisma bonus. An opponent subjected to this attack can make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 paladin level + paladin's Cha modifier) to halve the damage dealt.

Alternatively, a paladin of slaughter can use any or all of this power to cure damage to undead creatures, just as an inflict wounds spell does. This power otherwise functions identically to the paladin's lay on hands ability.

Debilitating Aura (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin of slaughter radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of her to take a -1 penalty to Armor Class. This ability otherwise functions identically to the paladin's aura of courage class feature.

Rebuke Undead (Su): A paladin of slaughter rebukes undead rather than turning undead.

Cause Disease (Sp): A paladin of slaughter can inflict disease with her touch (as the contagion spell) a number of times per week that a standard paladin of her level would normally be able to remove disease.

Spellcasting: Replace the standard paladin's spell list with the following spell list:

1st - bane, cause fear, corrupt weapon, create water, curse water, detect poison, detect undead, divine favor, endure elements, inflict light wounds,?magic weapon,? protection from good, protection from law,?read magic, resistance, virtue;

2nd - bull's strength, cure light wounds, darkness, delay poison, eagle's splendor, inflict moderate wounds, owls wisdom, resist energy, undetectable alignment;

3rd - blindness/deafness, cure moderate wounds, deeper darkness, dispel magic, greater magic weapon, heal mount,?inflict serious wounds, magic circle against good/law, prayer;?

4th - break enchantment, cure serious wounds, dispel good, dispel law, inflict critical wounds, poison, unholy sword.

Code of Conduct

A paladin of slaughter must be of chaotic evil alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits a good act. Additionally, a paladin of slaughter's code requires that she disrespect all authority figures who have not proven their physical superiority to her, refuse help to those in need, and sow destruction and death at all opportunities.

Associates

While she may adventure with characters of any evil or neutral alignment, a paladin of slaughter will never knowingly associate with good characters, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. A paladin of slaughter may accept only henchmen, followers, and cohorts who are chaotic evil.

PALADIN OF TYRANNY

Class Features

The paladin of tyranny has all the standard paladin class features, except as noted below.

Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of a paladin of tyranny's aura of evil (see the?detect evil spell) is equal to his paladin of tyranny level, just as with the aura of a cleric of an evil deity.

Detect Good (Sp): At will, a paladin of tyranny can use?detect good, as the spell.

Smite Good (Su): Once per day, a paladin of tyranny may attempt to smite good with one normal melee attack. This ability is otherwise identical to the standard paladin's ability to smite evil, including increased daily uses as the paladin of tyranny gains class levels.

Deadly Touch (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin of tyranny can cause wounds with a successful touch attack. Each day she can deal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her paladin level × her Charisma bonus. An opponent subjected to this attack can make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 paladin level paladin's Cha modifier) to halve the damage dealt.

Alternatively, a paladin of tyranny can use any or all of this power to cure damage to undead creatures, just as an?inflict wounds spell does. This power otherwise functions identically to the paladin's lay on hands ability.

Aura of Despair (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin of tyranny radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of him to take a -2 penalty on all saving throws. This ability otherwise functions identically to the paladin's aura of courage class feature.

Rebuke Undead (Su): A paladin of tyranny rebukes undead rather than turning undead.

Cause Disease (Sp): A paladin of tyranny can inflict disease with his touch (as the?contagion spell) a number of times per week that a standard paladin of her level would normally be able to remove disease.

Spellcasting: Replace the paladin's spell list with the following spell list:

1st - bane, corrupt weapon, create water, curse water, detect poison, detect undead, divine favor, doom, endure elements, inflict light wounds, magic weapon, protection from chaos, protection from good, read magic, resistance, virtue;?

2nd - bull's strength, cure light wounds, darkness, delay poison, eagle's splendor, hold person, inflict moderate wounds, owl's wisdom, resist energy, undetectable alignment;?

3rd - bestow curse, cure moderate wounds, deeper darkness, discern lies, dispel magic, greater magic weapon, heal mount,?inflict serious wounds, magic circle against chaos/good, prayer;?

4th - break enchantment, cure serious wounds, dispel chaos, dispel good, dominate person, inflict critical wounds, unholy sword.

Code of Conduct

A paladin of tyranny must be of lawful evil alignment and loses all class abilities if he ever willingly commits a good act. Additionally, a paladin of tyranny's code requires that he respect authority figures as long as they have the strength to rule over the weak, act with discipline (not engaging in random slaughter, keeping firm control over those beneath his station, and so forth), help only those who help him maintain or improve his status, and punish those who challenge authority (unless, of course, such challengers prove more worthy to hold that authority).

Associates

While he may adventure with characters of any evil or neutral alignment, a paladin of tyranny will never knowingly associate with good characters unless it serves his needs, nor will he continue an association with someone who consistently offends his moral code. A paladin of tyranny may accept henchmen and followers of any alignment, but may only accept cohorts who are lawful evil.

Paladin of Light

While the paladin usually focuses his holy crusades against the forces of evil, some paladins find themselves drawn into the war between darkness and light. While there are certainly similarities that can be drawn between darkness and evil, the paladin of light sees darkness as a force that transcends the evil of mortals and encompasses loss, suffering, and woe. The paladin of light, being an ally of the sun, also receives gifts to help withstand its heat.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a paladin of light substitution level, a character must come from a sun-centered society or worship a sun deity, and must be about to take her 1st, 2nd, or 6th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Paladin of light substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard paladin class.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier (or four times that number as a beginning character).

Table: Paladin of Light Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the paladin of light's substitution levels.

Detect Night Creature (Sp): At will, a paladin of light can detect night creature, as the spell.

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's detect evil class feature gained at 1st level.

Cooling Touch (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin of light with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can provide creatures with fire resistance by touch. Each day she can grant a total number of points of fire resistance equal to her paladin level × her Charisma bonus. This fire resistance lasts for 10 minutes per paladin level.

For example, a 7th-level paladin of light with a 16 Charisma (+3 bonus) can provide up to 21 points of fire resistance per day. A paladin of light may choose to divide her points of fire resistance among multiple recipients, and she doesn't have to use it all at once. Using cooling touch is a standard action.

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's lay on hands class feature.

Remove Curse (Sp): At 6th level, a paladin of light can produce a remove curse effect, as the spell, once per week. She can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times per week at 12th, and so forth).

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's remove disease class feature.

Pelor's Blessing

A lightbringer paladin excels at slaying the undead. When he channels energy to smite his foes, the power he summons proves doubly effective against the living dead.

Level: 3rd.

Replaces: Divine health.

Benefit: A lightbringer paladin who uses his smite evil ability against undead gains an additional +2 bonus to the attack roll and deals an extra 1 point of damage per two paladin levels. For example, a 13th-level lightbringer paladin armed with a longsword would deal 1d8+19 points of damage when using her smite evil ability against an undead, plus any additional bonuses for high Strength or magical effects that would normally apply. This is an extraordinary ability.

Planar Paladin

Dedicated to upholding law, promoting good, and serving as an example for others in the name of their god, paladins seem to live their lives as an effort to carry a tiny bit of their deity's plane wherever they go. If they have done their jobs well, spending time on the plane in question will be like coming home, and bringing that same sense of beneficial transformation to other planes will be a worthwhile challenge for a truly worthy champion. Better than members of any other class, paladins can be agents who embody the tenets of an entire plane of existence.

Alignment: Lawful good.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a paladin planar substitution level, a character must be about to take her 4th, 6th, or 10th level of paladin.

The character must also fulfill any one of the following criteria:

* Have 1 rank in Knowledge (the planes).

* Have a heritage feat.

* Have the extraplanar subtype when on the Material Plane.

* Have visited a plane other than the Material Plane.

Class Skills

Paladin planar substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class plus Knowledge (the planes) (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Paladin Planar Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the paladin's planar substitution levels.

Smite Evil Outsider (Su): A planar paladin of 4th level or higher can attempt to smite an evil outsider with one normal melee attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to the damage dealt by the attack. In addition, the attack is treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. If the paladin accidentally smites a creature that is not an evil outsider, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up. A paladin may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Cha modifier (minimum 1).

If the paladin is on a plane that is both good-aligned and lawful-aligned (such as the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia), she also adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll.

A planar paladin can use smite evil and smite evil outsider on the same attack, and the bonuses stack.

This benefit replaces the ability to turn undead gained by a standard paladin at 4th level.

Celestial Mount: A paladin who chooses this planar substitution benefit at 6th level may apply the celestial template to her special mount.

The mount gains darkvision out to 60 feet, spell resistance equal to its Hit Dice + 5 (maximum 25), and resistance to acid, cold, and electricity 5 (or resistance 10 if it has 8 or more Hit Dice). If the mount has 4 or more Hit Dice, it also gains damage reduction (5/magic for Hit Dice 4 to 11, or 10/magic for Hit Dice 12 or more), and its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. It also gains a smite evil attack, allowing it to deal extra damage once per day equal to its Hit Dice (maximum +20) with a single melee attack against an evil foe.

This benefit replaces the remove disease class feature gained by a standard paladin at 6th level. From now on, whenever the paladin gains a standard paladin level that allows her to use remove disease more frequently, she gains the indicated number of uses per week minus 1 (1/week at 9th level, 2/week at 12th level, and so on).

Alignment Purity (Ex): A 10th-level paladin who chooses this planar substitution benefit can ignore the penalty to Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and/or Charisma-based checks that she would normally take when on a plane that is chaotic- or evil-aligned. Her spirit and determination are so pure that she effectively brings her own planar alignment traits wherever she goes.

This ability only affects the paladin, not any other allies or foes in her vicinity.

This benefit replaces the ability to smite evil three times per day gained by a standard paladin at 10th level. From now on, whenever the paladin gains a standard paladin level that allows her to smite evil more frequently, she gains the indicated number of uses per day minus 1 (3/day at 15th level, 4/day at 20th level, and so on).

Power of the Self

Paladins are hardest hit by becoming lost ones. They lose the strict rigidity of their knightly nature and are cast out into the world without a moral guide or a strong sense of who they are. Lost one paladins lose many of the blessings bestowed upon them by their deities, and must adapt to a life where their personal skills are more important than their divine gifts.

Level: 4th.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain divine grace, divine health, or your special mount. If you have already gained one or more of these abilities before becoming a lost one, you immediately lose access to them upon becoming a lost one.

Benefit: At 4th level and every four levels thereafter (8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th), you gain a fighter bonus feat, just as if you had taken levels in fighter.

Rebuke Dragons

Though the destruction (or control) of undead is common to many divinely oriented characters, the deities also recognize the ancient power of the dragons as a primal force. Some reward their followers with the ability to instill such creatures with awe or command them as minions.

Class: Cleric or paladin.

Level: 1st (cleric) or 4th (paladin).

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the ability to turn or rebuke undead.

Benefit: You channel divine energy to rebuke (awe) or command (control) dragons. This ability functions as an evil cleric rebuking undead.

It is more difficult to rebuke or command dragons that share your moral or ethical bent. Any dragon that shares one alignment component with you is treated as having turn resistance +2 against this ability. Any dragon that shares both alignment components with you is treated as having turn resistance +4 against this ability.

You can also use this ability to bolster a dragon against an attempt by another creature to use its own rebuke dragons ability (the same way an evil cleric can bolster undead against turning). To bolster a dragon, you must share at least one alignment component with the dragon.

An attempt to rebuke dragons counts as an attempt to turn or rebuke undead for the purpose of qualifying for or activating divine feats, or for using other abilities that require you to expend a use of your turn or rebuke ability.

Red Falcon

Members of the Order of the Red Falcon serve the Red Knight and have earned fame in Tethyr for their heroics. They have a reputation for being excellent military tacticians, and even their followers are a cut above the norm.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Red Falcon substitution level, a character must have the Red Knight as her patron deity, be a member of the Order of the Red Falcon, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 2nd, 4th, or 6th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Red Falcon substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class plus Knowledge (history).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Red Falcon Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Red Falcon substitution levels.

Brilliant Strategy (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a Red Falcon can draw upon her instinct for battle to give her an amazing ability to predict the imminent actions of her enemies and her best options for taking advantage of those actions. Activating this ability is an immediate action; it grants her an insight bonus to AC equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) for 1 round. A Red Falcon can use this ability a number of times per day equal to one-half her class level.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's divine grace class feature.

Expanded Spell List: At 4th level, a Red Falcon adds augury (2nd level), deathwatch (1st level), and status (2nd level) to her paladin spell list.

Military Knowledge (Ex): Each time a Red Falcon substitution level is taken, the character gains a cumulative +2 competence bonus on Knowledge checks concerning military history or strategy.

Turn Undead (Su): A Red Falcon is not as skilled at turning undead as a normal paladin. She can only use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier.

Spontaneous Extend Spell (Su): At 6th level, once per day a Red Falcon can cast one of her spells as if she had prepared it with the Extend Spell feat. Doing this does not require a higher-level slot or increase the casting time for the spell.

This class feature replaces the 1st-level spell slot normally gained at 6th level. From this point forward, a Red Falcon has one less 1st-level paladin spell slot than normal.

Trained Militia: At 6th level, due to her leadership and skill at war, all cohorts and followers of the Red Falcon are treated as if they had Martial Weapon Proficiency in a single weapon of the Red Falcon's choice. This benefit remains as long as the cohorts and followers remain in her service and as long as she meets with them at least once a month to refresh their training. If more than a month goes by without such a meeting, the cohorts and followers lose this proficiency until she has the opportunity to train them again. A Red Falcon can grant different weapon proficiencies to different cohorts and followers (they don't all have to gain longsword proficiency, for example).

Ruby Rose Knight

Members of Sune's order of paladins, the Sisters and Brothers of the Ruby Rose, are known for their charm, beauty, and aversion to ugliness and evil. They use the power of love to destroy evil and hideous things, and they draw strength from their many romances.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

To take a Ruby Rose Knight substitution level, a character must have Sune as her patron, be a member of the Sisters and Brothers of the Ruby Rose, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 3rd, 6th, or 12th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Ruby Rose Knight substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class plus Bluff and Perform (dance, oratory, sing, and string instruments).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Ruby Rose Knight Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Ruby Rose Knight substitution levels.

Enduring Personality (Su): A 3rd-level Ruby Rose Knight is immune to any effect that would deal Charisma damage or Charisma drain.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's divine health class feature.

Expanded Spell List: At 3rd level, a Ruby Rose Knight adds love bite to her paladin spell list (even though she can't actually cast the spell herself until at least 4th level).

Heroism (Sp): At 6th level, a Ruby Rose Knight can use a heroism effect once per week, using her class level as her caster level. She can't use this spell-like ability on herself, only on another creature.

This benefit replaces the remove disease class feature gained by a standard paladin. If she would later gain extra weekly uses of remove disease, a Ruby Rose Knight instead gains extra weekly uses of heroism.

Heroic Rapture (Su): At 12th level, once per day a Ruby Rose Knight can spend a full-round action embracing another creature to grant it great bravery. The affected creature gains a +4 morale bonus on attack rolls, saves, and skill checks, immunity to fear effects, and a number of temporary hit points equal to the Ruby Rose Knight's paladin level. The effect lasts for 1 minute.

This benefit replaces the 3rd-level spell slot gained by a standard paladin at 12th level. From this point on, a Ruby Rose Knight has one less 3rd-level spell slot than normal.

Sentinel

The sentinel is a wandering crusader who often lives the life of a nomad, sleeping under the stars and taking what sustenance he can from the natural world. He does so in order to patrol the breadth of the world, constantly watching for incursions from the Lower Planes. The sentinel finds the endless hordes of demons, devils, and other fiends to be the most offensive and dangerous threat to life, and he has sacrificed much in order to become the perfect warrior, dedicated to preventing them from gaining any further hold on the world he loves.

To the sentinel, evil is simply that: evil. It can be hidden under a haze of entropy and chaos, it can masquerade under a hundred diabolically written laws, or it can revel in the truth of its cruelty. It makes no difference to the sentinel, nor do the methods he uses to combat it. Often, a sentinel uses the laws of the land and local governments to fight against incursions of evil, but just as often, he is forced to fight alone, against established tradition, and against the will of society. The fight against evil is treacherous though, for the sentinel must take care to protect that which is good and pure in the world, lest he become that which he loathes.

Sentinels are always neutral good. They usually worship good deities that have loosely organized churches. Sentinels form into loosely knit groups that rarely, if ever, physically meet. When they do meet. the meetings take place in large lodges and are both brief and to the point. Sentinels prefer to communicate with their kin via an elaborate network of trail glyphs and markers. They enjoy the company of druids and rangers, and they often work with members of those classes to accomplish a common goal.

Alignment: Neutral good.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The sentinel's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis). Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Sentinel

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the sentinel.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sentinels 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 sentinel's aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to his sentinel level, just like the aura of a cleric of a good deity.

Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a sentinel can detect evil, as the spell.

Smite Evil (Su): A sentinel's smite targets all evil creatures, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Divine Grace (Su): A sentinel gains this ability at 2nd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Resist Fiendish Lure (Su): At 2nd level, a sentinel gains a +4 sacred bonus to all saving throws against mind-affecting attacks of evil outsiders.

Aura of Courage (Su): A sentinel gains this ability at 3rd level, which functions as the paladin ability of the same name.

Celestial Fortitude (Su): At 3rd level, a sentinel's endurance and fortitude are enhanced against fiendish attacks. He gains a +2 sacred bonus to all Fortitude saving throws against effects from evil outsiders and evil spells. Additionally, if he makes a successful Fortitude saving throw against an effect from an evil spell or evil outsider that normally deals half damage or partial effects on a successful save, he instead takes no damage and suffers no partial effects.

Turn Outsider (Su): When a sentinel reaches 4th level, he gains the supernatural ability to turn or destroy outsiders by channeling energy. The sentinel can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. The sentinel turns outsiders as a cleric three levels lower would turn undead.

Celestial Minion (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a sentinel gains the ability to summon a Medium or smaller size celestial animal (with the celestial creature template) as a standard action usable once a day. This celestial minion carries the same responsibilities as a paladin's special mount and gains the same bonuses to its HD, natural armor, Strength, Intelligence, and other special abilities that a paladin's special mount gains as the sentinel increases in level. Unlike the paladin's special mount, the celestial minion only remains for 1 hour/level before returning to the outer plane from whence it came.

Dispel Evil (Sp): At 8th level, a sentinel gains the ability to dispel evil, as the spell, once per week. He may use this ability an additional time each week every additional four levels, to a maximum of 4 times a week at 20th level.

Code of Conduct

A sentinel must be of neutral good alignment and loses all class abilities if he ever willingly commits an evil act. The sentinel is most at home in the wilderness of the Material Plane. He only journeys into cities when absolutely necessary, and he avoids travel to other planes except in the most dire need, since his vows require him to battle evil on his home plane. These vows call for him to protect the natural order of the Material Plane from becoming influenced or tainted by the forces of the evil Outer Planes. Additionally, the sentinel is honor-bound to provide assistance to any non-outsider who becomes lost or endangered while in the wilderness, as long as the victim in need honors the sanctity of the wilderness.

Associates

A sentinel can adventure with characters of any non-evil alignment but remains suspicious and wary of those who draw their powers from the evil outer planes. He tolerates the presence of native evil outsiders, such as tieflings, but would prefer not to share their company if possible. He never knowingly associates with evil characters, nor will he continue an association with someone who consistently offends his moral code. A sentinel may only accept henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are neutral good.

Sentinel Spell List

Sentinels choose their spells from the following list:

1st Level: Bless, bless water, bless weapon. cure light wounds, detect poison, divine favor, endure elements, hold portal, magic weapon, protection from evil, protection from good, remove fear, shield of faith, summon monster I.

2nd Level: Align weapon, bear's endurance, bull's strength, consecrate, eagle's splendor, lesser restoration, shield other, spiritual weapon, summon monster II.

3rd Level: Cure moderate wounds, daylight, dispel magic, invisibility purge, magic circle against evil, prayer, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, remove disease, summon monster III.

4th Level: Break enchantment, cure serious wounds, death ward, dimensional anchor, dismissal, freedom of movement, holy sword, neutralize poison, restoration, summon monster IV.

Shadow Cloak Knight

For many decades, the gnome paladins belonging to the Knights of the Shadowy Cloak have worked to eliminate evil humanoids. To minimize the possibility of retaliation against gnome communities, they have developed ways to work in secret.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Shadow Cloak Knight substitution level, a character must be a gnome, a member of the Knights of the Shadowy Cloak, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and about to take her 4th, 6th, or 9th level of paladin.

Class Skills

A Shadow Cloak Knight has the same class skills as a standard paladin does, plus Hide and Move Silently.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Shadow Cloak Knight Substitution Levels

Class Features

All the following are features of the Shadow Cloak Knight substitution levels.

Favored Enemy (Ex): A Shadow Cloak Knight paladin trains to fight the gnomes' traditional enemies and learns special tactics to defeat them. She gains humanoids as her favored enemy type and can choose any of the humanoid subtypes indicated for rangers. The Shadow Cloak Knight gains a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against her favored enemy and a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): A 6th-level Shadow Cloak Knight can use her Hide skill even when she has nothing to hide behind, or when she is being observed. To do so, she must be within 10 feet of any area of shadowy illumination in which she could hide, or in the dark. She cannot hide in her own shadow, and she can hide in the shadow of a creature only if it is Large or larger. She cannot use a creature's own shadow to hide from it.

One with the Darkness (Sp): Once per day, a Shadow Cloak Knight paladin can become invisible, as if using the 2nd level sorcerer/wizard spell invisibility. Caster level equals paladin level, and Shadow Cloak Knight substitution levels count as paladin levels for this purpose.

Smiting Arrow

You belong to a sacred group, of priests who specialize in the use of ranged weapons.

Level: 1st.

Replaces: If you choose this ability, you do not gain proficiency with heavy armor or shields.

Benefit: You gain the ability to smite evil with a ranged attack up to 30 feet.

Solstice Knight

During the winter solstice, when the forces of light ebb before soundless legions of darkness, a handful of champions maintain a long and lonely vigil. Their prayers, fervent denials of the forces of evil, help to sustain the mortal realm through its time of trial. In the morning, when the rooster crows and the dawn begins its inexorable march toward the triumph of midsummer, they sometimes find their faith rewarded in unusual ways.

A paladin who endures one of these vigils gains the option of choosing solstice knight substitution levels.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a solstice knight substitution level, a character must be a paladin about to take her 3rd or 5th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Solstice knight substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard paladin class.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Solstice Knight Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the solstice knight's substitution levels.

Blessed Radiance (Sp): Embraced by the risen sun, a 3rd-level solstice knight carries a light deep within her soul, a radiance she pledges to bear into places of darkness and terror. She gains the ability to create a glorious, swirling aura of light, painting the area around her with a magnificent cascade of silver and gold. As a free action, a solstice knight may cast daylight, centered upon herself, a number of times per day equal to her uses of smite evil. (The two effects are not related - they merely have an equal number of uses.) Her caster level equals her paladin level.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's divine health class feature.

Darkvision (Ex): At 5th level the solstice knight also gains darkvision with a range of 30 feet. If she already possesses darkvision she instead increases the range of her darkvision by 30 feet.

Strike of the Faithful (Su): A solstice knight can channel the titanic power of the sun's righteous light. Whenever the paladin uses his smite evil ability against an evil undead creature he deals double the smite damage.

The paladin loses one daily use of smite evil from her total number of uses when she gains this ability. Thereafter she has one fewer use per day (only two at 10th level, for example).

Special Mounts

The list below is a compilation of all creatures eligible to be chosen as special mounts, organized by minimum paladin level required. Apply the parenthetical adjustment to the paladin's level for purposes of determining the special mount's characteristics and special abilities.

1 Small rider.

2 Available only in an aquatic environment.

3 Traditionally, unicorns only allow female human or female elf riders.

Stand Fast

While most paladins enjoy the companionship of a summoned mount, those who live amidst large populations often prefer to devote their energies toward protecting those around them and defending the city from outside threats.

Class: Paladin.

Level: 5th.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain a special mount.

Benefit: Starting at 5th level, a paladin may use the following two abilities, once per day each, as an immediate action. At 11th level, she may use each ability twice per day, and at 18th level she may use each ability three times per day.

• Add the paladin's divine grace (Charisma modifier) on the saving throw of all allies within 20 feet. She must add this bonus on the same save for each of them; thus, she could add to everyone's Reflex save, or everyone's Will save, but she could not grant some a bonus on Reflex and others a bonus on Will. She does not gain any bonus for using this ability, but neither does she lose her own divine grace bonus. This bonus lasts for 1 round.
• Add the paladin's divine grace (Charisma modifier) on any roll she makes to resist a bull rush, disarm, grapple, sunder, or trip attack. She cannot use this ability when she is making such an attack; it is defensive only.

Sword of Celestia

Celestial weaponsmiths of the Upper Planes forge a weapon on your behalf.

Level: 5th.

Replaces: If you choose this ability, you do not gain the special mount ability.

Benefit: Choose a specific kind of weapon, such as "longsword." A powerful good outsider crafts a weapon of this kind for you. The weaponsmith requires you give the weapon a name (often the name of a celestial paragon, saint, or heroic ideal, although you are free to name the weapon whatever you'd like). You can summon the weapon to your hand or return it to its resting place in the celestial forges as a free action, and you can call it to your hand even if it is not in its resting place (such as if you have been disarmed). You may call this weapon a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1/day).

Whatever its kind, the weapon is of intricate and unearthly beauty, although you are bound by oath never to sell the weapom or give it to any other creature (even to loan it to a friend). The weapon is a +1 weapon of its kind at 5th level. At 10th level, it becomes a +2 weapon, at 15th level it becomes a +2 holy weapon, and at 20th level it becomes a +2 holy lawful weapon. It overcomes damage reduction as if it were good aligned and cure spells and other healing magic repair damage to it as if it were a living creature. You may expend gold and XP to enhance the weapon as if you had the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat (on top of what the weapon is through this ability).

If the weapon is ever destroyed, a different celestial weaponsmith crafts you a new weapon, presenting it to you a year and a day after your previous weapon was destroyed. You can choose a new kind of weapon or the same kind.

Underdark Knight

If you dedicate yourself to overcoming evil in the Underdark, you might find little use for the paladin's most prized ally, the special mount. By giving up the ability to call this devoted creature, you become a more mobile and effective fighter underground.

Level: 5th.

Replaces: This benefit replaces the special mount class feature.

Benefit: Whenever you are underground, you can draw upon the earth to gain the following abilities. At 5th level, your base speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Balance, Climb, and Jump checks. You also gain low-light vision that functions as long as you remain underground. If you already had low-light vision, you instead gain darkvision out to 60 feet while underground; if you already had darkvision, add 30 feet to its range.

At 7th level, you can use spike stones once per day, as the spell. This is a spell-like ability with caster level equal to your character level.

At 12th level, you gain the earth glide extraordinary ability, which enables you to move through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish moves through water (MM 98). If you end your movement inside earth or stone, however, you begin to suffocate (DMG 304).

At 15th level, you can use dimension door, as the spell, once per day for every five paladin levels you possess. You must begin and end any such movement in contact with stone or earth. This is a spell-like ability with caster level equal to your character level.

Vigilant Eye of Helm

This paladin order of Helm is growing rapidly and impressing the common folk with its members' humility and self-sacrifice. The Vigilant Eyes of Helm defend the innocent from threats and develop special ways of recognizing danger and protecting others.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Vigilant Eye substitution level, a character must have Helm as her patron deity, be a member of the Vigilant Eyes of the God order, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 1st, 3rd, or 4th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Vigilant Eye substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin class.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Vigilant Eye of Helm Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Vigilant Eye substitution levels.

Know Greatest Enemy (Su): A Vigilant Eye automatically knows which enemy in her presence is the most powerful (in game terms, which enemy has the highest CR). This benefit applies only to enemies that she can see that are within 60 feet of her. She does not need to use an action to know this, and this sense updates automatically if current foes leave or die or if new opponents arrive. She doesn't know why the most powerful enemy is such (for example, she wouldn't know that the most powerful orc in a patrol was a 3rd-level barbarian), just that it is so. She doesn't know exactly how tough this enemy is, but does know if that enemy is significantly more powerful than her (in game terms, if its CR is 4 or more above her effective character level).

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's detect evil class feature.

Expanded Spell List: A Vigilant Eye adds see invisibility (2nd level) to her paladin spell list.

Vigilant Aid (Su): Starting at 3rd level, when a Vigilant Eye uses the aid another special attack in melee combat to give an ally a bonus to his AC, she only has to spend a move action rather than a standard action. She can use more than one aid another special attack in a single round, but no ally can be aided more than once per round in this fashion.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's divine health class feature.

Awesome Smite (Su): At 4th level, a Vigilant Eye gains the ability to repel enemies with powerful holy power. As a standard action, she can spend a daily smite evil attempt and strike an evil creature as if she had the Awesome Blow feat, even if she does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat. Note that the paladin doesn't also gain the normal benefit of smite evil. She is treated as if one size category larger than normal for determining which creatures she can affect with this ability. If she accidentally uses this ability against a creature that isn't evil, she deals normal damage but the Awesome Blow effect is not triggered, and it still counts as one of her daily uses of smite evil.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's turn undead class feature.

Warded Special Mount

The lightbringer paladin is a special, favored warrior of light. The gods protect his special mount so that the powers of darkness cannot easily defeat him.

Level: 6th.

Replaces: One weekly use of remove disease.

Benefit: In addition to the standard qualities of a special mount, a lightbringer paladin's mount is immune to all death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and any negative energy effects (such as from inflict spells or chill touch).

Warforged Paladin

The rare warforged who takes up a paladin's path likely follows no deity. With no assurance of divinity or even the existence of their own souls, warforged paladins often follow a simple faith of good will. Believing in the necessity for just and benign behavior and the benefits of living in such a fashion, these warforged paladins can gain abilities uncommon for the class and unique to their race.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a warforged paladin substitution level, a character must be a warforged about to take his 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level of paladin.

Class Skills

Warforged paladin substitution levels grant the following class skills: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (religion), Profession, and Ride.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier (or four times this number as a beginning character).

Class Features

All the following are features of the warforged paladin's racial substitution levels.

Smite Construct (Su): A warforged paladin can use his smite evil ability against a construct, gaining a bonus on his attack rolls and damage rolls as if smiting an evil creature, regardless of the construct's alignment.

Durable Will (Su): At 2nd level, a warforged paladin gains a bonus equal to his Constitution bonus (if any) on Will saves.

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's divine grace ability.

Repair Damage (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a warforged paladin with a Constitution score of 12 or higher can repair damage dealt to any construct or living construct (including himself) by touch. Each day he can repair a total number of hit points of damage equal to his paladin level × his Constitution bonus. For example, a 7th-level warforged paladin with this substitution feature and a Constitution score of 16 can repair 21 points of damage per day. A warforged paladin can choose to divide his repair ability among multiple recipients, and he doesn't have to use it all at once. Using repair damage is a standard action.

Alternatively, a warforged paladin can use any or all of this power on living creatures, healing damage equal to one-half the number of points of repair expended. Unlike the paladin's lay on hands ability, this ability cannot be used to deal damage to undead.

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's lay on hands ability.

Immunity to Stunning (Ex): From 3rd level on, a warforged paladin cannot be stunned.

This substitution feature replaces the standard paladin's divine health ability.

Table: Warforged Paladin Racial Substitution Levels

Warrior Paladin

The paladin is a hybrid class, in that he combines martial talents with spellcasting and other abilities. To make this class fit better into a warrior-focused campaign, consider using the following variant that trades the class' spellcasting powers for other extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like abilities. In general, this variant class gives up the versatility of daily spell selection in exchange for more powerful or reliable special abilities.

This variant paladin gains all the normal class features of the paladin, with the following changes and additions:

Spells: The paladin does not gain the ability to cast divine spells.

Blessed Weapon (Su): Any melee weapon wielded by a paladin of 6th level or higher is treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Divine Might (Su): At 11th level and higher, the paladin can use a standard action to add a +4 bonus to her Strength, Wisdom, or Charisma score. This ability may be used once per day, and its effect lasts for 1 minute per class level.

Tend to Mount (Su): A paladin of 13th level or higher who uses her lay on hands ability to heal her mount cures 5 points of damage per point of healing spent. In addition, the paladin may use her lay on hands ability to end any one of the following adverse conditions affecting her mount, at the cost of 5 points of healing per condition unless otherwise noted: ability damage (costs 1 point per ability point restored), blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, feebleminded, insanity, nauseated, sickened, stunned, or poisoned.

The paladin can remove adverse conditions at the same time that she heals damage, but any points of healing spent to end adverse conditions don't also cure hit point damage.

Holy Sword (Sp): At 16th level, a paladin gains the ability to use holy sword once per day, as a caster whose level is equal to one-half the paladin's class level.

Wary Swordknight

Members of Arvoreen's Marchers kept halfling villages safe during Tethyr's Interregnum; the Wary Swordknights are the paladins of the order, and are known for their martial prowess and vigilant nature.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Wary Swordknight substitution level, a character must be a halfling, have Arvoreen as her patron deity, be a member of the Arvoreen's Marchers order, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and be about to take her 3rd, 4th, or 6th level of paladin.

Class Skills

Wary Swordknight substitution levels have the class skills of the standard paladin plus Listen and Spot.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Wary Swordknight Substitution Levels

Class Features

All of the following are features of the Wary Swordknight substitution levels.

Tougher than Small (Ex): When a Wary Swordknight is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), she is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to her. A Wary Swordknight is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect her. The benefits of this class feature stack with effects that change her size category.

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's aura of courage class feature.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 4th level, a Swordknight gains uncanny dodge (as the barbarian class feature of the same name).

This benefit replaces the standard paladin's turn undead class feature.

Haste (Sp): At 6th level, a Swordknight becomes able to use a haste effect on herself once per day. Her caster level for this ability is equal to one-half her paladin level.

This benefit replaces the 1st-level spell slot gained at 6th level, as well as the remove disease class feature normally gained at 6th level. From this point forward, a Wary Swordknight has one less weekly use of remove disease than normal.

Wayward Warden

Wayward Warden paladins dedicate their lives to defending halfling communities and trade caravans. Because they use both stealth and honorable confrontation to achieve their goals, paladins in this organization train in abilities that use the sneakiness of their companions to the group's advantage.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To take a Wayward Warden substitution level, a character must be a halfling, a member of the Wayward Wardens organization, have 1 rank in Knowledge (religion), and about to take her 3rd, 5th, or 10th level of paladin.

Class Skills

A Wayward Warden has the same class skills as a standard paladin does.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Wayward Warden Substitution Levels

Class Features

All the following are features of the Wayward Warden substitution levels.

Distracting Presence (Su): When confronting evil, a Wayward Warden can focus the attention of her foes on herself, causing each of them to take a -4 penalty on Spot and Listen checks while she is present.

This benefit replaces the aura of courage class feature gained by a standard paladin at 3rd level.

Use Your Allies (Ex): When a Wayward Warden is flanking a foe at least one size category larger than herself, she deals an extra +1d6 points of damage on every attack. This extra damage applies even if the foe cannot be flanked or is immune to flanking, but it does not apply when the foe is simply denied its Dexterity bonus. Use your allies is otherwise the same as the rogue sneak attack ability.

This benefit replaces the second daily use of smite evil that a standard paladin gains at 5th level. From this point onward, she has one fewer daily use of smite evil than a standard paladin does.

Commanding Presence (Su): A 10th-level Wayward Warden can influence the battlefield with her very presence. Once per day, as a standard action, she can grant her allies (but not herself) a competence bonus on attack rolls equal to her Charisma bonus (maximum +5). Only allies within 60 feet of the Wayward Warden that can see and hear her are eligible to receive this bonus. It lasts for 1 round per paladin level that the character possesses, and Wayward Warden substitution levels count as paladin levels for this purpose.

This benefit replaces the 3rd daily use of the smite evil ability that a standard paladin gains at 10th level. From this point forward, she has one fewer daily use of smite evil than a normal paladin does, or two fewer uses if she also took the 5th-level Wayward Warden substitution level.

Wyrmslayer

While any paladin might fight a dragon in the course of her battles against evil, wyrmslayer paladins dedicate their lives to learning about these powerful creatures and how to combat them most effectively. With your DM's permission, you might consider making the following changes to emphasize a wyrmslayer paladin's special characteristics:

Class Skills: Replace Knowledge (nobility and royalty) with Knowledge (arcana).

Resist Energy (Sp): Replace the ability to remove disease with the ability to cast resist energy 1/day with a caster level equal to your paladin level. Whenever you would gain an additional use of remove disease you instead gain an additional use of resist energy.

Multiclassing: A wyrmslayer paladin may multiclass freely in the ranger class, provided she selects dragons as her first favored enemy.