The intersection of Law and Good drew and maintained champions like no other metaphysical force. The unifying dint of Good binds paladins to one cause, and the hierarchical demands of Law creates order that sustains itself beyond lifetimes.
In past days, paladins banded together beneath lords, dukes, and kings. In curent times, paladins are scattered and solitary, though still gaining power from their devotion to Good and Law.
Paladin
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Hit Die: d10.
Class Skills
The paladin’s class skills are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Level |
Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Skill Points |
Special |
1st |
+1 |
+2 |
+0 |
+2 |
2 + Int mod. |
Aura of good, detect evil, smite evil 1/day |
2nd |
+2 |
+3 |
+0 |
+3 |
3 + Int mod. |
Discipline, divine grace |
3rd |
+3 |
+3 |
+1 |
+3 |
4 + Int mod. |
Aura of courage, discipline, divine health |
4th |
+4 |
+4 |
+1 |
+4 |
5 + Int mod. |
Discipline, smite evil 2/day |
5th |
+5 |
+4 |
+1 |
+4 |
6 + Int mod. |
Divine bond |
6th |
+6/+1 |
+5 |
+2 |
+5 |
7 + Int mod. |
Discipline |
7th |
+7/+2 |
+5 |
+2 |
+5 |
8 + Int mod. |
Smite evil 3/day |
8th |
+8/+3 |
+6 |
+2 |
+6 |
8 + Int mod. |
Discipline |
9th |
+9/+4 |
+6 |
+3 |
+6 |
9 + Int mod. |
— |
10th |
+10/+5 |
+7 |
+3 |
+7 |
10 + Int mod. |
Discipline, smite evil 4/day |
11th |
+11/+6/+1 |
+7 |
+3 |
+7 |
11 + Int mod. |
— |
12th |
+12/+7/+2 |
+8 |
+4 |
+8 |
12 + Int mod. |
Discipline |
13th |
+13/+8/+3 |
+8 |
+4 |
+8 |
13 + Int mod. |
Smite evil 5/day |
14th |
+14/+9/+4 |
+9 |
+4 |
+9 |
14 + Int mod. |
Discipline |
15th |
+15/+10/+5 |
+9 |
+5 |
+9 |
15 + Int mod. |
— |
16th |
+16/+11/+6/+1 |
+10 |
+5 |
+10 |
15 + Int mod. |
Discipline, smite evil 6/day |
17th |
+17/+12/+7/+2 |
+10 |
+5 |
+10 |
16 + Int mod. |
— |
18th |
+18/+13/+8/+3 |
+11 |
+6 |
+11 |
17 + Int mod. |
Discipline |
19th |
+19/+14/+9/+4 |
+11 |
+6 |
+11 |
18 + Int mod. |
Smite evil 7/day |
20th |
+20/+15/+10/+5 |
+12 |
+6 |
+12 |
19 + Int mod. |
Holy champion |
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. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range.
Smite Evil (Su)
Once per day, you can call out to Good spirits to aid your struggle against Evil. As a swift action, choose one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, add your Charisma bonus (if any) to your attack rolls and your paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target. If the target is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the damage bonus increases to 2 points of damage per paladin level. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
In addition, while smite evil is in effect, you gain a deflection bonus equal to your Charisma modifier (if any) to your AC against attacks made by the smite target. If you target a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite evil effect remains until the target is dead or the next time you rest and regain your uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, you may smite evil one additional time per day, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Disciplines (Sp)
Disciplines are abilities that paladins can use as often as they wish. Their effects are spell-like abilities, which means they can be dispelled or suppressed. Some discipline effects must be activated as described below, while others—such as Godhammer—function all the time. Activating a discipline provokes attacks of opportunity. Should a discipline effect that normally requires no activation be dispelled, it must be activated using a full-round action to resume functioning. A paladin chooses one discipline at 1st level; at every third level thereafter (3rd, 6th, 9th, etc.), instead of gaining a feat, she may choose a new discipline or an enhancement to an existing one. Each discipline enhancement has a minimum level requirement as described below.
Divine Inspiration
Using a standard action, you grant all allies within 30 feet a +1 luck bonus to the following:
• attack and damage rolls; or
• saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks; or
• Armor Class
This bonus increases by +1 every five levels. The effect lasts for 1 round per level before it must be renewed.
You may enhance Divine Inspiration as follows:
Min Level |
Enhancement |
4th |
Continuous: Although the bonus is only half normal, putting it into effect requires no action. Designating which bonus to grant is a free action that can be performed once each round. |
8th |
Two choices: The luck bonus applies to two of the three choices listed above. |
14th |
All choices: The luck bonus applies to all three choices. |
Godhammer
Once per round, a melee weapon sacred to your deity (if applicable) inflicts +1 point of damage + 1 point per three levels in your hands. This effect applies to your first attack with the weapon in the round.
You may enhance Godhammer as follows:
Min Level |
Enhancement |
6th |
Ranged attacks: The damage bonus applies to ranged attacks as well as melee attacks. |
10th |
Weapon empowerment: The damage bonus applies to all attacks made with the weapon in a round. |
Lay on Hands
Using a standard action and at least one free hand, you heal another living creature 1d8 points + 1 point per level. While there is no limit to the number of times each day you can use this ability, in a given day you can use it to heal only a number of different individuals equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier + your level.
You may enhance Lay on Hands as follows:
Min Level |
Enhancement |
2nd |
Harm undead: You can use this ability to harm undead, inflicting with a touch attack the amount of damage you would normally heal. |
4th |
Greater healing*: You add 1d8 points of healing to each touch (total healing dice cannot exceed 1d8 per two caster levels). |
4th |
Experienced use: Using this discipline does not provoke an attack of opportunity. |
6th |
Unblemished: Your healing acts as remove disease, using your paladin level as caster level. |
8th |
Healing link: Rather than healing by touch, you heal at a range of up to 25 feet + 5 feet per two levels. |
10th |
Purity mercy: Your healing acts as neutralize poison, using your paladin level as caster level. |
* You may select this enhancement more than once; its effects stack.
Holy Aura
Your Aura shines visibly. You gain a deflection bonus to Armor Class of +1 plus 1 additional point per five levels.
You may enhance Holy Aura as follows:
Min Level |
Enhancement |
2nd |
Greater aura*: You enjoy an additional +1 bonus to Armor Class (but may not total more than +1 per four levels). |
6th |
Shield aura: You gain damage reduction 2/magic. |
8th |
Energy aura*: You gain resistance 10 to one energy type of your choosing (once you choose the energy type, it cannot change). |
8th |
Resolute aura: You are immune to charm spells and spell-like abilities. Each ally within 10 feet gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against charm effects. This ability functions only while you are conscious. |
8th |
Shared protection*: You can extend the Holy Aura to any one adjacent creature. |
11th |
Justice aura: You can expend two uses of your smite evil ability to grant the ability to smite evil to all allies within 10 feet, using your bonuses. Allies must use this smite evil ability by the start of your next turn and the bonuses last for 1 minute. Using this ability is a free action. Evil creatures gain no benefit from this ability. |
14th |
Faith aura: Your weapons are treated as good-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. Any attack made against an enemy within 10 feet of you is treated as good-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. This ability functions only while the paladin is conscious. |
17th |
Righteous aura: You gain DR 5/evil and immunity to compulsion spells and spell-like abilities. Each ally within 10 feet gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects. This ability functions only while you are conscious. |
* You may select this enhancement more than once; its effects stack.
Holy Weapon
Any weapon in your hands is considered good, with regard to the type of damage it inflicts.
You may enhance Holy Weapon as follows:
Min Level |
Enhancement |
2nd |
Confirmed criticals: All critical strikes against evil foes are automatically confirmed. |
8th |
Holy damage: If the weapon in your hands is not already holy, it gains that weapon quality. |
Turn Undead
Using a standard action and at least one free hand, you force one undead target to flee. The undead creature’s total Hit Dice must be equal to or less than your own. This creature is frightened and forced to flee for 1 round + 1 round per three caster levels. No attack roll is necessary, but the target may attempt a Will saving throw to negate the attack (DC 10 + 1/2 your level + your Charisma bonus). The range of the turning is 25 feet + 5 feet per two levels.
You may enhance Turn Undead as follows:
Min Level |
Enhancement |
2nd |
Damage: Rather than fleeing, the target suffers 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points per two caster levels. |
4th |
Medium range: The range of the turning increases to 100 feet + 10 feet per caster level. |
4th |
Immobility: The target is held motionless rather than afraid; the effect lasts as long as you concentrate, plus 1 additional round. |
4th |
Experienced use: Using this discipline does not provoke an attack of opportunity. |
6th |
Enhanced potency*: The Will save DC is +2 higher than normal. |
8th |
Any target: You can affect any undead creature regardless of Hit Dice. |
10th |
Demons: You can affect evil outsiders as well as undead with this discipline. |
14th |
Evil casters: You can affect evil divine spellcasters with this discipline. |
* You may select this enhancement more than once; its effects stack.
Divine Grace (Su)
At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Aura of Courage (Su)
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 only while the paladin is conscious.
Divine Health (Ex)
At 3rd level, a paladin is immune to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Divine Bond (Sp)
You gain the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve you. This mount is usually a heavy horse (for a Medium paladin) or a pony (for a Small paladin), although more exotic mounts may also be available. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using your paladin level as your effective druid level. Bonded mounts have an Intelligence of at least 6.
Once per day, as a full-round action, you may magically call your mount. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the paladin's level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to you. You can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every 4 levels thereafter, for a total of four times per day at 17th level.
At 11th level, the mount gains the celestial template and becomes a magical beast for the purposes of determining which spells affect it. At 15th level, the mount gains spell resistance equal to your paladin level + 11.
Should your mount die, you may not summon another for 30 days or until you gain a paladin level, whichever comes first. During this period, you take a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Holy Champion (Su)
At 20th level, you become a conduit for the combined power of Good and Law. Your DR increases to 10/evil. Whenever you use smite evil and successfully strikes an evil outsider, the outsider is also subject to a banishment, using your paladin level as the caster level (your weapon and holy symbol automatically count as objects that the subject hates). After the banishment effect and the damage from the attack is resolved, the smite immediately ends. In addition, whenever you channel positive energy or lay on hands to heal a creature, you heal the maximum possible amount.
Code of Conduct
A paladin must be of lawful good alignment and loses all class features except proficiencies if you ever willingly commit 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 good or neutral allies, a paladin avoids working with evil characters or with anyone who consistently offends her moral code. Under exceptional circumstances, a paladin can ally with evil associates, but only to defeat what she believes to be a greater evil. A paladin should seek an atonement spell periodically during such an unusual alliance, and should end the alliance immediately should she feel it is doing more harm than good. 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 violates the code of conduct loses all paladin spells and class features (including the service of the paladin's mount, but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She may not progress any further in levels as a paladin. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see atonement), as appropriate.
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