Paladin

Paladin

Class Group:	Warrior
Source:	Player's Handbook: Paladin (PHB)
Ability Requirements:	Strength 12 Constitution 9 Wisdom 13 Charisma 17
Prime Requisites:	Strength, Charisma
Races Allowed:	Human
Alignment Allowed:	Lawful Good

The paladin is a warrior bold and pure, the exemplar of everything good and true. Like the fighter, the paladin is a person of combat. However, the paladin lives for the ideals of righteousness, justice, honesty, piety, and chivalry. They strive to be a living example of these virtues so that others might learn from them as well as gain by their actions.

Paladin						Priest Spell Levels
Level	XP Needed	Hit Dice (d10)	THAC0	Attacks/Round	Casting Level	1	2	3	4
1	0	1	20	1/round	—	—	—	—	—
2	2,250	2	19	1/round	—	—	—	—	—
3	4,500	3	18	1/round	—	—	—	—	—
4	9,000	4	17	1/round	—	—	—	—	—
5	18,000	5	16	1/round	—	—	—	—	—
6	36,000	6	15	1/round	—	—	—	—	—
7	75,000	7	14	3/2 rounds	—	—	—	—	—
8	150,000	8	13	3/2 rounds	—	—	—	—	—
9	300,000	9	12	3/2 rounds	1	1	—	—	—
10	600,000	9+3	11	3/2 rounds	2	2	—	—	—
11	900,000	9+6	10	3/2 rounds	3	2	1	—	—
12	1,200,000	9+9	9	3/2 rounds	4	2	2	—	—
13	1,500,000	9+12	8	2/round	5	2	2	1	—
14	1,800,000	9+15	7	2/round	6	3	2	1	—
15	2,100,000	9+18	6	2/round	7	3	2	1	1
16	2,400,000	9+21	5	2/round	8	3	3	2	1
17	2,700,000	9+24	4	2/round	9*	3	3	3	1
18	3,000,000	9+27	3	2/round	9*	3	3	3	1
19	3,300,000	9+30	2	2/round	9*	3	3	3	2
20	3,600,000	9+33	1	2/round	9*	3	3	3	3

* Maximum spell ability

Class Features

Hit Points

• Hit Dice (levels 1-9): 1d10 + "HP Adjustment" (See Constitution table) per level
• Hit Dice (levels 10+): +3 HP per level

Money

• Start with 5d4 × 10 gp to purchase starting equipment with.
• A paladin must tithe to whatever charitable, religious institution of lawful good alignment they serves. A tithe is 10% of the paladin's income, whether coins, jewels, magical items, wages, rewards, or taxes. It must be paid immediately.
• Paladins may keep only enough treasure to support themself in a modest manner, pay their henchmen, men-at-arms, and servitors a reasonable rate, and to construct or maintain a small castle or keep (funds can be set aside for this purpose).
  • All excess must be donated to the church or another worthy cause.
  • This money can never be given to another player character or NPC controlled by a player.

Equipment

• Can use any weapon.
• Can wear any armor.
• Cannot possess more than 10 magical items.
  • These may not exceed one suit of armor, one shield, four weapons (arrows and bolts are not counted), and four other magical items.

Proficiencies

Non-Weapon Proficiencies

• Starts at level 1 with 3 Nonweapon Proficiencies Slots
• Gains a Non-Weapon Proficiency every multiple of 3 levels (level 3, 6, 9, 12, 15,18...)
• Can chose a Nonweapon Proficiency at normal cost in the General and Warrior categories.
• Can chose a Nonweapon Proficiency at +1 cost from any other category.

Weapon Proficiencies

• Starts at level 1 with 4 Weapon Proficiency Slots
  • -2 Penalty to hit with weapons without proficiency.
  • Cost is 1 weapon slot.
• Gains a Weapon Proficiency Slot every multiple of 3 levels (level 3, 6, 9, 12, 15,18...)
• Can spent Weapon Proficiency Slots to chose a weapon from any category for allowed weapons.
• Also can spend Weapon Slots on Fighting Styles, Weapon of Choice, or other things.

Player's Option: Combat & Tactics:

• Attack of opportunity: Can make one attack of opportunity plus one per five levels.
• Fighting Styles: Single Weapon, Two-handed Weapon, Weapon and Shield, Two Weapon, Unarmed, Missile/Thrown Weapons

Weapon Expertise (Player's Option: Combat & Tactics)

Paladins cannot acquire Weapon Specialization, but can instead get a lesser version called Weapon Expertise, in the Player's Option: Combat & Tactics book.

• Only can gain Weapon Expertise in one weapon-type.
• Cost: 1 weapon slot if already proficient.
• Weapon Expertise gives the character the extra attacks of Specialization, without the bonus to hit or bonus to damage. See "Weapon Specialization Table" below.

Weapon Specialization Table

See Specialist Attacks Per Round for "PHB" and the "Combat & Tactics" version of the "Specialist Attacks Per Round" table.

Fighting Style Specialization (Player's Option: Combat & Tactics)

Paladins know every fighting style, so can specialize in any number of fighting style at only costing 1 weapon slot each:

• Weapon and Shield Style
• One-handed Weapon Style
• Two-handed Weapon Style
• Two-Weapon Style
• Missile or Thrown Weapon Style
  • Horse Archers
• Local Fighting Styles

Spellcasting

At 9th level, a paladin can learn Priest spells of the "Combat", "Divination", "Healing", and "Protection" spheres.

• Gains and casts spells according to the rules given for priests.
• Does not gain bonus spells for a high wisdom score
• Not able to use priest scrolls or magical items, unless specially noted otherwise.
• Spell level and spell slots can ben found by looking at the table at the top of this article.

Paladin Abilities

Detect Evil

A paladin can detect the presence of evil intent up to 60 feet away by concentrating on locating evil in a particular direction. They can do this as often as desired, but each attempt takes one round. This ability detects evil monsters and characters.

Saving Throws

A paladin receives a +2 bonus to all saving throws.

Disease immunity

A paladin is immune to all forms of disease. (Note that certain magical afflictions—lycanthropy and mummy rot—are curses and not diseases.)

Lay on Hands

The paladin restores 2 hit points per experience level. They can heal themself or someone else

• Once per day. Range: Touch.

Cure Diseases

A paladin can cure diseases of all sorts (though not cursed afflictions such as lycanthropy).

• Once per week for each five levels of experience (once per week at levels 1 through 5, twice per week at levels 6 through 10, etc.).

Protection from Evil

A paladin is surrounded by an aura of protection with a 10-foot radius. Within this radius, all summoned and specifically evil creatures suffer a -1 penalty to their attack rolls, regardless of whom they attack. Creatures affected by this aura can spot its source easily, even if the paladin is disguised.

Holy Weapons

A paladin using a holy sword projects a circle of power 10 feet in diameter when the sword is unsheathed and held. This power dispels hostile magic of a level up to the paladin's experience level. (A holy sword is a very special weapon; if your paladin acquires one, the DM will explain its other powers.) See Sword, +5 Holy Avenger

Turn Undead

A paladin gains the power to turn undead and fiends when they reaches 3rd level. They affects these monsters the same as does a cleric two levels lower—for example, at 3rd level they has the turning power of a 1st-level cleric. See the section on priests for more details on this ability.

Faithful Mount

A paladin may call for their war horse upon reaching 4th level, or anytime thereafter. This faithful steed need not be a horse; it may be whatever sort of creature is appropriate to the character (as decided by the DM). A paladin's war horse is a very special animal, bonded by fate to the warrior. The paladin does not really "call" the animal, nor does the horse instantly appear in front of them. Rather, the character must find their war horse in some memorable way, most frequently by a specific quest.

Wealth & Goods

A paladin may not possess more than 10 magical items. Furthermore, these may not exceed one suit of armor, one shield, four weapons (arrows and bolts are not counted), and four other magical items.

A paladin never retains wealth. They may keep only enough treasure to support themself in a modest manner, pay their henchmen, men-at-arms, and servitors a reasonable rate, and to construct or maintain a small castle or keep (funds can be set aside for this purpose). All excess must be donated to the church or another worthy cause. This money can never be given to another player character or NPC controlled by a player.

A paladin must tithe to whatever charitable, religious institution of lawful good alignment they serve. A tithe is 10% of the paladin's income, whether coins, jewels, magical items, wages, rewards, or taxes. It must be paid immediately.

Strongholds & Followers

A paladin does not attract a body of followers upon reaching 9th level or building a castle.

However, they can still hire soldiers and specialists, although these men must be lawful good in comportment.

A paladin may employ only lawful good henchmen (or those who act in such a manner when alignment is unknown). A paladin will cooperate with characters of other alignments only as long as they behave themselves. They will try to show them the proper way to live through both word and deed. The paladin realizes that most people simply cannot maintain their high standards. Even thieves can be tolerated, provided they are not evil and are sincerely trying to reform. They will not abide the company of those who commit evil or unrighteous acts. Stealth in the cause of good is acceptable, though only as a last resort.

Alignment

A paladin who changes alignment from Lawful Good, either deliberately or inadvertently, loses all their special powers—sometimes only temporarily and sometimes forever.

If a paladin ever knowingly performs a chaotic act, they must seek a high-level (7th or more) cleric of lawful good alignment, confess their sins, and do penance as prescribed by the cleric.

If a paladin should ever knowingly and willingly perform an evil act, they lose the status of paladinhood immediately and irrevocably. All benefits are then lost and no deed or magic can restore the character to paladinhood: They are ever after a Fighter.

The character's level remains unchanged when this occurs and experience points are adjusted accordingly. Thereafter the character is bound by the rules for fighters. They do not gain the benefits of weapon specialization (if this is used) since they did not select this for their character at the start.

If the paladin commits an evil act while enchanted or controlled by magic, they loses their paladin status until they can atone for the deed. This loss of status means the character loses all their special abilities and essentially functions as a fighter (without weapon specialization) of the same level. Regaining their status undoubtedly requires completion of some dangerous quest or important mission to once again prove their worth and assuage their own guilt. They gains no experience prior to or during the course of this mission, and regains their standing as a paladin only upon completing the quest.

Saving Throws

Paladin Saving Throws

	Attack to be Saved Against
Experience Level	Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic	Rod, Staff, or Wand	Petrification or Polymorph*	Breath Weapon**	Spell***
0	16	18	17	20	19
1-2	14	16	15	17	17
3-4	13	15	14	16	16
5-6	11	13	12	13	14
7-8	10	12	11	12	13
9-10	8	10	9	9	11
11-12	7	9	8	8	10
13-14	5	7	6	5	8
15-16	4	6	5	4	7
17+	3	5	4	4	6

Table does NOT include the Paladin bonus of +2 to all saving throws

*Excluding polymorph wand attacks.

**Excluding those that cause petrification or polymorph.

***Excluding those for which another saving throw type is specified, such as death, petrification, polymorph, etc.

Level 1 Character

• Starting HP: 1d10 HP
• Starting funds: 5d4 × 10 gp
• 3 Nonweapon Proficiencies Slots
• 4 Weapon Proficiency Slots
• Can use Language Slots from Intelligence for Nonweapon Proficiencies Slots
  • In Player's Option: Combat & Tactics, Paladins can also use Language Slots for Weapon Proficiency Slots

Leveling up

At level up:

• Roll 1d10 HP (unless level 10 or higher, then add 3 HP instead)
• Improve THAC0 by one
• Check "Paladin Saving Throws" above to see if your saving throws change.
• 1 Weapon Proficiency Slot gained at level 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 (every multiple of 3)
• 1 Nonweapon Proficiency Slot gained at level 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 (every multiple of 3)
• Starting from 9th level can cast "Combat", "Divination", "Healing", and "Protection" Priest Spells. Check table for the number of spell slots and spell casting level.