CLASS: ANTI-PALADIN

ANTI-PALADIN

 

(art by HrvojeBeslic and mindsiphon, both on DeviantArt)

 

HIT DICE: D8

ATTACK BONUS: +1

Anti-Paladins get +1 to Fortitude and Willpower saves.
Anti-Paladins can use all melee weapons and armor.
Anti-Paladins heal d4 hit points whenever they kill a mortal. (1)
Anti-Paladins can make Faith rolls to Command the Undead or Become the Nightmare. (2)
Anti-Paladins get a bonus to their Faith roll when they are committing atrocities, defiling or
desecrating that which is good or righteous, or terrorizing groups of the virtuous or innocent. (3)
Anti-Paladins start with a random Unholy Gift. (4)
Anti-Paladins get -2 to all rolls (except Faith) when they are in direct sunlight. (5)

Command The Undead: The Anti-Paladin can control (level)d6 HD worth of undead or raises (level)d6 HD of corpses as undead. (6)

Become the Nightmare: The Anti-Paladin changes form, becoming a shadowy wraith. Enemies must make a Morale check when they see the Anti-Paladin. The Anti-Paladin is immune to all attacks except magic and silver weapons in this form. The Anti-Paladin also adds their level to damage rolls. The Anti-Paladin can move at double speed and can fit through any opening that smoke or mist could fit through. This form lasts for a number of turns equal to d4 plus their level. (7)

1. This is the fun part of being an anti-paladin. Slaughter mortals, cull the weak and craven, feast on their wretched souls -- classic.

2. This is in the same vein as a paladin's roll. Anti-Paladins have Faith too, it's just in DARK AND TENEBROUS THINGS THAT SCREAM IN THE NIGHT. 

3. Also like paladins but with evil-ass thematic bonuses. Bonuses from Unholy Relics do apply.

4. Same as clerics and paladins mostly, but instead from the Unholy Gifts list below. I will probably grant more gifts as the anti-paladin levels up.

5. A flavorful disadvantage that is maybe too hindering? Nobody's complained yet.

6. Just like I patterned the paladin on Solars from Exalted, I did anti-paladins like Abyssals from Exalted. Anti-paladins are not undead but they are undead-adjacent and some necromancy powers fit them well.

7. This has been completely overpowered in play and I don't care because it's cool.

Unholy Gifts

 1. Bestial: You can turn into a wolf or snake for one hour a day.
 2. Hypnotic: Charisma goes straight to 18, or 20 if it's already 18.
 3. Nosferatu: You don't sleep, breathe, age, or have a reflection.
 4. Luck of the Devil: You can reroll any natural 1s you roll. If you roll another 1 then you keep that roll.
 5. Relentless: Your maximum hit points are immediately doubled.
 6. Unstoppable: Constitution goes straight to 18, or 20 if it's already 18.
 7. Fanatic: You get +1 to all rolls and your normal speed is doubled.
 8. Terrifying: Strength goes straight to 18, or 20 if it's already 18.
 9. Infernal: you are immune to any damage from fire or lightning.
10. Child of Darkness: You can see in pitch darkness.
11. Vile Blood: You are immune to all diseases & poisons.
12. Mark of Cain: Anyone that damages you in combat takes 1d4 damage.
13. Shadowed: You can turn invisible for (your level) rounds a day.
14. Dark Soul: You get a permanent +2 AC.
15. Arrogance: You can't be magically dominated, charmed or possessed.
16. Exalted: You can reroll any failed roll once a day.
17. Night Stalker: At night, you can fly at your walking speed.
18. Cold-Hearted: You are never afraid, and get an additional +2 to all saves.
19. The Devil's Own: You have damage reduction equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).

20. Chosen: The next time you die, you come back in 3 rounds, at full hit points.

Read More

CLASS: PALADIN

PALADIN

(art by Tyler Jacobson and boota)

HIT DICE: D8

ATTACK BONUS: +1

Paladins get +2 to Fortitude saves.

Paladins can use all melee weapons and armor.

Paladins get a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to their level against undead, demons, and their minions. (1)

Paladins can make a Faith roll to Blaze Like Heaven or Be The Hero. (2)

 

Paladins get a bonus to their Faith roll when they are hopelessly outnumbered, the last man standing, severely wounded, near death, or facing certain doom. (3)

Paladins can call down Divine Intervention. (4)

Paladins start with a random Holy Gift. (5)

Blaze Like Heaven: The Paladin glows brightly, lighting up the area like daylight. Enemies
must make a Morale check when they see the Paladin. The Paladin adds their level to attack and damage rolls and has damage reduction equal to twice their level. This form lasts for d4 plus their level turns. (6)

Be The Hero: The Paladin can perform an impossible feat of strength (lifting, pulling, pushing, jumping). (7)

1. Paladins are God's holy ass-kickers and they smite the unclean like it's their job (because it is). "Their minions" means like demonic cultists or devil-worshipers or a vampire's human servants.

2. This is just like a cleric's Faith roll and the abilities are described below. I haven't set a hard number to roll but it's usually high, 19 or 20 isn't out of the question. The paladin shouldn't be able to just use their Divine Ass-Kicking Powers over every little thing.

3. And anyway they get these sweet-ass thematic bonuses to their Faith roll. With my players these kinds of situations come up all the time. I also let paladins use Holy Relics for Faith bonuses like clerics do.

4. Same as clerics.

5. Also same as clerics, see the Clerics post for the list. I am toying with the idea that paladins get more random Holy Gifts as they level up.

6. This is heavily inspired by Solars from Exalted. The "add level to attack and damage" that the paladin gets against undead etc. now applies to every enemy, and it is a double bonus against undead etc. If the enemies fail their Morale check then they flee or cower or surrender.

7. The idea behind this is like a "Samson knocking down the temple, hurling massive boulders, bend bars / lift gates" kind of thing. I don't know how it plays out in our games because it has never come up so it's probably either too good or not good enough.

 

I don't force paladins to "act good" or anything like that. A paladin is free to be as ruthless and awful as, uh, every other PC. They're just more inclined to be self-righteous about it because when paladins do their murder-hobo thing across the countryside it's IN THE NAME OF GOD. It's not that paladins are "good guys" in our game, it's that they are champions of Law, which is usually confused with Good (in certain lights, if you squint) but is absolutely not the same thing. I haven't covered how we do alignments in our game yet because it's not a super big deal but I will in a later post. 

Read More