A Plethora of Paladins

[Picaroon Jack]

The Anti-Paladin came up in another thread, so I thought I would start one on Dragon magazine's alternative alignment paladins. I'll try to list all of them in the next few days. I have only had experience with the Anti-Paladin (CE) and the Illrigger (LE)

1. The Anti-Paladin is from Dragon Magazine #39 and is depicted as an NPC but has all the rules to run it as a player. Here is the ability requirements:


Alignment: Chaotic Evil ("Where the Paladin is the champion of all that is Good and Lawful, the Anti-Paladin is the defender of the Powers of Chaos and Evil. By nature, therefore, his alignment is always Chaotic Evil, without exception!")

Here are their class benefits:

• A +2 bonus on all saving throws.
• Immunity to Disease. And the Anti-Paladin is also a “carrier,” and can transmit the disease of their choice to the character of their choice by touch alone. They may only do this once per week for every five experience levels. ("i.e. at 1st-5th levels, once/week; 6th-10th levels, twice/week, etc.")
• Laying on of Hands. Once a day, the Anti-Paladin may Cause Wounds in others or cure damage to themself, giving/healing two hit points of damage for each acquired experience level. They must do this by touch.
• Protection from Good. This aura extends in a 1” radius around the Anti-Paladin. This is detected with the Detect Magic.
• Thief’s Backstabbing Ability. The Anti-Paladin receives a +4 bonus to hit, with double damage, whenever they hit a victim from behind. Backstabbing is the Anti-Paladin’s preferred method of attack.
• Use of Poisons. The Anti-Paladin favors the poisoned cup over armed combat and they consider poisoning an artistic expression more than a means to kill someone.

I'm not sure why it is billed as an NPC and not built like a typical monster from the Monster Manual. Instead it is clearly posted as a player character. The rules on poison are 5 or 6 paragraphs worth. They are depicted in armor, but there is quite a bit about a charismatic Anti-paladins using their charm and intelligence. So, more Vizzini and less Vader.

 

[AsenRG]

They are depicted in armor, but there is quite a bit about a charismatic Anti-paladins using their charm and intelligence. So, more Vizzini and less Vader.

Isn't it more "Vizzini or Vader, whatever it suits the situation"? I seem to remember they were comparable in combat to paladins when armoured up.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

Isn't it more "Vizzini or Vader, whatever it suits the situation"? I seem to remember they were comparable in combat to paladins when armoured up.

It just says they prefer black armor. LOL

 

[AsenRG]

It just says they prefer black armor. LOL

Who would have thought...
And I meant "stats-wise".

 

[Picaroon Jack]

All the rest are from Dragon Magazine #106's article, "A Plethora of Paladins" and were also billed as "NPCs" but laid out like playable character classes.

2. The Myrikha (it means "godservant)

The are good and if they do evil acts they get excommunicated and turn into normal fighters. They favor light armor (chain or leather), doing quests solo, their main stats are wisdom and intelligence, use cleric & fighter magic items, have access to cleric & druid spells as well as access to some new spells (like "Fire Purge), and use for light warhorses.

Alignment: Neutral Good

Class benefits:

• Detection of Evil within a 100' radius, requiring concentration.
• Saving throw bonuses against evil magic at +1 for each three levels.
• Turning of undead as a cleric of equal level, including creatures of the lower (evil) planes.
• Spell use at 6th level and above.
• Hit and damage bonuses of +1 per level when fighting larger- than-man-sized humanoids.
• At 4th level, a holy symbol of power protection from evil as long as they wears it.
• A 10% chance per level to identify plants and animals.
• Hit and damage bonuses of +1 for each three levels with a designated favorite weapon.

They also have a couple of strictures:
1. Forbidden retention of wealth.
2. Speaking his deity's name only on consecrated ground, prayers withstanding.



Very close to a cleric with a sword, but their designated weapon could be a mace and they'd blend right in. I couldn't find if MYRIKHA was an actual word or not. I kind of think all the others are just made up. I'm not sure why they get bonuses to fight larger than human humanoids, I thought they were undead slayers?

 

[Picaroon Jack]

Who would have thought...
And I meant "stats-wise".

There does not appear to be any combat stats for the Anti-paladin in that issue, unless I am missing it. It just seems to focus on the backstabbing and poison use.

 

[Rob Necronomicon]

That's a cool list of abilities. Wasn't there an anti-paladin (avenger) in the Basic companion as a PC? I always love a good anti-paladin as an enemy.

Basically like a chaos warrior from WFRP but less squicky.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

#3 The Garath

These primarily defend churches or guard pilgrimage goers or caravans. If they violate their church strictures below, they become normal fighters. They go for high craftsmanship in their gear, Plate mail embellished with holy symbols and script, they have access to cleric spells and a follower table, use fighter & cleric magic items, and their favored stats are Wisdom and Charisma.

Alignment: Chaotic Good

The special abilities of a garath are:

• Detection of evil within a 100' radius, requiring concentration.
• Saving throw bonuses against evil magic at +1 for each three levels
• Protection from devils beginning at 5th level, including all lower planes lawful evil creatures.
• Cleric Spell use at 8th level and above.
• The ability to use all holy swords (of chaotic good alignment) as paladins do.
• Good welcome from any allied chaotic good church.
• Hit and damage bonuses of +1 for each 4 levels of experience with any weapon.
• Two bodyguards appointed at 7th level. (1st-level??)

The strictures of a garath are:
1. Forbidden retention of wealth, and any they find they must give it to the church.
2. Use of force only against non-good-aligned individuals, except for self-defense or church defense.
3. Employment of only good-aligned individuals for followers/henchmen, except for church defense.



This does not feel very chaotic to me. Definitely good, but I am not getting chaotic good. For me it is the strictures, I'm not seeing a CG character adhering to those. I'm not getting the embodiment of freedom and randomness from this class. I'm getting guard with followers.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

#4 The Lyan (the name is based on a name of an ancient tower that housed the Arbiter)

The lyan are more as a cleric than a fighter, apparently because their church only has other lyans, so no clerics (or something like that). They are devoted to law, and should they ever commit a chaotic act with other courses available, they become normal fighters. They cannot wear armor or have weapons on consecrated ground, elsewhere they wear studded leather with breastplates (no hindrance to spell casting), huge mounts, their weapons have to be the most fierce, and Wisdom, strength, and constitution are their prime requisites.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

The special abilities of a lylan are:

• Detection of chaos at 20 per level.The lyan can determine the type of chaos (good, neutral, or evil) after two rounds of concentration.
• Saving throw bonuses against chaotic magic at +1 for each three levels.
• Cleric spell use at 3rd level and above.
• Hit and damage bonuses of +1 per level when fighting any chaotic creatures, of either good, neutral, or evil nature.
• At 10th level, a lyan can construct their own edificial church (it doesn't say what this is, but it has something to do with the Arbiter's Edifice Prime tower)

The lyan has no strictures other than the rules of his edificial church (but are not listed. When and if they forms his own, they determines his own rules, which must roughly correspond to the Arbiter's standards.



I'm not sure where all that Arbiter stuff comes from or edificial churches. Greyhawk? Forgotten Realms? This paladin does not get the number of abilities the others get. LN gets the shaft, but spell use pretty early on. I am starting to think these are NOT themed on alignments.

 

[AsenRG]

I am starting to think these are NOT themed on alignments.

A nagging suspicion that these are thinly-veiled excuses to get extra powers while playing Whatever You Were Going To Play Anyway (WYWGTPA) has been present since the early days of the hobby, or so I've been told...

 

[Picaroon Jack]

A nagging suspicion that these are thinly-veiled excuses to get extra powers while playing Whatever You Were Going To Play Anyway (WYWGTPA) has been present since the early days of the hobby, or so I've been told...

I don't know enough about Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms to know if these are from those settings. . .or just totally random.

 

[Fenris-77]

I'm waiting for Paladins of the Great Mushroom Gods. Mycelium Avengers? Something like that.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

#5 The Paramander ("one beside the world")

Paramanders seek to maintain that balance, often by manipulating/destroying high powered beings of deep alignment convictions (like angels and
devils) or by helping their weak opponents. The become normal fighters if they do any deed of outright good, evil, law, or chaos, performed without a
previously determined balancing effect on the world's structure. Which means they have to pretty much justify all their actions. They go for subdued design in armor and weapons, like leather and shields with no decorations, ride light, gray colored horses, no missile weapons but simple swords and staves, no followers (but get an apprentice), have access to magicuser spells (and some new ones like "Azure Flame"), and they have Intelligence is their prime requisite

Alignment: True Neutral

The special abilities of a paramander are:

• Detection of good or evil within a 50 radius. At 3rd level and can determine the. exact nature of the good or evil (lawful, neutral, or chaotic) with minimal concentration.
• Immunity to diseases of ALL types
• Saving throws against non-neutral-aligned magic at +2 for each five levels
• Magicuser spell use at 8th level and above.
• The use of certain thief functions at a level equal to half that of the paramander The functions include open locks, find/remove traps, move silently, hide in shadows, and hear noise.

The only scripture they have to abide by is forbidden accumulation of wealth.



I was following this one as a True Neutral paladin until I hit the thieving ability. I like that they thwart powerful Evil/Good and Lawful/Chaotic beings. I think that nailed it. I did not follow the magicuser spells or thief abilities though.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

#6 The Fantra ("guardian")

Fantras belong to a nomadic culture and they see themselves as guardians of their entire people, their protective and comforting nature giving them a charisma score bonus of +3 when dealing with their tribe members. However, they do not care for anyone else (who they see as intelligent animals, not people). If they help outsiders, the Fantras become normal fighters. They use only chain mail or lighter armor, wooden shields, their gear is only what they can carry on horseback, Wisdom is their prime stat, access to cleric/druid spells (and some new ones like "Protection from Insects")

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

The special abilities of a fantra are:

• Immunity to normal, non-magical diseases.
• A 10% chance per level to identify plants or animals
• 15% chance per level to identify pure water or nonpoisonous wild foods
• The ability to make antidotes from natural herbs and roots.
• Spell use at 1st level.

The strictures of a fantra are:
1. Forbidden retention of wealth. All treasure falls to the tribe, and they can only keep personal magic items such as weapons and rings.
2. Tribal gain over personal gain, so they must sacrifice all for the tribe.


I feel like with #5 and #6 they are at least trying. It's interesting how they work in that the embodiment of CN asshole-ness is applied to people outside their culture. That at least makes sense and less random, but then I thought random was the name of the game. Spell use at level 1 is random. LOL

It's odd they don't get any horse based abilities or make any mention about gnomes. . .who, to me, are type cast as CN.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

#7 The Illrigger

The infamous illrigger's number one focus is subduing proponents of good through assassination and a criminal network of followers. If the illrigger ever does something chaotic they will become a normal fighter. They prefer armor and weapons of darkened plate mail, favored weapon is a morningstar, big fancy helmets, rank insignia + personal sigil, Wisdom and Intelligence are their prime requisites, access to magic-users spells, any magic item that is not good aligned, followers/stronghold at anytime,

Alignment: Lawful Evil

The special abilities of an illrigger are:

• A continual protection from good spell.
• Immunity to all forms of disease.
• Detection of good at 5' per level. They can determine the type of good (lawful, neutral, or chaotic) in one segment of concentration.
• Saving throw bonuses against chaotic magic at +1 for each three levels
• Magic-user Spell use at 5th level and above.
• The use of certain thief functions at a level of ability equal to half the level of the illrigger. The functions include open locks, find/remove traps, move silently, hide in shadows, and hear noise.
• The ability to attack on the assassins table for assassinations after surprising an opponent.

The illrigger follows no strictures other than the rigid rules necessary to maintain his church. And they are all known to be devil worshippers.


And now we are back to random stuff. Why would a LAWFUL evil paladin have a criminal network and NOT have detailed strictures? This seems more like an anti-paladin. I would have guessed they would have been merciless, iron-fisted champions who were sadistic. idk Bonus points for coolest name.

 

[VisionStorm]

I am starting to think these are NOT themed on alignments.

Yeah, not that I'm a big fan of alignment regardless, but these sound like random takes on quasi-paladin concepts more than "paladins" from each alignment. I would've thunk that Chaotic Good paladins would be all about freedom fighting and overthrowing corrupt governments, but apparently they're too busy protecting their temples to do any actual chaotic good work.

And Chaotic Neutral paladins are tribal because chaos+neutrality = Barbarians (?) I guess.

 

[Fenris-77]

Well, to be fair, while they're protecting their temples they write up blisteringly complicated guard rotas without rhyme or reason and patrol in very random patterns. Plus there are no uniforms, but rather a different theme night every night, chosen by psychic communion with a sarcastic lesser deity of Slimes. But they're nice about the theme nights if someone can't get a good outfit together on a day's notice. It works.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

The last one is the:

#8 The Arrikhan ("Beast Servant)

Their purpose is to acts as an opposite to the Neutral Good paladins, #2 the myrikhan (anti-undead druid cleric warriors), so they are "pro-undead." They become standard fighters if they ever do a good deed. Arrikhans favor exotic light armor, they too are into morningstars, Wisdom is their prime stat, they can use any magic items except those usable only by magic-users or illusionists, and they have access to druid/cleric spells.

Alignment: Neutral Evil

The special abilities of an arrikhan are:

• Saving throws against good magic at +1 for each two levels.
• At 3rd level and above, affecting undead as a cleric of two levels below the level of the arrikhan. BUT they have the option to make them their allies and team up with them.
• Hit and damage bonuses of +1 per level when fighting against good opponents.
• A 10% chance per level to identify plants and animals.
• At 5th level and above, the ability to call for a warhorse that magically appears near them. The mount has a 5% chance per level of being a nightmare of maximum hit points; otherwise, it is a normal heavy warhorse.
• "The ability to torture helpless victims. This torture requires special instruments (restraints, hot irons, salt and other caustic
  chemicals and irritants, etc.). The creature being tortured must make a saving throw against its constitution score (rolling its constitution
  or less on a 3d6 roll) during each turn of torture; otherwise, it will reveal any information that the arrikhan wishes to know. Torture damage accrues at 1-4 points per round. Player characters cannot be tortured for information in this manner, but may be harmed."
• Spell use at 7th level and above. Arrikhan Table II shows the number and level of such spells. Halflings of the arrikhan class, unable to learn cleric spells, cannot advance past 6th level; dwarves of the arrikhan class, unable to learn druid spells, cannot advance past 10th level.
• Detection of good in a radius of 50' + 5 per level.
• The use of certain thief functions at a level of ability equal to half their level. The functions include find/remove traps, move silently, and hide in shadows.
• A 15% chance per level to identify pure water or nonpoisonous wild foods, automatic at 7th level and above.
• The ability to concoct ingestive poisons and their antidotes from natural herbs and roots.

The strictures of an arrikhan are:
1. Referring to his god only by his titles, except when the god's name must be used, like in rituals. And whatever the oinodaemon is, that's who they worship.
2. Forbidden accumulation of wealth or treasure. All plunder must go to the church, which might or might not award part of that plunder to the arrikhan as a reward for his deeds.


What the heck??? Someone else clearly wrote this and not by Christopher Wood who is credited. It's the only one with a summonable warhorse, it's the only one that mentions demihuman paladins (Haflings and Dwarves). OR this is the dude's favorite, because it is stuffed full of bad ass abilities.

I included verbatim what it says about the torture ability which until now I had no idea was reserved as special ability, which means my murder hobo friends have played AD&D wrong for a long time.

A NE paladin can't horde treasure?? This one has strictures but the LE one doesn't? The LE get's the criminal organization and not the NE? I have questions on this one. And it needs more undead abilities if that's their big thing. But this should be the one with thieving ability so good job there, Chris.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

Well, to be fair, while they're protecting their temples they write up blisteringly complicated guard rotas without rhyme or reason and patrol in very random patterns. Plus there are no uniforms, but rather a different theme night every night, chosen by psychic communion with a sarcastic lesser deity of Slimes. But they're nice about the theme nights if someone can't get a good outfit together on a day's notice. It works.

I like all that 100% better! "Oh we'll guard the temple REAL good, sir, like a fox guarding something important to said fox. We're on it!"

 

[VisionStorm]

The last one is the:

#8 The Arrikhan ("Beast Servant)

Their purpose is to acts as an opposite to the Neutral Good paladins, #2 the myrikhan (anti-undead druid cleric warriors), so they are "pro-undead." They become standard fighters if they ever do a good deed. Arrikhans favor exotic light armor, they too are into morningstars, Wisdom is their prime stat, they can use any magic items except those usable only by magic-users or illusionists, and they have access to druid/cleric spells.

Alignment: Neutral Evil

The special abilities of an arrikhan are:

• Saving throws against good magic at +1 for each two levels.
• At 3rd level and above, affecting undead as a cleric of two levels below the level of the arrikhan. BUT they have the option to make them their allies and team up with them.
• Hit and damage bonuses of +1 per level when fighting against good opponents.
• A 10% chance per level to identify plants and animals.
• At 5th level and above, the ability to call for a warhorse that magically appears near them. The mount has a 5% chance per level of being a nightmare of maximum hit points; otherwise, it is a normal heavy warhorse.
• "The ability to torture helpless victims. This torture requires special instruments (restraints, hot irons, salt and other caustic
  chemicals and irritants, etc.). The creature being tortured must make a saving throw against its constitution score (rolling its constitution
  or less on a 3d6 roll) during each turn of torture; otherwise, it will reveal any information that the arrikhan wishes to know. Torture damage accrues at 1-4 points per round. Player characters cannot be tortured for information in this manner, but may be harmed."
• Spell use at 7th level and above. Arrikhan Table II shows the number and level of such spells. Halflings of the arrikhan class, unable to learn cleric spells, cannot advance past 6th level; dwarves of the arrikhan class, unable to learn druid spells, cannot advance past 10th level.
• Detection of good in a radius of 50' + 5 per level.
• The use of certain thief functions at a level of ability equal to half their level. The functions include find/remove traps, move silently, and hide in shadows.
• A 15% chance per level to identify pure water or nonpoisonous wild foods, automatic at 7th level and above.
• The ability to concoct ingestive poisons and their antidotes from natural herbs and roots.

The strictures of an arrikhan are:
1. Referring to his god only by his titles, except when the god's name must be used, like in rituals. And whatever the oinodaemon is, that's who they worship.
2. Forbidden accumulation of wealth or treasure. All plunder must go to the church, which might or might not award part of that plunder to the arrikhan as a reward for his deeds.

View attachment 45575
What the heck??? Someone else clearly wrote this and not by Christopher Wood who is credited. It's the only one with a summonable warhorse, it's the only one that mentions demihuman paladins (Haflings and Dwarves). OR this is the dude's favorite, because it is stuffed full of bad ass abilities.

I included verbatim what it says about the torture ability which until now I had no idea was reserved as special ability, which means my murder hobo friends have played AD&D wrong for a long time.

A NE paladin can't horde treasure?? This one has strictures but the LE one doesn't? The LE get's the criminal organization and not the NE? I have questions on this one. And it needs more undead abilities if that's their big thing. But this should be the one with thieving ability so good job there, Chris.

Someone loved NE so much they gave it all the cool abilities then decided to give them strictures to try to balance them out, but forgot those structures would make more sense for a lawful character if we're taking this alignment stuff seriously.

 

[robertsconley]

First a Knight as what I do with paladin builds on the knight class I created for classic D&D.

Knights
Fighters may choose to start as Knights. A Knight focuses on mounted combat. Knights can be of any alignment and must possess either a Constitution or a Charisma of 12 or better. In either case Constitution or Charisma can’t be lower than 8. If a Knight loses his horse for more than a month then the Knight reverts to a fighting man due to the lack of training. At the referees discretion the knight may reassume his class after a month of retraining a new horse. Note the reason for having a high charisma is because the social level of a Knight means that individuals tend to have a higher charisma than average.

• Gains 1D6+2 HP/level
• Use any Armor/Shield, any Weapon
• Prime Attribute Bonus: If Strength is 13 or greater, character earns +5% experience.
• Fights using the Fighter combat table
• The Knight’s to hit bonus is added to their initiative roll.
• Can use a melee weapon to attack a number of creatures with a total hit dice equal to the Fighter’s level. There is always a minimum of one attack allowed. If the creature has a modifier to their hit dice, round up to the nearest whole number. For example, a giant fire beetle has HD 1+3; treat this the same as a creature with HD 2.
• Knights receive a +1 attack bonus from horseback. (This is an addition to the normal bonuses of mounted combat)
• A Knight learns veterinary skills. The Knight may spend an entire turn (10 minutes) to heal his horse of 2 points of damage per level once a day. A Knight can use this knowledge on humans and humanlike races at 1 point of damage per level once a day
• A Knight receives an additional +2 bonus to paralyzation saves from being unhorsed
• A Knight may recruit an additional hireling for every 3 levels of advancement
• A Knight adds +1 to any morale or loyalty check for every 3 levels of advancement.
• If using a lance on horseback a Knight doubles the number of dice they roll (i.e. instead of 2d4+1 they do 4d4+1)
• At 5th level, the Knight can form or will be offered captaincy of a small independent command of 20 knights.
• At 9th level, a Knight may swear fealty to a liege, receive a fief, and become a noble lord. The definition of fief varies by culture. For example, nomadic cultures many grant a large herd, agrarian cultures usually grant manor estates and imperial cultures may award a lucrative concession or governorship

 

[Picaroon Jack]

#8 The Arrikhan ("Beast Servant)

They become standard fighters if they ever do a good deed.

"Trust me, mom, I would LOVE to help out with the laundry, but I am a fucking arrikhan and if I do, I lose my ability to summon a fucking nightmare from hell. Is that what you want, mom? Is it??"

 

[Giganotosaurus]

I read somewhere that Paramanders would work to destroy whole civilizations in order to keep cosmic balance. Feeling a Eternal Champion vibe from this.
I like the idea that CG Paladins are freedom fighters. Running around liberating slaves and setting up robinhood like communes in the woods.
LE Paladins should be all about corrupting the laws of nations to become more evil, like using an obscure tax code to extort the peasants.
LN's are a missed oppertunity to tie them in with Modrons and Mechanus.
The tribal nomad aspect of CN's is interesting, seeing anyone other than themselves as animals more so.
I'm not really sure how to even play a NG or NE Paladin other than generic Good/Evil wanderer's?

 

[Picaroon Jack]

First a Knight as what I do with paladin builds on the knight class I created for classic D&D.

Knights
Fighters may choose to start as Knights. A Knight focuses on mounted combat. Knights can be of any alignment and must possess either a Constitution or a Charisma of 12 or better. In either case Constitution or Charisma can’t be lower than 8. If a Knight loses his horse for more than a month then the Knight reverts to a fighting man due to the lack of training. At the referees discretion the knight may reassume his class after a month of retraining a new horse. Note the reason for having a high charisma is because the social level of a Knight means that individuals tend to have a higher charisma than average.

• Gains 1D6+2 HP/level
• Use any Armor/Shield, any Weapon
• Prime Attribute Bonus: If Strength is 13 or greater, character earns +5% experience.
• Fights using the Fighter combat table
• The Knight’s to hit bonus is added to their initiative roll.
• Can use a melee weapon to attack a number of creatures with a total hit dice equal to the Fighter’s level. There is always a minimum of one attack allowed. If the creature has a modifier to their hit dice, round up to the nearest whole number. For example, a giant fire beetle has HD 1+3; treat this the same as a creature with HD 2.
• Knights receive a +1 attack bonus from horseback. (This is an addition to the normal bonuses of mounted combat)
• A Knight learns veterinary skills. The Knight may spend an entire turn (10 minutes) to heal his horse of 2 points of damage per level once a day. A Knight can use this knowledge on humans and humanlike races at 1 point of damage per level once a day
• A Knight receives an additional +2 bonus to paralyzation saves from being unhorsed
• A Knight may recruit an additional hireling for every 3 levels of advancement
• A Knight adds +1 to any morale or loyalty check for every 3 levels of advancement.
• If using a lance on horseback a Knight doubles the number of dice they roll (i.e. instead of 2d4+1 they do 4d4+1)
• At 5th level, the Knight can form or will be offered captaincy of a small independent command of 20 knights.
• At 9th level, a Knight may swear fealty to a liege, receive a fief, and become a noble lord. The definition of fief varies by culture. For example, nomadic cultures many grant a large herd, agrarian cultures usually grant manor estates and imperial cultures may award a lucrative concession or governorship

View attachment 45578

This is totally on theme! Loads of bonus points robertsconley for including all the equestrian abilities and actual fealty to leige lord. You're just making Christopher Wood look bad!

 

[Picaroon Jack]

I read somewhere that Paramanders would work to destroy whole civilizations in order to keep cosmic balance. Feeling a Eternal Champion vibe from this.
I like the idea that CG Paladins are freedom fighters. Running around liberating slaves and setting up robinhood like communes in the woods.
LE Paladins should be all about corrupting the laws of nations to become more evil, like using an obscure tax code to extort the peasants.
LN's are a missed oppertunity to tie them in with Modrons and Mechanus.
The tribal nomad aspect of CN's is interesting, seeing anyone other than themselves as animals more so.
I'm not really sure how to even play a NG or NE Paladin other than generic Good/Evil wanderer's?

Both the NG and NE are solo wanderers and I failed to mention that, so good call. I'm with you 100% on the LE & LN paladins.

 

[robertsconley]

Myrmidons of Sarrath
Rob's Notes: If you want to talk alignment then this class is Lawful Evil.
Fighters may choose to start as Myrmidons of Sarrath. Myrmidons are called by the god Sarrath to be his champions. Their traditional enemies are the Paladins of Delaquain. Myrmidons must be Lawful and follow the Laws of Ma’at. A Myrmidon must possess the following minimum ability scores; Constitution of 12, Wisdom of 12, and a Charisma of 15.

Any act of Chaos or violations of the Laws of Ma’at will cause the Myrmidon to revert to a Fighter, the Myrmidon’s Arkados (see the Myrmidon’s abilities) will leave him and a Myrmidon of equal level will challenge the ex-Myrmidon to a duel to the death. If the character wins the duel, he is free to leave. If the ex-Myrmidon wishes to atone for his misconduct after the duel, the referee may allow him to undertake a Trial of Ma’at. Sarrath will arrange the circumstances of the trial. It will test the character's dedication to each of the Laws of Ma'at. The trial will involve killing a powerful chaotic creature. Any further violations will cause the Myrmidon’s status to be revoked permanently. The ex-Myrmidon will then be hunted down by his former peers and killed.

• Myrmidons gains 1d6+2 HP/level
• Use any Armor/Shield, any Weapon
• Prime Attribute Bonus: If Strength is 13 or greater, the character earns +5% experience.
• Fights using the Fighter combat table
• The Myrmidon’s to-hit bonus is added to their initiative roll.
• Can use a melee weapon to attack several creatures with total hit dice equal to the Fighter’s level. There is always a minimum of one attack allowed. If the creature has a modifier to their hit dice, round up to the nearest whole number. For example, a giant fire beetle has HD 1+3; treat this the same as a creature with HD 2.
• Myrmidons are Immune to Disease
• Myrmidons are immune to the effects of aging and maintain a youthful physique although their normal lifespan is unaffected
• A Myrmidon is Immune to any Charm spell or effect
• A Myrmidon may Detect Evil at will
• Myrmidons can cast Protection from Evil on themselves at will
• Myrmidon may cause an additional 1d6+1 damage 1/day on a successful weapon hit For every three levels of advancement a Myrmidon may cause an additional 1d6+1 damage 1/day on a successful weapon hit. Additional damage may be combined on a single blow. For example, a 7th level Myrmidon can do an additional 1d6+1 damage 3/day. He may choose to expend them all on a single blow adding 3d6+3 damage.
• Myrmidon gain +1 to all saving throws. For every five levels of advancement, a Myrmidon gains an additional +1 to all saving throws. This bonus has been added to the chart
• Myrmidons can cast Prayer 1/day. For every five levels of advancement, Myrmidons gain an additional Prayer 1/day
• Against any non-clerical spells or spell effects, they gain a 10% chance of immunity per level until the 10th level. This immunity may be dropped willingly by the Myrmidon to allow beneficial spells to be cast on him and restored 1 round later
• Myrmidons have the abilities of a Knight after gaining the 3rd level
• At 3rd level an Arkados will arrive. This strange creature has a curved snout, square ears, and a canine body. It resembles a weird composite of an aardvark, donkey, and a jackal. It will serve as a companion to the Myrmidon. Its combat abilities are similar to those of a Wolf (AC 7[12], HD 3, NA 1, DMG 1d6, ST 16 Spec: None). It can move silently and turn invisible. It can track provided it has something to smell so it can pick up the scent. The Myrmidon can mediate to see and hear what the Arkados perceives. The Arkados can turn into an asp 1/day. Its bite injects a lethal dose of poison, +2 to save. If the Arkados is killed, the experience is traumatic resulting in the Myrmidon spending 1d4 weeks in meditation. Afterward, Sarrath will subject the Myrmidon to a Trial of Ma’at before sending another Arkados
• Starting with the 3rd level, the Myrmidon must commune with Sarrath for one night after the next level is achieved. During this night Sarrath will bring the Myrmidon to the Swamps of Acheron. There the Myrmidon will undergo a trial involving one of the Laws of Ma’at. The order of the trials is Strength (3rd), Hardiness (4th), Loyalty (5th), Obedience (6th), Certainty (7th), Dedication (8th), Integrity (9th), Order (10th), and Wholeness (11th). The Myrmidon friends and associates may be drawn into the test through their dreams. After gaining the 12th level the tests cease and the night is used to give the Myrmidon insight and counsel
• At 5th level, a Myrmidon may grant the rank of Intendent and be assigned 5 knights and a 1st level Myrmidon to command and aid them on their missions.
• At 9th level, a Myrmidon may be granted the rank of Overseer. He becomes the leader of a group of Myrmidons attached to a temple. He is responsible for their assignments, their training, upkeep, and leading them as a single force in battle
• Against creatures with less than 1 HD, the Myrmidon makes one attack per level per round

 

[Fenris-77]

This is totally on theme! Loads of bonus points robertsconley for including all the equestrian abilities and actual fealty to leige lord. You're just making [insert ransom designer] look bad!

This is the role robertsconley plays on the Pub, and he plays it well.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

Myrmidons of Sarrath
Rob's Notes: If you want to talk alignment then this class is Lawful Evil.
Fighters may choose to start as Myrmidons of Sarrath. Myrmidons are called by the god Sarrath to be his champions. Their traditional enemies are the Paladins of Delaquain. Myrmidons must be Lawful and follow the Laws of Ma’at. A Myrmidon must possess the following minimum ability scores; Constitution of 12, Wisdom of 12, and a Charisma of 15.

Any act of Chaos or violations of the Laws of Ma’at will cause the Myrmidon to revert to a Fighter, the Myrmidon’s Arkados (see the Myrmidon’s abilities) will leave him and a Myrmidon of equal level will challenge the ex-Myrmidon to a duel to the death. If the character wins the duel, he is free to leave. If the ex-Myrmidon wishes to atone for his misconduct after the duel, the referee may allow him to undertake a Trial of Ma’at. Sarrath will arrange the circumstances of the trial. It will test the character's dedication to each of the Laws of Ma'at. The trial will involve killing a powerful chaotic creature. Any further violations will cause the Myrmidon’s status to be revoked permanently. The ex-Myrmidon will then be hunted down by his former peers and killed.

• Myrmidons gains 1d6+2 HP/level
• Use any Armor/Shield, any Weapon
• Prime Attribute Bonus: If Strength is 13 or greater, the character earns +5% experience.
• Fights using the Fighter combat table
• The Myrmidon’s to-hit bonus is added to their initiative roll.
• Can use a melee weapon to attack several creatures with total hit dice equal to the Fighter’s level. There is always a minimum of one attack allowed. If the creature has a modifier to their hit dice, round up to the nearest whole number. For example, a giant fire beetle has HD 1+3; treat this the same as a creature with HD 2.
• Myrmidons are Immune to Disease
• Myrmidons are immune to the effects of aging and maintain a youthful physique although their normal lifespan is unaffected
• A Myrmidon is Immune to any Charm spell or effect
• A Myrmidon may Detect Evil at will
• Myrmidons can cast Protection from Evil on themselves at will
• Myrmidon may cause an additional 1d6+1 damage 1/day on a successful weapon hit For every three levels of advancement a Myrmidon may cause an additional 1d6+1 damage 1/day on a successful weapon hit. Additional damage may be combined on a single blow. For example, a 7th level Myrmidon can do an additional 1d6+1 damage 3/day. He may choose to expend them all on a single blow adding 3d6+3 damage.
• Myrmidon gain +1 to all saving throws. For every five levels of advancement, a Myrmidon gains an additional +1 to all saving throws. This bonus has been added to the chart
• Myrmidons can cast Prayer 1/day. For every five levels of advancement, Myrmidons gain an additional Prayer 1/day
• Against any non-clerical spells or spell effects, they gain a 10% chance of immunity per level until the 10th level. This immunity may be dropped willingly by the Myrmidon to allow beneficial spells to be cast on him and restored 1 round later
• Myrmidons have the abilities of a Knight after gaining the 3rd level
• At 3rd level an Arkados will arrive. This strange creature has a curved snout, square ears, and a canine body. It resembles a weird composite of an aardvark, donkey, and a jackal. It will serve as a companion to the Myrmidon. Its combat abilities are similar to those of a Wolf (AC 7[12], HD 3, NA 1, DMG 1d6, ST 16 Spec: None). It can move silently and turn invisible. It can track provided it has something to smell so it can pick up the scent. The Myrmidon can mediate to see and hear what the Arkados perceives. The Arkados can turn into an asp 1/day. Its bite injects a lethal dose of poison, +2 to save. If the Arkados is killed, the experience is traumatic resulting in the Myrmidon spending 1d4 weeks in meditation. Afterward, Sarrath will subject the Myrmidon to a Trial of Ma’at before sending another Arkados
• Starting with the 3rd level, the Myrmidon must commune with Sarrath for one night after the next level is achieved. During this night Sarrath will bring the Myrmidon to the Swamps of Acheron. There the Myrmidon will undergo a trial involving one of the Laws of Ma’at. The order of the trials is Strength (3rd), Hardiness (4th), Loyalty (5th), Obedience (6th), Certainty (7th), Dedication (8th), Integrity (9th), Order (10th), and Wholeness (11th). The Myrmidon friends and associates may be drawn into the test through their dreams. After gaining the 12th level the tests cease and the night is used to give the Myrmidon insight and counsel
• At 5th level, a Myrmidon may grant the rank of Intendent and be assigned 5 knights and a 1st level Myrmidon to command and aid them on their missions.
• At 9th level, a Myrmidon may be granted the rank of Overseer. He becomes the leader of a group of Myrmidons attached to a temple. He is responsible for their assignments, their training, upkeep, and leading them as a single force in battle
• Against creatures with less than 1 HD, the Myrmidon makes one attack per level per round

Laws of Ma’at
Strength Only through a Myrmidon’s Strength will Order succeed.
Hardiness A Myrmidon overcomes all adversity.
Loyalty Only by the trust of absolute loyalty can chaos be held at bay.
Obedience Those above must be obeyed, those below must obey.
Certainty There is no doubt that the will of Sarrath is the right and correct way.
Dedication A Myrmidon never wavers in fulfilling the will of Sarrath.
Integrity A Myrmidon must resist all worldly temptations.
Order Without Order, Chaos will leave nothing behind.
Wholeness The Laws of Ma’at are whole and must be followed in their entirety.

View attachment 45579

Now you're just showing off with the no thieving abilities and strict rules.

Well done!

 

[robertsconley]

Paladins of Delaquain
Rob's Notes: Against if we are talking alignment then Paladins of Delaquain are Lawful Good
Fighters may choose to start as Paladins of Delaquain. Paladins are called upon by the goddess Delaquain to be her champions. Their traditional rivals are the Myrmidons of Sarrath. Paladins must be Lawful and follow the Fivefold Code. A Paladin must possess the following minimum ability scores; Strength of 12, Constitution of 12, and a Charisma of 15.

Any act of Chaos or violation of the Fivefold Code will cause the Paladin to revert to a fighting man. If the ex-Paladin is above 6th level and finds a new horse within a month to replace his Paladin’s Mount he may choose to become a Knight. A referee may choose to allow the Paladin to atone for his misconduct and undertake a Quest of Redemption. Any further violation will cause the Paladin’s status to be revoked permanently.

• Paladins gains 1d6+2 HP/level
• Use any Armor/Shield, any Weapon
• Prime Attribute Bonus: If Strength is 13 or greater, character earns +5% experience.
• Fights using the Fighter combat table
• The Paladin’s to hit bonus is added to their initiative roll.
• Can use a melee weapon to attack a number of creatures with a total hit dice equal to the Fighter’s level. There is always a minimum of one attack allowed. If the creature has a modifier to their hit dice, round up to the nearest whole number. For example, a giant fire beetle has HD 1+3; treat this the same as a creature with HD 2.
• Paladins are immune to disease
• Paladins are immune to the effects of aging and maintain a youthful physique although their normal lifespan is unaffected
• A Paladin is immune to any charm spell or effect
• Against any non-clerical spells or spell effects they gain a 10% chance of immunity per level until 10th level. This immunity may be dropped willingly by the Paladin to allow beneficial spells to be casted on him and restored 1 round later
• A Paladin may Detect Evil at will
• Paladins can cast the Light Spell on themselves at will
• The Paladin has the abilities of the Knight
• A Paladin may cast Cure Light Wounds 1/day. For every three levels of advancement a Paladin gains an additional Cure Light Wounds 1/day
• Paladins gain +1 to all saving throws. For every five levels of advancement Paladins gain another +1 to all saving throws. This bonus has been added to the chart
• Paladins can cast Cure Disease 1/day. For every five levels of advancement a Paladin gains an additional Cure Disease 1/day
• At 3rd level a Paladin’s Mount (usually a horse) will arrive fully geared. This mount is sentient although it does not possess the ability to speak. The mount is considered heavy cavalry. If killed, the experience is traumatic resulting in the Paladin spending 1d6 month in meditation before undertaking a quest to find another mount
• Once a Paladin achieves 3rd level he must commune with Delaquain for one night for new level acquired until 11th level. During this night, Delaquain will test the Paladin on one of the tenets of the Fivefold Code. The Paladin’s friends and associates may be unwillingly drawn into the test through their dreams. These tests continue once per level. After gaining the 11th level, Delaquain uses the night to provide the Paladin with insight and counsel
• At 5th level a Paladin will attract 1d6 companions loyal to Delaquain to aid them on their quests.
• At 9th level a Paladin may become a Captain and a leader of (or establish) a chapterhouse. The Paladin will attract a body of loyal Paladins. Along with the Paladins the Church of Delaquain will assign Priests to help tend the physical grounds of the chapterhouse

Fivefold Code

• Show no fear to your enemies even when all is lost.
• Let truth guide your life even unto death.
• Let the light of goodness and bravery guide you into Delaquain’s love.
• Protect the helpless as you would protect Delaquain herself.
• For what man is a man who does not make the world better?

 

[robertsconley]

Berserkers
Rob's Note: Can be Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, or Chaotic Neutral if you are using alignments.
Fighters may choose to start as Berserkers. Berserkers are humans infused with the divine power of the god Thor and sent against the monsters inhabiting the Majestic Fantasy Realms. Berserkers must be Lawful or Neutral. A Berserker must have a minimum ability score in Strength and Constitution of 14 or better.

A Berserker performing a chaotic act will revert to a fighting man and be stricken with the Mark of Loki. Any marked ex-Berserker in the presence of a Berserker will likely be attacked. If a Berserker chooses to rage (see below) at the marked ex-Berserker it will not count towards the per day total. The Mark of Loki can be removed by a Cleric casting Remove Curse. A lawful Cleric is likely to refuse the request.

• A Berserker gains 1D6+3 HP/Level
• Use any Armor/Shield, any Weapon
• Prime Attribute Bonus: If Strength is 13 or greater, character earns +5% experience.
• Fights using the Fighter combat table
• The Berserker’s to hit bonus is added to their initiative roll.
• Can use a melee weapon to attack a number of creatures with a total hit dice equal to the Fighter’s level. There is always a minimum of one attack allowed. If the creature has a modifier to their hit dice, round up to the nearest whole number. For example, a giant fire beetle has HD 1+3; treat this the same as a creature with HD 2.
• A Berserker has a +2 AC bonus when attacking large size creatures
• A Berserker may track a non-humanoid monster by scent alone. The trail must be not older than 1d4 hours and applies to monsters that only move on land
• For every 3 levels of advancement a Berserker may rage 1/day. An enraged Berserker will gain +2 damage, +2 to all saving throws, and +2 to hit. An enraged Berserker will attack until there is no visible enemy at which point the rage ceases 1 round later. A rage will also end if a Remove Curse is cast on the Berserker
• At 5th level, Berserkers will gain a trusted companion as a sidekick to aid them on their quest to slay monsters.
• At 9th level, Berserkers may establish a fortified mead hall and attract a band of fellow Berserkers who will fight alongside him during monster hunts

 

[Picaroon Jack]

Berserkers
Rob's Note: Can be Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, or Chaotic Neutral if you are using alignments.
Fighters may choose to start as Berserkers. Berserkers are humans infused with the divine power of the god Thor and sent against the monsters inhabiting the Majestic Fantasy Realms. Berserkers must be Lawful or Neutral. A Berserker must have a minimum ability score in Strength and Constitution of 14 or better.

A Berserker performing a chaotic act will revert to a fighting man and be stricken with the Mark of Loki. Any marked ex-Berserker in the presence of a Berserker will likely be attacked. If a Berserker chooses to rage (see below) at the marked ex-Berserker it will not count towards the per day total. The Mark of Loki can be removed by a Cleric casting Remove Curse. A lawful Cleric is likely to refuse the request.

• A Berserker gains 1D6+3 HP/Level
• Use any Armor/Shield, any Weapon
• Prime Attribute Bonus: If Strength is 13 or greater, character earns +5% experience.
• Fights using the Fighter combat table
• The Berserker’s to hit bonus is added to their initiative roll.
• Can use a melee weapon to attack a number of creatures with a total hit dice equal to the Fighter’s level. There is always a minimum of one attack allowed. If the creature has a modifier to their hit dice, round up to the nearest whole number. For example, a giant fire beetle has HD 1+3; treat this the same as a creature with HD 2.
• A Berserker has a +2 AC bonus when attacking large size creatures
• A Berserker may track a non-humanoid monster by scent alone. The trail must be not older than 1d4 hours and applies to monsters that only move on land
• For every 3 levels of advancement a Berserker may rage 1/day. An enraged Berserker will gain +2 damage, +2 to all saving throws, and +2 to hit. An enraged Berserker will attack until there is no visible enemy at which point the rage ceases 1 round later. A rage will also end if a Remove Curse is cast on the Berserker
• At 5th level, Berserkers will gain a trusted companion as a sidekick to aid them on their quest to slay monsters.
• At 9th level, Berserkers may establish a fortified mead hall and attract a band of fellow Berserkers who will fight alongside him during monster hunts

View attachment 45582

It seems like the AD&D rules for berserkers had them attacking allies after they ran out of enemies and losing some of the gained bonus rage points which could result in their deaths post battle. I might be thinking about 2E.

 

[robertsconley]

For fifth edition, I added some more wrinkles that I have yet to back port to my Majestic Fantasy RPG.

I am attaching the full Paladin PDF. The core class has been tweaked but you could use the base 5e paladin with the my option as new oaths.

Here is the flavor text

The Alatheias Oath
This oath binds the paladin to become Veritas’ champion within the Majestic Realms. Veritas tenets focus on honesty, justice, and a fair measure for all.

• Honesty. Never lie or cheat. For to speak a lie is to murder a part of the world.
• Courage. Don’t recoil before your enemy. Be mindful of recklessness.
• Compassion. Defend the weak and constitute yourself their defender. But show mercy to your foes with wisdom.
• Honor. Always be the champion of the right and the good against injustice and evil. Seek not the adulation and applause of others.
• Duty. Make war against evil without cession. Mind that you don’t start quarrels in peaceful lands.

Chaos Knight
When a paladin breaks their oath the cost is terrible beyond just the loss of their divine abilities. Those that break their oath suffer a spiritual crisis that tests the very core of their being. An unfortunate few lose this struggle. Their soul is now scarred and maimed and their twisted thoughts led the oath breaker to make common cause with the enemies of creation, the Demons.

Demon Princes eagerly await paladin who break their oath to make pact with them. They will teach ex-paladin to use their training to tap into their unholy power turning them into a Chaos Knight.

Not all Chaos Knights are ex-paladins. Some mortals impress a demon prince to the point where the fiend will agree to a pact and permit them to train themselves as a Chaos Knight.

Chaos Knights are just as suspicious of their fellow knights as they are of those they seek to despoil. So once a Chaos Knight, an individual is forced to learn on their own. As a result the path is often deadly and unless one has reached the higher level, the ex-knight will awake as the least demon in the Abyss.

I attach the full 5e class to this post.

 

[robertsconley]

It seems like the AD&D rules for berserkers had them attacking allies after they ran out of enemies and losing some of the gained bonus rage points which could result in their deaths post battle. I might be thinking about 2E.

That may be but I started with OD&D in the form of Swords & Wizardry, Core Rules and made my own choices. The thing to remember as powerful as the class is, paladins, myrmidon, and berserkers are not free agents to live their life as they see fit. Instead, they are called to a higher purpose by their god and religion.

I generally roleplay this out quietly. I slowly and deliberately manipulate the circumstances to present opportunities for the paladin and the party to accomplish one or more of the deity's goals. Like anything in my campaigns the players including the paladin have total freedom to pick the opportunities, they want to pursue.

The way it works is that during a session stuff happens mostly around whatever goals the players are pursuing individually and as a group. If the group is basically a group of criminals then a lot of what happens is tied to that aspect of society. Occasionally I will throw in something completely random because that also how life work. Not everything is a predictable outcome of whatever it is you are doing.

That changes a bit when a holy warrior is involved in the group. I will consistently throw in opportunities that relate to something that the holy warrior's deity wants to be done or feel needs dealt with. A straightforward example is a PC Berserker. With a Berserker in the party, the party will continually hear about some monsters somewhere that need to be hunted down. Whether they follow up on that is up to them. But generally more time than not the player playing the Berserker will convince the party to deal with what they learn.

My older friends played enough to understand what happens. But groups who don't know me as well sometimes get into a situation of "following the paladin" where the campaign becomes centered around the paladin and their quests. What's worse the paladin's deity knows that their champion would be better off with trusted allies so will often guide the paladins into situations that I call myself "two for one". Quests that do something the deity wants to be done and pays off for the rest of the party in a way that is compatible with the deity's ethos.

This also happens with clerics as well. Although their role is different than a paladin's in the grand scheme. Basically, paladins are firefighters meant to put out supernatural "fires" right away. While clerics are meant to be building for the long term.

Finally, I can't stress this enough, I keep it for the most part very low-key.

 

[robertsconley]

As for the OP, the big problem with D&D from the original in the Greyhawk supplement to the latest 5e versions is that they almost always lack context. Without context there are a lot of issues incorporating the classes into the campaign. Either people get into arguments about what paladins are. Or the class seems just another class with kewl powers. Powers that are mostly good against specific types of monsters like demons or undead.

It doesn't take much in the way of word count to give them the needed context. And afterward it makes so much more sense.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

As for the OP, the big problem with D&D from the original in the Greyhawk supplement to the latest 5e versions is that they almost always lack context. Without context there are a lot of issues incorporating the classes into the campaign. Either people get into arguments about what paladins are. Or the class seems just another class with kewl powers. Powers that are mostly good against specific types of monsters like demons or undead.

It doesn't take much in the way of word count to give them the needed context. And afterward it makes so much more sense.

I get the feeling that folks at the magazine were needing another article so someone threw out the Plethora of Paladins idea based on the popularity of the earlier anti-paladin. But you're absolutely right, there is no context as to what setting, cosmology, or anything other than a couple of phrases and terms.

A friend of mine ran the illrigger, mainly because it was sinister sounding and had a nightmare warhorse and could pal around with the undead. I think he viewed the other players' characters as pawn to help him achieve his goals (whatever those were). He said when he thinks back to playing AD&D as a kid that the illrigger really stands out as his favorite character, so he clearly got something out of it.

 

[Nobby-W]

Once upon a time a friend of mine wrote up an article about the Far Side™ of the force. Users had abilities like summoning cows to appear over the heads of their enemies, or the ability to turn the insides of any piece of electronic equipment into a tasty noodle snack.

 

[Haiku Elvis]

I have to say like has been said above I found the Chaotic good Paladin the most disappointing as it doesn't seem to fit the brand so to speak.

So to fix things I present my version of the chaotic Good Paladin:

the Pun'Krebal

Alignment: Chaotic Good

The Pun'Krebal specialises in guerrilla warfare and fighting against large or powerful organisations who use their established status and control for evil and oppression.
They are not subtle and prefer loud and destructive action but can melt into a crowd and know when to run to fight another day.

A Pun'Krebal's primary attributes are Dexterity and Charisma and they must have at least 9 or higher in both and at least 12 in one.

The special abilities, features and restrictions of a Pun'krebal are:

• The Pun'Krebal will only ever use leather or studded leather armour.
• The Pun'Krebal has a limited choice of weapons. All Pun'Krebals carry a knife as a last line of defense but a Pun'Krebal may also use a club (known as a Bat of Bays Baal) or unique metal whip like weapon made of connected links (known as a chain of By Sikal) both do D6 damage.
• If they ever side with an evil authority for real they lose their powers and become a normal fighter.

• Righteous weapon by performing a ceremony of jumping up and down in one spot whilst singing for three minutes then using either their bat or chain to damage property belonging to perpetrators of oppression their weapon becomes Righteous. Only one Righteous weapon can be held at one time.
• A Righteous weapon counts as a +1 vs lawful/+2 vs Lawful evil magical weapon. At 8th level these bonuses double. As well the weapon deals double damage to all objects or property belonging to the Man.
• Flickin' the Vs- the Pun'Krebal can make their holy gesture, their index and middle fingers held up in a V shape with the back of the hand facing out. Anyone of lawful alignment must take a saving throw or move away disgusted.
• Kingdom's burning - Magic User Spell use at 8th level and above but only spells that cause damage or noise.
• Break and Enter - Theif abilities pick locks, find/disarm traps and climb walls equivalent to equal level theif. They don't get hide in shadows or move silently they aren't that patient.
• Rebel yell - if outmatched or outnumbered (if the hit dice of the opposing forces are in total 25% or more than the combined levels of the Pun'Krebal and their allies) the Pun'Krebal can sing songs of nihilist rebellion to inspire themselves and their allies. Until the opposing hit dice total drops below 125% of the level total, the Pun'Krebal and all allies get +1 to hit, damage and initiative rolls and are imune to fear. At 10th level these totals double.
• Reinvent yourself. Starting at 4th level once a day the Pun'Krebal can magically change their clothing and hair for 1 minute +1 minute per level (their facial features/height/size etc remain the same only superficial features change) this can be done twice a day from 10th level.
• Two bandmate followers join at 7th level.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

I have to say like has been said above I found the Chaotic good Paladin the most disappointing as it doesn't seem to fit the brand so to speak.

So to fix things I present my version of the chaotic Good Paladin:

the Pun'Krebal

Alignment: Chaotic Good

The Pun'Krebal specialises in guerrilla warfare and fighting against large or powerful organisations who use their established status and control for evil and oppression.
They are not subtle and prefer loud and destructive action but can melt into a crowd and know when to run to fight another day.

A Pun'Krebal's primary attributes are Dexterity and Charisma and they must have at least 9 or higher in both and at least 12 in one.

The special abilities, features and restrictions of a Pun'krebal are:

• The Pun'Krebal will only ever use leather or studded leather armour.
• The Pun'Krebal has a limited choice of weapons. All Pun'Krebals carry a knife as a last line of defense but a Pun'Krebal may also use a club (known as a Bat of Bays Baal) or unique metal whip like weapon made of connected links (known as a chain of By Sikal) both do D6 damage.
• If they ever side with an evil authority for real they lose their powers and become a normal fighter.

• Righteous weapon by performing a ceremony of jumping up and down in one spot whilst singing for three minutes then using either their bat or chain to damage property belonging to perpetrators of oppression their weapon becomes Righteous. Only one Righteous weapon can be held at one time.
• A Righteous weapon counts as a +1 vs lawful/+2 vs Lawful evil magical weapon. At 8th level these bonuses double. As well the weapon deals double damage to all objects or property belonging to the Man.
• Flickin' the Vs- the Pun'Krebal can make their holy gesture, their index and middle fingers held up in a V shape with the back of the hand facing out. Anyone of lawful alignment must take a saving throw or move away disgusted.
• Kingdom's burning - Magic User Spell use at 8th level and above but only spells that cause damage or noise.
• Break and Enter - Theif abilities pick locks, find/disarm traps and climb walls equivalent to equal level theif. They don't get hide in shadows or move silently they aren't that patient.
• Rebel yell - if outmatched or outnumbered (if the hit dice of the opposing forces are in total 25% or more than the combined levels of the Pun'Krebal and their allies) the Pun'Krebal can sing songs of nihilist rebellion to inspire themselves and their allies. Until the opposing hit dice total drops below 125% of the level total, the Pun'Krebal and all allies get +1 to hit, damage and initiative rolls and are imune to fear. At 10th level these totals double.
• Reinvent yourself. Starting at 4th level once a day the Pun'Krebal can magically change their clothing and hair for 1 minute +1 minute per level (their facial features/height/size etc remain the same only superficial features change) this can be done twice a day from 10th level.
• Two bandmate followers join at 7th level.

I feel like White Wedding should be in there somewhere. LOL

 

[Voros]

I have to say like has been said above I found the Chaotic good Paladin the most disappointing as it doesn't seem to fit the brand so to speak.

So to fix things I present my version of the chaotic Good Paladin:

the Pun'Krebal

Alignment: Chaotic Good

The Pun'Krebal specialises in guerrilla warfare and fighting against large or powerful organisations who use their established status and control for evil and oppression.
They are not subtle and prefer loud and destructive action but can melt into a crowd and know when to run to fight another day.

A Pun'Krebal's primary attributes are Dexterity and Charisma and they must have at least 9 or higher in both and at least 12 in one.

The special abilities, features and restrictions of a Pun'krebal are:

• The Pun'Krebal will only ever use leather or studded leather armour.
• The Pun'Krebal has a limited choice of weapons. All Pun'Krebals carry a knife as a last line of defense but a Pun'Krebal may also use a club (known as a Bat of Bays Baal) or unique metal whip like weapon made of connected links (known as a chain of By Sikal) both do D6 damage.
• If they ever side with an evil authority for real they lose their powers and become a normal fighter.

• Righteous weapon by performing a ceremony of jumping up and down in one spot whilst singing for three minutes then using either their bat or chain to damage property belonging to perpetrators of oppression their weapon becomes Righteous. Only one Righteous weapon can be held at one time.
• A Righteous weapon counts as a +1 vs lawful/+2 vs Lawful evil magical weapon. At 8th level these bonuses double. As well the weapon deals double damage to all objects or property belonging to the Man.
• Flickin' the Vs- the Pun'Krebal can make their holy gesture, their index and middle fingers held up in a V shape with the back of the hand facing out. Anyone of lawful alignment must take a saving throw or move away disgusted.
• Kingdom's burning - Magic User Spell use at 8th level and above but only spells that cause damage or noise.
• Break and Enter - Theif abilities pick locks, find/disarm traps and climb walls equivalent to equal level theif. They don't get hide in shadows or move silently they aren't that patient.
• Rebel yell - if outmatched or outnumbered (if the hit dice of the opposing forces are in total 25% or more than the combined levels of the Pun'Krebal and their allies) the Pun'Krebal can sing songs of nihilist rebellion to inspire themselves and their allies. Until the opposing hit dice total drops below 125% of the level total, the Pun'Krebal and all allies get +1 to hit, damage and initiative rolls and are imune to fear. At 10th level these totals double.
• Reinvent yourself. Starting at 4th level once a day the Pun'Krebal can magically change their clothing and hair for 1 minute +1 minute per level (their facial features/height/size etc remain the same only superficial features change) this can be done twice a day from 10th level.
• Two bandmate followers join at 7th level.

Is this guy a CG Paladin? [tw: geese or is it a duck?]




Anyway...


I hated the Anti-Paladin, it was a favourite of powergamers in 1e, even if it wasn't an official PC class you'd always get someone wanting to play one. Ditto Drow. And long before Drizzt showed up.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

Is this guy a CG Paladin? [tw: geese or is it a duck?]




Anyway...


I hated the Anti-Paladin, it was a favourite of powergamers in 1e, even if it wasn't an official PC class you'd always get someone wanting to play one. Ditto Drow. And long before Drizzt showed up.