CLASS TRAITS

Role: Striker. You are a warrior who focuses divine power through a dark vice. You wield this vice as a weapon, using it to slay any who oppose you.

Power Source: Divine.

Key Abilities: Strength, Charisma

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail, scale, plate; heavy shields, light shields.

Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee, simple ranged, military ranged.

Implement: Holy symbol

Bonus to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex, +1 Will.

Hit Points at 1st Level: 15+ Constitution Score.

Hit Points per Level Gained: 6

Healing Surges per Day: 10+ Constitution Modifier.

Trained Skills: From the class skills list below, choose 4 trained skills at 1st level.

Class Skills: Arcana (Int), Athletics (Str), Bluff (Cha), Endurance (Con), History (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Religion (Int), Thievery (Dex).

Class features: Dark Menace, Dread Smite, Shroud of Shadow, Spirit of Vice, Vengeance Strike, Vice At-Will Power.

The world knows paladins to be shining paragons who champion lofty ideals such as compassion, nobility, sacrifice, and valor. Such virtuous figures are symbols to the common people, icons from which they draw the strength and courage to stand fast against the encroaching darkness. Yet in every light a shadow lurks—the brightness of these noble warriors is equaled by the shadow spreading from their sinister counterparts.

PALADIN (BLACKGUARD) CLASS FEATURES

Level 1:

DARK MENACE

Whenever you make a weapon attack against an enemy granting combat advantage to you, that enemy takes extra damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

DREAD SMITE

You gain the dread smite power.

Paladin AttackDread Smite

The dark coldness at the heart of your vice makes your strike all the more crippling.

Encounter

Cold, Divine, Necrotic, Shadow

Free Action Personal

Trigger: You target an enemy with an at-will weapon attack power.

Effect: The target takes cold and necrotic damage equal to 2 + your Charisma modifier. If the triggering attack hits, the target also takes ongoing 5 cold and necrotic damage (save ends).

Level 7: 4 + Charisma modifier cold and necrotic damage.

Level 17: 7 + Charisma modifier cold and necrotic damage, and ongoing 10 cold and necrotic damage (save ends).

Level 27: 10 + Charisma modifier cold and necrotic damage, and ongoing 15 cold and necrotic damage (save ends).

SHROUD OF SHADOW

You gain the shroud of shadow power.

Paladin UtilityShroud of Shadow

A misty cloud of gloom swirls about you, confounding your enemies and fortifying your resolve.

Encounter

Shadow

Minor Action Personal

Effect: You gain partial concealment until the end of your next turn. You also gain 5 temporary hit points.

Level 11: 10 temporary hit points.

Level 21: 15 temporary hit points.

SPIRIT OF VICE

You gain a benefit associated with your vice.

Spirit of Vice (Domination)

Once per round while you have temporary hit points, you can take a free action to deal damage to yourself right before making an attack roll against a target. The damage equals your Charisma modifier. You then gain a bonus to the damage roll against the target. The bonus equals the damage you took.

Spirit of Vice (Fury)

While you have combat advantage against an enemy, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls. The bonus increases to +4 while you are bloodied or adjacent to a bloodied creature.

VENGEANCE STRIKE

You gain the vengeance strike power.

Paladin Attack 1Vengeance Strike

As your enemies press in upon you, your soul is filled with vengeance, and you use that strength to lash out.

At-Will

Divine, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weapon

Target: One creature

Attack: Strength vs. AC

Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. You gain a power bonus to the damage roll equal to twice the number of enemies adjacent to you (maximum of +8).

Level 21: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.

VICE AT-WILL POWER

You gain an at-will attack power associated with your vice.

Vice At-Will Power (Domination)

You gain the dominator’s strike power.

Paladin Attack 1Dominator's Strike

You are toughened as you prove your superiority.

At-Will

Divine, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weapon

Target: One creature

Attack: Strength vs. AC

Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. You gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

Level 21: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.

Vice At-Will Power (Fury)

You gain the ferocious strike power.

Paladin Attack 1Ferocious Strike

The pain you inflict promises more agony to come.

At-Wil

l Divine, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weapon

Target: One creature

Attack: Strength vs. AC

Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. You gain combat advantage against the first enemy you attack before the end of your next turn.

Level 21: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.

Level 2:

VICE'S REWARD

You gain the vice’s reward power.

Paladin Utility 2Vice's Reward

Your vice buoys your heart, and you revel in the power it provides.

Encount

er Shadow

Minor Action Personal

Effect: You gain 5 temporary hit points, and you can make a saving throw. In addition, you gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses until the end of your next turn.

Level 11: 10 temporary hit points.

Level 21: 15 temporary hit points.

Level 3:

LEVEL 3 EXTRA DREAD SMITE

You gain one more use of dread smite per encounter, but you can use it only once per turn.

Level 4:

SERVANT OF VICE

You gain the servant of vice power.

Paladin UtilityServant of Vice

Acrid smoke disperses to reveal a creature called from the vice that dwells in your heart.

Da

ily Conjuration, Shadow

Minor Action Close burst 2

Effect: You conjure a Small servant in an unoccupied square in the burst. The servant lasts until the end of the encounter. The servant occupies its square and can be attacked. Its defenses equal yours, and it is destroyed if it is hit by an attack. Creatures other than you grant combat advantage while adjacent to the servant.

You can give the servant the following commands.

Move Action (Teleportation): The servant teleports up to 6 squares.

Minor Action: The servant tries to answer a question you pose to it. The DM determines a DC for the question, and you roll a d20 and add 7 + one-half your level. For every daily magic item power sacrificed by you or an ally within 5 squares of the servant, the servant gains a +5 bonus to the check. You can take this minor action a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.

Update (9/29/2011)

Changed in October 2011 update.

Level 5:

LEVEL 5 BLACKGUARD DAILY POWER

You gain a new paladin daily attack power of your level or lower.

Paladin Attack 5Dark Majesty

Your strike worms its way into your enemy’s mind, turning it against its erstwhile allies.

D

aily Charm, Divine, Psychic, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weapon

Target: One creature

Attack: Strength vs. Will

Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier psychic damage, and you slide the target up to 2 squares. One enemy adjacent to the target at the end of the slide then takes 10 damage.

Miss: Half damage, and you can slide the target 1 square. One enemy adjacent to the target at the end of the slide then takes 5 damage.

Paladin Attack 5Frenzying Smite

Your anger gets the better of you, lending weight to your strike, driving you after the fleeing foe, and blinding you to danger.

Daily Divine, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weapon

Target: One creature

Attack: Strength vs. AC

Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you push the target up to 2 squares. You then shift up to 3 squares to a square adjacent to the target.

Miss: Half damage.

Effect: You grant combat advantage until the start of your next turn.

Level 6:

LEVEL 6 BLACKGUARD UTILITY POWER

You gain a new paladin utility power of your level or lower.

Paladin Utility 6Aspect of Domination

You radiate crushing dread so powerful that your enemies cannot bear to be near you.

Daily Fear, Shadow

Minor Action Personal

Effect: Until the end of the encounter, when you hit any enemy with an at-will melee attack, you also push that target up to a number of squares equal to your Charisma modifier.

Paladin Utility 6Aspect of Ferocity

The blood of wounded foes feeds your anger, empowering your blows

.

Daily Shadow

Minor Action Personal

Effect: Until the end of the encounter, your melee weapon attacks deal 1[W] extra damage when you are adjacent to at least one bloodied creature.

Level 7:

IMPROVED SHROUD OF SHADOW

Your shroud of shadow power gains an additional effect associated with your vice.

Improved Shroud of Shadow (Domination)

When you use your shroud of shadow, you gain additional temporary hit points equal to 2 + your Charisma modifier. At 23rd level, the additional temporary hit points increase to 5 + your Charisma modifier.

Improved Shroud of Shadow (Fury)

When you use your shroud of shadow, you gain a bonus to your next damage roll before the end of your next turn. The bonus equals 2 + your Charisma modifier. At 23rd level, the bonus increases to 5 + your Charisma modifier.

Level 9:

LEVEL 9 BLACKGUARD DAILY POWER

You gain a new paladin daily attack power of your level or lower.

Paladin Attack 9Death Angel

You single out an enemy for punishment, adding confusion or fear for good measure. So ghastly is your visage that your foes make wa

y.

Daily Divine, Fear, Necrotic, Shadow, Teleportation, Weapon

Standard Action Close blast 3

Target: One creature in the blast

Attack: Strength vs. Will

Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier necrotic damage. The target chooses either to take a free action to move up to its speed to a square as far as possible away from you, or to become dazed (save ends).

Miss: Half damage.

Effect: You can teleport to an unoccupied square in the blast.

Paladin Attack 9Spirit Harrow

Your weapon fades, becoming smoky and gray. It passes through flesh and armor to touch the animating spirit with

in.

Daily Divine, Psychic, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Close burst 1

Target: Each creature in the burst

Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude

Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier psychic damage, and the target cannot shift or make opportunity attacks (save ends both).

Miss: Half damage.

Effect: If the target has 10 hit points or fewer, it is stunned until the end of your next turn.

Level 10:

LEVEL 10 BLACKGUARD UTILITY POWER

You gain a new paladin utility power of your level or lower.

Paladin Utility 10Deathly Aura

The spirit of death surrounds you, nipping at your foes as they are str

uck.

Daily Aura, Necrotic, Shadow

Minor Action Personal

Effect: You activate an aura 1 that lasts until the end of the encounter. While you are bloodied, enemies in the aura take necrotic damage after they are hit by any attack. The damage equals your Charisma modifier.

Paladin Utility 10Turn of the Dark Tide

You whisper a dread word that lets you and your companions sacrifice health to shed an afflic

tion.

Daily Shadow

Standard Action Close burst 3

Target: You and each ally in the burst

Effect: Each target can take damage equal to one-half his or her level to make a saving throw with a +4 power bonus. The damage cannot be reduced in any way.

Level 13:

LEVEL 13 EXTRA DREAD SMITE

You gain one more use of dread smite per encounter, but you can still use it only once per turn.

Level 15:

LEVEL 15 BLACKGUARD DAILY POWER

You gain a new paladin daily attack power of your level or lower.

Paladin Attack 15Avatar of Slaughter

Your skin turns stark white and your eyes blacken as you strike with a death s

hriek.

Daily Divine, Necrotic, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weapon

Target: One creature

Attack: Strength vs. AC

Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier necrotic damage.

Miss: Half damage.

Effect: You gain the following benefits until the end of the encounter.

* You gain a +4 power bonus to damage rolls.

* The first time you hit an enemy with an attack on each of your turns, a second enemy adjacent to you takes 10 necrotic damage.

Paladin Attack 15Avatar of Subjugation

Your skin becomes like iron, your eyes like the fire of the forge as you crush your foe befo

re you.

Daily Divine, Necrotic, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weapon

Target: One creature

Attack: Strength vs. AC

Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier necrotic damage.

Miss: Half damage.

Effect: You gain the following benefits until the end of the encounter.

* You gain a +2 power bonus to attack rolls.

* You gain 5 temporary hit points at the start of each of your turns.

* Once per round as a minor action, you can choose one willing ally. That ally takes 5 damage but gains 10 temporary hit points.

Level 16:

LEVEL 16 BLACKGUARD UTILITY POWER

You gain a new paladin utility power of your level or lower.

Paladin Utility 16Pragmatic Sacrifice

Your stained soul seals your wounds as they occur, and, blunted by the transference, the damage finds anoth

er home.

Daily Shadow

Immediate Interrupt Close burst 5

Trigger: An attack’s damage reduces you to 0 hit points or fewer.

Target: One ally in the burst

Effect: You don’t take the damage. Instead, the target takes it and then gains 10 temporary hit points.

Paladin Utility 16Shadow Healing

Your soul fires with darkness, and your body heals, but your natural faculties are dormant for a while a

fterward.

Daily Healing, Shadow

Minor Action Personal

Effect: You regain hit points equal to your bloodied value and can make a saving throw. You cannot spend healing surges until the end of your next short rest.

Level 17:

DAUNTLESS PRESENCE

When an ally spends a healing surge while adjacent to you, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.

Level 19:

LEVEL 19 BLACKGUARD DAILY POWER

You can gain a new paladin daily attack power of your level or lower. If you do so, this new power must replace one of the daily attack powers you already have from your class (usually your lowest-level daily attack power).

Paladin Attack 19Plundering Smite

Your strike leaves a vile blight behind. As your enemy’s energy ebbs, yo

urs grows.

Daily Divine, Healing, Necrotic, Shadow

No Action Melee 1

Trigger: You hit an adjacent creature with an at-will weapon attack.

Target: The creature you hit

Effect: The target takes 10 necrotic damage, and ongoing 10 necrotic damage (save ends). The target takes a -2 penalty to saving throws against this ongoing damage. Each time the target takes the ongoing damage, you regain 10 hit points.

Paladin Attack 19Ruinous Smite

Your blow proves more costly than the enemy realized, and it collapses to

the ground.

Daily Divine, Shadow

No Action Melee 1

Trigger: You hit an adjacent creature with an at-will weapon attack.

Target: The creature you hit

Effect: The target takes 25 damage and falls prone. It can’t stand up while you are adjacent to it (save ends). You grant combat advantage until the end of your next turn.

Level 22:

LEVEL 22 VICE UTILITY POWER

You gain a utility power associated with your vice.

Level 22 Vice Utility Power (Domination)

You gain the dark grace power.

Paladin Utility 22Dark Grace

You shine with a soft golden light, inspiring allies at your side and drawing their life f

orce to you.

Daily Aura, Shadow

Minor Action Personal

Effect: You activate an aura 1 that lasts until the end of the encounter. Whenever you or an ally in the aura hits an enemy, he or she gains 5 temporary hit points. Whenever an ally in the aura spends a healing surge, he or she regains only half the hit points, and you regain the rest.

Level 22 Vice Utility Power (Fury)

You gain the rampaging bloodlust power.

Paladin Utility 22Rampaging Bloodlust

Murderous howls tear free from your allies’ throats, their thoughts consumed

by bloodlust.

Daily Aura, Shadow

Minor Action Personal

Effect: You activate an aura 2 that lasts until the end of the encounter. Creatures other than you in the aura grant combat advantage. You and each ally in the aura gain a power bonus to damage rolls equal to twice the number of enemies in the aura.

Level 23:

SHADOW LEAP

After you use shroud of shadow, you can take a free action to teleport up to 5 squares.

Level 25:

LEVEL 25 BLACKGUARD DAILY POWER

You can gain a new paladin daily attack power of your level or lower. If you do so, this new power must replace one of the daily attack powers you already have from your class (usually your lowest-level daily attack power).

Paladin Attack 25Ravenous Shadows

You recall the twisted spirits of your past victims to torment your current enemies. Channeled through your weapon, the spirits form a swirling, life-

draining mass.

Daily Cold, Conjuration, Divine, Necrotic, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Area wall 10 within 10 squares

Effect: You conjure a wall of darkness that lasts until the end of your next turn. The wall’s squares are heavily obscured, and it can be up to 4 squares high. Any creature that enters the wall or ends its turn there takes 15 cold and necrotic damage (a creature can take this damage only once per turn). When the wall appears, make the following attack.

Target: Each creature in the wall or adjacent to it

Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude

Hit: The target is immobilized until the end of its next turn. If the target is outside the wall, the target slides 1 square into it.

Sustain Minor: The wall persists until the end of your next turn, and you can repeat the attack.

Update (2/17/2012)

Changed in December 2011 updates.

Paladin Attack 25Venomous Infection

You cleave with a suddenly toxic weapon, leaving behind a deadly infection. The enemy sickens as its blood becomes v

irulent poison.

Daily Acid, Divine, Poison, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weapon

Target: One creature

Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude

Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage, and ongoing 20 acid and poison damage (save ends).

Miss: Half damage, and ongoing 10 acid and poison damage (save ends).

Effect: When the target first becomes bloodied or drops to 0 hit points, creatures in a close blast 3 from the target take 10 poison and acid damage. You determine the location of the blast.

Level 27:

SHADOW INFUSION

You gain resist 20 necrotic and resist 20 cold.

Level 29:

AVATAR OF VICE

You can gain the avatar of vice power. If you do so, this new power must replace one of the daily attack powers you already have from your class (usually your lowest-level daily attack power).

Paladin Attack 29Avatar of Vice

Your soul-searing strike releases the vice within you, transforming you int

o living shadow.

Daily Divine, Necrotic, Shadow, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weapon

Target: One creature

Attack: Strength vs. AC

Hit: 5[W] + Strength modifier necrotic damage.

Miss: Half damage.

Effect: You gain the following benefits until the end of the encounter.

* Your attacks deal extra necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

* Once per turn after you attack an enemy and hit, you gain 10 temporary hit points. If the attack already grants temporary hit points to you, you gain 5 additional temporary hit points.

* If you start your turn with no uses available of your dread smite power, roll a d6. On a 5 or 6, you regain one use of that power.

Published in Heroes of Shadow, page(s) 33.