The Paladin

A paladin character is a fighter sub-class, but unlike normal fighters, all paladins must begin as Lawful Good in alignment and always remain Lawful Good or absolutely lose all of the special powers which are given to them.

They have both fighting abilities and limited spell powers (at high level).

To become a paladin a character must be human, have a Strength of not less than 12, a minimum Intelligence of 9, a Wisdom of 13 or more, a minimum Constitution of 9, and not less than 17 Charisma. If a paladin has both Strength and Wisdom in excess of 15, he or she gains the benefit of adding 10% to the experience points awarded by the Dungeon Master.

Law and good deeds are the meat and drink of paladins. If they ever knowingly perform an act which is chaotic in nature, they must seek a high level (7th or above) cleric of Lawful Good alignment, confess their sin, and do penance as prescribed by the cleric.

If a paladin should ever knowingly and willingly perform an evil act, he or she loses the status of paladinhood immediately and irrevocably. All benefits are then lost, and no deed or magic can restore the character to paladinhood; he or she is ever-after a fighter.

Prime Requisite. Strength and Wisdom (16+ adds a 10% experience bonus)
Minimum Ability Scores. Strength (12), Intelligence (9), Wisdom (13), Constitution (9), Charisma (17)
Hit Dice. d10; Maximum 9d10
Alignment. Lawful Good only
Player Character Races. Human (U)
Armor. Any
Shield. Any
Initial Weapon Proficiencies. 3
Non-proficiency Penalty. -2
Added Weapon Proficiencies. 1 per 3 levels above the 1st (4, 7, 10, etc.)
Weapons Allowed. Any
Use of Poison. Never

Multiple Melee Attacks per round (6)

Iterative Attacks. High level fighters and their sub-classes will be able to execute a melee attack more than once per round with the same weapon. See the appropriate Attack Matrix. This ability excludes missile weapons which use their own attack rates.

Time Required. An iterative attack will come 3 segments after the normal attack routine. Weapon speed factor is not considered for any iterative attack. If an iterative attack is taken in any round before a normal attack, the fighter cannot take any further attacks during that round. i.e. The fighter attacks late in the previous round and their iterative attack spills into the current round. In this case, the fighter may choose to cancel the previous round’s iterative attack and attack normally (including any iterative attacks) in the current round. A weapon with a high weapon speed factor could cause this to happen every round.

Number of Melee Attacks per Round. Any odd number of attacks per round (e.g. 3/2 or 5/2) due to iterative attacks will come on each odd numbered round. Thus, a fighter with 3 attacks per 2 rounds will attack twice in the 1st round and once in the 2nd, then twice in the 3rd and so on. An iterative attack is considered a separate “attack routine”.

Whirlwind Attack. When a fighter or sub-class is in melee with creatures with less than a full hit die (HD less than 1d8), the fighter may declare a "whirlwind attack" which allows one melee attack for each level of experience the fighter has (e.g. a 3rd level fighter will get 3 melee attacks). This method of attack supersedes and replaces any normal melee attacks or iterative attacks. This is a melee attack action and cannot be used with missile weapons. This attack action must be declared and announced, and cannot be used when changing an action during the round. More than one attack per opponent is allowed.

Time Required. This “whirlwind” attack adds 3 segments to the standard attack mode and all attacks resolve in the same segment. This attack is considered one attack routine but allows attacking more than one opponent of less than one hit die.

Two-weapon Fighting. If a fighter is using two-weapons, the fighter may choose to attack with either weapon for any of the attacks. The fighter also does not add the +2 segment delay for fighting with two weapons when striking with a whirlwind attack (i.e. the whirlwind attack's +3 segment delay supersedes the two-weapon fighting delay).

Mixed Groups. If fighting a mixed group, this special attack mode does not allow any attacks against the higher hit die opponents and makes the fighter more vulnerable to attacks by higher hit die opponents. If a whirlwind attack is declared and a higher hit die opponent is or comes within melee range, they will be granted an immediate attack as if attacking the fighter's rear or rear flank (+2 to-hit, and no Dexterity modifiers or shield benefits to armor class). In certain situations, the fighter may not know there are higher hit die opponents present. The fact that there are, should become quickly apparent once the whirlwind attack form is declared...

(See Combat, Melee.)

Paladin Benefits

The benefits of a paladin are:

Detect evil [as an innate ability] at up to 60 ft. distance, as often as desired, but only when the paladin is concentrating on determining the presence of evil and seeking to detect it in the right general direction. All such detection requires not less than one round of stillness and concentration. Therefore, the character must stop, have quiet, and intently seek to detect the aura. (1)
Make all saving throws at +2 on the dice.
Immunity to all forms of disease.
The ability to “lay on hands” [as an innate ability], either on others, or on his or her own person, to cure wounds; this heals 2 hit points of damage per level of experience the paladin has attained, but laying on hands can be performed but once per day. (2)
The ability to cure disease of any sort; this can be done once per week for each five levels of experience the paladin has attained, i.e. at levels 1 through 5: one disease per week, at levels 6 through 10: two diseases, at levels 11 through 15: three diseases, etc. (3)
The continuing emanation of a protection from evil in a 1” radius round the paladin. (4)
At 3rd level, the paladin gains the power to affect undead and devils and demons as if he or she were a 1st level cleric, and this power goes upwards with each level of experience the paladin gains; so at 4th level the effect is that of a 2nd level cleric, at 5th it is that of a 3rd level cleric, etc. [See The Cleric, Turning or Commanding Undead.]
At 4th level—or at any time thereafter—the paladin may call for his warhorse; this creature is an intelligent heavy warhorse, with 5+5 hit dice (5d8 plus 5 hit points), AC 5, and the speed of a medium warhorse (18”); it will magically appear, but only one such animal is available every ten years, so that if the first is lost, the paladin must wait until the end of the period for another (see below).
At 9th level (through 20th level) of experience, paladins gain the ability to employ cleric spells. They may never use scrolls of spells, however, except those normally usable by fighters. (5)
If a paladin has a “holy sword”, he or she projects a circle of power 1” in diameter when the holy sword is unsheathed and held; and this power dispels magic at the level of magic use equal to the experience level of the paladin.

The Paladin’s Warhorse

When the paladin reaches 4th or higher level, he or she will eventually call for a warhorse. It will magically appear, but not in actual physical form.

The paladin will magically “see” his or her faithful destrier in whatever locale it is currently in, and it is thereafter up to the paladin to journey to the place and gain the steed.

As a rule of thumb, this journey will not be beyond seven days ride, and gaining the mount will not be an impossible task. The creature might be wild and necessitate capturing, or it might be guarded by an evil fighter of the same level as the paladin, and the latter will then have to overcome the former in mortal combat in order to win the warhorse.

In short, the gaining of the destrier is a task of some small difficulty which will take a number of days, possibly two or more weeks, and will certainly test the mettle of the paladin. Once captured or won, the warhorse knows its role and relationship to the paladin, and it will faithfully serve thereafter for 10 years.

Thereafter, the paladin must seek another mount, as the former one will be too old to be useful. The Intelligence of a paladin’s warhorse is 5-7 points. The number of hit points per hit die of the steed will never be fewer than 50% of the level of the paladin, i.e., a 4th level paladin means the warhorse he or she gains will have at least 2 hit points per hit die, excluding the additional bonus of +5, while a 16th level paladin’s special steed will have maximum hit points (8) per die, of 5 x 8 = 40 +5 (additional hit points) = 45 total hit points for 5+5 hit dice.

If the character loses paladinhood for any reason, there will be an immutable enmity between character and mount, and the former will not be able to ride the latter, while the steed will escape at first opportunity.

Paladin Strictures

The following strictures apply to paladins:

They may never retain more than ten magic items; these may never exceed:
- armor, 1 (suit)
- shield, 1
- weapons*, 4
- any other magic items, 4
- * These include daggers, swords, etc.; and such items as magic bows and magic arrows are considered as but 1 weapon.
They will never retain wealth, keeping only sufficient treasures to support themselves in a modest manner, pay henchmen, men-at-arms, and servitors, and to construct or maintain a small castle. Excess is given away, as is the tithe (see 3. below).
An immediate tithe (10%) of all income—be it treasure, wages, or whatever—must be given to whatever charitable religious institution (not a clerical player character) of lawful good alignment the paladin selects.
Paladins will have henchmen of Lawful Good alignment and none other; they will associate only with characters and creatures of Good alignment; paladins can join a company of adventurers which contains non-Evil Neutrals only on a single expedition basis, and only if some end which will further the cause of Lawful Good is purposed.
If possible, paladins will take service or form an alliance with Lawful Good characters, whether players or not, who are clerics or fighters (of noble status).
Paladins do not attract a body of men-at-arms to service as do regular fighters.

Furthermore:

Paladins are affected by unholy water. The liquid causes the affected creature to suffer a burning as if struck by acid.
A paladin can be turned by an evil cleric.

Magic Items

A paladin can use magical items as fighters and can use items normally restricted to use by fighters.

1. Houserule, Detect Evil. A paladin can detect evil (as the spell) at up to 60 ft. distance, as often as desired, but only when the paladin is concentrating on determining the presence of evil and seeking to detect it in the right general direction. All such detection requires stillness and concentration during the action. Therefore, the character must stop, have quiet, and intently seek to detect the aura. Time Required. This ability is a major action and requires 10 segments of quiet and concentration to perform. The paladin cannot move while using the ability. While concentrating, any attack that would interrupt the casting of a spell will disrupt the use of this ability.
2. Houserule, Lay on Hands. All paladins have the ability to “lay on hands” once per day, either on others, or on his or her own person, to heal 2 hit points of damage per level of experience. Time Required. This requires the paladin touch the recipient and is a major action requiring 1 segment.
3. Houserule, Cure Disease. A paladin has the ability to cure disease of any sort; this can be done once per week for each five levels of experience the paladin has attained, i.e. at levels 1 through 5: one disease per week, at levels 6 through 10: two diseases, etc. Time Required. This requires the paladin touch the recipient and is a major action requiring 1 segment.
4. Dragon #43, Sage Advice: Q: “Is a Paladin’s protection from evil in a 1” or 10 radius?” A: According to the Players Handbook, a Paladin continually emanates a protection from evil (as per the spell) in a 1” radius around him/her. This translates in game distances to 10 yards outdoors and 10 feet indoors.
5. Houserule, Spells. At 9th level of experience, paladins gain the ability to employ cleric spells. The caster level for these spells is equal to the paladin’s level. They may never use scrolls of any kind, however, except those normally usable by fighters. The maximum spell casting ability of a paladin is 20th level.

6. Original Text

Multiple Attacks per Round. Fighters able to strike more than once during a round (with any thrusting or striking weapon) will attack once before opponents not able to do so, regardless of initiative, but if fighter and fighter melee, initiative tells.

Additional Note Regarding Fighter Number of Attacks Per Round. This excludes melee combat with monsters of less than one hit die (d8) and non-exceptional (0-level) humans and semi-humans, i.e. all creatures with less than one eight-sided hit die. All of these creatures entitle a fighter to attack once for each of his or her experience levels.

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