Paladin Orders
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the workshop. Today, in honor of Paladin Week, I’ve decided to ply my particular brand of mad game-design science to the benefit of paladins everywhere. Inspired by the cavalier orders (easily my favorite part of the Advanced Player’s Guide), I’ve decided to make some orders for paladins as well, because, I mean, what kind of holy knight doesn’t have an order? That’s just madness!
These don’t work quite the same as the cavalier orders. In fact, you need to take a feat to get into an order, but they do reconfigure some of your class features, and, additionally, each comes with new additions to the paladin’s code of conduct. But why sit here listening to me tell you about them, when instead I could be showing them to you?
Gain Order
Instead of being a knight-errant and general holy warrior, you decide to specialize, joining a paladin order and gaining special benefits.
Prerequisites: Paladin, Gain Order can only be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: Choose one of the paladin orders listed below. You join that order, replacing the indicated paladin class features with the class features described therein. You must replace all of the indicated class features; you cannot “mix and match.”
Special: A paladin can belong to only one order at any given time. With a DM’s permission, the paladin may be able to change orders after undergoing a quest or similar to prove his or her devotion to the new order’s cause. Similar exceptions may also be made to allow a paladin to enter an order after 1st level. Such changes should use the retraining feats optional rule.
The Order of Iron
The order of iron is devoted to driving back the forces of chaos which constantly assault the civilized world, trying to bring ruin down upon the heads of the innocent. They believe that law and order are the keys to bringing about peace and prosperity for all, and so are the ultimate good.
Detect Chaos (Sp): At will, a paladin can use detect chaos, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is chaotic, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect chaos in any other object or individual within range. This ability is in addition to the paladin’s detect evil ability, though each ability must be used separately.
Smite Chaos (Su): Once per day, an order of iron paladin can call out to the powers of law and good to aid her in her struggle against chaos. As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is chaotic, the paladin adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of the smite chaos is an outsider with the chaotic subtype, a chaotic-aligned giant, or a fey creature, the bonus to damage increases to 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite chaos attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
In addition, while smite chaos is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the paladin targets a creature that is not chaotic, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite chaos effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 4th level, and every three levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level. This ability replaces the paladin’s smite evil ability, and any class features which reference the order of iron paladin’s smite evil ability reference smite chaos instead.
Mercy (Su): In addition to the paladin’s other mercies, an order of iron paladin may choose mercies from the following list:
- Charm: All charm effects on the target are immediately ended, as though their duration had expired.
- Compelled: All compulsion effects on the target are immediately ended, as though their duration had expired. A paladin can only select this mercy if she has at least 9 paladin levels.
- Chaos: The paladin’s lay on hands ability also acts as dispel chaos, using the paladin’s level as the caster level. A paladin can only select this mercy if she has at least 12 paladin levels.
Code of Conduct: An order of iron paladin can never knowingly break a law for any reason, even if the law is unjust. She may still break rules or customs, as long as they are not actually laws. If she violates this code of conduct, she immediately loses all paladin class features except proficiencies until she receives the benefits of an atonement spell. If a law would force her to violate one of the other aspects of her code of conduct, she may ignore that law without penalty. In order for a law to be “forcing” the paladin, the paladin must not have a choice in the matter. For example, a law which said that anyone who wanted to enter the duke’s palace must provide a virgin sacrifice would not be forcing the paladin to do anything, as he could choose not to enter the duke’s palace.
Additionally, an order of iron paladin cannot knowingly associate with chaotic characters in the same way other paladins cannot knowingly associate with evil characters. This is in addition to the paladin’s existing alignment restrictions.
Order of the Griffon
The order of the griffon is a group of paladins dedicated to preserving peace through strength. They typically become guardians of large areas of land, patrolling from the skies on their aerial mounts.
Aerial Knight (Ex): At 2nd level, order of the griffon paladins ignore any armor check penalty which would be applied to their Ride checks. Additionally, they gain a bonus on all Ride checks equal to ½ their paladin level, rounded down. Finally, any flying mount that the paladin is riding gains a bonus to its Fly checks equal to the paladin’s level. This ability replaces the divine grace class feature.
Arrest (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, an order of the griffon paladin can subdue her foes by touch. Each day she can use this ability a number of times per day equal to ½ her paladin level + her Charisma modifier. As a touch attack, the paladin can cause 1d4 points of nonlethal damage for each paladin level she possesses. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
This ability can be modified by any feat, spell, or effect that specifically works with the lay on hands paladin class feature. For example, the Extra Lay On Hands feat would grant the paladin two extra uses of the arrest class feature. This ability replaces the paladin’s lay on hands class feature.
Binding (Su): As an order of the griffon paladin increases in level, her arrest becomes more potent, better subduing her foes. You may choose to use a binding of a lower level than you are currently capable of using, but few order of the griffon paladins ever choose to do so. This ability replaces the mercy class feature of the paladin.
Beginning at 3rd level, whenever you successfully hit a target with your arrest ability, the target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ your paladin level + your Charisma modifier) or become fatigued.
Beginning at 6th level, a target who fails his or her save is dazed for 1 round instead.
Beginning at 9th level, a target who fails his or her save is exhausted for 10 minutes instead.
Beginning at 12th level, a target who fails his or her save is paralyzed for 1 round instead. The paralysis lasts an additional round for every 3 paladin levels you possess beyond 12.
Griffon Mount (Su): At 5th level, instead of gaining a divine bond, an order of the griffon paladin gains a griffon mount. This griffon is unswervingly loyal to the paladin, but is otherwise perfectly normal for its species. The paladin has no special power to magically call the griffon to his side, though an order of the griffon paladin is rarely parted from his griffon mount.
At 11th level, the mount gains the half-celestial template. At 15th level, the paladin’s griffon mount gains spell resistance equal to the paladin’s level + 11.
Should the paladin’s griffon mount die, the paladin forms a new bond with another griffon mount after three weeks, or as soon as she gains a new paladin level, whichever comes first. Some paladins choose non-griffon mounts, such as pegasi, giant eagles, or giant wasps.
Code of Conduct: In addition to punishing those who harm or threaten innocents, an order of the griffon paladin is sworn to punish any who break the law, though they are also sworn to treat such offenders fairly and impartially, and not enact greater punishment than the law demands.