The Paladin and Anti-Paladin Classes

Paladin

Hit Dice: 1d6+2 (+3 hp per level after 9^th level.)

Armor: Any armor, any shields.

Weapons: Any weapons.

Skills: A paladin is skilled at feats of endurance and influence.  They are also skilled at battle lore, diplomacy, noble lore, religious lore, and riding.

Alignment: Paladins must be Lawful (and Good, if appropriate).

Class Features

Aura (1^st): Paladins emanate a permanent aura of Law (or Good) that protects them as per the spell protection from evil.  This aura can be detected by powerful undead or supernatural evil, exactly as the paladin’s own sense evil ability.

Lay on Hands (1^st):  A paladin can cure 2 hp per level per day by laying on of hands.  This can be used and divided as the paladin chooses.

Sense Evil (1^st): The paladin has a heightened ability to detect evil auras, such as those emitted by demons, devils, undead, and powerful followers of evil deities.  The paladin has a 1-in-6 to notice such an aura automatically, and a 4-in-6 chance when actively looking (which takes at least one round).  The presence, but not location, of concealed or invisible creatures can be determined.

Smite Evil (1^st): A paladin gains a +1 bonus to hit and a +2 bonus to damage when fighting undead.  This bonus increases to +2/+4 at fifth level, and applies to supernatural evil creatures, such as demons and devils, as well as undead.  At 9^th level the bonus becomes +3/+6.  Exactly what constitutes supernatural evil is up to the GM.

Anointed Flesh (3^rd): Paladins are immune to all diseases, including mummy rot and lycanthropy. Their touch can cure disease once per week at level 3, twice per week at level 7, and three times per week at level 11.

Destrier (4th): At level 4, the paladin gains the service of a divine warhorse (or other mount) if he successfully completes a quest to locate the animal. The divine mount is unusually strong, loyal, and ready to serve the paladin in her crusade against evil. Should the paladin’s mount die, a year and a day must pass before another can be called.

Divine Warhorse: HD 5; AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 bite (1d3), 2 hooves (1d4);Move 18; Save 12; Special: None.

Lionheart (7^th):  The paladin becomes immune to normal and magical fear, and allies within 10 feet of the paladin gain advantage on saving throws vs. fear.

Healing Touch (11^th):  A paladin's touch is capable of removing all ailments from a creature, including disease, poison, ability score damage, level drain, hit point damage, confusion, curses and insanity.  A paladin can use healing touch once per day.

Anti-Paladin (Paladin Variant)

Anti-paladins are champions of ruin and woe, the dark mirror of true paladins.  An anti-paladin has the same abilities as a paladin, except as noted below.
Alignment: Anti-paladins must be Chaotic (and Evil, if appropriate).

Aura (1^st): Anti-paladins emanate a permanent aura of Chaos (or Evil) that protects them as per the spell protection from good.  This aura can be detected by powerful factors for good, exactly as the anti-paladin’s own sense good ability.

Herald of Woe (1^st): The forces of evil protect their own, and the anti-paladin is no exception.  She has a +2 bonus to all saving throws.

Sense Good (1^st): The anti-paladin has a heightened ability to detect good auras, such as those emitted by innately good and magical creatures (dragons, unicorns) and powerful followers of good deities (priests, paladins, angels).  The anti-paladin has a 1-in-6 to notice such an aura automatically, and a 4-in-6 chance when actively looking (which takes at least one round).  The presence, but not location, of concealed or invisible creatures can be determined.

Baleful Combatant (1^st): A anti-paladin gains a +1 bonus to hit and damage when fighting opponents antithetical to his beliefs.  This bonus increases to +2/+2 at fifth level, and +3/+3 at 9^th level.

Venomous Blow (1^st): Once per day the anti-paladin can release a malignant supernatural poison through his weapon, inflicting 1 hit point of damage each round for a number of rounds equal to twice the anti-paladin’s level.  This effect cannot be stopped with a cure wounds spell, only delay poison or neutralize poison.

Foul Flesh (3^rd): Anti-paladins are immune to all diseases, including mummy rot and lycanthropy.  She becomes a bearer of corruption and sickness, and can cause disease once per week at level 3, twice per week at level 7, and three times per week at level 11.

Nightmare (4^th): The anti-paladin gains the services of a nightmare steed.  This is treated as the divine warhorse (above), except it can breathe fire (1d6 damage).

Blackheart (7^th): The anti-paladin radiates fear (as the spell, but in a 10’ radius around the anti-paladin).

Touch of Ruin (11^th): The anti-paladin can return a dead creature as an undead once per day.  The undead will temporarily serve the anti-paladin, and then go its own way, as evil turns serves only itself.

(The terms advantage, knack, and skilled are defined on the Game Design page above.  The license for this entry is located in the Legal page above.)

On Classes: Martial classes

I'm a "iconic concept" sort of guy when it comes to class design.  Every class should express a core, iconic concept clearly and as simply as possible, and without infringing on other classes except by design.

At the moment, I've come up with four martial/warrior classes, with the potential for at least three more.  They all share the same save progression, to-hit chart, and hit points (yes, even the barbarian), but they do different things.

The fighter is the most generic.  She gets a weapon mastery bonus that slowly progresses as the character levels up; this bonus can be applied to one, two, or three weapon groups.  Concentrating on one weapon gives the highest bonus.  She also has strong defensive ability that can be used in place of an attack, and finally gains a second attack per round.  Fighters can also apply their Strength bonus to their to-hit chance, currently the only class that can do so.

Barbarians don't gain weapon mastery, but they do rage.  This gives a bonus equal or better than the fighter's, but has a limited duration and some potentially serious penalties as well.  Barbarians are also the best at slaughtering massed hordes of weaker creatures, with cleave and whirlwind of steel abilities.

Rangers are the implacable foe, and gain a bonus versus certain types of opponents.  The bonus and number of opponents increases at 5th and 9th level, both to reflect the ranger's increasing expertise and the likelihood of encountering certain creature types.  This bonus applies not only to attacks and damage, but saves and checks as well.  The creature types can easily be changed in different campaigns: evil or outlaw humans, monstrous humanoids, monstrous creatures, spellcasters, etc.

Paladins are the divine opponents of supernatural evil, and hew reasonably close to what's been done before.

Knights, soldiers, and swashbucklers aren't fully defined at the moment, but the concepts are visible.  If barbarians are the masters of brute combat, knights are the elite one-on-fighters of the battlefields, duking it out with the big bad boss monster.  Soldiers are tough, adaptable survivors - sturdy and reliable.  Swashbucklers emphasize dexterity and movement over force and stamina - the chief problem with this class is that it could be very similar to the fighter in execution.