Paladin

Unparalleled Zeal

Be they shining paragons of the most noble ideals or rarely-whispered specters of darkest dread, Paladins strive to personify the core aspects of their creed and project it forth onto reality. Paladins are characterized not by any common faith, but instead by the relentless zeal that drives them to embody their beliefs as living examples to those around them. Whatever their tenants, Paladins live them wholeheartedly; they are commonly seen on many worlds in the form of holy warriors, fabled champions, and righteous crusaders. In truth, however, a Paladin can stand for many things...including the mundane, unusual, or depraved.

At level 1, gain the following features:

Paladin's Credo. Your Credo represents a tenant of faith or other principle that you stand for as a Paladin. At level 1, choose one option from the Credo Fundamenta list, and one from the Credo Minoris list at the bottom of this page.
The Credo you assemble for your character will affect many of your Paladin abilities, or grant additional bonuses and skills. The exact nature of each Creed is subjective; it's up to you to decide how your character interprets and applies them.
Characters who make Paladin their Major Class can add to their Credo as they level up.

Reference Sheets. Add to your Character Packet for a printable quick-reference. Includes Specialization choices checklist for Major, cost multipliers for Minor/Influence.

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Class Skills

Strike Down (2+X)
Range: Self
Type: Magic
Use: Free Action (while Attacking)
Activation Cost: 2 Stamina + 1 or more Mana
Tags: Attack Buff
You may activate this ability when you strike a target with a Weapon Attack. When you do, spend any amount of Mana, and add that much Kinetic Damage to the total. This ability may be combined with Careful and Power attacks.

Empowered: If the strike was a Critical Hit, you may instead add +1d4 Kinetic Damage for each Mana spent on this ability.

Share Suffering (3+X)
Range: Self
Type: Magic
Use: Reaction
Activation Cost: 3 Mana + 1 or more Stamina
Tags: Defenese, Affliction
You may use your Reaction to activate this ability when a creature within 5ft. of you, or within your Paragon's Aura, would suffer an Affliction. Spend any amount of Stamina before the target rolls on the Affliction table. The target's Affliction result is reduced by that amount.

If the target's resulting Affliction roll would be less than 1, you may opt to prevent the Affliction, and instead accept the Exhaustion Affliction for yourself. If you choose not to take the Exhaustion, the target suffers the lowest viable Affliction they could.

Paragon's Aura (2/4+)
Range: 5ft.+ Radius
Type: Magic
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 2 Mana
Sustaining Cost: 4+ Mana
Tags: Aura, Buff, Debuff
So long as your are Sustaining your Aura, you and any allies within range may add your 1/2 of your Willpower bonus to any Check you make against a hostile effect.

Upcast: For every additional 4 Mana spent to Sustain your Aura, its radius increases by 5ft. You may reallocate how much you are spending to Sustain it at the end of your Recovery Step as a Free Action.

Abjure (4)
Range: 15ft.
Type: Magic
Use: Action
Activation Cost: 4 Mana
Tags: Frighten
You force one Creature you can see within range to make a Willpower Check against your Spell Check Target (Willpower+Might+1/2CL). If it fails, it is Frightened until the end of your next turn.

Abjure Outsiders: Aberrations, Celestials, Fae, Fiends, and Undead creatures make this Check with 1d10 instead of 1d12, and are additionally Knocked Down if they fail.

Exorcise (5/2 & 2)
Range: 15ft.
Type: Magic
Use: Two Actions
Activation Cost: 5 Mana
Sustaining Cost: 2 Mana and 2 Stamina
Tags: Disable, Debuff
You attempt to cast a being from the material plane. Target one Creature you can see within range and force it to make a Contested Willpower Check. If it fails, it vanishes from the material world for as long as you Sustain this spell, returning to the space from which it vanished when this effect ends.

Exorcise Outsiders: If you use this ability on an Aberration, Celestial, or Fiend, and Sustain it for at least 1 minute (10 Rounds), it does not return when you end the effect.

Starting Equipment

If Paladin is your Major Class, you get the following equipment at level 1.

Armor & Clothing:

A spare set of Fine Clothing.
A Jack of Plate or a suit of Chainmail.
A Medium Shield or a Large Shield.

Melee Weapons:

Two unmodified melee weapons of your choice, or one melee weapon with the Meteoric Metal modifier.

Ranged Weapons:

A Longbow & 30 Arrows.

Magic Items:

An Ether Ward or a Luck Ward.

Adventuring Gear & Currency:

A pack and sleeping roll.
5 torches.
A fire starting kit.
5 days of rations appropriate for the region.
50ft. of rope.
10GP, 40SP, and 300CP.

Potions

One Potion of Vigor (Mundane)

Specializations

If Paladin is your Major Class, gain the benefits below as you reach the indicated levels.

Level 1
Credo Majoris. Choose one option from the Credo Majoris list.
Acolyte Training.

Choose either: Medium Armor Training or Heavy Armor Training perks .
Choose one: Medium Weapon Training, Bow Training, or Crossbow Training perks.
Choose either: Large Weapon Training, or Shield Training perks.

Level 2
Choose one:

Increase Mana or Stamina Regeneration by 1.
Increase Mana and Stamina Capacity by 1.
Choose a Perk.

Level 3
Sanctuary. You may perform a ritual to establish a Sanctuary, infused with the power of your Creeds.

The ritual takes 7 days to complete, and may be performed during the course of a Full Rest so long as you perform no other Downtime activities. You may have no more than one Sanctuary at a time. Any existing Sanctuary is dispelled once you begin the ritual at a new location.
Your Sanctuary must be an enclosed space or otherwise demarcated area (such as a clearing in a grove of trees, a circle of stones, an island, etc.), and must be free of other creatures while you perform the ritual.
Your Sanctuary can be no larger than your Character Level x100 in square feet (roughly CL x 10 meters squared). It cannot be a space smaller than 100 square feet (four 5' grid squares) / 9~10 square meters.
If you make your Sanctuary in a Place of Power, the maximum size per Character Level is doubled.
Your Sanctuary must be renewed every twelve months, or its power fades. If you do not renew it, die, or leave the mortal plane for more than a month, the Sanctuary will last 1 month per Character Level before it fades completely.
If the Sanctuary is mobile (such as on a ship), the Ritual must be repeated every month to maintain it.
While you are within your Sanctuary:
- All Creatures within the Sanctuary that you designate are under the influence of your Paragon's Aura. You do not need to Activate or Sustain the ability.
- Once per Round, you may use an Action to designate one Creature within the Sanctuary. Every instance of Damage it would take that round is reduced to 1.

Level 4
Choose one:

Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x).
Choose a Perk.

Level 5
Choose one:

Increase your Willpower and Might by 1.
Increase your Mana and Stamina Capacity by 1.

Level 6
Expanded Tenants. Choose two items from the Credo Minoris list, or one item from the Credo Majoris list.

Level 7
Choose one:

Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 1.
Choose a Perk.

Level 8
Choose one:

Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x).
Pick any unchosen specialization option from Levels 2, 4, 5, or 7.

Level 9
Supreme Insight. Choose one item from the Credo Superior list.

Level 10
Choose one:

Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x).
Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 2.

Level 11

Pick any two unchosen specialization options from Levels 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, or 10.

Level 12
Bearer of the Word. Choose one item from the Credo Superior list, or two items from the Credo Majoris list.

Level 13
Choose one:

Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 2, or any two stats by 1.
Choose a Perk.

Level 14
Choose one:

Increase your Mana Regeneration by 2.
Increase your Stamina Regeneration by 2.
Choose a Perk.

Level 15
Speaker of Truths. Choose one item from any Credo list (including Fundamenta).

Level 16
Choose one:

Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x).
Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 2.
Choose a Perk.

Level 17
Choose one:

Increase your Mana or Stamina Capacity by 2.
Increase your Mana and Stamina Capacity by 1.
Choose a Perk.

Level 18
Apex Doctrine. Choose one item each from the Credo Minoris, Credo Majoris, and Credo Superior lists.

Level 19
Choose two:

Increase your Willpower by 3.
Increase your Might by 2.
Choose a Perk.

Level 20
Choose two. You may select the same option twice:

Select a Spell or activated Ability from either your Minor or Influence Class. It no longer has a cost multiplier (2x or 4x).
Choose a Perk.
Increase the Core Stat of your choice by 1.
Pick any unchosen specialization option from Levels 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14 16, 17, or 19.

Paladin's Credo

Changing your Credo. You can swap a Credo choice for another of the same category when you level up. Also, if you feel your character has gone through an experience that should change some aspect of their Credo, speak with your GM about swapping between level-ups. A Full Rest is a good time for a Paladin to re-dedicate themselves to a newly revealed path!

Core Credos

Credo Fundamenta

Creed of Balance. As an Action, you may transfer up to half of your maximum Stamina to your Mana, or vice versa. If you exceed your Capacity, the excess is lost.
Creed of Fate. You cannot have more Fate Points than your Character Level, but you gain +1 every time you complete a Rest. This increases to +1d6 if you Rest in your Sanctuary.
Creed of Freedom. You gain a +1d12 bonus on any Check to escape from restraints, and you cannot suffer a Speed penalty worse than -10ft. for any reason.
Creed of Mercy. When you heal Damage from another Creature, you heal 1 point of Damage from yourself.
Creed of Order. While you are out of Initiative, before you make a Check, you may opt to make the dice result a 6 instead of rolling.
Creed of Solitude. So long as no other creature is within 10ft. of you, you gain +1 Armor.
Creed of Unity. At the start of your turn, you may designate one Creature you can see. Its Armor increases by +1 until the start of your next turn.

Credo Minoris

Creed of Judgement. Once per Rest, you can Weigh how another creature's soul is balanced against its deeds. You know whether the outcome is favorable, unfavorable, or balanced. Which one is favorable depends on your belief and outlook.
Creed of Justice. Once per Rest, when a Creature you can see deals damage to another you can see, you may force it to make a Willpower Check against your Spell Check Target (Willpower + Might + 1/2CL). If it fails, it takes half as much damage as it dealt as Ardent Damage.
Creed of Sanctity. So long as you have no points of Damage, you gain +2 Mana Regeneration during your Recovery Step.
Creed of Stoicism. You may use Verbal or Focus spellcasting for your Paladin spells. Designate a holy symbol or other object of significance as your focus.
Creed of Strength. Once per day, you may choose to succeed on a Might Check that you would have failed.
Creed of Toil. When you deliver the final blow to an enemy, you regain 1d4 Mana and 1d4 Stamina.
Creed of Victory. The first time you roll to deal Damage each day, you may roll an additional damage die.

Advanced Credos

Characters who make Paladin their Major Class will choose from the below lists as they level up.

Credo Majoris

Creed of the Destroyer. Whenever you deal damage with Strike Down, add +1d6 to the total.
Creed of the Inevitable. Once per Rest, for two Actions, you may raise a humanoid corpse you touch as a Skeleton or Zombie. It goes immediately after your turn in initiative, has two Actions, and cannot speak. If it strays more than 100ft. from you at any time, it is destroyed, and you may dismiss it at any time. You may only have one undead created by this ability at a time.
Creed of the Penitent. As an Action, you may inflict the Exhaustion Affliction on yourself. If you do, remove all Damage and Conditions from a creature you can touch.
Creed of the Phantom. Once per Rest, you may use an Action to become Invisible (attacks against you are made with die two sizes smaller than normal, you are considered Hidden until detected, and other creatures have a -1d10 penalty on Search Checks to find you). This effect lasts until you take or deal damage.
Creed of the Shelter. Whenever a creature completes a Rest within your Sanctuary, it removes 1 Affliction.
Creed of the Sanguine. You gain +1 Mana whenever a creature within your Paragon's Aura suffers Slashing Damage, or gains a Round of Bleeding.

Credo Superior

Creed of the Martyr. Over the course of a Rest, you may remove 1d4 Afflictions from another Creature. You suffer half as many instances of the Exhaustion Affliction.
Creed of Duty. If you would be Incapacitated or Killed, you may invoke this ability as a Reaction. The incapacitating or lethal effect is suspended until your next end-of-turn step. In the meantime, you can take no further damage, and cannot heal.
Creed of Loss. When a player character you can see is Incapacitated or killed, you may designate any number of creatures within your Paragon's Aura. They heal Damage equal to twice your Character Level, in any combination of types they choose.
Creed of Ambition. Once per rest, you may activate this ability as a Free Action. Take an additional turn immediately after this one. At the end of the second turn, take one instance of the Exhaustion Affliction.
Creed of Wrath. When you suffer an Affliction, you may make a Spell Attack (1d12+Willpower) against a creature you can touch. If you hit, you deal Ether Damage equal to twice your Character Level.
Creed of Truth. You always know when a creature you can touch is lying to you, whether directly or by omission.
Creed of Discovery. You may use your Willpower score in place of your Knowledge score for Checks.

Homebrewing Paladin Credos

Establishing a custom Credo option is a great way to build out a faction unique to your world, or reward players with a character trait tailored to their deeds. Here's how to approach designing a new Credo depending on its tier. Remember, there's nothing wrong with "re-skinning" existing options for roleplay flavor, either!

Things to keep in mind:

Keep each individual element simple...usually. One or two sentences if possible, and be very wary of cascading effects (if this, then that, then roll this, then if this happens, then...).
- Complexity can be a lot of fun for some builds, but remember that your Pally's will be combining multiple Credo choices as they go.
  - In the standard options, I've tried to offer a range of complexity from "change one stat on your character sheet and forget about it" to "this is a specific combo trigger you're going to try to do in every fight" for different kinds of players. Knowing how your party likes to play will help you tailor your homebrew to their style. If in doubt, ask them!
Only Major Class Paladins will pick from the Majoris and Superior lists. This means those options can be more focused on Paladin-first play styles.
>Talk to your players.< Most Paladin players will be excited that their GM wants to cook up something special based on their character (or character idea) - but it's their character, not yours. If your player wants to roleplay a stalwart, godless paladin who represents the indomitable will of the mortal spirit, they may not be that enthusiastic when you give them new Credo abilities themed entirely around worshipping dragons. Talk to them about what they find exciting--then even if your first ideas aren't perfect, you've established that you're trying to deliver something cool to them and that you're open to their feedback about it.
Finally - some players may not want the added wrinkle of more homebrewing, and that's okay! If they started the campaign with a clear idea of the character they wanted to build, they may not wish to change course no matter how awesome your idea is. Save it for later! You never know where it'll fit in down the line.

Credos and your World.

Regardless of how they prioritize their classes, each Paladin will be paired with some other character class. This can inform your worldbuilding and what makes sense for your players. What would a holy order of Berserker Paladins hold as their Credo? What mechanics make sense for Paladin Assassins? Would they be a secret sect within a broader order of Knight Paladins? What do those groups agree and disagree on?
Don't be afraid to ask for the player's interpretation of a concept. One player may see Creed of Strength and imagine a Paladin hero using their might for the good of others, while another may conceptualize a ruthless, might-makes-right doctrine. Both are compelling characters to explore. If Paladin organizations exist in your world, they will certainly have their official reading of what their Creed means...but that doesn't mean every individual sees it the same way.

Designing for Each Tier:

Credo Fundamenta. These are the highest-level Credo choices for Paladin players (they're fundamental...get it...do you get it...?).

All Paladin players will get a Fundamenta choice at level 1, and Major-Class Paladins have the option to get a second one at level 15.
Fundamenta choices should establish a core mechanic for the character (like Credo of Balance's Mana/Stamina conversion), or strongly indicate the character's archetype (like Creed of Freedom's focus on maintaining mobility).

Credo Minoris. These are lesser facets of a Credo. A level 20 Paladin will wind up with between two and five Minoris choices when all's done.

Since Minor or Influence Class Paladins get a pick from the Minoris list as well, we want to be cautious packing a ton of effects onto a character that may not be trying to play like a Paladin most of the time.
Minoris effects should be narrowed to minor or situational buffs, or low-use abilities like "once per days." This allows for interesting effects that lend lore and depth to a character, without adding elements that players must be tracking constantly. Your players (Paladins and otherwise) will take notice that the Paladin's first swing each day is extra powerful (Creed of Victory) or that they gain extra Mana when they finish a foe (Creed of Toil), but neither of those are lingering effects that need to be tracked every single Round.

Credo Majoris. These are beefier options only available to Major Class Paladins, and thus can be more focused. A level 20 Paladin could pick between two and six Majoris options, though we expect most will fall into the middle of that range (3-4) instead of forgoing a Credo Superior pick at levels 12 and 18.

Majoris choices are the primary expression of the Paladin's character concept, and should lean heavily into that. This is where we see Paladins doing weird damage types or status effects, raising the dead, invoking divine wrath, and so on.
Majoris options can add modifiers onto the Paladin's baseline abilities, or add unique effects. This is a good tier to add an extra Paragon's Aura or Strike Down effect, new benefits to the Sanctuary, or new Actions like raising the dead (Creed of the Inevitable) or turning invisible (Creed of the Phantom).

Credo Superior. The rarest options reserved for high-level Paladins, players don't get their first Superior choice until level 9. A maxed-out Pally will only get between two and four Superior options in their whole build.

This tier has few restrictions on what's possible. We should still aim to keep Superior effects "short and sweet," but here that can range from a permanent roleplay buff like Creed of Truth to abilities that allow Major Paladins to double down on their roles (Creed of Wrath), or flex into new ones (Creed of the Martyr).
A good way to conceptualize Superior options is to look at Majoris or Fundamenta choices, and ask what an ultimate expression of that theme may look like.
- For example, Creed of the Martyr removes Afflictions from allies in exchange for taking some yourself, and is a direct evolution of the Credo Majoris Creed of the Penitent, which heals damage and conditions in exchange for an Exhaustion Affliction.
- Having a through-line like this helps players who want to follow a character concept to its logical end, and results in several tiers of leveled-up thematic abilities for players who prefer a more a la carte approach.