http://dablackmoor.com/MMRPG/Downloads/CampaignDocs/paladins-v2-OGL.pdf
These should fit very well with Mystara (AC1000+) as well I think!
Håvard
Interesting writeup, Havard. Thanks for finding it. I've got a couple questions about the editing of the text (the Paladin of Chaos, frex, has an ability called Detect Good - "at will, a Paladin of Chaos can use detect law, as the spell", and also has a code of conduct which requires him to respect all capable authority figures), but all in all it makes for a nice addition to the system.
This document was handed out for free to Blackmoor fans at this year's GenCon. According to ZGG's Richard Iorio, an updated version of the document will appear in a future Blackmoor supplement. Hopefully they will have things like that fixed by then. More details here: http://www.dablackmoor.com/MMRPG/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=3799#3799
Thanks for spotting those errors though. Looks like classic cut&paste action there. Paladins of Chaos should probably have the Detect Law ability and a code requiring them to...oppose Authority figures??
Håvard
Yeah- I'd say there was some weird editing to be sure. The Paladin of Chaos should have detect law, and it almost looks like the parts of the descriptions detailing their interactions with authority figures on the PoC and the Paladin of Evil should be swapped.
I posted eldersphinx' concerns to Richard over at the Blackmoor Boards. He said they were working on a revision that will be made available ASAP. If you notice more errors, go ahead and post them there so they can be corrected too
Håvard
*For instance, the Blackmoor Paladin scheme and class abilities could be used as a model for making an even more OD&D-flavored Paladin/Avenger:
1) Combine the Blackmoor "Paladin of Law" (LG) and "Paladin of Good" (CG) into a single "Paladin", that could have LG, LN, or LE alignment. Like the Core Cleric, LG Paladins would have the Good version of the class abilities, LE Paladins would have the Evil abilities, and LN Paladins could choose either.
2) Combine the Blackmoor "Paladin of Chaos" (CE) and "Paladin of Evil" (LE) into a single "Avenger", that could have CE, CN, or CG alignment. CE Avengers would have the Evil abilities, CG the Good abilities, and CN Avengers could choose.
3) The Blackmoor "Paladin of Balance" (N) changed name to "Stalwart"*, that could have N, NG, or NE alignment. As above, the Good-Evil axis of the character's alignment would determine his class abilities. *(The name "Stalwart" was mentioned (by Bruce Heard?) in a Dragon magazine OD&D Q&A column as a suggested name for a non-Druidic Neutral-aligned equivalent to the Paladin and Avenger.)
4) All three of these variants, Paladin, Stalwart, and Avenger, transformed into prestige classes using Unearthed Arcana's 15-level* "Prestige Paladin" as the model - just plugging in equivalent class ablities. *(Not that 15th level would be the limit...there are Epic levels for prestige classes too. There'd need to be 27+ levels of these classes to match the OD&D scheme where they began at 9th level and could advance to 36+.)
According to this scheme, there would be no place for the Core Paladin (LG) and Blackguard prestige class (CE, NE, or LE) in Mystara. However, if it were determined by the designers of Mystara 3E that the Core Paladin and the Blackguard should be kept as is, then the abovementioned prestige Paladin (of Law) would be called a "Templar" (based on how in the Companion set it says the OD&D Paladin must align himself with a temple...note, like much of what I say, I got this idea of someone else's post on the MMB or in the Vaults
).In this scheme, (Core) LG Paladins would be rationalized into Mystara by saying that they are champions of Life - the hidden Good-aligned Sphere melded into the four Spheres of Integration (which favors Law overall). The Blackguards would be rationalized as champions of Death - the Evil-aligned Sphere melded into the Sphere of Entropy (which favors Chaos overall).
Note that if this is the scheme that were chosen, then it'd be best to get rid of the Detect Good/Evil for the Templar/Stalwart/Avenger, and have only Detect Law/Chaos, so as to differentiate them from the Core Paladin. Same for the Smite Good/Evil, to Smite Law/Chaos. Avenger ablities might be changed to parallel the CG champion of freedom (I forget the class name) from Sword & Fist. Also wasn't there an official 3E variant paladin scheme, where every extreme alignment (LG, LE, CG, CE) got a paladin-version? If so, this could be used to model the Templar/Stalwart/Avenger.
I'm not sure which would be the right way to go in an Official Mystara worldbook, just laying out options.
Shane
In the d20 SRD, there are alwready alternate paladin rules included for each of the 4 polar alignment combinations (LG, LE, CG, CE). I'm sure this is a good product, but it feels a little like reinventing a wheel.
Ah,
I knew I had seen variant Paladins before, but I didnt know they had been added to the SRD. How differend are they from this version? I suppose the document I posted is most useful for Blackmoor campaigns then...
Håvard
I knew I had seen variant Paladins before, but I didnt know they had been added to the SRD. How differend are they from this version?
Paladins of Freedom, Slaughter, and Tyranny
Another option is to replace alignments altogether with a trait system similar to Gaz7.
But for my project, I will only be using Paladin and Avenger... I'm not sure if the Avenger should be a CG champion, or simply another name for Blackguard?
I can't seem to find alternate-alignment Paladins in the SRD.
They're at the link above, almost all the way down the page.
But for my project, I will only be using Paladin and Avenger... I'm not sure if the Avenger should be a CG champion, or simply another name for Blackguard?
IMO, Mystaran Paladins/Avengers/Druidic Knights are quite well defined: their main constraint is on the Law vs. Chaos axis -- so Paladins could be LG (Sir Ernest Day or Randa from CM1, for example, but also the Knights of Halav in Slagovich) or LE (Knights of Narvaez, Heldannic Knights), but many would be simply LN (knights that have sworn service to a church, so other HKs or KoNs would apply, as well as the Order of the Griffon in Karameikos), while Avengers would be equally spread between CG (e.g., Savage Coast's old secret society, the Friends of Freedom, could have included many of these) and CE (the Black Avengers of CM1, who likely serve the Black Queen of Alphaks' Volcano) -- CN Avengers would be more rare, as they would serve the more philosophical chaotic faiths (e.g., the Hulean Temple of Chaos before Loki took over).
Druidic Knights would probably be limited to True Neutral (even in OD&D, Druids were Neutral with respect to both Law/Chaos and Good/Evil, though K:KoA took a different approach).
I can't seem to find alternate-alignment Paladins in the SRD. I was considering, however (in my own games, at least) to modify the alignment restriction to read that the Paladin's alignment must match his/her deity's alignment. They way every deity, not just LG ones, can have a paragon to champion their cause. (Clerics and druids must remain within one-step of their god's alignment.)
Another option is to replace alignments altogether with a trait system similar to Gaz7.
But for my project, I will only be using Paladin and Avenger... I'm not sure if the Avenger should be a CG champion, or simply another name for Blackguard?
I'm using the following for our campaign:
Standard 3.5E Paladin/ Prestige Paladin: LG and rather rare in Mystara as the Code of Conduct's implicit Good>Law is hard to uphold given the world's Law>=Good.
Honorbound Prestige Paladin: LG/LN and based on OD&D Paladin. Fits better with the Law >= Good mold of the world. I should note that the OD&D Paladin is implicitly good based on its description, and in no way should a LE character be one.
Avenger Prestige Class: CN/CE. A Chaos >= Evil philosophy (compared to the blackguard's Evil over everything mentality). The counterpoint to the Honorbound. The OD&D Avenger was never meant to be a "good" character, so no CG characters need apply.
For the CG warrior, we use the Holy Liberator, from Defenders of the Faith- it might be in one of the Complete ___ books or Book of Exalted Deeds too (can't check ATM). Regardless CG should be a difficult path in Mystara.
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/home.html
Vern