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Class in Ravenloft

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
blitzmonkey
Jan 25, 2007 12:46:49 I am an old DnD player from way back from 1st/2nd edition. Used to play a lot in Ravenloft. Recently, a friend of mine started running a 3.5 campaign in which I decided to play a Paladin. Shortly after attaining 5th lvl, he informed us OOC that he wanted to take us to a Ravenloft setting. Being a Paladin, that really sucks for me. I told a friend about it, and he told me that there was a prestige class in the Ravenloft Core Book I believe that he remembered being good. I could ONLY get it WHILE in Ravenloft, but could keep leveling in it if we ever got out. Does anyone happen to know what it is? Again, all I know about it is it is good for Palys in a Ravenloft setting and I HAVE to be in Ravenloft to get it.
#2
rotipher
Jan 25, 2007 13:47:57 The RLPHB contains the Monster Hunter prestige class and its specialized spin-offs (Vampire Hunter, Fiend Hunter, etc). These are "generic" PrCs which just about anyone can select, not class-specific ones.

Your friend might be thinking of one of the PrCs from "Heroes of Light", a few of which are designed for paladins; however, that book is 3.0, not 3.5, and the PrCs it contains are pretty unbalanced as written.
#3
Mortepierre
Jan 25, 2007 14:59:17 Hmm.. I can think of a few.

The obvious one is Knight of the Shadows (Van Richten's Arsenal) since most Ravenloftian "good guys" seem to go for it (think "undercover paladin") but it's rather weak.. er.. balanced.

The other obvious one is Blessed Paladin (Heroes of Light). It is quite powerful but getting and (especially) keeping it is going to be a major pain since it requires you to stay "blessed" all the time (a special status one can have only by acting as a paragon of virtues).

If you do manage to reach the 10th level in it though, you'll truly have something to celebrate. That said, frankly, its best abilities are tailor-made for Ravenloft. So if you succeed in getting out of the dread realm, it will lose a lot of its appeal. Plus I'm not even sure the blessed status can apply outside of Ravenloft
#4
gonzoron
Jan 25, 2007 15:26:46 Being a paladin in Ravenloft isn't as taboo as it was in 2nd ed. Talk with your DM about it. It's a tough life, sure, but so is being a paladin anywhere else, or being a non-paladin in ravenloft. You don't need any super PrC to make it work. And no such PrC exists in the Core RL books. (trust me, you don't want to get involved in the rules mess that is the Blessed Paladin.)
#5
dwarfpcfan
Jan 26, 2007 9:46:19 Personnally, I like the blessed paladin, there's just something about standing in some abandoned church ( holy ground you created) praying to your god for protection then using your Last Stand ability and chalenging the resident darklord to a duel. Especially against warrior darklords like Elena Faith-Hold, Vlad Drakov, Diamabel etc

It seems like a really cool campaign finaly to have the holy paladin in the party get a chance at going mano a mano with the resident darklord...

Not that the darklord woud'nt bring his best minions over to slaughter said paladin of course...

Paladins make great Ravenlof characters, here are some excellent prestige classes:
People's Champion (Legacies of Blood)
Shadowbane Inquisitor ( Complete Adventurer)
Hunter of the Dead (Complete divine)
Knight of the middle circle ( Defenders of the Faith)
Church Inquisitor ( Complete divine)
Hospitaler (complete warrior)

These can all have a great Ravenloft feel when used properly...
#6
thanael
Jan 26, 2007 11:53:11
Being a Paladin, that really sucks for me.

Why is that, pray tell?
#7
Sysane
Jan 26, 2007 13:46:11 I assume he's worried about the old 2e Ravenloft mechanic of Darklords sensing the presence of a paladin when they entered their domain.
#8
solandras
Jan 27, 2007 2:17:32 They still can do that in 3.5...granted they need to make a check of some sort. Sense Motive or something like that
#9
zombiegleemax
Jan 28, 2007 7:34:24 Check out the Knight of the Raven class from Expedition into Castle Ravenloft. It is pure awesome, mostly for a Cleric, but works just as good for a Paladin. Better than anything in Complete Divine, 3.5, and you get a cool guy raven familiar/companion.
#10
Sysane
Jan 28, 2007 7:38:46 Personally, I think KotR needs more prereqs.
#11
rotipher
Jan 29, 2007 10:22:39
They still can do that in 3.5...granted they need to make a check of some sort. Sense Motive or something like that

They do indeed have to make such a check, at a DC that starts out rather high but declines with the paladin's level. The darklord also needs to be actively looking for paladins, which isn't something they necessarily do non-stop ... or even at all, in the case of some (like Drakov) who don't really grasp the supernatural aspects of their darklord status.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 blitzmonkey Jan 25, 2007 12:46:49	I am an old DnD player from way back from 1st/2nd edition. Used to play a lot in Ravenloft. Recently, a friend of mine started running a 3.5 campaign in which I decided to play a Paladin. Shortly after attaining 5th lvl, he informed us OOC that he wanted to take us to a Ravenloft setting. Being a Paladin, that really sucks for me. I told a friend about it, and he told me that there was a prestige class in the Ravenloft Core Book I believe that he remembered being good. I could ONLY get it WHILE in Ravenloft, but could keep leveling in it if we ever got out. Does anyone happen to know what it is? Again, all I know about it is it is good for Palys in a Ravenloft setting and I HAVE to be in Ravenloft to get it.
#2 rotipher Jan 25, 2007 13:47:57	The RLPHB contains the Monster Hunter prestige class and its specialized spin-offs (Vampire Hunter, Fiend Hunter, etc). These are "generic" PrCs which just about anyone can select, not class-specific ones. Your friend might be thinking of one of the PrCs from "Heroes of Light", a few of which are designed for paladins; however, that book is 3.0, not 3.5, and the PrCs it contains are pretty unbalanced as written.
#3 Mortepierre Jan 25, 2007 14:59:17	Hmm.. I can think of a few. The obvious one is Knight of the Shadows (Van Richten's Arsenal) since most Ravenloftian "good guys" seem to go for it (think "undercover paladin") but it's rather weak.. er.. balanced. The other obvious one is Blessed Paladin (Heroes of Light). It is quite powerful but getting and (especially) keeping it is going to be a major pain since it requires you to stay "blessed" all the time (a special status one can have only by acting as a paragon of virtues). If you do manage to reach the 10th level in it though, you'll truly have something to celebrate. That said, frankly, its best abilities are tailor-made for Ravenloft. So if you succeed in getting out of the dread realm, it will lose a lot of its appeal. Plus I'm not even sure the blessed status can apply outside of Ravenloft
#4 gonzoron Jan 25, 2007 15:26:46	Being a paladin in Ravenloft isn't as taboo as it was in 2nd ed. Talk with your DM about it. It's a tough life, sure, but so is being a paladin anywhere else, or being a non-paladin in ravenloft. You don't need any super PrC to make it work. And no such PrC exists in the Core RL books. (trust me, you don't want to get involved in the rules mess that is the Blessed Paladin.)
#5 dwarfpcfan Jan 26, 2007 9:46:19	Personnally, I like the blessed paladin, there's just something about standing in some abandoned church ( holy ground you created) praying to your god for protection then using your Last Stand ability and chalenging the resident darklord to a duel. Especially against warrior darklords like Elena Faith-Hold, Vlad Drakov, Diamabel etc It seems like a really cool campaign finaly to have the holy paladin in the party get a chance at going mano a mano with the resident darklord... Not that the darklord woud'nt bring his best minions over to slaughter said paladin of course... Paladins make great Ravenlof characters, here are some excellent prestige classes: People's Champion (Legacies of Blood) Shadowbane Inquisitor ( Complete Adventurer) Hunter of the Dead (Complete divine) Knight of the middle circle ( Defenders of the Faith) Church Inquisitor ( Complete divine) Hospitaler (complete warrior) These can all have a great Ravenloft feel when used properly...
#6 thanael Jan 26, 2007 11:53:11	Being a Paladin, that really sucks for me. Why is that, pray tell?
#7 Sysane Jan 26, 2007 13:46:11	I assume he's worried about the old 2e Ravenloft mechanic of Darklords sensing the presence of a paladin when they entered their domain.
#8 solandras Jan 27, 2007 2:17:32	They still can do that in 3.5...granted they need to make a check of some sort. Sense Motive or something like that
#9 zombiegleemax Jan 28, 2007 7:34:24	Check out the Knight of the Raven class from Expedition into Castle Ravenloft. It is pure awesome, mostly for a Cleric, but works just as good for a Paladin. Better than anything in Complete Divine, 3.5, and you get a cool guy raven familiar/companion.
#10 Sysane Jan 28, 2007 7:38:46	Personally, I think KotR needs more prereqs.
#11 rotipher Jan 29, 2007 10:22:39	They still can do that in 3.5...granted they need to make a check of some sort. Sense Motive or something like that They do indeed have to make such a check, at a DC that starts out rather high but declines with the paladin's level. The darklord also needs to be actively looking for paladins, which isn't something they necessarily do non-stop ... or even at all, in the case of some (like Drakov) who don't really grasp the supernatural aspects of their darklord status.