How to: Paladin Abilities

How to: Paladin Abilities

In this post, I will try to convert the paladin class abilities from D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder RPG to GURPS.

Paladin Spellcasting: See Clerical Spellcasting. Obviosuly, the deity of choice must be a righteous one, aligned with cosmic good and law.

Detect Evil: This is just the Seek Evil spell.

Smite Evil: This has already be represented as a spell.

Divine Grace: This is Luck (p. B66) with the Defensive, -20% and Divine, -10% limitations (11 points). Extraordinary Luck with these limitations costs 21 points, and Ridiculous Luck costs 42 points. The Game Time, +0% enhancement is optional.

Divine Health [9]

The paladin is immune to all mundane and magical diseases.

Statistics: Immunity to Disease (Divine, -10%) [9].

Lay on Hands: This is Healing (p. B59) with the Divine, -10% power modifier, the Injuries Only, -20% limitation, and the Faith Healing, +20% enhancement (final cost of 27 points). Just like with clerical healing, I would only let paladins whose patron deity has the Healing domain take this ability to limit supernatural healing. But if you don't mind common supernatural healing, feel free to let anyone use it. On the other hand, Faith Healing is quite limiting too, so maybe it's not going to cause many problems anyway.

Mercy: This is an entire set of abilities that in mechanical terms just modify Lay on Hands. To encompass most of the Mercy effects, remove Injuries Only, -20% (+6 points), add Restore Limbs, +80% (GURPS Psionic Powers, p. 14) (+24 points), and add Cure Affliction, +60% (GURPS Powers, p. 51) (+18 points).

Channel Positive Energy: See Cleric's Channel Positive Energy.

Aura of Courage: See Aura of Courage (Pyramid #3-19, p. 6).

Aura of Resolve: See Aura of Focus (Pyramid #3-19, p. 8).

Aura of Justice [32 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level]

Weapons wielded by the subjects of this aura, as well as their natural weapons, are enchanted with holiness - they deal 1d follow-up crushing damage, but only when attacking unholy beings (priests of evil deities, undead, evil outsiders, etc.) See the details on how auras work in GURPS Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, pp. 4-5).

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Aura of Justice, +50%; Aura of Power 1, +175%; Divine, -10%) [32]. Additional levels add more Area of Effect (+50%) [+5]. Note: "Aura of Justice" is Crushing Attack 1d (Accessibility, Only against unholy beings, -50%; Divine, +0%; Follow-Up, Universal, +50%) [5].

Aura of Faith [51 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level]

Weapons wielded by the subjects of this aura, as well as their natural weapons, are enchanted with holiness - they ignore DR (Not vs. Good) of some creatures, such as demons, devils, etc., and deal additional damage to creatures with Vulnerability to holy weapons. These weapons gain a shining aura while under this effect. See the details on how auras work in GURPS Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, pp. 4-5).

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Aura of Faith, +240%; Aura of Power 1, +175%; Divine, -10%) [51]. Additional levels add more Area of Effect (+50%) [+5]. Note: "Aura of Faith" is is 24 points, per Enhances or Transforms an Existing Attack (GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery, p. 11).

Aura of Righteousness: See Aura of Warding (Pyramid #3-19, p. 11).

Divine Bond (Weapon): This is Imbue (GURPS Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, p. 4) advantage with the Divine, -10% power modifier (9/18/36 points for levels 1/2/3). Suggested imbuement skills are Annihilating Weapon, Axiomatic Weapon, Burning Strike, Holy Weapon, Incendiary Weapon, Penetrating Strike, Supreme Control. Alternatively, if you are not a fan of imbuements, use the appropriate Weapon Buff spells.

Divine Bond (Special Mount) [16]

The paladin is constantly accompanied by a mount built on 50% of the paladin's point total. The special mount is a supernatural creature with IQ of at least 7. However, it has no obligation to obey all commands of its master and will run away or even attack if treated badly. Treating the mount badly usually violates the dogma anyway.

The paladin can keep the special mount in a remote, safe place and summon it with a Concentrate maneuver. The mount appears in an adjacent hex.

Statistics: Ally (Special Mount; Built on 50%; Constantly; Divine, -10%; Summonable, +100%) [16]. Notes: This is a very mutable ability. Consider increasing or decreasing the point total of the ally, adding the Celestial Creature lens and Magic Resistance.

Divine Bond (Angelic Bond) [42 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level]

The paladin can summon an angelic spirit. When bonded with an angelic spirit, the paladin gains a halo that illuminates the surroundings as a torch. The angelic spirit grants the paladin an aura that protects him and his allies from evil.
Subtract 1 from the skill of any unholy being casting a spell on the protected subject, and add 1 to the subject’s roll to resist any spell that offers a resistance roll.
This only interferes with spells cast directly on the subject. It provides no benefit against Missile spells (which are cast on the wizard’s hand and hurled at the subject), attacks by magic weapons, or information-gathering spells that aren’t cast directly on the subject. It also has no effect on supernatural powers other than magic; e.g., divine miracles, psionics, or the innate powers of spirits.
Angelic Bond can be recognized by any mage who looks at the target’s aura, or by any unholy being who casts a spell on the protected subject.
In addition, subject of this aura, and all of their carried gear, are protected by an invisible field of pure force that repels attacks made by unholy beings. This increases their DR by 2, cumulative with that from actual armor.
See the details on how auras work in GURPS Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, pp. 4-5).

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Angelic Bond, +130%; Aura of Power 1, +175%; Divine, -10%; Link, +10%) [41] + Illumination (Divine, -10%; Link, +10%) [1]. Additional levels add more Area of Effect (+50%) to the Affliction [+5]. Note: "Angelic Bond" is Magic Resistance 1 (Divine, +0%; Improved, +150%; Limited, Spells cast by unholy beings, -40%) [5] + Damage Resistance 2 (Divine, +0%; Force Field, +20%; Limited, Unholy Beings, -40%) [8].

Divine Bond (Archon Bond) [31 points for level 1 + 5 points/additional level]

The paladin can summon an archon spirit. When bonded with an archon spirit, the paladin gains glowing eyes that illuminate the surroundings as a flashlight. The archon spirit grants the paladin an aura that hurts unholy beings.
Unholy creatures within the aura that can see the paladin suffer from moderate pain (p. B428). Resistance roll is based on Will.
See the details on how auras work in GURPS Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, pp. 4-5).

Statistics: Affliction 1 (Will; Aura of Power 1, +175%; Based on Will, +20%; Divine, -10%; Link, +10%; Moderate Pain, +20%; Vision-Based, -20%) [30] + Illumination (Divine, -10%; Link, +10%) [1]. Additional levels add more Area of Effect (+50%) to the Affliction [+5].

Divine Bond (Guardinal/Agathion Bond) [8]

Once per day, the paladin can take a Concentrate maneuver to form a bond with a guardinal/agathion spirit. This grants him a +2 bonus to IQ when using Lay on Hands and Channel Positive Energy for 1 minute.

Statistics: IQ+2 (Accessibility, Only for Lay on Hands and Channel Positive Energy, -60%; Divine, -10%; Limited Use, 1/day, -40%) [8].

Holy Champion [19]

The character gains DR 5 that is ignored by unholy attacks (for example, Unholy Weapon).

Statistics: DR 5 (Divine, -10%; Not vs. Unholy Weapons, -15%) [19].