Appendix: Original AD&D Game Paladin
Class Description
A paladin character is a fighter sub-class, but unlike normal fighters, all paladins must begin as lawful good in alignment and always remain lawful good or absolutely lose all of the special powers given them. They have both fighting abilities and limited spell powers (at high levels). To become a paladin, a character must be human, have a Strength score of at least 12, Intelligence of at least 9, Wisdom of at least 13, Constitution of at least 9, and Charisma of at least 17. If a paladin has both Strength and Wisdom in excess of 15, he or she adds 10% to the experience points awarded by the DM.
Law and good deeds are the meat and drink of paladins. If they ever knowingly perform an act which is chaotic in nature, they must seek a high-level (7th or above) cleric of lawful good alignment, confess the sin, and do penance as prescribed by the cleric. If a paladin should ever knowingly and willingly perform an evil act, he or she loses the status of paladinhood immediately and irrevocably. All benefits are then lost, and no deed or magic can restore the character to paladinhood. He or she is forever after a fighter.
Table 30 shows the experience points needed for each level, along with the associated titles. Table 31 lists the number of attacks per round a paladin can make at various levels.
|
Level |
XP Needed |
Hit Dice (d10) |
Level Title |
|
1 |
0 |
1 |
Gallant |
|
2 |
2,751 |
2 |
Keeper |
|
3 |
5,501 |
3 |
Protector |
|
4 |
12,001 |
4 |
Defender |
|
5 |
24,001 |
5 |
Warder |
|
6 |
45,001 |
6 |
Guardian |
|
7 |
95,001 |
7 |
Chevalier |
|
8 |
175,001 |
8 |
Justiciar |
|
9* |
350,001 |
9 |
Paladin |
|
10 |
700,001 |
9+3 |
Paladin |
|
|
(10th level) |
||
|
11** |
1,050,001 |
9+6 |
Paladin |
|
|
(11th level) |
* Paladins gain 3 hit points per level after the 10th.
** 350,000 experience points per level for each additional level above 11th.
|
Level |
Attacks/Round* |
|
|
1-6 |
1/1 round |
|
|
7-12 |
3/2 rounds |
|
|
13+ |
2/1 round |
* This applies to any thrusting or striking weapon. It excludes melee combat with monsters of less than one hit die (d8) and unexceptional (0-level) humans and semi-humans—i.e., all creatures with less than one eight-sided hit die. All of these creatures entitle a fighter to attack once for each of his or her experience levels.
Special Benefits
A paladin can detect evil at up to 60 feet distant, as often as desired, but only when he is concentrating on determining the presence of evil and seeking to detect it in the right general direction.
A paladin makes all saving throws with a +2 bonus.
A paladin has immunity to all forms of disease.
By laying on hands, a paladin can heal wounds on himself or another character. This ability heals 2 points of damage per level of experience the paladin has obtained. Laying on hands can performed once per day.
A paladin can cure diseases of any sort. This can be done once per week for each five levels of experience the paladin has attained, i.e. at levels 1-5 one disease per week, at levels 6-10 two diseases, at levels 11-15 three diseases, etc.
Protection from evil continually emanates in a 10-foot radius around the paladin.
At 3rd level, the paladin gains the power to affect undead and devils and demons as if he were a 1st-level cleric. This power goes upwards with each level of experience the paladin gains; so at 4th level the effect is that of a 2nd-level cleric, at 5th it is that of a 3rd-level cleric, etc.
At 4th level, or at any time thereafter, the paladin may call for his war horse. This creature is an intelligent heavy war horse, with 5+5 hit dice (5d8 plus 5 hit points), AC 5, and the speed of a medium war horse (18"). It will magically appear, but only one such animal is available every 10 years. If the first is lost, the paladin must wait until the end of the period for another.
If a paladin has a "holy sword" (a special magical sword which your referee is aware of and will explain if the opportunity arises), he or she projects a circle of power 10 feet in diameter when the weapon is unsheathed and held. This power dispels magic at the level of magic use equal to the experience level of the paladin.
At 9th level paladins gain the ability to employ cleric spells (see Table 32). They many never use scrolls of spells, however, except those normally usable by fighters.
Table 32: Spell Progression (1st Edition)
|
Paladin |
Clerical Spell Level |
|
Level |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
|
9 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
10 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
11 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
|
12 |
2 |
2 |
- |
- |
|
|
13 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
|
14 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
|
15 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
16 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
17 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
18 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
19 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
20* |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
* Maximum spell ability
Special Restrictions
A paladin may never retain more than 10 magical items. These may never exceed one suit of armor, one shield, four weapons (including daggers, swords, etc.; such items as magical bows and arrows are considered one weapon), and four miscellaneous items.
A paladin will never retain wealth, keeping only sufficient treasures to support himself in a modest manner, pay henchmen, men-at-arms, and servitors, and to construct or maintain a small castle. Excess wealth is given away.
An immediate tithe (10%) of all income—treasure, wages, or whatever—must be given to a charitable religious institution (not a clerical player character) of lawful good alignment selected by the paladin.
A paladin will have henchmen of lawful good alignment and none other. He will associate only with characters and creatures of good alignment. A paladin may join a company of adventurers that contains non-evil neutrals only on a single expedition basis, and only if some end which will further the cause of good is undertaken.
If possible, a paladin takes service or form an alliance with lawful good characters, whether player characters or not, who are clerics or fighters of noble status.
A paladin does not attract a body of men-at-arms to service as do regular fighters.