Need some advice on a race/feat/or PrC for my paladin [Archive] - Wizards Community

Need some advice on a race/feat/or PrC for my paladin [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Save-vs-DM
09-14-05, 07:27 AM First some background before the question, so you can better understand my character.

The Origins of the House of Gwydyon

Long ago when Oerth was still young there walked a man by the name of Gwydyon. He was said to be bold of arm and true of heart, never refusing to aid those who held need of his great strength and virtue. He walked the earth clad in armor, ever ready to bring his strength to bear against the most evil of creatures. He was regarded far and as a true hero to the people, lending his strength so that others might live a better life.
So it came to pass that Gwydyon was riding out among a small village when he spied in the air the shadow of a great wyrm. It breathed fire upon the land and tore asunder the fields with his ancient power. The villagers huddled in fear and ran for their huts, fearful that the great wyrm would swallow them up.
Undaunted, Gwydyon called out his challenged to the wyrm, holding his simple blade aloft for the beast to admire. He readied himself and shouted his challenge once again, waiting to be acknowledged by the great beast. The great wyrm hissed in anger and reared back, spewing forth great gouts of flame as Gwydyon held his ground.
His armor heated greatly, nearly burning Gwydyon, but so strong was his determination that he did not fall. He rushed forward brandishing his sword, thrusting the blade deep into the belly of the grey wyrm. The wyrm roared in pain and annoyance, flapping his wings to avoid the fierce warrior. The dragon lifted himself from the ground as Gwydyon smote him again in righteous anger, defending the villagers.
It was then that Gwydyon realized that try as he might, he could not slay the great beast. He called out for aid from whatever divine powers might be listening, promising them worship in return for aid. He struck again as his pleas rang out over the battlefield, hoping to wound the wyrm enough to drive it off.
His pleas did not fall on deaf ears. Heironeous, god of valor, had been watching Gwydyon for many years and now felt it fitting to send his aid to the warrior in return for his devotion. He sent down a mighty Solar to do battle with the beast. Gwydyon looked on in wonder as the Solar struck at the wyrm, dealing it a nearly mortal blow. Gwydyon let out another cry and joined the fray, smiting the wyrm with all his strength. Gwydyon dealt the dragon a mortal blow, yet the dragon lashed out with the last of his strength and gravely wounded Gwydyon.
Gwydyon sat dying beside the fell wyrm, his life seeping out of him. The Solar knelt beside Gwydyon and offered to him some of her power in return for his service. Gwydyon swore oaths upon that day that he and his descendants would hold fealty and service to Heironeous, God of Valor. The Solar reached down and cupped his head, breathing into him some of her divine power, a gift from Heironeous.
From that day forward Gwydyon was said to be blessed by Heironeous. He could do no evil and his power increased with each passing day. He took up the mantle of holy warrior and did many good deeds in the name of Heironeous. In time he took a devout wife and fathered several children. As he had promised, the first of his children took up the mantle of Heironeous, each devoting themselves in what way was best.
So it has been from the dawn of the House of Gwydyon to this very day. The first born of each generation devote themselves to Heironeous, the god who gave them the seat of their power. Some whisper that the divine blood of Gwydyon still remains within the family, sparking to life with each successive generation who devote themselves to the God of Valor.

The Story of Cadoc of house Gwydyon

Cadoc was born the first son of Lord Cyrdwyn of house Gwydyon, a strong and noble paladin of Heironeous. Upon his birth he was marked for service to his god, for he was born with a birthmark shaped much like the holy symbol of Heironeous. Form his earliest days he showed a great deal of compassion and a desire to do good in the world.
Cadoc’s mother taught him of the lore of Heironeous, being a priest of the god herself. She told him no tales of fairies at bedtime but tales of Heironeous and the glorious deeds of the faithful. His toys were not tops but wooden blades dedicated to the god of valor and battle.
IN time Cadoc grew from a young boy into a young man. It was then that his training began in earnest. He showed a great deal of aptitude for the path of a paladin. While he was blessed with wisdom he was stronger and more faithful than he was adept at weaving divine magic. He trained night and day with his father, learning the art of the blade during the day and the scriptures of Heironeous at night.
He was sent out into the village to help those who could not help themselves. Never once was he to ask for something in return, and to his credit he obeyed the wishes of his father and his deity. He learned to be humble from the others and the value of an honest days work.
Cadoc soaked up everything he could like dry ground soaks up the rain. He was eager and willing to make a difference in the world, both from his own good heart and from the training he had received. By the time he was pronounced a man by his father, he was ready to take upon himself the duties of a paladin of Heironeous.
When he asked his father about where his path would begin, his father simply told him to ask Heironeous, for only the God of Valor could show him his path. Cadoc looked within himself and prayed to his god, receiving and answer that to do the work of his god he would have to venture forth into the world. Though the villagers offered him gifts for his long years of help, he took very little, only a simple sword and shield and an old chain shirt offered by the town guardsmen. He gathered up a few small supplies and started out into the world to do the work of his god.

So, I'm playing a Paladin of Heironeous. The trouble is, I want to give him a spark of divinity. We're starting at level 1, so no level adjustments, of course.

What I need is a +0 LA race that is very close to human but has a tiny spark of divinity. Failing a perfect fit, I'm more than willing to use a feat or two or even a prestige class to give me the feel.

Bascially what I want my character to do is unlock more of his divine heritage as his faith in his god grows stronger. While the paladin abilities are very good for this, I need just a little bit extra. I kind of want him to stand a bit apart from the standard paladin if I can do it.

Caveats:
Can't use the Aasimar. Even the savage progression version on the WotC site (this was my first thought all the way)
This is set in greyhawk, so stuff speciific to other worlds might not fly over very well, if at all.
I'd like this guy to stay as close to human as possible.
I don't really need killing power and am fine with using flavor text to dress things up.
Book of Exalted Deeds (even though fitting) is out. I don't own the book.

Okay, that's kind of a lot to work with. I'm really open to anything to get the feel I need. A prestige class, a couple of feats or a race. So long as it makes sense and fits this character. I just want to give him a little extra spark.

A major bonus would be something that I could eventually get celestial wings with. I'd also like to somehow net low-light or darkvision, as this guy is pretty big on guardian the rest of the group while they sleep.

Here are my current ideas I have.
1. Using the celestial bloodline (intermediate, probably) from Unearthed Arcana. This might end up being the best fit, but I /hate/ those dummy levels and they're too high on crunch with very little fluff I want.
2. Divine Crusader from the Complete Divine. This is a pretty poor match, honestly. But it does give me a few things.

What I'm probably really looking for is a prestige class like the Dragon Disciple, only for the Celestial Template. I've looked over and thought about making it myself, but I think the template is just a bit too strong.

Also, I would abandon Paladin *if* I found a similar class that would work for this concept.

Thanks a bunch for your help!
Cheers,
Save vs DM
Oulak
09-14-05, 05:30 PM I created an Aasimar paladin that I'm just itching to use. I haven't checked out the savage progression of the Aasimar yet, but the LA+1 seems worth it for my character because of the feats that it opens the way to.

These feats are all from the Races of Faerun, but I would think they would be allowed anywhere because Aasimar are from Planescape and reach into pretty much every world.

There is a feat that changes the Light to Daylight (although I beleive this was patched up in Races of Destiny) AND lets you do it 3 times a day. Another feat lets you substitute a certain spell for a use of your daily light spell, while another allows you to grow celestial wings. These feats are the basis for my character.

This paladin's grandsire is a Planetar, and this heritage shows through with emerald skin. Once he gets further along in his feats, he's going to shave his head and replace his longsword and shield with a greatsword. Basically, he'll end up looking like a miniature Planetar.

Sorry for the distracted post (I'm at work), but I find the LA+1 is a small price to pay for the depth and coolness factor of this character. Take a look at the RoF and check out the feats available to Aasimar and you night agree. I guess the biggest concern would be how strict the DM is on letting "other campaign races" be available in his campaign.
Save-vs-DM
09-14-05, 10:20 PM I created an Aasimar paladin that I'm just itching to use. I haven't checked out the savage progression of the Aasimar yet, but the LA+1 seems worth it for my character because of the feats that it opens the way to.

These feats are all from the Races of Faerun, but I would think they would be allowed anywhere because Aasimar are from Planescape and reach into pretty much every world.

There is a feat that changes the Light to Daylight (although I beleive this was patched up in Races of Destiny) AND lets you do it 3 times a day. Another feat lets you substitute a certain spell for a use of your daily light spell, while another allows you to grow celestial wings. These feats are the basis for my character.

This paladin's grandsire is a Planetar, and this heritage shows through with emerald skin. Once he gets further along in his feats, he's going to shave his head and replace his longsword and shield with a greatsword. Basically, he'll end up looking like a miniature Planetar.

Sorry for the distracted post (I'm at work), but I find the LA+1 is a small price to pay for the depth and coolness factor of this character. Take a look at the RoF and check out the feats available to Aasimar and you night agree. I guess the biggest concern would be how strict the DM is on letting "other campaign races" be available in his campaign.

These sound just perfect!
I'll have to see if I can't use the savage progression Aasimar.

Man, I hope this goes through, it's too cool not to use.

Cheers,
Save vs DM

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Save-vs-DM 09-14-05, 07:27 AM	First some background before the question, so you can better understand my character. The Origins of the House of Gwydyon Long ago when Oerth was still young there walked a man by the name of Gwydyon. He was said to be bold of arm and true of heart, never refusing to aid those who held need of his great strength and virtue. He walked the earth clad in armor, ever ready to bring his strength to bear against the most evil of creatures. He was regarded far and as a true hero to the people, lending his strength so that others might live a better life. So it came to pass that Gwydyon was riding out among a small village when he spied in the air the shadow of a great wyrm. It breathed fire upon the land and tore asunder the fields with his ancient power. The villagers huddled in fear and ran for their huts, fearful that the great wyrm would swallow them up. Undaunted, Gwydyon called out his challenged to the wyrm, holding his simple blade aloft for the beast to admire. He readied himself and shouted his challenge once again, waiting to be acknowledged by the great beast. The great wyrm hissed in anger and reared back, spewing forth great gouts of flame as Gwydyon held his ground. His armor heated greatly, nearly burning Gwydyon, but so strong was his determination that he did not fall. He rushed forward brandishing his sword, thrusting the blade deep into the belly of the grey wyrm. The wyrm roared in pain and annoyance, flapping his wings to avoid the fierce warrior. The dragon lifted himself from the ground as Gwydyon smote him again in righteous anger, defending the villagers. It was then that Gwydyon realized that try as he might, he could not slay the great beast. He called out for aid from whatever divine powers might be listening, promising them worship in return for aid. He struck again as his pleas rang out over the battlefield, hoping to wound the wyrm enough to drive it off. His pleas did not fall on deaf ears. Heironeous, god of valor, had been watching Gwydyon for many years and now felt it fitting to send his aid to the warrior in return for his devotion. He sent down a mighty Solar to do battle with the beast. Gwydyon looked on in wonder as the Solar struck at the wyrm, dealing it a nearly mortal blow. Gwydyon let out another cry and joined the fray, smiting the wyrm with all his strength. Gwydyon dealt the dragon a mortal blow, yet the dragon lashed out with the last of his strength and gravely wounded Gwydyon. Gwydyon sat dying beside the fell wyrm, his life seeping out of him. The Solar knelt beside Gwydyon and offered to him some of her power in return for his service. Gwydyon swore oaths upon that day that he and his descendants would hold fealty and service to Heironeous, God of Valor. The Solar reached down and cupped his head, breathing into him some of her divine power, a gift from Heironeous. From that day forward Gwydyon was said to be blessed by Heironeous. He could do no evil and his power increased with each passing day. He took up the mantle of holy warrior and did many good deeds in the name of Heironeous. In time he took a devout wife and fathered several children. As he had promised, the first of his children took up the mantle of Heironeous, each devoting themselves in what way was best. So it has been from the dawn of the House of Gwydyon to this very day. The first born of each generation devote themselves to Heironeous, the god who gave them the seat of their power. Some whisper that the divine blood of Gwydyon still remains within the family, sparking to life with each successive generation who devote themselves to the God of Valor. The Story of Cadoc of house Gwydyon Cadoc was born the first son of Lord Cyrdwyn of house Gwydyon, a strong and noble paladin of Heironeous. Upon his birth he was marked for service to his god, for he was born with a birthmark shaped much like the holy symbol of Heironeous. Form his earliest days he showed a great deal of compassion and a desire to do good in the world. Cadoc’s mother taught him of the lore of Heironeous, being a priest of the god herself. She told him no tales of fairies at bedtime but tales of Heironeous and the glorious deeds of the faithful. His toys were not tops but wooden blades dedicated to the god of valor and battle. IN time Cadoc grew from a young boy into a young man. It was then that his training began in earnest. He showed a great deal of aptitude for the path of a paladin. While he was blessed with wisdom he was stronger and more faithful than he was adept at weaving divine magic. He trained night and day with his father, learning the art of the blade during the day and the scriptures of Heironeous at night. He was sent out into the village to help those who could not help themselves. Never once was he to ask for something in return, and to his credit he obeyed the wishes of his father and his deity. He learned to be humble from the others and the value of an honest days work. Cadoc soaked up everything he could like dry ground soaks up the rain. He was eager and willing to make a difference in the world, both from his own good heart and from the training he had received. By the time he was pronounced a man by his father, he was ready to take upon himself the duties of a paladin of Heironeous. When he asked his father about where his path would begin, his father simply told him to ask Heironeous, for only the God of Valor could show him his path. Cadoc looked within himself and prayed to his god, receiving and answer that to do the work of his god he would have to venture forth into the world. Though the villagers offered him gifts for his long years of help, he took very little, only a simple sword and shield and an old chain shirt offered by the town guardsmen. He gathered up a few small supplies and started out into the world to do the work of his god. So, I'm playing a Paladin of Heironeous. The trouble is, I want to give him a spark of divinity. We're starting at level 1, so no level adjustments, of course. What I need is a +0 LA race that is very close to human but has a tiny spark of divinity. Failing a perfect fit, I'm more than willing to use a feat or two or even a prestige class to give me the feel. Bascially what I want my character to do is unlock more of his divine heritage as his faith in his god grows stronger. While the paladin abilities are very good for this, I need just a little bit extra. I kind of want him to stand a bit apart from the standard paladin if I can do it. Caveats: Can't use the Aasimar. Even the savage progression version on the WotC site (this was my first thought all the way) This is set in greyhawk, so stuff speciific to other worlds might not fly over very well, if at all. I'd like this guy to stay as close to human as possible. I don't really need killing power and am fine with using flavor text to dress things up. Book of Exalted Deeds (even though fitting) is out. I don't own the book. Okay, that's kind of a lot to work with. I'm really open to anything to get the feel I need. A prestige class, a couple of feats or a race. So long as it makes sense and fits this character. I just want to give him a little extra spark. A major bonus would be something that I could eventually get celestial wings with. I'd also like to somehow net low-light or darkvision, as this guy is pretty big on guardian the rest of the group while they sleep. Here are my current ideas I have. 1. Using the celestial bloodline (intermediate, probably) from Unearthed Arcana. This might end up being the best fit, but I /hate/ those dummy levels and they're too high on crunch with very little fluff I want. 2. Divine Crusader from the Complete Divine. This is a pretty poor match, honestly. But it does give me a few things. What I'm probably really looking for is a prestige class like the Dragon Disciple, only for the Celestial Template. I've looked over and thought about making it myself, but I think the template is just a bit too strong. Also, I would abandon Paladin if I found a similar class that would work for this concept. Thanks a bunch for your help! Cheers, Save vs DM
Oulak 09-14-05, 05:30 PM	I created an Aasimar paladin that I'm just itching to use. I haven't checked out the savage progression of the Aasimar yet, but the LA+1 seems worth it for my character because of the feats that it opens the way to. These feats are all from the Races of Faerun, but I would think they would be allowed anywhere because Aasimar are from Planescape and reach into pretty much every world. There is a feat that changes the Light to Daylight (although I beleive this was patched up in Races of Destiny) AND lets you do it 3 times a day. Another feat lets you substitute a certain spell for a use of your daily light spell, while another allows you to grow celestial wings. These feats are the basis for my character. This paladin's grandsire is a Planetar, and this heritage shows through with emerald skin. Once he gets further along in his feats, he's going to shave his head and replace his longsword and shield with a greatsword. Basically, he'll end up looking like a miniature Planetar. Sorry for the distracted post (I'm at work), but I find the LA+1 is a small price to pay for the depth and coolness factor of this character. Take a look at the RoF and check out the feats available to Aasimar and you night agree. I guess the biggest concern would be how strict the DM is on letting "other campaign races" be available in his campaign.
Save-vs-DM 09-14-05, 10:20 PM	I created an Aasimar paladin that I'm just itching to use. I haven't checked out the savage progression of the Aasimar yet, but the LA+1 seems worth it for my character because of the feats that it opens the way to. These feats are all from the Races of Faerun, but I would think they would be allowed anywhere because Aasimar are from Planescape and reach into pretty much every world. There is a feat that changes the Light to Daylight (although I beleive this was patched up in Races of Destiny) AND lets you do it 3 times a day. Another feat lets you substitute a certain spell for a use of your daily light spell, while another allows you to grow celestial wings. These feats are the basis for my character. This paladin's grandsire is a Planetar, and this heritage shows through with emerald skin. Once he gets further along in his feats, he's going to shave his head and replace his longsword and shield with a greatsword. Basically, he'll end up looking like a miniature Planetar. Sorry for the distracted post (I'm at work), but I find the LA+1 is a small price to pay for the depth and coolness factor of this character. Take a look at the RoF and check out the feats available to Aasimar and you night agree. I guess the biggest concern would be how strict the DM is on letting "other campaign races" be available in his campaign. These sound just perfect! I'll have to see if I can't use the savage progression Aasimar. Man, I hope this goes through, it's too cool not to use. Cheers, Save vs DM