Class Change: Holy Warrior Paladin Variant

 This is the paladin variant from EMM&M, merged with core concepts, slightly tweaked. --- Paladin Variant : Holy Warrior ---

Some paladins choose to wield the Light as a weapon directly against the forces of undead and demonic corruption. These paladins give up spellcasting entirely in order to focus on their combat skills, in order to take on the role as a steadfast champion to protect others directly in harm's way, or to deliver monstrous blows against undead and demons that would make others awestruck from his righteous fury. These powerful warriors wade through enemies, especially the Scourge and the Legion.

Holy Warrior alterations:

Holy warriors do not gain the ability to cast spells, and are not required to carry their librams with them (though many still do). Furthermore, they lose the lay on hands special ability. Instead, they gain the following class features at the indicated levels:

• 1st Level — Power of the Light: The holy warrior’s base attack bonus progression changes to “good.” That is, his paladin base attack bonus is equal to his paladin level, just as a warrior’s base attack bonus is equal to his warrior level. The holy warrior gains iterative attacks when his base attack bonus equals +6, +11, and +16, as normal.

• 1st Level — Smite (Su): Beginning at 1st level, a holy warrior may perform a smite once per day as a priest equal to his paladin level. This ability functions as a priest’s smite ability, save that the paladin need not expend turning attempts. At 5th level, and every fifth level thereafter, the holy warrior may perform an additional smite (2 smites at 5th level, 3 smites at 10th level, 4 smites at 15th level, and 5 smites at 20th level). The extra damage inflicted is always considered holy damage, and does not double on a critical.

• 10th level — Crusader Strike (Su): At 10th level, the holy warrior may expend two smite attempts to automatically deal a critical hit upon a successful attack, in addition to the standard smite benefits. The holy warrior must declare use of this ability before the attack is rolled, and if the attack misses, the smite attempts are still expended.

• 15th level — Banishing Strike (Su): Once per day, the holy warrior may declare a banishing strike against an undead or demon with a normal melee attack. On a successful hit, the target must make a Will save (DC 10 + paladin’s level + paladin’s spirit modifier) or be banished instantly from the world to the far unknown reaches of the Twisting Nether. If the holy warrior misses with her banishing strike, the strike has no effect but is still used up for that day. If the holy warrior has more than one class that grants banishing strike (Such as Argent Dawn Templar), then for the purposes of determining the DC, it is 10 + both the paladin's level and the other class level together that possesses the same ability + the character's spirit modifier. In addition, the number of uses per day for this ability will stack with other classes that grant this feature.

• 15th and 20th level — Bonus Feat: At 15th and 20th level, the holy warrior may choose the following bonus feats, though he must still meet the prerequisites for some of them : (Extra Smiting, Extra Turning, Improved Turning, Empower Smite, Spellbreaker, Feedback, Parry Spell, Reflective Shield, Holy Valor, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will).