I mean, what about Pharasma makes her unavailable to Paladins? A Paladin isn't prevented from following a Neutral Deity as long as that deity doesn't work in Evil ways, but more importantly as long as the Paladin himself doesn't do Evil deeds. Pharasma wants her followers to take down the Undead and those who raise them, something Paladins can be rather good at.
Or in this case: A Paladin "of Pharasma" would most likely be a prominent Undead Hunter, out to deal with Necromancy and protect those who risk being harmed by it. They hunt down Undead and Necromancers whenever they find out about them, they give worship on days important to Pharasma's church, they help mothers give birth when they run upon them and they oversee funerals, and all in all they uphold the things important to Pharasma. Other than that, in regards to how much they follow different parts of Pharasma's tenets it's really all up in the air as long as they stay true to the core (Kill the Undead!) and stay Paladin-y.
I guess what I'm asking is: What is it you want to do with it that separates it from an ordinary Paladin or Anti-Paladin?
The Holy Grace - Swashbuckler/Paladin
While most Paladins normally favour a large sword and a tough armour the Holy Grace instead favours speed and manoeuvrability. A healing hand and a scarring blade, the Holy Grace is a giver in more than one way.
The Spellsword - Swashbuckler/Magus(ES)
With a rapier in one hand and a spell in the other, the Spellsword is both an arcane and a martial force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. He may not be the most flexible spellcaster, and neither may he be the strongest of fighters, but combined his quick blade and wit is a glory to behold and a danger to face.
Eldritch Champion - (Anti)Paladin/Magus(ES)
There are many a Paladin who targets the arcane as a source to be dealt with. The Eldritch Champion on the other hand seeks out the Arcane and uses it for her own benefit. Clad in full plate and chanting as she swings, the Eldritch Champion is a prominent spellcaster in her lord's name. Oh my word do I wish I could deliver Touch of Corruption with Spellstrike, but alas...
I've thought of just creating a pantheon of 9 gods, one for each alignment, but I don't know how to best assign the domains, so that idea just sits on the burner.
Well, the best way I've found is to make the Mythology as a whole. Don't just make Deities, figure out What the different Deities do and why. Where did these Deities come from? What do they wish to achieve? And so on and so forth.
I have actually started the same way as you did, wanting to do a "One for Each Alignment" Pantheon. I started by figuring out how I COULD divide them, and in the end settled for two sets of four and a Ninth: One for each Element (Fire, Air, Earth, Water), one for each Alignment (Good, Evil, Law, Chaos), and then the unaligned ninth.
Then I tried to figure out: What other characters besides the Deities do I have in my mythology? I got stuck on a Divine Lion being the literal Sun, and thus I needed someone to tame it to travel across the skies.
But why would they need to tame it if it wasn't hostile, and if it was hostile wouldn't it just burn everyone? Thus I decided that the God of the Sun had to go and tame it.
But why would he just do it? Pride, he was in it to prove to the other deities that HE was the greatest, the best hunter, and the best warrior. He started by wanting to hunt it, but elusive as it was it always got away from him. He carolled all the Animals of the world to one place in order to lure the Divine Lion there and then he waited. When the Lion finally came it was starving, and just desperate for a meal as it neared the Deity, far from the fight Fire-God had expected. So he nurished the Lion back to health, got to know and respect it, and then sent it across the Heavens rather than freely into the world and would bring it food in exchange. Thus Fire-God now had Fire, Sun and War (in the end I also gave him Glory, mostly because of PF Spells like Solar Ray).
And from there I just continued. In the end I had the eight figured out, but was left with the Nine having almost nothing. He became the Ymir of the World, the other gods creating the Material Realm from his Divine Body. He became the Overgod, similar to Ao from Forgotten Realms, technically there in the world around everyone but not responding to Prayers.
If you're gonna go with your Full 9 your big problem will be the fact that there are 33 Domains, which leaves 3 Each and then 6 remaining. But I'd still hint towards figuring out the Lore before the Stats, things tend to go better that way.
As a player when I play a Cleric/Paladin/Religious Character I tend to do like most people: I pick a god I follow and stick to it.
When I play a non-religious character (as in not actually working for the Temple of one of the deities) I tend to pick a 2-3 gods I venerate and give worship to, since that is how Polytheism used to work back in the days.
In my own settings I usually try to have a varied set of gods by dividing Domains according to the Mythology I create. Why and How the gods did something back in the days gives each of them a Domain, and amongst the Major gods I try to have Domains not stack. There are still Lesser Deities who's domains stack with the Greater Deities, but they are usually Racial Deities (one per race).
One thing that tends to remain constant between each setting though is Lux, Goddess of the Sun and the Hunt, along with her animal companion Zun the Golden Lion (I.E. the Sun itself). Some times she might be male, some times she might have a few different Domains, but she's always a Sun and Hunting Deity with a Solar Lion for an Animal Companion.
The White Hand Clan only respect 'people' who ride well. Most of their treaties involve letting them ignore borders.
Yeah, pretty much. If you can prove your worth as One with your Mount you'll have the White Hands' respect. They only plunder when the times are harsh, no point in making enemies when you can survive without it.
Also, they obviously make tributary treaties in addition to the open borders. They won't plunder your settlements if you agree to provide them with some food come winter. In return they'll defend you from other invaders. Quite simple really.
The White Hand Clan, under Jochi the Golden. Where most clans tends to be settled the White Hand Clan more or less lives from the back of their wolves. Some time between Arrival and Now they travelled Eastwards, and came to somewhat assimilate with the local Nomadic tribes. The White Hands just like their Altaic blood brethren now travel the Steppes, following wherever the Land leads them and driving their cattle-like boars before them.
Location: The Eastern Steppes
Leader: Jochi "the Golden"
Totem: Boar
Flag: Black Boar's head on Red banner.
Allies: Different Altaic tribes of the Steppes.
System-wise they'd obviously get a bonus to Ride, Handle Animal and Survival, living off the land on hound-back as they do. Sadly I don't have the "Kobolds of Golarion" book so I don't know how the Clan system really works, but these are my two cents at least.
So when I first looked over the Swashbuckler I, like many people, thought I could apply the Riposte after every Parry and thus have an awesome replacement for AC. Action Economy went and ruined that for me though, thus I went and played a normal Swashbuckler for a while, which is fun. I like it.
Then I got thinking - Couldn't I just make an Archetype which specializes in Parrying? With obvious drawbacks like "If I want to meet an attack I have to be in the way of it"-dumping of AC? So I got to work, and this is what I came up with. Would this be a viable if obvious homebrew, or is it horribly imbalanced in the long run? Criticism is gladly welcomed, since that is why I posted here in the first place.
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Defensive Duellist Mobility/AC -> Parry (AKA the Glass-cannon Build) Most Swashbucklers know that a quick blade can't win a fight alone, that a swift pair of legs and a buckler is as important if not even more so. The Defensive Duellist didn't get the memo. Instead she focuses fully on the blade and all the wonders that come with it. Regular Swashbucklers bring a shield, the Defensive Duellist makes her own.
Riposting Panache (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent attempts a Combat Maneuver against the Defensive Duellist, she can as an immediate action spend 1 panache point to add her Charisma modifier to the CMD roll against it. If the maneuver is successfully defended against it counts as a parry for the sake of the Defensive Parry and Riposte Deed and can thus be riposted against as the Deed describes.
This ability replaces the Dodging Panache deed.
Defensive Parry and Riposte (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent makes a melee attack against the Defensive Duellist, she can attempt to parry that attack if she has at least 1 panache point. The Defensive Duellist makes an attack roll as if she were making an attack of opportunity; for each size category the attacking creature is larger than the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler takes a –2 penalty on this roll. If her result is greater than the attacking creature's result, the creature's attack automatically misses. The swashbuckler must declare the use of this ability after the creature's attack is announced, but before its attack roll is made. Upon performing a successful parry the Defensive Duellist can spend 1 panache point to make an attack of opportunity against the creature whose attack she parried, provided that creature is within her reach. This deed's cost cannot be reduced by any ability or effect that reduces the number of panache points a deed costs.
This ability replaces the Opportunate Parry and Riposte deed.
Deflective Blade: At 3rd level, while the Defensive Duellist has at least 1 panache point, she gains the benefits of the Deflect Arrows feat even if she doesn't meet the prerequisites.
This ability replaces the Kip-Up deed.
Flick of the Wrist (Ex): At 3rd level, a Defensive Duellist gains a +1 bonus to attacks of opportunity and attack rolls using the Defensive Parry and Riposte deed. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels beyond 3rd (to a maximum of +5 at 19th level), and it stacks with the bonus gained from the Swashbuckler's Weapon Training.
This ability replaces Nimble.
Duellist's Stance (Ex): At 7th level, while the Defensive Duellist has at least 1 panache point, she counts as 1 size category larger for the sake of calculating CMD and Defensive Parry and Riposte penalties. This increases to 2 size categories at level 15.
This ability replaces the Swashbuckler's Grace deed and the Dizzying Defense deed.
Race
HP (60/60) AC (21/18/20, +4 Mage Armor, +4 Shield) Saves (14/10/10) CMD (28) Initiative (+0)
Classes/Levels
Lvl 1 (5/5) LoH 1d6 (5/5) SE (1/1)
Special Abilities
Low-Light Vision, Fire Resist (5), Cold Resist (3), immune to fear and disease
Traits
* Campaign - Scholar of the Ancients (You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) checks, and begin play able to speak and read Thassilonian.)
* Race - Blood of Dragons (Low Light Vision)
* Magic - Magical Knack (+2 CL)
* Regional - Ancestral Weapon (Free Silver Sansetsukon and +1 to hit with silver weapons)
AC Bonus
* When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds her Cha bonus (if any) to her AC and CMD.
* These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.
Flurry of Blows
* At 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When making a flurry of blows, the monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus. This additional attack stacks with the bonus attacks from haste and other similar effects. When using this ability, the monk can make these attacks with any combination of his unarmed strikes and weapons that have the monk special weapon quality. He takes no penalty for using multiple weapons when making a flurry of blows, but he does not gain any additional attacks beyond what’s already granted by the flurry for doing so. (He can still gain additional attacks from a high base attack bonus, from this ability, and from haste and similar effects).
Virtuous Bravo Paladin (3):
Aura of Good (Ex)
The power of a paladin’s aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to her paladin level.
Detect Evil (Sp)
At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range.
Bravo’s Smite (Su)
* Smite Evil (Su)
Once per day, a paladin can call out to the powers of good to aid her in her struggle against evil. As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, the paladin adds her Cha bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
* When using smite evil, a virtuous bravo doesn’t gain a deflection bonus to AC.
* The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability.
* This ability alters smite evil.
Lay On Hands (Su)
* Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 her paladin level plus her Charisma modifier. With one use of this ability, a paladin can heal 1d6 hit points of damage for every two paladin levels she possesses. Using this ability is a standard action, unless the paladin targets herself, in which case it is a swift action. Despite the name of this ability, a paladin only needs one free hand to use this ability.
* Alternatively, a paladin can use this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures, dealing 1d6 points of damage for every two levels the paladin possesses. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Undead do not receive a saving throw against this damage.
Nimble (Ex)
* At 3rd level, a virtuous bravo gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC while wearing light armor or no armor.
* Anything that causes the virtuous bravo to lose her Dexterity bonus to AC also causes her to lose this dodge bonus. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 paladin levels beyond 3rd (to a maximum of +5 at 19th level).
* This ability replaces mercy.
Aura of Courage (Su)
At 3rd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions only while the paladin is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead
Divine Health (Ex)
At 3rd level, a paladin is immune to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases, including mummy rot.
Sorcerer (1) Dragon Disciple (2):
Blood of Dragons
A dragon disciple adds his level to his sorcerer levels when determining the powers gained from his bloodline. If the dragon disciple does not have levels of sorcerer, he instead gains bloodline powers of the draconic bloodline, using his dragon disciple level as his sorcerer level to determine the bonuses gained. He must choose a dragon type upon gaining his first level in this class and that type must be the same as his sorcerer type. This ability does not grant bonus spells to a sorcerer unless he possesses spell slots of an appropriate level. Such bonus spells are automatically granted if the sorcerer gains spell slots of the spell’s level.
Natural Armor Increase (Ex)
As his skin thickens, a dragon disciple takes on more and more of his progenitor’s physical aspect. At 1st, 4th, and 7th level, a dragon disciple gains an increase to the character’s existing natural armor (if any), as indicated on Table: Dragon Disciple. These armor bonuses stack.
Bloodline Feat
Upon reaching 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter, a dragon disciple receives one bonus feat, chosen from the draconic bloodline’s bonus feat list.
Dragon Bite (Ex)
At 2nd level, whenever the dragon disciple uses his bloodline to grow claws, he also gains a bite attack. This is a primary natural attack that deals 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if the dragon disciple is Small), plus 1–1/2 times the dragon disciple’s Strength modifier. Upon reaching 6th level, this bite also deals 1d6 points of energy damage. The type of damage dealt is determined by the dragon disciple’s bloodline.
Sorcerer Gold Draconic Bloodline (1)
Claws (Su): Starting at 1st level, you can grow claws as a free action. These claws are treated as natural weapons, allowing you to make two claw attacks as a full attack action using your full base attack bonus. Each of these attacks deals 1d4 points of damage plus your Strength modifier (1d3 if you are Small). At 5th level, these claws are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR. At 7th level, the damage increases by one step to 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if you are Small). At 11th level, these claws deal an additional 1d6 points of damage of your energy type on a successful hit. You can use your claws for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
Dragon Resistances (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain resist 5 against your energy type and a +1 natural armor bonus. At 9th level, your energy resistance increases to 10 and natural armor bonus increases to +2. At 15th level, your natural armor bonus increases to +4.
Breath Weapon (Su): At 9th level, you gain a breath weapon. This breath weapon deals 1d6 points of damage of your energy type per sorcerer level. Those caught in the area of the breath receive a Reflex save for half damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier. The shape of the breath weapon depends on your dragon type (as indicated on the above chart). At 9th level, you can use this ability once per day. At 17th level, you can use this ability twice per day. At 20th level, you can use this ability three times per day.
Galessa is a native of Sandpoint, born and raised in the town. Her family had fled to the city from Cheliax when House Thrune defeated King Gaspodar and took control of the Empire. Her family had been loyalists to the throne. Moreso, they had been devout followers of Aroden, and after his vanishing, Iomodae. When their native country fell into the worship of Devils, with the Church of Asmodeus becoming the official state religion, the family knew that they had to leave.
Sandpoint proved to be a safe haven. As the 'Light of the Lost Coast', the town was nearly evenly divided between those of both Varisian and Chelaxian descent. It was a quiet place to raise a family and to worship one's faith in peace. And it was there that Gaelessa grew up, raised on tales of her family's history, lost glory and forlorn heroism. She is but one of many in her house who has walked the path of Iomodae. Of Galessa, she is quite notably marked as having more than a trace of dragon blood, something not altogether uncommon in her family. When a child is born with bronze colored eyes, such as Gaelssa, and displays some sorcerous power, it is explained as being a blessing from Peace Through Vigilance a draconic servant of their goddess. Whether there is any truth to this is anyone's guess.
In this, she has proven to be a true heir of her house. From her bronze eyes, sharp features, intimidating size and budding sorcerous powers, her very being is proof that she is blessed by Peace Through Vigilance. In an attempt to fulfill her desire to live up to these tales, she first joined the Sandpoint Militia, and then took a full time position at the Sandpoint Garrison under Sheriff Belor Hemlock. It was only when the recent trauma facing Sandpoint erupted that she put in his resignation, so that he could follow the trail out of town as needed.
Appearance and Personality
Galessa would be, in the eyes of most, quite attractive. That is, if she were not so intimidating. Standing over six feet tall, and being far more muscular than most men who would consider themselves to be large, it is easy to see why many would feel wary around her. But she has never let stares or rude comments get her down. She is convinced that she walks the path of her Goddess and that it is her duty and birthright to live up to those ideals. While not an ordained paladin, she is nonetheless a holy warrior, and is always hoping to have the opportunity to live up to the ideas of the Inheritor.
While her life is, of course, dedicated to her goddess, Galessa's personal passion is in studying history. This began with fascination with her own family's history, and her efforts to trace it back as far as she could, and spiraled from there into a love of learning in general. Especially into ancient Thassilon and lost empires in general. Given her size and personality, it would be easy to dismiss her as a 'dumb fighter' or a 'meat shield.' And while she could easily fit that role, she would be the first to say that judging a person by their looks does a disservice to all.
