ok i need some advice. usually i run home games akin to pfs rules and i am trying to step out and let the players have more fun. i am currently running a carrion crown game online and i have a player whos playing a sacred shield paladin.
now he is big into ravenloft and with this campaign he wants to replace arua of courage with something else so that since this is a horror campaign, he and his allies will still feel fear (supernatural or otherwise). im allowing it and trying to figure out some alternatives o replace it before next game.
i would like something that would fit his characters concept. his backstory is hes part of the shining crusade and worships the deity milani (yes i know its CG but im allowing it because it fits the charcater style and beliefs).
so what would be soemthing that would fit something gained at lvl 3 and fit that backstory?
tyvm in advance
Several archetypes replace Aura of Courage. If there's any of those archetypes that has a feature your paladin likes, see if he can apply them retroactively.
My new favorite is the Holy Tactician from Advanced class guide, which essentially replaces Aura of Courage with the Tactician ability from Cavalier.
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Holy Tactician is good, but it's not compatible with the Sacred Shield archetype and Battlefield Presence alone is not much fun. I'm assuming you're making a quick homebrew replacement since you said you want to step out of PFS rules.
I would suggest Aura of Purity from Oath Against Corruption, but changed to target undead:
At 3rd level, you gain a +4 sacred bonus on saves against spells and effects from creatures of the aberration (undead) type. Allies within 10 feet gain a +1 sacred bonus on these saves. This ability functions only while the paladin is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead.
Alternatively, despite being gained at a higher level the 8th level Protection domain power looks like a fair trade (and it's one of Milani's domains):
At 8th level, you can emit a 30-foot aura of protection for a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level. You and your allies within this aura gain a +1 deflection bonus to AC and resistance 5 against all elements (acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic). The deflection bonus increases by +1 for every four cleric levels you possess beyond 8th. At 14th level, the resistance against all elements increases to 10. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.
I'd suggest adapting the progression slightly so that it grants +1 AC only at level 3, +1 AC and energy resist 5 and level 6, and increases the AC bonus by +1 every 5 levels after 3 instead of every 4 levels after 8. I do not think this is too powerful because it only works rounds per day, while Aura of Courage is constant, and while this is more generally useful Aura of Courage grants stronger protection (+4 to allies and full fear immunity to the paladin). Also deflection bonuses are fairly common so this won't stack with things like Rings of Protection and Protection from Evil.
First-level liberation domain power also would work but Protection seemed more appropriate for a Sacred Shield paladin and it's also an aura so thematically consistent.
Tactician would be an extremely powerful ability to trade out for Aura of Courage.
Perhaps you could replace it with the protective aura feature of the Protection Domain, or Abjuration Wizard.
Or perhaps swap Aura of Courage and Aura of Faith, given the crusader background. Normally Aura of Faith is a quite powerful ability, but it shouldn't have that strong an effect in the early parts of Carrion Crown.
mmmmm yeah i was looking at using the domains for something but i like the tweeking of the 8th lvl protection power. i was thinking either that or give him the fighter's armor training.