Paladin suggestions

[Infiltraitor]

Paladins

Pro:
Smite Evil: Does an extra 300 damage every 90 seconds. About 3 DPS.
Lay-on-Hands: Can heal for 300 hit points up to 4 times per rest.
Divine Grace: Grants up to 10 to all saves.
Aura of Good: Grants up to 6 AC.
Zeal: Gains 10% doublestrike
Divine Favor: Gains +3 attack bonus and +3 damage.
Unyielding Sovereignty: Can heal to full once every 10 minutes.
Divine Might: Grants +8 damage (but uses up Turn Undeads, which you need for Divine Righteousness)


Con:
Must constantly recast buffs
Very low SP to cast said buffs

A paladin is essentially a weaker fighter.
10% Doublestrike buff vs 10% Doublestrike forever
+3 hit and +3 damage buffs vs +3 hit and + 6 damage forever
5 Divine Might vs 5 Fighter Attack Speed Boosts 30%
Lay-On-Hands vs UMD Heal Scrolls
6 AC vs 3 Max Dex Bonus + 3 Stalwart Defender AC
+10 to all saves vs more Strength!!!

So the fixes:
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Remove Divine Light and Divine Sacrifice. These abilities are terrible AND also use up very valuable non-resplenishing resources.

Smite evil is the Paladin's signature ability.
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It needs to:
Regenerate at 1 per 12 seconds.
Hit any alignment
Ignore Fortification

This turns Paladins into a boss-killer, which is a niche the Paladin can occupy without giving him boatloads of DPS. A 300 damage smite every 12 seconds will equal an extra 30 DPS. This also gives the Paladin something to do besides autoattack.



Holy Avenger
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Holy Avengers are the Paladin's signature weapon.
It needs to:
Be available in each of the racial weapons and Paladin Follower of the X weapons.
Break DR.
Have Paladin bonuses
Be individual specific

The Paladin never puts down his Holy Avenger. It is very much a part of him. It NEEDS to be good enough to warrant use. It also needs to become more powerful in the hands of pure paladins.



Suggested Holy Avengers:

Cannith Holy Avenger
Bound to Character on Acquire
Magic Level: 0
Type: Longsword / Greatsword / Scimitar / Shortsword / Longbow / Rapier / Falchion / Dwarven Axe (Because non-humans can be Paladins too)
Critical Roll: Normal for that weapon
Attack: Strength
Damage: Strength
Enhancement Bonus equal to half your paladin level when wielded in your main hand (idea stolen from aerendhil)
Metalline
Aligned
Craftable +10
Your Smites regenerate at 1 per 10 seconds.



Silver Flame Holy Avenger
Bound to Character on Acquire
Magic Level: 6
Type: Longsword / Greatsword / Scimitar / Shortsword / Longbow / Rapier / Falchion / Dwarven Axe
Critical Roll: Normal for that weapon
Attack: Charisma
Damage: Charisma
Enhancement Bonus equal to half your paladin level when wielded in your main hand
Metalline
Holy Burst
Craftable +8



Deneith Holy Avenger
Bound to Character on Acquire
Magic Level: 4
Type: Longsword / Greatsword / Scimitar / Shortsword / Longbow / Rapier / Falchion / Dwarven Axe
Critical Roll: 17-20/x2
Attack: Strength
Damage: Strength
Enhancement Bonus equal to half your paladin level when wielded in your main hand
Metalline
Aligned
Doublestrike 6%
Bleeding
Slicing




Phiarlan Holy Avenger
Bound to Character on Acquire
Magic Level: 6
Type: Longsword / Greatsword / Scimitar / Shortsword / Longbow / Rapier / Falchion / Dwarven Axe
Critical Roll: Normal for that weapon
Attack: Dexterity
Damage: Dexterity
Enhancement Bonus equal to half your paladin level when wielded in your main hand
Aligned
Stunning +10
Tendon Slice +10
Vertigo +10
Craftable +6



Craftable allows the Holy Avenger to work in any build. Despite being limited to 1 prefix and 1 suffix, it would be a DESIRED prefix or suffix. Thus, making the Holy Avenger a very personal and very build specific item - regardless of build. It also makes the weapon usable for non-Paladins, who can use the Cannith Enhancement Spirit on it and use it as a twink item.

The enhancement bonus of half the Paladin level puts the item just below the Epic Chimera's Fang when used by a Capstoned Paladin and significantly less useful to multiclass. (Barbarians get ESOS, Fighters get ECF. Paladins can get +10 too?)



Feats
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Paladins are incredibly feat starved. So much so that they can not properly do their job, which is to fight bosses.
One way to deal with this is to make Paladins less reliant on autoattack damage. Giving them alternate damage sources, such as spamable smite, should alleviate most of this.
The other way to deal with this is to remove the feat requirements in Paladin PRE.