Dungeons & Dragons: Paladin as a Prestige Class

Because it's too specific to be a base class, and because paladin characters should be as common as any prestige class in the Dungeon Masters Guide, not as common as other base classes.

This class was modeled after the Blackguard prestige class. Refer to the paladin's list of ability descriptions for the special abilities of the prestige paladin.

Requirements: To qualify to become a prestige paladin, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

Alignment: Lawful Good.

Base Attack Bonus: +5

Skills: Diplomacy 4 ranks, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 2 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks, Ride 4 ranks.

Feat: Mounted Combat.

Spellcasting (optional): To continue progressing in a divine spellcasting class, the character must be able to cast protection from evil as a divine spell. Not meeting this option forces the progression shown on the table above.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills:
A prestige paladin's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill points per level: 2 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A prestige paladin is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Spells: A prestige paladin who meets the spellcasting requirement for this class may choose to continue progression in an existing divine spellcasting class for every odd prestige paladin level gained (so a cleric 8/prestige paladin 3 casts as if level 10). Otherwise, prestige paladins gain spells from the Paladin spell list and cast as indicated by the table above.