Paladin Anathema – Mercy Feature Replacement

Source: adapted from material on Pathfinder Community page.

Some paladins are more devoted to slaying infidels and other enemies of their faith, than healing those in need. In particular, gods of justice, vengeance and war who sponsor paladins may grant anathemata to their templars. Any paladin or paladin archetype that hasn’t traded out their mercy feature may take this replacement.

Antipaladins may also take this replacement, but anything that would affect evil, instead affects good; anything that deals with positive energy, instead deals negative energy, and any sacred effects are instead profane.

Anathema (Su): Starting at 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, a paladin can select one anathema, and once chosen, they cannot be changed. Each anathema adds an effect to the paladin’s smite evil attack. A paladin cannot select an individual anathema more than once. Only one anathema can be applied to an individual smite and the decision must be made before the first attack roll is made. If an anathema allows a saving throw, the DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the paladin’s level + the paladin’s Charisma modifier, made before the first attack roll is made by the paladin upon the target of the smite, and any effects are applied before the attack. Any anathema effects used against a creature of nonevil alignment is wasted. Anathema effects are not cumulative. This ability replaces mercy.

At 3rd level, the paladin can select from the following:

• Focused Smite: When making a focused smite, the paladin gains a +2 bonus to his smite attack roll for the duration of his smite.
• Frightening Smite: When making a frightening smite, the target must make a successful Will save or becomes shaken for 1d4 rounds.
• Overbearing Smite: When making an overbearing smite, the paladin gains a free bullrush attempt against the target. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the bullrush is successful, the paladin can make a free 5–foot step immediately after, as long as it he is not within difficult terrain.
• Hampering Smite: When making a hampering smite, the target must make a successful Fortitude save or have his speed reduced by 10 feet for the smite’s duration, and is unable to make 5–foot steps for 1d4 rounds.

At 6th level the paladin adds the following selections to the list he can choose from:

• Blinding Smite: When making a blinding smite, a cascade of holy light erupts forth and the target must make a successful Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. Any evil creatures within 10 feet of the target are dazed for 1 round (no save).
• Dispelling Smite: When making a dispelling smite, the target is subject to a targeted dispel magic with a caster level for the purposes of the dispel check equal to the paladin’s level + the paladin’s Charisma modifier.
• Reproving Smite: When making a reproving smite, the target must make a successful Will save or receive a –2 penalty to its attack rolls, damage rolls, saves, and checks for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the paladin’s Charisma modifier.
• Seeking Smite: When making a seeking smite, the paladin ignores any concealment used by his target that is less than total concealment for the duration of his smite.
• Wracking Smite: When making a wracking smite, the target must make a successful Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1d4 rounds from the mental anguish of his sins.

At 9th level the paladin adds the following selections to the list he can choose from:

• Arcing Smite: When making an arcing smite, the paladin must select a 9th level or lower anathema. Then, on a successful smite attack, the primary target suffers both the anathema’s effect and smite damage. The smite effect then arcs to a secondary target of the paladin’s choice that is within a 10-foot radius of the primary target. If the secondary target would be a valid smite target for the paladin, then it suffers the full effects of the anathema, as well as half the paladin’s bonus smite damage; if the anathema grants a saving throw, then the secondary target is allowed a save against the DC of the effect to resist the effects of the anathema, but still suffers the damage. The paladin can affect one secondary target at 9th level, and one additional secondary target for every four levels thereafter, to a maximum of 4 secondary targets at 18th level. The paladin can choose to affect less than the maximum number of secondary targets.
• Impeding Smite: This is exactly like hampering smite, but reduces the target’s speed by half or 15 feet, whichever is greater, and both this effect, and the inability to make 5-foot steps lasts for the duration of the smite. The paladin must have selected hampering smite before selecting this anathema.
• Penetrating Smite: When making a penetrating smite, the paladin reduces his target’s spell resistance by 2. At 12th level, and every three levels thereafter, he can reduce his target’s spell resistance by an additional 2 points, to a maximum of 8 at 18th level. This effect remains for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the paladin’s Charisma modifier.
• Resisting Smite: When making a resisting smite, the paladin gains energy resistance 5 to a single energy type of his choice (acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic) for the duration of the smite, but only against attacks made by the target of the smite. At 12th level, the paladin gains energy resistance 5 to two energy types of his choice. At 15th level, the paladin gains energy resistance 5 to three energy types of his choice. At 18th level, this energy resistance increases to 10.
• Unerring Smite: This is exactly like seeking smite, but the paladin also ignores total concealment. The paladin must have selected seeking smite before selecting this anathema.
• Unstoppable Smite: This is exactly like focused smite, but the paladin instead gains a +4 bonus on all attack rolls against the target of his smite evil. The paladin must have selected focused smite before selecting this anathema.

At 12th level the paladin adds the following selections to the list he can choose from:

• Debilitating Smite: When making a debilitating smite, the paladin foregoes the normal extra damage from his smite. Evil targets struck by his melee weapons must make a successful Fortitude save or take a penalty to Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution (paladin’s choice) equal to the paladin’s Charisma bonus for 1d4 rounds. The paladin must have taken wracking smite before selecting this anathema.
• Divine Smite: When making a divine smite against an evil divine spellcaster, the paladin gains the benefits of the divine power spell with a caster level equal to the paladin’s level. The paladin must have selected unstoppable smite before selecting this anathema.
• Paralyzing Smite: When making a paralyzing smite, the paladin’s target must make a successful Fortitude save or be paralyzed 1d4 rounds. The paladin must have selected impeding smite before selecting this anathema. The paladin must have selected wracking smite before selecting this anathema.
• Stunning Smite: When making a stunning smite, the target must make a successful Fortitude or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. The paladin must have selected blinding smite before selecting this anathema.

At 15th level the paladin adds the following selections to the list he can choose from:

• Blasting Smite: When making a blasting smite, the paladin unleashes a 10-foot radius blast of positive energy on a successful attack against the target of his smite. This blast is centered on the target of his smite. All evil creatures caught within the blast suffer the paladin’s smite damage unless they make a Fortitude save for half. All undead and evil outsiders caught within the blast take twice the amount of normal smite damage, but can still make Fortitude save to halve the total damage. This effect remains for the duration of the smite. The paladin must have selected arcing smite before selecting this anathema.
• Greater Dispelling Smite: This is exactly like dispelling smite, but the target is subject to greater dispel magic. The paladin must have selected dispelling smite before selecting this anathema.
• Slaying Smite: When making a slaying smite, the target must make a successful Fortitude save or be subject to a slay living effect. The paladin must have taken debilitating smite before selecting this anathema.

At 18th level the paladin adds the following selections to the list he can choose from:

• Banishing Smite: When making a banishing smite against an evil outsider, the target must make a successful Will save or be subject to banishment spell with a caster level equal to the paladin’s level. The paladin’s weapon and holy symbol automatically count as objects that the subject hates.
• Disrupting Smite: When making a disrupting smite against evil undead, the target must make a successful Will save or be destroyed. Spell resistance does not apply against the destruction effect.
• Wrathful Smite: When making a wrathful smite, any target normally immune or unaffected by critical hits are affected as normal for the duration of the smite. All critical threats against evil creatures are automatically confirmed, and the paladin’s bonus smite damage is doubled on a confirmed critical hit.