Zeal (3.5e Alternate Class Feature)

Zeal
Summary::Your hatred for the heathens and infidel pushes you into a powerful and overwhelming zeal.

Class: and Paladin Variants, may also work with the Prestige Paladin

Level: 1st

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you lose the Detect Evil and Smite Evil class abilities. Additionally, sacrificing your Special Mount class ability at level 5 allows you to improve your Zeal ability.

Benefit: You gain Zeal

 (Ex): This ability works exactly like a barbarian's Rage ability. The paladin gains new Zeal per day as a Barbarian of 2 level lower gains Rage (1 at 1st level, 2 at 6th level, 3 at 10th level, and so on). He also gains Greater Zeal and Tireless Zeal (The equivalents of Greater Rage and Tireless Rage) at 13th level and 19th level, respectively.

Additionally: If the Paladin chooses to sacrifice his Special Mount ability at 5th, he is able to use Int-, Wis- and Cha-based skills and checks, to concentrate, and may even use spells while in a Zeal. However, he suffers a penalty of -4 to any Int-, Wis-, and Cha-based skills and checks and to concentration attempts and suffers a -2 penalty to Caster Level when casting spells (though this does not affect his daily spells and spells prepared).

Special: Should a Paladin break his Code of Conduct and fall from grace, this ability is not suppressed like his other class abilities. In addition, Blackguard levels also count and stack with Paladin levels to determine the character's Zeal ability, including number of times per day, and when he gains Greater Zeal and Tireless Zeal. The Blackguard's Fiendish Servant class ability can also be sacrificed to gain the additional benefits provided to a Paladin that sacrificed his Special Mount ability.