Creating the NPC Anti-Paladin	Equipping the NPC Anti-Paladin	Retainers, Human and Otherwise	Playing the Anti-Paladin	Scenarios for the Anti-Paladin
Dragon	Classes	-	Best of Dragon, Vol. II	Dragon 39

GOOD
got
    you
        down?

Try this for EVIL

The Anti-Paladin NPC

George Laking and Tim Mesford

Are the players in your campaign bored?
Has smiting the enemies of God and Mankind become a drag?
Now, add an element of surprise and unknown danger to your
NPC encounter tables: Let the players meet an Anti-Paladin!
As an NPC, the Anti-Paladin represents everything that is mean,
low and despicable in the human race. No act of treachery is too
base, no deed of violence too vile for him. Thoughtless cruelty, sheer
depravity and senseless bloodshed are his hallmarks: Chaotic and
Evil deeds are, in fact, his very lifeblood.

Obviously, through your many adventures and campaigns, you
as a Dungeon Master have already acquired these traits. Now you
can exploit your talents without restraint as you watch your players—especially those Paladins —try to deal with this non-player
character!

Recognizing an Anti-Paladin should be fairly easy for players.
Perhaps it’s his preference for black: black horse, black armor,
black sword; or his grim, skull-shaped keep-raised in black basalt
or gleaming obsidian—looming ominously against a gray, brooding
sky on some chilly, windswept mountaintop.
Maybe it’s the company he keeps: brigands, thieves and assassins if they’re human; orcs, ogres, hobgoblins and trolls if they’re not!

Or it could be his low, nasty, blood-chilling laugh when he has
the party in his clutches; the thin, black mustache—carefully waxed
and curled—whose ends he twists as he considers the party’s fate; or
the gold-rimmed, carefully polished monocle which abruptly starts
from his eye when suddenly confronted by his nemesis, the Paladin.

Creating The NPC Anti-Paladin
To determine the characteristics of an Anti-Paladin, refer to
Table 1 (below).
A base number appears following each of the first five characteristics-strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity and Constitution-shown on that table. To this base number should be added the
sum rolled on the appropriate die for each characteristic, as shown.
If an “18” (base number plus die roll) is determined for Strength,
Dexterity or Constitution, there is a 25% chance (for each characteristic) that the Anti-Paladin has exceptional ability in that characteristic.

Table 1
Anti-Paladin Characteristics

Characteristic	Base Number	Die
STR	12	6
INT	10	8
WIS	12	6
DEX	6	12
CON	10	8
CHA	Special	4

Should one or more exceptional abilities exist, percentile dice
should be rolled to determine the exact level of ability and the
appropriate bonuses. These bonuses are as follows:
* Strength—as per the AD&D Players Handbook.
* Dexterity— +4 on Reaction/Attacking, -5 Defensive adjustment, three attacks/round for high-level Anti-Paladins.
* Constitution— +4 hit points per experience level.
Charisma requires special treatment; true Evil will either reveal
itself in all its hideous ugliness or disguise itself behind a pleasant
exterior. For this reason, Anti-Paladins tend to be either sinfully ugly
(4 or less Charisma) or devilishly handsome (17+).
To determine Charisma, roll a four-sided die, with a roll of “1”
equaling three; “2” equaling four; “3” equaling 17 and “4”, 18. On
rolls of one or four, there is a 25% chance that the Anti-Paladin has
an exceptional Charisma.
If his Charisma is exceptionally low, the Anti-Paladin will look as
though he could break mirrors simply by glancing at them, and will
automatically Cause Fear in men and animals whenever he reveals
his face! An exceptionally high Charisma, on the other hand, will
instantly Charm men and many monsters as the spell (animals and
unintelligent creatures, however, are not affected).
In both cases, saving throws are applicable.
The experience level of the Anti-Paladin is based on the average
experience level of the members of the party in the encounter. If this
average is ten or less, roll d10 for the Anti-Paladin’s experience level.
If 11 or greater, roll a d20.
In either case, apply bonuses—hit dice, “to hit” bonuses, additional attacks per round, etc.—to the NPC where applicable Hit
points, for example, are awarded with one ten-sided die per level
through Ninth Level, with three hit points per level thereafter (123
hit points maximum for a 20th-level NPC Anti-Paladin, unless modified by Constitution).
Where the Paladin is the champion of all that is Good and
Lawful, the Anti-Paladin is the defender of the Powers of Chaos and
Evil. By nature, therefore, his alignment is always Chaotic Evil,
without exception!
In addition to the bonuses conferred on him by his personal
attributes, the NPC Anti-Paladin also enjoys several benefits for his
class. These are:

(1) A +2 bonus on all saving throws.

(2) Immunity to Disease. Furthermore, the Anti-Paladin is a
“carrier,” with the ability to transmit the disease of his choice to the
character of his choice by touch alone. He may do this, however, but
only once per week for every five experience levels he has acquired,
i.e. at 1st-5th levels, once/week; 6th-10th levels, twice/week, etc.

(3) Laying on of Hands. Once a day, the Anti-Paladin may
Cause Wounds in others or cure damage to himself, giving/healing
two hit points of damage for each acquired experience level. As for
(2), above, he must do this by touch alone.

(4) Protection from Good. This aura—extending in a 1” radius
around the Anti-Paladin—is magical “insurance” against the Paladins, Clerics and other characters of Lawful Good alignment who are
constantly seeking to foil his nefarious schemes! For this reason, a
Detect Magic spell will always register positive when cast against an
Anti-Paladin.

(5) Thief’s Backstabbing Ability. The Anti-Paladin receives a +4
bonus to hit, with double damage if he hits, whenever he attacks a
victim from behind. Since he will only attack from a position of
strength-usually above and behind, with dagger, sword or whatever is close at hand—backstabbing is the Anti-Paladin’s preferred
method of attack!

(6) Use of Poisons. An aficionado of the fine art of poisoning,
the Anti-Paladin favors the poisoned cup over armed combat in
gaining his evil ends. If he absolutely must face an equal or superior
opponent in open battle, he will be sure to envenom his blade to
obtain a combat advantage.

Unlike an assassin, who only uses poison to get a job done, the
Anti-Paladin considers poisoning to be both an esthetic pleasure and
a means of artistic expression. Thus, the act itself must be artfully
accomplished with finesse under the right conditions of mood, light
and setting.
This does not mean that your Anti-Paladin cannot be free in his
choice of reasoning for using a poison, however. For example, he
might poison an enemy to gain a desired end; or to test a new poison
distilled for him by his resident alchemist; or to determine if his stock
of “vintage” poisons is still potent; or simply to see if he can get away
with it!
Since poisoning is such an important expression of the Anti-Paladin’s artistic nature, he will prefer to use two- and three-stage
poisons when—or if—they can be obtained (A multi-stage poison is
any toxic chemical compound whose individual components are, of
themselves, harmless and non-toxic. However, when combined (in
a victim’s stomach, for example), they produce a potent—if not
virulent!—poison).
Such poisons are completely undetectable, since they are harmless until mixed.
As a case in point, consider the use of a three-stage poison—with
liquid, solid and gaseous components in this example—by an AntiPaladin to remove an obstructive town official. Inviting the man to
his keep, he wines and dines him sumptuously, meanwhile serving
him a drink laced with the first ingredient and a main course liberally
sprinkled with the second.
Knowing that the first two ingredients are harmless without the
third, the Anti-Paladin can safely eat and drink along with his intended victim, thereby putting the man’s fears to rest.
Later that night, however, he would complete his fiendish plan
by introducing the gaseous component into his victim’s bedchamber
(a candle treated with the third component is one possible means).
Thus, the chambermaid will find the man in the morning dead in his
bed “of natural causes,” with no blame attached to the Anti-Paladin!
So long as the Anti-Paladin himself does not breathe the third
(gaseous) component, the other ingredients will eventually pass
through his system safely and harmlessly. In fact, he would have
ample time to take an antidote (and prepare an ironclad alibi!)
before completing his diabolical scheme.
Even without multi-stage poisons, the Anti-Paladin will always
maintain a stock of standard poisons and their antidotes—the latter
for his own personal use, of course!
The optional poisons suggested in Poisons from AA to XX by
Charles Sagui in the December, 1979, issue of The Dragon are
recommended. Table 2 (below) outlines the percentage chance by
experience level that an Anti-Paladin may have a particular poison in
his “collection.”
(Turn to page 50)

Table 2
Poisons Available by Experience Level -- Anti-Paladins
 

Experience  Level	AA	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	S	X	XX
1	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	10	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	15	10	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	20	15	10	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	25	20	15	10	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6	30	25	20	15	10	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
7	35	30	25	20	15	10	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8	40	35	30	25	20	15	10	5	-	-	-	-	-	-
9	45	40	35	30	25	20	15	10	5	-	-	-	-	-
10	50	45	40	35	30	25	20	15	10	5	-	-	-	-
11	55	50	45	40	35	30	25	20	15	10	5	-	-	-
12	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25	20	15	10	5	-	-
13	65	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25	20	15	10	5	-
14	70	65	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25	20	15	10	5
15	75	70	65	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25	20	15	10
16	80	75	70	65	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25	20	15
17	85	80	75	70	65	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25	20
18	90	85	80	75	70	65	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25
19	95	90	85	80	75	70	65	60	55	50	45	40	35	30
20	100	95	90	85	80	75	70	65	60	55	50	45	40	35

<double check this against the original>

Finally, the Anti-Paladin also receives certain benefits at certain
experience levels, in addition to his class benefits. These are as
follows:

(1) At third level and above, the Anti-Paladin affects the Undead, Devils and Demons as if he were an Evil Cleric. For each
experience level he gains, this ability increases by one, i.e. a fourth
level Anti-Paladin would affect Undead as a second-level Evil Cleric,
a Fifth-Level as a third-level Evil Cleric, etc.
At this level, his sordid reputation for pure, unadulterated evil is
such that Undead or other Evil creatures will actually seek him out in
order to enter into his service! Table 3, below, details the percentage
chance by experience level that an NPC Anti-Paladin will have
non-human retainers of these (or other) types.

(2) At fourth level and above, the Anti-Paladin may have
acquired a special warhorse (refer to Table 3, below). Usually, this
beast is an intelligent, heavy warhorse with AC5, 5+5 hit dice and
the speed of a medium warhorse (18”). If the Anti-Paladin has such
an animal, however, there is an additional 25% chance that it is, in
reality, a Nightmare as outlined in the AD&D Monster Manual!
Invariably—no matter what type of horse the Anti-Paladin
rides—these beasts will be red-eyed and coal-black, doing double
damage whenever trampling the weak, helpless and aged underfoot.
(3) Beginning at ninth level, the Anti-Paladin may employ a
limited number of Clerical spells (see Table 4, Spells Usable by Class
and Level-Anti-Paladins). Due to his unflinchingly Evil nature,
these spells will always be the reverse or Evil type whenever possible.
Since Anti-Paladins are a sub-class of Fighters, they may only
use those scrolls, potions and magic items normally available and
employed by characters of the Fighter class.

Equipping the NPC Anti-Paladin
As an NPC, the Anti-Paladin will come fully equipped with
armor, shield, weapons and horse. Usually, his armor will be full plate or platemail; his metal shield, large and sturdy; his weapons
capable of inflicting maximum damage per blow against even heavily armored opponents (even without the use of poison); and his
steed a heavy warhorse.

However, in order to present players with a formidable but not
unbeatable foe, the DM may need to adjust the Anti-Paladin’s equipment according to his experience level, the number of his retainers
present, the experience levels/types present in the party encountering him and the general situation at hand.

For example, a 20th-level Anti-Paladin defending his castle with
a full complement of human and non-human retainers about him
might wear only chainmail, carry a small, wooden shield and wield a
mace or longsword. The same Anti-Paladin, on the other hand, if
encountered in the wilderness with only a small party of retainers for
protection, might wear banded or scale armor, carry a small, metal
shield and use a morningstar or broadsword.
Keep in mind that, even when alone, the Anti-Paladin is one very
tough customer at any level. Give him a few poisons, let him make
one or two backstabbing attacks, throw in a special warhorse, a body
of human/unhuman troops and a castle, and you have an opponent
which even the foolhardy will hesitate to attack.
For this reason, the DM’s discretion is strongly advised before
assigning this NPC any magical items whatsoever.
If players are sufficiently strong in experience levels, hit points,
magic items and sheer numbers, and the DM feels he/she absolutely
must provide the Anti-Paladin with such items, the Party Magic Items
section in Appendix C of the AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide is
suggested as a source. . . but not recommended, for the reasons
already stated.
Each item chosen from that table should be weighed carefully for
the advantage given to the NPC. A 20th-level Anti-Paladin wearing
+4 plate, carrying a +3 shield and wielding a +4 Defender sword is
just too deadly to consider!

The single exception to this rule is the Anti-Paladin’s “Unholy
Sword” (Table 3 outlines the percentage chance by experience level
that the NPC Anti-Paladin has acquired such a sword in the course of
his perfidious career). When this sword is unsheathed, it will project
a 1” diameter Circle of Power around the Anti-Paladin. This allows
the Anti-Paladin to dispel magic at a level of magic use equal to his
experience level.
If this NPC has acquired an Unholy Sword, there is an additional
25% chance that it is, in reality, a +5 Unholy Reaver (Undoubtedly,
the Anti-Paladin has obtained this sword by murdering the previous
owner!).

The Unholy Reaver has several powers:
(1) Imparts a 50% magical resistance to everything within a 5”
radius. Note that the Anti-Paladin must be holding the sword unsheathed in order for this power to operate.
(2) Dispels magic in a 5” radius at the level of magic use equal to
the experience level of the Anti-Paladin wielding it. Again, the sword
must be in the Anti-Paladin’s hands, unsheathed, in order to perform.
(3) Inflicts +10 damage points in addition to normal damage,
but only when used by the Anti-Paladin against opponents of Lawful
Good alignment.
Only in the hands of an Anti-Paladin will these powers and
bonuses apply. If wielded by a character of Evil alignment, the
Unholy Reaver will simply act as a normal +2 sword. A character of
any other alignment so unfortunate as to acquire an Unholy Reaver
will discover that it will always perform as a -2 Cursed Sword!

Retainers, Human and Otherwise
The NPC Anti-Paladin may or may not have retainers (refer to
Table 3, below, for the percentage chance by experience level that
he has acquired a body of human/non-human servitors). Note that
human, demi-human and mixed human races are classified together
under the heading of “human” retainers.
Based on the type of encounter the DM foresees when designing
an Anti-Paladin, he/she will have to determine the exact “mix” of
races to be found among his human companions. Obviously, only
beings of the most vicious and unsavory character will willingly serve
an Anti-Paladin!
Thus, half-orcs will commonly be found serving in the capacity of
Assassins, half-ogres—if that variant is employed—will perform as
Fighters (brigands), while an occasional renegade dwarf or depraved halfling might be numbered as Thieves in the Anti-Paladin’s
service.
On the other hand, no self-respecting elf—not even a Thief!—
would ever serve such an Evil master (Although, under certain
conditions as determined by the DM, a solitary Drow might be found
acting in the role of “advisor.”)

Brigands, Thieves and Assassins are the Anti-Paladin’s usual
human companions. Occasionally, he might have on hand a defrocked Cleric to act as his chaplain, an outlawed alchemist to brew
up his poisons or a demented wizard to keep him well supplied with
potions, scrolls and other magic items (see Table 3b for details on
these “special” human servants).
No Sage, however, will ever be found serving an Anti-Paladin.
As a class, they are too wise to associate willingly with such an
unprincipled and deceitful character!
An Anti-Paladin may not maintain more than 20 human servitors, decreasing that number by one for each additional experience
level of the particular Anti-Paladin. Thus, a first-level might have up
to 20 human retainers, while a 20th-level Anti-Paladin would have
but one. It should also be obvious that, if the Anti-Paladin has
established some type of freehold—whether manorhouse, keep or
castle— he will have some kind of retainers (human and/or non-human) to both maintain and defend it.
At best, the experience levels of an Anti-Paladin’s human servants will always be at least one level lower than that of their master, if
not more. The main reason for this is the Anti-Paladin’s inborn
distrust and suspicion of everyone, even his own bodyguards.
For not only does the Anti-Paladin enjoy lording his position and
power over lesser men, but he simply will not tolerate anyone being
his equal in anything—perhaps for good reason, since a Cleric,
Magic-User or Assassin of equal ability might be tempted to displace
the Anti-Paladin by taking command!
Thus, an eighth-level Anti-Paladin, for example, might have a
single seventh-level type serving him in the capacity of lieutenant.
However, he is much more likely to have a body of first- through
fourth-level types whom he can bully, mistreat and dominate
through fear and his own iron will.
The only exception to this general rule is the first-level Anti-Paladin. Since zero-level Thieves, Assassins, Clerics, M-Us and alchemists simply do not exist, the only retainers he can have are Fighter
(Brigand) types, which will always be zero-level fighting men (5-8 hit
points each).
Subject to the above, any method may be used to determine the
experience levels of an Anti-Paladin’s human retainers, from random die rolls to simply assigning levels to each NPC. The advantage
of the latter method is that it allows the DM more control over the
development of the individual encounter or scenario.
Beginning with second level, an Anti-Paladin is likely to attract a
large and varied body of non-human retainers (for specifics, refer to
Table 3, below). Note that the probability for non-human servitors
increases with each additional experience level of the Anti-Paladin.
There are several reasons for this:

(1) The Anti-Paladin actually prefers non-human retainers over
human types, as they are less apt to mutiny against his sadistic, often
brutal mistreatment of them (desertion, of course, is another matter,
and may happen with any type of servant).

(2) Relations between human and non-human servitors of the
same Anti-Paladin are always strained at best, especially when Undead are involved. Only the presence of the Anti-Paladin keeps both
groups from going for each other’s throats. Open violence between
individuals in his retinue is a constant disciplinary problem for the
Anti-Paladin when he has mixed types of human/non-human retainers.

(3) At higher levels of experience, the Anti-Paladin’s infamous
reputation for self-serving treachery, senseless violence and unswerving devotion to the cause of Evil will actually deter all but the
most vicious or psychotic human types from entering his service. For
this reason, both the probability and the number of human retainers
decreases with each additional experience level of the particular
Anti-Paladin.

To determine the actual type(s) of non-human servants the
Anti-Paladin has acquired, roll percentile dice and consult Table 3c,
below.
Anti-Paladins of second or third level will roll once on that table.
Those of fourth through ninth level will roll twice, 10th through 14th

level thrice, and those of 15th level and greater will roll the maximum
of four times.
Thus, a 15th level Anti-Paladin could have up to four different
types of non-human servitors or a single, large troop of one type,
depending on the die rolls. It is possible to have more types if “00” is
rolled—first on Table 3c and again on Table 3d—but the probability
is extremely low.
As with magical items, an Anti-Paladin’s “special” non-human
retainers—Demons, Devils and the Undead—should be handled
with extreme caution. These special types will almost always be
confined within the walls of an Anti-Paladin’s freehold (if it is determined— by rolling on Table 3—that he has not acquired a free hold,
treat a “00” result on Table 3c as “roll again”). In no case, however,
will a Lich or Vampire be found residing in an Anti-Paladin’s freehold—at least, not as long as the freehold is inhabited! No special
non-human servants will ever be found accompanying an Anti-Paladin on patrol.

<img>

Typically, the Undead will be found acting as guardians or sentinels, usually in the Anti-Paladin’s dungeon. As shown on Table 3d,
both the type and number of Undead servitors is variable, depending on the number of levels and extent of the Anti-Paladin’s dungeon
complex, the size and experience levels of the party in the adventure
and other factors as determined by the DM.
An Anti-Paladin, for example, might have Zombie footmen,
valets and butlers as body-servants, performing these functions in
their usual, mechanical fashion (thus, only a direct order from the
Anti-Paladin would make them attack).
Demons and/or Devils may be found acting in any one of three
roles: (1) as guardians of the Anti-Paladin’s treasure(s); (2) as emissaries of the gods of Chaos and Evil, or (3) as special “advisors” to
the Anti-Paladin. Within the walls of his freehold, therefore, they will
usually be found either in the Anti-Paladin’s dungeon, his freehold
chapel or in a special room or library devoted to the study of
diabolism and demonology.
The Dungeon Master must determine beforehand under exactly
what conditions a demon or devil will appear, move or attack. For
example, a demon/devil might appear if the party of adventurers
performs (or fails to perform!) some action in a certain room or area
of the Anti-Paladin’s freehold.
Likewise, a demon/devil should be limited in its ability to move
and attack by confining it/them to a specific room and/or the corridor immediately adjacent. With these limitations, you will prevent
the adventure from becoming a slaughter of other characters.

Table 3
Anti-Paladin (Fighter) Table

Experience  level	Level  title	Horse (a)	Unholy  sword (b)	Human  retainers (c)	Non-human  retainers (c)	Freehold
1	Caitiff	-	5%	100%	-	5%
2	Miscreant	-	10	95	5	10
3	Malefactor	-	15	90	10	15 (Manor)
4	Hellraiser	5%	20	85	15	25
5	Blackguard	10	25	80	20	30
6	Scoundrel	15	30	75	25	35
7	Dastard	20	35	70	30	40
8	Villain	25	40	65	35	45
9	Villain of the Deepest Dye	30	45	60	40	50 (Keep)
10	Fiend	35	50	55	45	60
11	Anti-Paladin	40	55	50	50	70
12	Anti-Paladin, 12th level	45	60	45	55	80
13	Anti-Paladin, 13th level	50	65	40	60	90
14	Anti-Paladin, 14th level	55	70	35	65	100 (Castle)

Notes:
(a) 25% chance horse is Nightmare.
(b) 25% chance sword is Unholy Reaver.
(c) See 3a/3b or 3c/3d for type.

Table 3a: Human retainers

Die roll	Type	Number
01-50	Brigands	1-3
51-80	Thieves	1-2
81-99	Assassin	1*
00	Roll on Table 3b	-

Note on Tables 3a/3b:
(*) If additional retainers of this type are
rolled, treat them as Novices or Apprentices. <revise this note a bit>

Table 3b: Human retainers (Special)

Die roll	Type	Number
01-50	Cleric	1*
51-80	Alchemist	1*
81-99	Magic User	1*
00	Roll twice on 3a	-

Note on Tables 3a/3b:
(*) If additional retainers of this type are
rolled, treat them as Novices or Apprentices. <revise this note a bit>

Table 3c: Non-human retainers

Die roll	Type	Number
01-49	Goblin	3-12
50-69	Orc	2-9
70-79	Hobgoblin	2-7
80-90	Gnoll	2-5
91-94	Ogre	1-3
95-97	Troll	1-2
98-99	Giant	1
00	Roll on Table 3d	-

Table 3d: Non-human retainers (Special)

Die roll	Type	Number
01-95	Undead	Variable  (any except Lich or Vampire)
96-97	Devil	one only
98-99	Demon (Types I-VI)	one only
00	Roll twice on Table 3c	-

Note on Table 3d
(*) These special non-human retainers will
only be found acting as guardians in the AntiPaladin’s manorhouse, keep or castle. The DM
must determine where and under what conditions these creatures will be activated. If the
Anti-Paladin does not have a Freehold, roll on
Table 3c only.

Unlike player characters, the NPC Anti-Paladin may have an
established freehold at any experience level, even First (consult
Table 3, below, for the percent chance of this occurring). He will
usually acquire this freehold in one of three ways:
(1) By clearing out and repairing a previously abandoned structure.
(2) By evicting the tenants of an already established freehold (a
pastime which is, by the way, one of the Anti-Paladin’s principal
forms of amusement), or;
(3) By establishing his own freehold.
Whichever method he employs, his freehold will always be situated in a strong, easily defended location affording him the maximum opportunity for profit, mischief and mayhem.
He will be found, for example, along a well-traveled caravan
route at the only oasis in a parched and barren desert; or atop a
commanding mountain position overlooking a strategic pass between two nations; or entrenched at a bridge or river crossing along
some major trade route.
Obviously, the specific location, individual defenses and floorplans of an Anti-Paladin’s freehold will depend on the type of
scenario the DM is designing.
Provision should be made for at least one, if not more, secret
escape passages, hidden rooms or bolt holes for the Anti-Paladin’s
use in case of emergency. All Anti-Paladins are great believers in the
“live to fight another day” philosophy, especially when their own
precious skins are endangered.
Finally, all such freeholds will have one or more dungeon levels
—depending on their size— for the Anti-Paladin’s amusement.
As a rule of thumb, a manorhouse should have 1-2 dungeon
levels, a keep 3-4 and a castle 5-6. More dungeon levels may be
added, especially if the DM plans to use the scenario for a series of
extended adventures.
The personality of an Anti-Paladin is a complete catalog of all the
varied sins and crimes of humanity. He is treacherous, sly, underhanded, cruel, lecherous, sadistic, arrogant, greedy, vicious, egotistical, amoral, domineering, unprincipled, brutal, self-centered, diabolic, mean, petty and vindictive, <>

Playing the Anti-Paladin

Unlike most Evil types, the Anti-Paladin disdains “hack-andslash” as a primary means of obtaining his goals, preferring the more
subtle and devious approach of a Fu Manchu. As a case in point,
consider the kidnapping of a local princess on the eve of her wedding
to a foreign prince.
Naturally, our Anti-Paladin will demand a large, but not excessive ransom from her father for her safe return. However, when the
emissaries arrive with the gold, they are ambushed by the Anti-Paladin’s retainers (in disguise) and slaughtered to a man . . save one.
That one would be spared in order to carry the grim news back to the
girl’s father.
At that point, the Anti-Paladin would send his regrets over the
“loss” of the ransom money and the destruction of the caravan
(undoubtedly by “bandits” or marauding Orcs!), while renewing his
original demand.
Once this second ransom is paid, he would soon tire of the girl,
selling her into slavery afterwards.
Thus, he would gain two ransoms and the price of a high-born
slavegirl at virtually no risk to himself. Of course, daddy might then
show up on the Anti-Paladin’s doorstep with a large army and/or
siege train in tow, but that’s an occupational hazard.
* * *
The one really fatal flaw in the Anti-Paladin is his lack of courage.
Despite his fearsome strength and formidable appearance, he is in
reality a sniveling coward at heart!
So long as he is surrounded by his retainers while ambushing an
inferior and outnumbered opponent, the Anti-Paladin’s morale cannot be seriously questioned. However, when faced by his nemesis,
the Paladin; or a Lawful Good Cleric; or any character of Good
alignment, there is an excellent chance that the Anti-Paladin’s true
nature will reveal itself.
Provided that these opponents equal or surpass him in experience, the Anti-Paladin must check his morale immediately upon
facing any one of these types in single combat. He never need check
initial morale against an inferior opponent or a foe not included in
one of the categories mentioned above.

If the Anti-Paladin saves, he need not check morale again until
he loses half his total hit points—or more—in the course of that
particular melee (there are exceptions, see below). Note that this
“Morale Check due to Damage” is required, whether the Anti-Paladin is battling a single Lawful Good Cleric or a party of Neutral
fighters.
Should the Anti-Paladin fail his morale check, however, he will
immediately utter his famous battlecry: “Curses, foiled again!” and
flee the field (if flight is possible) or surrender, if it is not. In any case,
he will abandon both his human and his inhuman servitors to their
richly deserved fate!
The base chance that the Anti-Paladin will act in such a cowardly
fashion is 50% when facing a Paladin, 25% against all others. This
“Rout Factor” decreases by 5% for each retainer within 60 feet (2”
outdoors, 6” dungeon) of the Anti-Paladin.
The Anti-Paladin will react differently to each one of his three
major types of opponent, as follows:

(1) Against characters of Good alignment, the Anti-Paladin must
check morale twice as noted above (i.e. upon joining combat with
such a character for the first time and/or upon losing half or more of
his total hit points in melee).

(2) When engaging a Lawful Good Cleric, the Anti-Paladin must
check morale as per (1) above. In addition, he must make a separate
morale check after any round in which he takes damage from the
Cleric, either through the Cleric’s weapons or spells.

(3) When facing a Paladin, the Anti-Paladin must check morale
as if he were engaging a Cleric; see (2) above. In addition, the
Anti-Paladin’s “Rout Factor” increases +5% for each hit point of
damage scored by teh Paladin’s blows.

It should be obvious from the above that all Anti-Paladins will
react in certain, predetermined ways under combat conditions.
First, they will avoid personal combat—especially against those
characters which are their extreme antithesis—unless or until it
becomes absolutely necessary (Leading from the rear has always
been one of the Anti-Paladins’ strongest points!).
Second, they will always use their retainers to bear the brunt of
any fighting and shield the Anti-Paladin from direct attack. Even
above mundane profit, each Anti-Paladin’s primary concern is his
own precious skin.
Finally, if the Anti-Paladin is personally forced into action, he will
go into battle flanked by as many of his retainers as possible. Not
only does this bolster his own morale while distracting his opponent(s), it also allows the Anti-Paladin to slip away in the confusion
should the fighting go against him!
As can be seen, the personality of an Anti-Paladin is both complex and varied.
While cowardice and greed, treachery and violence are frequently combined in the character of this most ignoble NPC, sometimes the innovative genius of Vlad the Impaler, the artistic sensitivity
of Attila the Hun or the charm and hospitality of Lucretia Borgia is
also displayed. No matter what his personality traits, however, the
Anti-Paladin will always seek maximum profit with a minimum of
effort.

Scenarios for the Anti-Paladin

Several adventures employing the Anti-Paladin have already
been suggested earlier in this article (refer to the Playing the AntiPaladin section, immediately above). The “Kidnapped Princess”
scenario alone could be the basis of at least four separate adventures. For example:
* Rescue the princess from the Anti-Paladin’s clutches and/or
bring the Anti-Paladin in to suffer the king’s justice.
* Accompany the first ransom caravan to the Anti-Paladin’s keep
and escort the princess home after her release (the players, of
course, must survive the Anti-Paladin’s trap in order to defeat his
nefarious plan!)
* Rescue the princess after the second ransom is paid but before
the Anti-Paladin tortures and/or sells her into slavery (if players
arrive too late in either case, the DM could require them to return
both ransoms and the Anti-Paladin’s head to the king!)
* Accompany the king’s army to the Anti-Paladin’s castle and
besiege it, killing or capturing the Anti-Paladin if possible (this adventure would allow the running of a small-scale miniatures battle).
Clues could also be available, leading players to a pursuit of the
slavers holding the princess.
Other adventures also suggest themselves.
A merchant prince, for example, might commission players to
break an Anti-Paladin’s stranglehold on local trade and commerce;
or a noble NPC Fighter might enlist players in a desperate bid to
regain his freehold from a usurping Anti-Paladin; or players might
discover the ruins of an Anti-Paladin’s castle and the entrance to his
dungeons where— unbeknownst to them—the Anti-Paladin and his
minions lie in suspended animation, guarded by a demon familiar!
Forethought and planning hold the keys to a successful adventure, even in random encounters.
When he is encountered randomly, the DM must immediately
answer the following questions about the Anti-Paladin:
* Why is he there?
* Where did he come from and where is he going?
* Is this encounter deliberate on the part of the Anti-Paladin or
did the party surprise him in the act of committing some heinous
crime against humanity?
To a large extent, the answers to these questions will determine
how the Anti-Paladin reacts to the party. By knowing these answers
in advance, the DM can ensure an enjoyable, consistent and wellrun encounter between players and the NPC Anti-Paladin.

Table 4
Spells Usable By Class And Level --
Anti-Paladins (Fighters)
 

Character  Level	1	2	3	4
9	1	-	-	-
10	2	-	-	-
11	2	1	-	-
12	2	2	-	-
13	2	2	1	-
14	3	2	1	-
15	3	2	1	1
16	3	3	1	1
17	3	3	2	1
18	3	3	3	1
19	3	3	3	2
20	3	3	3	3

* Maximum spell cability.

In some adventures, players may attempt to recruit the Anti-Paladin as an NPC member of their group. While this is certainly not
beyond the bounds of reason, the DM must remember that the
Anti-Paladin is—above all else!—Chaotic and Evil. Therefore, for
the Anti-Paladin to even consider their offer, the goals and purpose
of the group must somehow serve the dual cause of Chaos and Evil.
Due to his Chaotic nature, however, he will serve such a party for the
duration of one adventure only.
Under no circumstances will an Anti-Paladin join—or even consider joining—a party with Lawful, Good or Lawful Good characters
in it.
At any rate, the Anti-Paladin will demand an ungodly share of
any treasure found (at least 50%), as well as first choice on all
magical items in payment for his services.
In return, he will attempt to lead the party himself or, failing that,
he will preach rebellion against the chosen leader. When combat is
offered, he will immediately retreat to the rear for safety, yet will
claim a hero’s reward for his “courage and daring” afterwards!
If profitable enough, the Anti-Paladin may even consider betraying the party for his own personal advantage. Finally, if this still
doesn’t deter players, the Anti-Paladin’s loud, arrogant manner,
self-centered egoism and cruel sadistic humor should.
A single experience with this NPC, therefore, should teach an
immediate and invaluable lesson in caution to any players!

1. SUBCLASS = cavalier
2. SOCIAL CLASS MINIMUM =
3. ABILITY SCORE MINIMUMS
    STRENGTH = 12+d6
    INTELLIGENCE = 10+d8
    WISDOM = 12+d6
    DEXTERITY = 6+d12
    CONSTITUTION = 10+d8
    CHARISMA = Special
    COMELINESS =
    PERCEPTION =
4. XP BONUS =
5. POSSIBLE RACES & MAX. LEVEL ATTAINABLE =
6. MULTI-CLASS POSSIBILITIES =
7. HIT DIE TYPE =
8. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF HIT DICE =
9. SPELL ABILITY = yes (9)
10. ARMOR PERMITTED =
11. SHIELD PERMITTED =
12. WEAPONS PERMITTED =
13. OIL PERMITTED =
14. POISON PERMITTED = yes
15. ALIGNMENT = chaotic evil
16. STARTING MONEY =
17. WEAPON PROFICIENCIES =
18. NON-PROFICIENCY PENALTY =
19. NON-WEAPON PROFICIENCIES =
20. STARTING AGE =
21. COMBAT =
22. SAVING THROWS =
23. MAGIC ITEMS =

NAMES
"A fun idea I had.. since a lot of us are on different medications we would use those
prescription names lol <laugh emoticon> Effexor.. the anti paladin.. bahahah"
- Guy Toderash

6.

A blackguard.
 

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

THE FORUM

*    *    *    *

I'm glad to hear you're allowing more space
for readers' opinions in DRAGON. I?m also very
glad to hear that you call such opinions ?letters,?
as letters can be handwritten while other manu-
scripts have to be typed, and I hate to type. So,
here?s my opinion on one question ? I trust it
will be legible.

Why There's No Such Thing as an Anti-
Paladin:

Gods differ greatly in how easy it is to serve
them. The LG gods are the hardest to
serve, since their service goes against so many of
our natural instincts. A couple of examples:

Self-preservation.  Modern policemen are
taught that if the choice is between shooting the
villain when the shots might hurt innocent by-
standers, |or| holding your fire and maybe getting
shot yourself, you  don’t shoot.  And if an evil man
takes hostages and demands that you surrender
or he'll kill them, you surrender. (Of course, you
may negotiate, but not to the point where he kills
one of them to add to the pressure.) A <CG> or
<NG> character might argue that killing
the hostage-takers, no matter what happens to th
hostages, will ultimately be the better course in
that it will deter future hostage-takers. A lawful
evil or neutral character might argue that every-
one is responsible for their own actions, so if the
hostages were dumb enough to get captured,
that?s their worry; I?ll just kill the villains. But
neither of these is the lawful good way. For the
lawful good character, defense of the innocent
must come first; self-preservation is secondary.

Self-enrichment:  Too much wealth in the hands
of too few people is a hallmark of LE --
get all you can and hold onto it, and don?t think
about all the impoverished peasants who average
your money out. Lawful good people can live
comfortably, but any extra money goes to im-
prove the lot of their less fortunate fellow crea-
tures. Hoarding and ?flaunting it? are alike evil
traits; lawful good people take what they deserve
and need, but no more. They are good as well as
lawful.

I could go on -- for one thing, I haven't
touched on when killing (i.e., vengeance) is
justifiable  -- but you should have the picture by
Now. Being LG requires great restraint
and goes contrary to many of our basic instincts.

Therefore, the LG gods give considera-
ble benefits to their more loyal followers, both as
inducements to serve them by following this
basically unnatural way, and as rewards for
arduous services (suitable recompense for services
rendered is definitely a LG virtue).

Now, consider how one serves the cause of
CE. It's a  lot  easier. If you have foes, you
can kill them, torture them, enslave them, or do
what you will. If innocent bystanders get you
don't care. You can pile up all the money you
want, not caring how many people get impover-
ished in the process. In short, being CE
places you under no restraints whatever. It's  Fun
(for those with the "right" -- by which I mean
wrong  — mentality, of which there are very
many). So why would the CE gods want
to reward one for having Fun?

And that’s why there is no such thing as an
anti-paladin (or an evil saint; see issue #79).

Ralph Sizer
Providence, R.I.
(Dragon #82)

*    *    *    *

OUT ON A LIMB

The anti-paladin is as useful as a third leg.
Paladins were designed to counter balance the
weight of evil monsters in AD&D. If DMs must
resort to such, to control their games, why not
use a 16-ton block instead? It is at least as subtle
and rational.

E. Gary Gygax
Lake Geneva, Wis
(Dragon #41)
[edit]
 

The second article is the one on anti-paladins by
George Laking and Tim Mesford. It offered a
much needed alternative to the paladin (not to
mention the fact that the article was quite humorous).
I have not as yet placed an anti-paladin in
my world, but I believe that I will not have trouble
doing so. The authors are to be congratulated on
the creation of the anti-paladin and if he is any
representation of their world, I can not help but
think that it is an interesting campaign.

Russell Shiffer
Walnut Creek, Calif.
(Dragon #43)

*    *    *    *

Anti-Anti-Paladin

Gentlemen:
I object mightily to your classification of anti-paladins
(issue #39) as cowardly, etc. I have been
playing one as a character for about a year now,
using as a basis a modification of the “good guy”
rules. Evil, like good, is in the eye of the beholder,
and honor is available among the evil just as
among the good. For examples I submit:

Paladin — John Wayne as “Green Beret” (fictional
character; tough, fearless, mostly good guy,
all-around hero, etc.).

Anti-Paladin — SS Obergruppenfeuhrer Otto
Skorzeny (Real-life German paratrooper; tough,
fearless, mostly bad guy, all-around villain, etc.).
The Major gave full allegiance to Herr Hitler
(chaotic evil) and fought with honor, bravery, etc.
for him throughout the war, pulled off some really
nasty tricks (Germans in US uniforms at Bulge),
designed plot to capture/kill royal family/Parliament/
Churchill a la The Eagle Has Landed. 

The anti-paladin should be one of two basic
types:

A — The hack-and-bash berserker destroyer
whose total talents lay in the wanton destruction
of anything in his way. All the grace/couth/finesse
of a rhino in heat.

B — A man of grace and culture, regal bearing,
the type you would follow anywhere no matter
what the cost, but who has a totally black heart.
See Moorcock’s series of stories about Dorian
Hawkmoon von Koln and Elric of Melinbourne.
Both of these men are anti-heroes/Paladins/
heroes/Anti-Paladins at various times and
still retain their courage/honor.

M. W. Safford
FPO San Francisco, Calif.
(Dragon #43)


The letter above deserves a reply, but it is essentially
the same sort of reply that has been
written numerous other times when a reader takes
exception to the portrayal of someone or something
in an article in Dragon I’ll say it again: The
material in Dragon is not presented in the context
of “do it this way or else.” Unless specifically stated
otherwise in an article, nothing printed in Dragon
is meant to be taken as “official” rule changes or
additions for any game. Any reader/player/DM is
free to do whatever he or she wishes with the information 
in an article — ranging all the way from
accepting it literally to the other extreme, which is
refusing to accept any of it for use in a particular
campaign.

With regard to the Anti-Paladin, Mr. Safford is
entirely within his rights to disregard a characterization
of the Anti-Paladin as cowardly. He has already
disregarded the strong recommendation, as
expressed in the official AD&D rules, against using
any character class as a player character other
than those which are specifically denoted as allowable.
If he or anyone else chooses to stretch the
rules for AD&D to this extent, it naturally follows
that he need not pay attention to any part of an
Anti-Paladin’s description which does not coincide
with his interpretation.

The Anti-Paladin was presented in Dragon as a
non-player character, and the particular article
represented only one of countless particular interpretations
which could be attached to this character
class. We printed it because we felt it was a
well-thought-out presentation of the concept, not
because we intended to establish this Anti-Paladin
as the one and only. If you like it the way it’s
written, fine. If you want to use it as a NPC, or as
the foundation for a NPC, go ahead. If you want
to use it in any form as a player character, you can
do that, too, although you will do so without our
blessing or encouragement. And if you want an
Anti-Paladin who acts more like Otto Skorzeny
than Simon Legree, then go ahead and design
and use one. As long as you and the people you
play with enjoy the game you’re in, nothing else
matters. 

— Kim
(Dragon #43)