This multiclass archetype package for the cleric/paladin uses the cleric as its foundation and alters or replaces the following class features: aura, domains, orisons, spellcasting, and channel energy. The divine exemplar is a complex archetype; a full class advancement table is available below.

Somewhere between the clergyman and the crusader lies the divine exemplar. He rarely operates in concert with a church, as the cleric does; neither does he devote himself to holy combat as the paladin does. He foregoes much of both clerical and paladinic lifestyles in order to pursue something closer to his god. He casts spells, but only those granted by his deity's domains. He smites whatever his god frowns upon with the same vigor as a paladin, but he lacks the paladin's combat training. His channeling is weaker than a cleric's, but the good divine exemplar can heal as mercifully as the best paladin and the evil divine exemplar can harm as cruelly as the worst antipaladin, while neutral divine exemplars are gifted by their gods with the power to maintain balance. Divine exemplars are far more closely-linked to their patron deities than clerics or paladins, and it is in this link that they specialize.

Primary Class: Cleric.

Secondary Class: Paladin.

Hit Dice: d8.

Saves: good Fort and Will, poor Reflex.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: A divine exemplar selects three paladin skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal cleric class skills. The divine exemplar gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 2 + Int.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Divine exemplars are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). Divine exemplars are also proficient with the favored weapon of their deity.

Aura (Su): A divine exemplar's aura is more potent than that of an ordinary cleric. At 1st level, a divine exemplar's aura detects as both aspects of his alignment, and has the same strength as that of a paladin of his level. (So a chaotic good divine exemplar has an aura of chaos and an aura of good.) Additionally, as the divine exemplar gains levels, he adds effects to his aura, according to his alignment. All aura abilities named below function as the paladin and antipaladin abilities with the same names.

At 6th level, good divine exemplars gain an aura of courage. Evil divine exemplars gain an aura of cowardice.

At 12th level, good divine exemplars select between an aura of resolve or an aura of justice. Evil divine exemplars select between an aura of despair or an aura of vengeance.

At 18th level, good divine exemplars may add any single aura effect from the paladin's ability list. Evil divine exemplars likewise pick one of the three remaining antipaladin auras.

At each of these levels, non-good and non-evil divine exemplars instead receive the constant benefits of a different magic circle spell as a supernatural effect. The magic circle effect cannot ward against an aspect of the divine exemplar's alignment (so a chaotic neutral divine exemplar cannot select magic circle against chaos). The DC for this effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the divine exemplar's level + the divine exemplar's Charisma modifier. This otherwise functions as, and replaces, the cleric's aura ability.

Diminished Spellcasting: A divine exemplar gains one fewer spell of each level than normal, and does not receive the normal domain spell slot at each spell level. If this reduces the number of spells at a certain level to 0, he may cast spells of that level only if he receives bonus spells of that level from having a high ability score. A divine exemplar uses his Charisma score to determine bonus spells per day and spell DCs, and must have a Charisma score equal to 10 + a spell's level in order to cast it. A divine exemplar receives no 0-level spell slots.

Domains: At first level, and again every four levels thereafter, the divine exemplar receives one of his deity's domains. If possible, the first domain he selects must be one of his deity's alignment domains. He gains all the granted powers of his domains as a cleric of his level, but he uses his Charisma modifier to determine the save DCs and uses per day for these abilities. This otherwise functions as and replaces the cleric's domains ability.

Domain Spells Only: A divine exemplar does not receive the normal cleric spell list. Instead his spell list is composed of the spells associated with all his deity's domains, including those the granted powers of which he can not yet access. He can prepare any combination of domain spells in appropriately-leveled spell slots. This does not affect the cleric's spontaneous casting class feature: divine exemplars of good deities can still channel stored spell energy into healing spells, and divine exemplars of evil deities can still channel stored spell energy into harmful spells, despite these spells not technically being on the divine exemplar's spell list. (Divine exemplars of neutral deities can choose one or the other as normal.) For the purposes of spontaneous casting, the divine exemplar's spells are not considered to be "domain spells."

Righteous Fury (Ex): At 1st level, a divine exemplar uses his divine exemplar level in place of his base attack bonus when when smiting and using domain powers which require an attack roll. He also uses his divine exemplar level as his base attack bonus for the purpose of determining the number of attacks he can make in a full attack action while smiting.

Smite (Su): At 1st level, a divine exemplar can smite as a paladin of his level, once per day, and an additional time per day every six levels thereafter, to a maximum of four times per day at 19th level. Divine exemplars of good alignment smite evil, and those of an evil alignment smite good. A lawful neutral divine exemplar smites chaos, while one of chaotic neutral alignment smites law. True neutral divine exemplars can smite chaos, evil, good, and law, but each day must choose which alignment he can smite for that day. This ability replaces orisons, channel energy 4d6, channel energy 7d6, and channel energy 10d6.

Lay on Hands/Touch of Corruption (Su): At 2nd level, divine exemplars of good or evil deities can expend one of their daily channel energy uses to use lay on hands or touch of corruption, as appropriate. This functions as the similarly named paladin and antipaladin abilities. When using channel energy in this way, the healing (or damage) dice are calculated as though the divine exemplar were a paladin of his level (so a 9th level divine exemplar channels energy normally for 3d6 points of healing or damage, but when using lay on hands or touch of corruption this is boosted to 5d6). A divine exemplar may use this ability on himself as a swift action. Non-good, non-evil divine exemplars do not receive this ability. Instead they receive versatile channeler (see below).

Versatile Channeler: At 2nd level, divine exemplars who worship neither good nor evil deities receive Versatile Channeler as a bonus feat. At 11th level, the penalty for channeling a different type of energy using this feat is removed. Good and evil divine exemplars do not receive this ability. Instead they receive lay on hands/touch of corruption (see above).

Favored (Su): At 3rd level, a divine exemplar receives a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (if any) on all his saves. This bonus is a sacred bonus if the divine exemplar worships a good deity, profane if the divine exemplar worships an evil deity, and untyped if the divine exemplar worships a neutral deity. This functions as, and does not stack with, the paladin's divine grace or antipaladin's unholy resilience ability. This ability replaces channel energy 2d6.

Mercy/Cruelty (Su): At 4th level, and again at 10th and 16th levels, a divine exemplar selects one mercy or cruelty available to paladins or antipaladins of his level. Good divine exemplars select mercies, and apply all mercies known when using lay on hands, as a paladin would. Evil divine exemplars select cruelties, and apply one cruelty known when using touch of corruption, as an anti-paladin would. Non-good, non-evil divine exemplars may choose freely between mercies and cruelties; they apply all mercies known to one creature healed by their positive channeling, and one cruelty known to one creature harmed by their negative channeling.

Abundant Channeling (Su): Starting at 8th level, a divine exemplar may channel energy a number of times per day equal to 1/2 his divine exemplar level + his Charisma modifier (instead of 3 + his Charisma modifier).

Improved Righteous Fury (Ex): At 11th level, a divine exemplar uses his divine exemplar level in place of his base attack bonus whenever he makes an attack roll with his deity's favored weapon. He also uses his divine exemplar level as his base attack bonus for the purpose of determining the number of attacks he can make in a full attack action with his deity's favored weapon.

Conductive Weaponry (Su): At 14th level, a divine exemplar treats any magical melee weapon he wields as though it had the conductive special ability. If he has Improved Unarmed Strike, he receives Domain Strike as a bonus feat.

Supreme Righteous Fury (Ex): At 20th level, a divine exemplar's base attack bonus is equal to his divine exemplar level so long as he remains in good standing with his deity. This applies to all relevant calculations, including CMB and CMD.

Divine Champion (Su): At 20th level, when the divine exemplar uses smite and successfully strikes an outsider of the alignment(s) he smites, the outsider is also subject to a banishment, as the paladin's holy champion ability. In addition, good divine exemplars heal the maximum amount when using channel energy or lay on hands. Evil divine exemplars deal the maximum amount of damage when using channel energy or touch of corruption. Divine exemplars with neither good nor evil alignment components double the save bonus from the favored class ability against good- and evil-aligned spells and spell-like abilities, and add it as an untyped bonus to AC against attacks made with good- or evil-aligned weapons.

Code of Conduct: A divine exemplar must adhere to his deity's exact alignment as a strict moral code, and loses all class features except proficiencies if he ever willingly breaks this code. Additional restrictions on the divine exemplar's behavior may be derived from his deity's rules, preferences, etc.

Special: Though the divine exemplar is not a paladin, he qualifies for the Unsanctioned Knowledge feat if his Intelligence score is high enough. He adds the received spells as 1st-4th level spells which he can prepare alongside his domain spells. The divine exemplar also counts as having more specific versions of his abilities, such as smite evil, divine grace, or any aura effects he gains via his aura ability, as class features for the purposes of qualifying for feats and prestige classes.

Table 1-1: Divine Exemplar

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Spells per Day
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Aura, channel energy 1d6, diminished casting, domain, righteous fury, smite 1/day 0 — — — — — — — —
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Lay on hands/touch of corruption, versatile channeler (-2) 1 — — — — — — — —
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Favored 1 0 — — — — — — —
4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Mercy/cruelty 2 1 — — — — — — —
5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Channel energy 2d6, domain 2 1 0 — — — — — —
6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Aura 2 2 1 — — — — — —
7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Smite 2/day 3 2 1 0 — — — — —
8th +6 +6 +2 +6 Abundant channeling 3 2 2 1 — — — — —
9th +6 +6 +3 +6 Channel energy 3d6, domain 3 3 2 1 0 — — — —
10th +7 +7 +3 +7 Mercy/cruelty 3 3 2 2 1 — — — —
11th +8 +7 +3 +7 Channel energy 4d6, improved righteous fury, versatile channeler (-0) 3 3 3 2 1 0 — — —
12th +9 +8 +4 +8 Aura 3 3 3 2 2 1 — — —
13th +9 +8 +4 +8 Domain, smite 3/day 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 — —
14th +10 +9 +4 +9 Conductive weaponry 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 — —
15th +11 +9 +5 +9 Channel energy 5d6 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 —
16th +12 +10 +5 +10 Mercy/cruelty 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 —
17th +12 +10 +5 +10 Channel energy 6d6, domain 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0
18th +13 +11 +6 +11 Aura 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1
19th +14 +11 +6 +11 Smite 4/day 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2
20th +15 +12 +6 +12 Divine champion, supreme righteous fury 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3