Hi,
long time lurker here, just had a bit of question about paladins. I've just finished running my long term d20 modern campaign (a bit of rehash of star wars, 40K and the Deathstalker books) and am going back to be a player! The new campign im a part of is a fantasy one and im going to be playing a paladin. I wanted something a bit different, so I was thinking of playing the paladin in the style of a film noir detective (maybe start him with a level of rogue), and giving him the patron diety of Wee Jas.
I wondered if anyone else had any ideas for unique and interesting Paladins, as the shining knight archetype seems a bit cliched.
One of my better ideas for a Paladin was during my prep time for Savage Tide, when I wasn't sure if I wanted to be a player or not. At the edge of one of the plantations surrounding Sasserine a slab of stone is thrown aside. A man strides out, covered in dust, and wearing antique chainmail and dragging a huge sword. The peasants flee for their lives from the undead monstrosity, and priests of Pelor from the city are called in. They completely fail to turn the man and daylight spells have no effect, they do not resort to old fashioned bashings because the man offers no resistance. The priests take him back to the temple where a holy relic pulses with the light of the sun, which traditionally identifies new paladins. He is set loose in the world and told to do good.
I planned on playing the character himself as a man who doesn't understand the paladin fuss. He's no holy warrior, and is a tad greedy. When the chips are down he always comes through though. I hadn't planned his development much, but I seldom do that till I have played a character long enough to understand them.
I was once challenged to create a 7th level character (2nd edition) to join a campaign in progress - and I chose a paladin. The party was in an Underdark type setting so my story was that I had been trying to recover victims kidnapped and enslaved by mindflayers - but was captured myself.
Maybe not so original - the part that I (and the DM liked) was that the group of mindflayers had developed a mystical technology that would drain the life force (XP) from victims in a slow(very painful) process taking several days per level. This xp could then be used in a variety of ways. So the twist was my character concept was that paladin was (at the beginning of this ordeal) was around 14th level but at the time of rescue was reduced to 7th. He was bitter and frustrated by his loss of strength, expertise, and skill - the knowledge that things that used to be easy for him were now extraordinarily difficult and risky. Didn't get to keep him long though - some save throws you just can't miss. (Though his death allowed others to escape)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Since paladins are called by their gods (rather than choosing for themselves), what about the unwilling Paladin? He's got a god-given calling to fight Evil, and all the powers that go with it, but he'd really rather be at home wooing his childhood sweetheart.
What stops such a character just violating his code and going home, you ask? Well, to answer one question with another - when your god says "Go!", who are you to refuse?
Hi, long time lurker here, just had a bit of question about paladins. I've just finished running my long term d20 modern campaign (a bit of rehash of star wars, 40K and the Deathstalker books) and am going back to be a player! The new campign im a part of is a fantasy one and im going to be playing a paladin. I wanted something a bit different, so I was thinking of playing the paladin in the style of a film noir detective (maybe start him with a level of rogue), and giving him the patron diety of Wee Jas.
I wondered if anyone else had any ideas for unique and interesting Paladins, as the shining knight archetype seems a bit cliched.
Agreed 100%, and I like your idea a lot. I've posted elsewhere (can't remember which thread now) that I've played a barbarian/paladin ("I wasn't raging! That's a sacred divine trance!"), a bard/paladin (the ultimate support character), and a paladin/psychic warrior (the latter was a LOT of fun). Once you accept that sooner or later you'll have to stop gaining paladin levels bacause of multiclass restrictions and/or incompaitble alignment requirements, or else talk your DM into allowing those cool feats (Devoted Performer is the best!), you can create any number of non-clicheed muliclass variants that can be a lot of fun to play. Also be sure to check out the Shadowbane Inquisitor prestige class from Complete Adventurer for a continuing rogue/paladin concept.
Multiclassing isn't the only way to do it, but if you're going to give up heavy armor, it pays to get a few benefits to make up for it. A paladin/swashbuckler fusion class might be an interesting idea...
The Shadowbane Inquisitor was exactly where I was planning to go with the character, although "Gray Guard" from the Complete Scoundrel also seem pretty cool. Defintely going to be picking up the Devoted Inquisitor feat from Complete adventurer, and might just bounce backwards and forwards between Rogue and Paladin (one for you, one for me style) as that feats allows you to cross class between rogue and paladin freely.
To me I cant really see the chracter wearing heavy armour all the time. Maybe just when he know he is going to have to kick some doors in, the rest of the time, just a simple suit of studded leather or a chain shirt. The role I have in mind for him is much more social/interaction based rather than combat.
Although a spring-loaded kneeblade (complete scoundrel) will be a definate for those "oh im helpless...No im not evil one! HAVE SOME OF THIS!" moments. Hmm kneeblade in the groin of evil, while sneak attacking and smiting evil. Ouchy.
Im going to have to atone so often im sure of it :/
Now the one pressing question is the choice between a good oold Greatsword, or a Scythe.
For single-class paladins, an archetype almost nobody plays is a "Rooster Cogburn" type, who drinks and cusses and plays cards, but is always there to help when you need him, and will do anything for a good cause. Some would argue that the character was CG, not LG, but meh. I don't like the alignment system as written anyway.
You could be a tpye that is mainly concerned with making sure the laws of death are enforced. As in, tracking down undead villains, and making sure that innocents do not die before their appointed time. However, if that time is actually at hand, well... death isn't evil in itself, and the laws of your god dictate non-interference. Could make for some good, tense role-playing.
Another option would be to use a sorcerer/paladin mix (maybe wizard, but sorcerer gets synergy off the paladin's high charisma), and play a holy scourge from the Complete Mage. The sorcerer levels would be focused on non-evil necromancy spells. Practiced spellcaster is a must in this situation. Just a thought.
A good and less annoying version of a paladin is Paks, from The Deed of Paksenarrion.
If the GM has a dynamic clergy that's interesting to interact with, a Paladin who has to choose a few tenets of his religion against conflicting tenets, can be very interesting to play and watch. (ie: Give a Paladin a code of 3 absolute commandments, then have two of the commandments conflict, and see what the Paladin chooses.)
"Error... Error... Conflicting commands... does not compute...." (head explodes) :P
I wondered if anyone else had any ideas for unique and interesting Paladins, as the shining knight archetype seems a bit cliched.
Paladin of Ehlonna (Favored Enemy variant) specializing in ranged combat (with the Ranged Smite Evil feat from BoED). Make the character female and she can gain a unicorn mount at 6th level (Mounted Archery at that point, too).
You can also house-rule giving up Heavy (and Medium) Armor Proficiency as a class feature to gain an extra feat (or two) at 1st level. Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, and Ranged Smite Evil at 1st, can only wear light armor; I'd say that's different from the "typical" shining knight.