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Just started a campaign last night in the Dragon Empire campaign setting (or some such thing). Currently playing a Human Paladin of Shelyn, 4th level.
Basically I would like some help role-playing this character correctly. My DM mentioned something about a Paladin-specific code based on your deity, but I could not find any such rules - is that just a houserule?
I took a few ranks in Perform (Oratory) and Craft (Calligraphy), as well as the racial heritage feat (Samarsan). I really liked the Samarsan fluff and all that, but I couldn't find any way to make the stats work, and most of the other abilities just turned me off.
I read up on Shelyn some earlier today and I really like the idea of playing a Paladin dedicated to her, but I want to make sure I get it right.
Can I get some suggestions for staying true to my deity?
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Are you using a glaive for starters?
I think it's about beauty and love inspite of sorrow. That the followers of Shelyn never believe all is lost and that they could try to empathise with even the most depraved of beings.
Are you using a glaive for starters?
I think it's about beauty and love inspite of sorrow. That the followers of Shelyn never believe all is lost and that they could try to empathise with even the most depraved of beings.
Yeah, it's a Glaive-Guisarme, but my DM said it was close enough to count as a Glaive.
I agree with most of that - at the end of last session, I think I convinced a pirate mage to leave her criminal organization to join us for a few days to see "...how I do things, how I see things, how I experience things..." to see if she wouldn't enjoy a life where you don't have to look over your shoulder all the time (she specifically stated hating that).
Just remember, there is beauty... in WAR!!!
I think violence should be a last resort. Soon as I can afford a +1 weapon, I'm gonna save up for the Merciful trait.
Since I can't really quote any sections from Faiths of Purity as far as I know (this is where the paladin of Shelyn code is found) I'll sum it up as follows:
They're about using diplomatic solutions over fighting, it seems like violence is a very last resort with them. Beauty is awesome but if the beautiful thing is evil, it sucks. They never strike first except in the case of protecting the innocent. They always accept a foes surrender and work hard to redeem them. Redemption good! Art is pretty much sacred and destroying it is bad ju-ju and her paladins tend to master several forms of art. They don't judge people based on their appearances since inner beauty is preferable to external beauty.
Indeed. I have a Paladin of Shelyn in a game on these boards; she always offers foes a chance to surrender if she can, in the chance that they may find redemption. Of course if they refuse, she kicks @$$, but she does give them the opportunity and tries to see the good in people. She doesn't use a glaive, though, but an elven curve-blade - it's not a requirement that paladins use the preferred weapons of their deities, after all.
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Just started a campaign last night in the Dragon Empire campaign setting (or some such thing). Currently playing a Human Paladin of Shelyn, 4th level.
Basically I would like some help role-playing this character correctly. My DM mentioned something about a Paladin-specific code based on your deity, but I could not find any such rules - is that just a houserule?
I took a few ranks in Perform (Oratory) and Craft (Calligraphy), as well as the racial heritage feat (Samarsan). I really liked the Samarsan fluff and all that, but I couldn't find any way to make the stats work, and most of the other abilities just turned me off.
I read up on Shelyn some earlier today and I really like the idea of playing a Paladin dedicated to her, but I want to make sure I get it right.
Can I get some suggestions for staying true to my deity?
Shelyn's paladins do indeed have a unique code that they follow and it is one of the most interesting ones I've seen. It appears in the Player Companion Book, Faiths of Purity, along with traits, feats, and spells that may be of use to you. I've spoilered the code so that you can see it for yourself.
The paladins of Shelyn are peaceable promoters of art and beauty. They see the ugliness in evil, even when cloaked in the form of beauty, and their job is to prevent the weak and foolish from being seduced by false promises. Their tenets include:
• I am peaceful. I come first with a rose. I act to prevent conflict before it blossoms.
• I never strike first, unless it is the only way to protect the innocent.
• I accept surrender if my opponent can be redeemed—and I never assume that they cannot be. All things that live love beauty, and I will show beauty’s answer to them.
• I will never destroy a work of art, nor allow one to come to harm unless greater art arises from its loss. I will only sacrifice art if doing so allows me to save a life, for untold beauty can arise from an awakened soul.
• I see beauty in others. As a rough stone hides a diamond, a drab face may hide the heart of a saint.
• I lead by example, not with my blade. Where my blade passes, a life is cut short, and the world's potential for beauty is lessened.
• I live my life as art. I will choose an art and perfect it. When I have mastered it, I will choose another. The works I leave behind make life richer for those who follow.
Indeed. I have a Paladin of Shelyn in a game on these boards; she always offers foes a chance to surrender if she can, in the chance that they may find redemption. Of course if they refuse, she kicks @$$, but she does give them the opportunity and tries to see the good in people. She doesn't use a glaive, though, but an elven curve-blade - it's not a requirement that paladins use the preferred weapons of their deities, after all.
I was thinking much the same thing, role-playing-wise, but possibly being even less violence oriented - Still trying to stand down from combat, even if a shot is fired, if I think it can be stopped.
Of course the favored weapon isn't a requirement - but I was going two-handed anyway, and I decided a Glaive would be fine as a weapon. Just wish I had the INT to get trip after a little while.
Thanks Blayde. I had actually just found Paizo spoiling it's own code a few minutes ago.
Thanks for the code, and your input.
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Cry of Mercy always struck me as an appropriate feat for a Shelyn worshipper, but it does have a 13 wis pre-req. Blade of Mercy trait might be good also. It might be my own personal interpretation, but Shelyn always struck me as a goddess who preferred giving things a chance to be worked out again and again until they were fixed. Sort of like Sarenrae without the smiting after the backsliding...
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Indeed. I have a Paladin of Shelyn in a game on these boards; she always offers foes a chance to surrender if she can, in the chance that they may find redemption. Of course if they refuse, she kicks @$$, but she does give them the opportunity and tries to see the good in people. She doesn't use a glaive, though, but an elven curve-blade - it's not a requirement that paladins use the preferred weapons of their deities, after all.
I was thinking much the same thing, role-playing-wise, but possibly being even less violence oriented - Still trying to stand down from combat, even if a shot is fired, if I think it can be stopped.
Of course the favored weapon isn't a requirement - but I was going two-handed anyway, and I decided a Glaive would be fine as a weapon. Just wish I had the INT to get trip after a little while.
Yep, sadly the game we are in - Rise of the Runelords - is one in which the foes are pretty irredeemable most of the time, at least for the parts that she has been in. I put in a suggestion for a feat the DM approved too:
The Broken Rose
When your compassion and mercy are rejected in favour of the desire to do evil, then can your wrath be raised.
Pre-requisite: Paladin class, worshipper of Shelyn and adoption of that Paladin's code.
Benefit: Whenever you offer mercy and compassion to those you confront, and they reject the flower and beauty of your offer for the opportunity to do more evil, then they have 'broken the rose'. When in combat with such beings you gain a +1 bonus to hit and damage them, and a +1 bonus to all saving throws against them and a +1 AC bonus against them. This is in addition to any other bonuses, such as from smite evil. 'breaking the rose' operates under the same condition as smite evil once it occurs: it lasts until the end of the day, or until the creature is slain. It cannot re-occur unless the individual again rejects love for evil.
Special: This ability does not apply if the person either cannot understand your offer (for example, they do not speak your language), or they are unable to comply due to following a greater cause (as a rule of thumb any action they are undertaking that would be in accordance to Shelyn's code and could not be followed if they yielded would count as such a cause), or otherwise through no fault of their own. For example, it could not be used on a person you call on to surrender who rejects your call in order to destroy a priceless work of art, which unbeknown to you is a lich's phylactery they have only moments to destroy before the lich reforms.
Cry of Mercy always struck me as an appropriate feat for a Shelyn worshipper, but it does have a 13 wis pre-req. Blade of Mercy trait might be good also. It might be my own personal interpretation, but Shelyn always struck me as a goddess who preferred giving things a chance to be worked out again and again until they were fixed. Sort of like Sarenrae without the smiting after the backsliding...
I could not find Cry of Mercy or Blade of Mercy on the PFSRD. Could you please tell me where they are from and what they do?
Dotted for future reference. I have been curious about playing either a Paladin or Cleric of Shelyn in the future.
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I've got a paladin of Shelyn in my party too, and at the moment we're close to the same level as you. She emphasizes the good of paladins over the law, basically being a kind, nice person overall. We pretty much always try to defeat our enemies without killing them too, whenever possible that is. (though that's also partly a result of the entire party being either lawful or neutral good)
She's also been putting ranks into Profession (Painter) at every level, with the character herself saying that any devoted follower of Shelyn could tell you that practising art of some kind is an important part of the relationship with the goddess.
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I play an arcane duelist (bard archetype) who believes she is a paladin of sheyln. She is devout, chooses to see the good and beauty in everyone, refuses to lie, and refuses to attack anyone that isn't directly hostile to her, her friends, innocents, or attempting to destroy art. She focuses on buffing her party and dispelling/countering harmful and negative emotions. Heirloom Weapon: Glaive makes for a perfect trait. The best part is, I don't have to be a lawful good stick in the mud and my character can do what she believes is right, even if it isn't exactly legal (there can be beauty in chaos after-all).
Aid Another actions I find are very thematic for Shelyn worshipers. They seek to bring out the inner beauty and talents of others and Aid Another directly represents that.
Cool concept on the character. I doubt I would have been that creative. Not quite for me, but seems like you enjoy it. And I agree on the chaos bit, but being a Paladin, I doubt my character would.
Totally agree on aid another. My character was hastily thrown together, so my DM won't mind me making a few changes - I took Bodyguard as a feat with the trait Helpful (Bodyguard lets me protect allies with an Aid Another action when they get attacked - Helpful makes my Aid Another +4 instead of +2) - and all that totally fits the theme of my character to "protect first, strike to kill as a final resort".
She's also been putting ranks into Profession (Painter) at every level, with the character herself saying that any devoted follower of Shelyn could tell you that practising art of some kind is an important part of the relationship with the goddess.
Could not agree more. I had ranks in perform (Oratory) for poetry and craft (calligraphy), though I might switch those to perform (Dance) and craft (weaponsmithing) - dance so she can be beautiful even in battle (all fluff, though I am considering the Shelyn feat in Faiths of Purity) and weaponsmithing to make her weapons into works of art themselves - adorning the blade of her Glaive with flower motifs and the like.
I also intend to use Merciful from my weapon bond early and often.
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Cry of Mercy is from Serpents Skull AP. I gave you bad advice on Blade of Mercy since its Sarenrae only and its from Legacy of Fire. Here is the quick basics:
Cry of Mercy- as a swift action 1/day you can call upon the spirits to stop your foes from dying. Any opponents killed during the combat are instead reduced to -1 hps and stabilized. It is possible to kill someone even with this feat going, but they have to roll a will save to do it. It does have a 13 wis pre-req though, which is usually a paladin dump stat.
Blade of Mercy trait just lets you take a non-lethal attack with a weapon without taking the -4 penalty, but like I said, its Sarenrae only.
Cry of Mercy is from Serpents Skull AP. I gave you bad advice on Blade of Mercy since its Sarenrae only and its from Legacy of Fire. Here is the quick basics:
Cry of Mercy- as a swift action 1/day you can call upon the spirits to stop your foes from dying. Any opponents killed during the combat are instead reduced to -1 hps and stabilized. It is possible to kill someone even with this feat going, but they have to roll a will save to do it. It does have a 13 wis pre-req though, which is usually a paladin dump stat.
Blade of Mercy trait just lets you take a non-lethal attack with a weapon without taking the -4 penalty, but like I said, its Sarenrae only.
Both are cool, but don't seem to be quite what I'm looking for. I saw blade of mercy, and my DM may allow me to take it since it still fits Shelyn's theme (and just call it a trait for her instead).
Thanks.
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Just started a campaign last night in the Dragon Empire campaign setting (or some such thing). Currently playing a Human Paladin of Shelyn, 4th level.
Basically I would like some help role-playing this character correctly. My DM mentioned something about a Paladin-specific code based on your deity, but I could not find any such rules - is that just a houserule?
I took a few ranks in Perform (Oratory) and Craft (Calligraphy), as well as the racial heritage feat (Samarsan). I really liked the Samarsan fluff and all that, but I couldn't find any way to make the stats work, and most of the other abilities just turned me off.
I read up on Shelyn some earlier today and I really like the idea of playing a Paladin dedicated to her, but I want to make sure I get it right.
Can I get some suggestions for staying true to my deity?
Consider an Iron Brush as a backup weapon. After all... you probably won't want to carry your glaive into many social settings.
Consider an Iron Brush as a backup weapon. After all... you probably won't want to carry your glaive into many social settings.
Thanks for the tip, but right now we're almost always in unsavory places, so there's not much harm in keeping a weapon on me (or even being in full armor).
But I will keep in mind if we go to somewhere a bit nicer.
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Why was this 2 year old thread necro'd?
She doesn't use a glaive, though, but an elven curve-blade - it's not a requirement that paladins use the preferred weapons of their deities, after all.
Just a quick note: Not only aren't paladins required to use their deity's favored weapon, but they don't automatically gain proficiency with it! If your deity's favored weapon is exotic, you'll need to burn a feat to get proficiency. And yes, I know of two published deities who have that issue and are the right alignments to have paladins or anti-paladins.