How does one, in PF, *become* a paladin? If you take paladin as your first character level, all the joining up and oaths and such are nearly always handwaved away, but what about the lawful good fighter who has aspirations of becoming a paladin later in her career?
Is it just a matter of writing Pal 1 on your character sheet? Is there some sort of quest or training that would be required? What about if you're adventuring in a land that isn't exactly conducive to worship of the deity you follow?
I'm facing exactly this in a campaign I'm running now, one of the players wants to eventually start taking paladin levels... in Cheliax.
As a separate issue, how are alignment transgressions normally handled prior to being a paladin? This character has done some very questionable things so far, that are not at all compatible with the paladin code. (If it makes a difference, such actions are part of an extended pattern of behavior from the player over several years.) I'm hesitant to just say "sorry, no, you can't be a paladin now" after several levels of building towards that.
Would it be inconceivable for another deity (say, Asmodeus) to step in and grant paladin-ish (LE instead of LG, with Smite Evil being replaced with Smite Chaos, etc) abilities to this character *in secret* (so far as the character is concerned)? I don't think it's too outlandish to look at this as sort of a Job analogue, where the character is tempted into a contract (via vague wording etc, so that the character/player thinks it's serving a different god) and given power, just to see how dedicated and principled the character is.
For me, I'd be hesitant to let him become a paladin. If the character repeatedly acts contrary to the paladin code, then they really aren't aspiring to be one.
As for paladin-ish abilities, I'd say take a look a Lord of Darkness anti-paladin archtype by Fire Mountain Games. It's for followers of Asmodeus.
how are alignment transgressions normally handled prior to being a paladin?
Atonement. Note that this opens up the separate possibility of having some arduous quest to attain said Atonement, which is admittedly tropish, but definitely serves the purpose. If he is not committing himself to the Paladin code, he can surely write Paladin 1 on his sheet, but you can consider him fallen until atoned. Discuss that with the player before he does this, obviously.
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That violates the whole idea of paladins. If you have to carry around scrolls of atonement, you're doing it wrong.
How does one, in PF, *become* a paladin? If you take paladin as your first character level, all the joining up and oaths and such are nearly always handwaved away, but what about the lawful good fighter who has aspirations of becoming a paladin later in her career? ...
This seems world-dependent, so it depends on the GM. For a more-or-less canonical Golarion / Cheliax campaign, the character would need to find a diety to accept him (Abadar? Shelyn?) for candidacy.
As to previous actions, unless those actions interfere with an Lawful Good alignment, I don't see why they would be held against him. Paladinhood is a higher calling, and if the character is ready to up his commitment, then there's no reason he shouldn't be accepted for that. If his alignment as LG is sketchy or questionable, then by all means, more is needed - atonement, a quest, something to prove his dedication to himself. Perhaps he needs to seek out the victims of his transgressions and achieve forgiveness before he can take his first level of Paladin. That's the GM's perogative, always.
As to Asmodean intrigue, I doubt that Asmodeus would concern himself with such a piddling trifle. On the other hand, a recruiter for the Hellknight order of the Godclaw might be tempted to pay him a visit and tempt him with something like paladinhood, and so much easier to achieve ...
Enjoy your game!
@Malachite Ice: Golarion paladins do not require deities unless PFS or playing a houseruled game. I really do like your Hellknight idea, though. Very nice.
@johnlocke90: I agree re: Atonement, but only insofar as I can say that sufficient Atonement is GM fiat to some degree. I'm fine with a character wandering around with scrolls of Atonement for little things, but anything majorly code-breaking (ex. willingly murdering an innocent without some tripe fall or fall scenario around it) is going to be a quest or nothin'.
@Malachite Ice: Golarion paladins do not require deities unless PFS or playing a houseruled game. I really do like your Hellknight idea, though. Very nice.
You are correct. I'd mentally ruled that out as a possibility as Tvarog said the player in question did not measure up to Paladin ideals at this point in his career, so spontaneous paladinfication didn't even occur to me.
Much happiness!
Rules are codified fluff. To violate intent is to violate law/rule.
I'm pretty sure Golarion paladins require a deity, just as clerics and inquisitors do. Oracles are the only cleric-ish caster that can get away with not having one, right?
The hellknight idea sounds good, especially the god-claw.