Anti-paladins, in OootS?

[paladinofshojo]

Just a quick question, if Rick does decide to throw anti-paladins into the story, how will they fit in, and how are they going to be able to use there "opposite" powers. Will they be from some alternate universe were good is evil, and evil is good or get there powers from some badass outlander. Anyway, how who's side will they be on, seeing as they would be evil, they'd side with Xykon. However, if they were opposite paladins they'd wouldn't have a strong sense of honor and would simply skrew Xykon for there own personal gain. Anyway, how about their ability in combat, since they are evil and healers, they would be somewhat similiar to Xykon but with less spell slots and more melee oriented. Then again, can anti- pallies heal? Seeing as they are opposite of paladins, it should make sense for them NOT to heal and have damaging spells instead. Anyway, all please post anything you might want to add.

[chibibar]

To be Anti-Paladin (in the new world) are blackguard. I remember there use to be "anti-Paladins" which basically serve the evil gods, but not sure how that change in 3.5

In my old world where we play a mixture of rules. We allow any alignment to play Paladin since to us they are servant of a god (a calling) and thus any god can have their champion (Paladin) I know it is a loose definition but hey.. I am the GM and we can make up the rules.

[Deatheater]

In my old world where we play a mixture of rules. We allow any alignment to play Paladin since to us they are servant of a god (a calling) and thus any god can have their champion (Paladin) I know it is a loose definition but hey.. I am the GM and we can make up the rules.

Good for you! More games would hang together better if the DM had the courage to ignore/alter stuff they can't get behind philosophically. As long as everyone knows the "house rules" in advance and they follow some sort of logic.

This is the strength of the White Wolf system--they come right out and say "change the rules that don't work for you". (Their weakness being "Yatzee" game mechanics...) It took Gygax years to get over the fact he can't control what people do with a roleplaying game--and the universe did not come to a premature doom because people played D&D a little different from game to game.

As for anti-paladins in Rich's world...after reading SoD, IMHO, the "good" gods are a bit corrupted-- I think we're in "with friends like these who needs enemies" territory. Example:

The Sapphire Guard wiped out Redcloak's entire village, even though their "evil" target was the goblin cleric with the red cloak at the time. They didn't even have the sense to grab the evil garment and destroy it, if that was what they were really after. No, they went on a killing spree, just like knights did in the historical crusades. I sincerely doubt EVERY goblin set off their "evil-dar". Now, that is a very realistic thing for people blinded by their faith/ whatever to do. But, by most definitions of "good", in most campaigns, those paladins should have been de-paladin-ed. The only thing that can explain it is that the "good" gods approved of the slaughter.

Now had they killed the one wearing the red cloak, and perhaps the clerics, destroyed the cloak and told the other goblins to "get out", they'd still be jerks, but they would be within the "rights" of both their alignment and duties.

So, I just don't see the point of anti-paladins in Rich's world at this point.

[Krytha]

Well, blackguards are usually paladins who changed their minds. But if you're looking for just evil people who started paladining for their own evil gods from the very start, I guess they would be different from blackguards. Perhaps the end result would be about the same, but then again, they could be different enough.

[Green Bean]

Well, Sabine has mentioned Blackguards, so they're definitely in the setting. But we haven't really met an appropriate candidate for the class yet, at least in the 'fallen paladin' sense, unless you count that guy from OtOoPCs. Though, come to think of it, Belkar would have enough ranks in Hide, wouldn't he? :smalleek:

[lord_khaine]

ill seriously disagree about that Krytha, blackguards are people who for some reason or another have dedicatet themself to the forces of darkness.
paladins dont usualy fall, and even when they does it should be even more unusual for them to fall all the way to evil, fallen paladins should only make up a fraction of the total blackguard population.

[Kaelaroth]

ill seriously disagree about that Krytha, blackguards are people who for some reason or another have dedicatet themself to the forces of darkness.
paladins dont usualy fall, and even when they does it should be even more unusual for them to fall all the way to evil, fallen paladins should only make up a fraction of the total blackguard population.

Really? We've had three blackguards in my varying games. All fallen.

[Chronos]

I've never really liked the idea of having paladins of every alignment, but I do like the idea of gods of every alignment having champions. I just think that the champions for every alignment should be different. They might not even be warrior-types: I can see chaotic champions based on rogues instead, for instance.

Then again, I also don't think that champions (of any alignment) should be all that common, nor that someone should be able to just choose to become one. The way I would see it, a person of any class might choose to follow the appropriate code of conduct, and may aspire to becoming a champion, but it's up to the god in question to decide whether the character lives up to the ideals closely enough, and whether a champion is needed at that place and time.

[Green Bean]

Really? We've had three blackguards in my varying games. All fallen.

Oh, fallen paladins are very popular as NPCs or villains. It's because the story of the good and powerful turning against what he or she held dear is a popular fantasy trope. What Lord_Khaine means is that in any given setting, there won't be more than a few Blackguards who are fallen paladins. They tend to be rare, so as to increase the drama.