PDA

View Full Version : Roleplaying I need help with my paladin's oath!



Dankus Memakus
2018-04-10, 08:49 AM
So we are playing a campaign that has heavy dark souls demon souls and other dark fantasy influences (ones I dont remember because i dont don't know what they are) anyway I have been building a paladin on this for a long time and I'm struggling with his oath. I am gonna give his backstory and then I need some opinions. (This is gonna be based alot more on flavor/roleplaying I don't care that much for the mechanics)

My paladin is a Dragonborn named Ferrous.
He started life as a human paladin who worked with 4 other paladins who performed their duties and helped many people. The world is dark so these paladins have to frequently protect the innocent and they were seen as powerful paragons of goodness. At some point however the group fell into a trap created by a mad alchemist. He began experimenting on the paladins attempting to make them super soldier's to follow his will. He used dragonblood to change them into something better. This works and gives each the worst trait of the Dragon that the paladin closely resembles eventually turning all to evil except my character. He is a black Dragonborn so I decided his trait was cowardice instead of the cruelty his creator intended. His cowardice causes him to run away and he finds himself in a strange land and he's attempting to help people. Maybe someday he will reverse his curse or embrace it but mainly he is attempting to overcome the cowardice that is ingrained in him since previously he was quite brave.

Now I really can't decide an oath for him at all. I thought vengeance but he does struggle with cowardice and I'm not sure if devotion fits super well either, like I said it's a dark souls like world. Not many to be devoted to anymore (although there was in his past) I have all the books and we can use any offical material so please suggest away.

Edit: I have trash grammar

GreyBlack
2018-04-10, 08:58 AM
Oathbreaker. By constantly showing cowardice, you were unable to fulfill the bounds of your oath.

If Oathbreaker is unavailable, maybe consider something like Oath of Redemption?

Dankus Memakus
2018-04-10, 09:02 AM
Oathbreaker. By constantly showing cowardice, you were unable to fulfill the bounds of your oath.

If Oathbreaker is unavailable, maybe consider something like Oath of Redemption?

I thought both of these options. Oathbreaker has alot of very evil seeming abilities though. My paladin is still lawful good and kind and tries to help and heal people. If it felt less like an evil class I'd love it.

Edit: I love the idea of being oathless and sad but some of the flavor of the oathbreaker makes him seem like a villain

GreyBlack
2018-04-10, 09:15 AM
I thought both of these options. Oathbreaker has alot of very evil seeming abilities though. My paladin is still lawful good and kind and tries to help and heal people. If it felt less like an evil class I'd love it.

Edit: I love the idea of being oathless and sad but some of the flavor of the oathbreaker makes him seem like a villain

Then redemption. You're seeking to redeem both yourself off your failings, but also redeem the evildoers you come across.

Dankus Memakus
2018-04-10, 09:17 AM
Then redemption. You're seeking to redeem both yourself off your failings, but also redeem the evildoers you come across.

Do you by any chance know their oath off the top of your head? I dont have my books on me.

Grear Bylls
2018-04-10, 10:42 AM
Do you by any chance know their oath off the top of your head? I dont have my books on me.

Paraphrased:
Peace: Violence as a last resort
Innocence: Everyone was innocent at one point, at the environment they were raised in changed them. Help them to get back on the right path.
Patience: Change takes time. Help the people you must, even if it takes a while.
Wisdom: Some people can't go back. End them for the greater good.

NecessaryWeevil
2018-04-10, 04:32 PM
You may lack the courage you once had, but you still have the ideals and purpose. I would decide how your paladin once was, what oath he served, before the alchemist got his hands on him, and stick to that. The conflict between your ideals and your cowardice sounds like good RP material to me.

Another option would be to play a fighter or other martial class, hopefully with an understanding with your DM that you may be able to convert to Paladin if you sufficiently overcome your cowardice so as to uphold your oath. Or multiclass for similar reasons.

"Protect the innocent" sounds like your focus and that sounds like Ancients or Devotion to me.