Need some advice on a Cleric/Paladin character

[Kereea]

So, I am working on a setting, and thus am trying to avoid homebrew so that the setting can be picked up/modified easily by anyone who wants to use it. A major part of the setting is a temple to Eilistraee, the Chaotic Good Drow Goddess who wants to lead her people to live in harmony on the surface. The Temple of the Moon routinely helps drow refugees from the Underdark and also works with surrounding communities to thwart drow raids from below.

Now, they're surface drow and they're not stupid, so they do have an order of warriors who work to stop internal destruction form spies/assaults directly on the temple from drow loyal to Lloth. The fighters I've been pretty able to spec out, and most of the clerics have gone with the Light domain (Eilistraee's domains being Light and Nature, going by the sword coast guide) but paladins are where I'm stumble, expecially with a specific paladin character: Veshti

Veshti is an NPC who would likely be introduced either helping PCs beat back a drow raid or dangerous monsters, or would hire them to help her cover ground in search for a missing person. She might also provide training with weapons or divine magic, if she comes to like them. She wields a glaive, heavy armor, and her paladin mount is a polar bear. Most likely alignment is Neutral Good, married to a Chaotic Good hald elf Bard.

Here's the rub: when I was designing her, she was originally a cleric, because I thought there was a Domain of Protection. Because that is her thing: protecting people. If the PCs end up in a pinch and need an NPC to give them a leg up to avoid a TPK, she's the kind of NPC it's easy to see doing it. I was going to come up with a story reason she and others might have the protection domain...which research then showed me did not exist. I realized ability-wise she was closer to a paladin anyway...maybe...and that's where I'm stuck.

So, her husband is more of a healer than her, he mostly steals from the cleric spell list and is a Lore Bard, whereas Veshti kinda embodies the "I will be your shield!" quote (ironically, she only pulls our the shield, with a mace, when the glaive is really impractical).

So, which of the Paladin Oaths (or, even other Cleric domains) really fit that best? I was thinking maybe Oath of the Ancients and maybe just it more of a moon flavor than a nature flavor, but really idk. Would Oath of Devotion be better for protecting? It seems like a maybe, but I'm not sure. Or would this work with a Light Cleric and just grade her down to medium armor and remove the mount? Or hell, what about a multiclass? Any ideas?

[Ecclectik]

My quick advice is, if she's an NPC, you don't have to build by the same rules that players operate under. Make her fit the role in the story that you need, don't make the mechanics of the game dictate the story.

I've taken inspiration from NPCs from the mechanics of character classes, but generally simplify them for running as a DM because I don't need them to have the HUGE range of options that PCs have, particularly spellcasters.

She sound like a cool character already. Don't let the rules make her less so.

[CheddarChampion]

There is a protection domain from Unearthed Arcana. You could also homebrew a domain.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

How about Oath of Redemption?

It is great for a protector.

[Spiritchaser]

I always try and roll up the more adventurous NPCs as PCs. Partly so the PCs have some inkling of what’s possible, partly because it feels more fair, but also partly to have lots of viable temporary PCs if someone drops in for a session. (This has not always worked well, but I still like the option)

What level is she?

At a high enough level I could easily see this as oath of ancients 7 or 8/divine soul sorcerer x. This works best with half elf or half elf drow variant.

That would get you a few cleric tricks, and some fun sorcerer spells cough* shield cough*. With glaive you could skip warcaster.

[Nagog]

There is a protection domain from Unearthed Arcana. You could also homebrew a domain.

I'd say this for Cleric or Oath of the Throne for Paladin. Throne has some really nifty support tanky abilities to draw attention from your allies onto you.

[Kereea]

There is a protection domain from Unearthed Arcana. You could also homebrew a domain.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! That was the class that inspired her! I'd forgotten all about Unearthed Arcana! Their Shield of the Faithful technique was a huge part of building her and I forgot it alltogether but you rmeinded me and THANK YOU!:smallbiggrin:

[Kereea]

I always try and roll up the more adventurous NPCs as PCs. Partly so the PCs have some inkling of what’s possible, partly because it feels more fair, but also partly to have lots of viable temporary PCs if someone drops in for a session. (This has not always worked well, but I still like the option)

What level is she?

At a high enough level I could easily see this as oath of ancients 7 or 8/divine soul sorcerer x. This works best with half elf or half elf drow variant.

That would get you a few cleric tricks, and some fun sorcerer spells cough* shield cough*. With glaive you could skip warcaster.

She and her husband are both around lv 10, with her being an optional PC (tho probably not a starting one, one a player could take over if they lost their person mid-campaign, maybe. I'm making a drow Warlock for one of those and a different cleric from the temple who can start at lv 1 like everyone else in my plans). Thankfully a reply upthread reminded me there IS a Cleric of Protection, it's unearthed arcana but that class was what inspired her so it's probs going to be her class.

[Irennan]

So, I am working on a setting, and thus am trying to avoid homebrew so that the setting can be picked up/modified easily by anyone who wants to use it. A major part of the setting is a temple to Eilistraee, the Chaotic Good Drow Goddess who wants to lead her people to live in harmony on the surface. The Temple of the Moon routinely helps drow refugees from the Underdark and also works with surrounding communities to thwart drow raids from below.

Now, they're surface drow and they're not stupid, so they do have an order of warriors who work to stop internal destruction form spies/assaults directly on the temple from drow loyal to Lloth. The fighters I've been pretty able to spec out, and most of the clerics have gone with the Light domain (Eilistraee's domains being Light and Nature, going by the sword coast guide) but paladins are where I'm stumble, expecially with a specific paladin character: Veshti

Veshti is an NPC who would likely be introduced either helping PCs beat back a drow raid or dangerous monsters, or would hire them to help her cover ground in search for a missing person. She might also provide training with weapons or divine magic, if she comes to like them. She wields a glaive, heavy armor, and her paladin mount is a polar bear. Most likely alignment is Neutral Good, married to a Chaotic Good hald elf Bard.

Here's the rub: when I was designing her, she was originally a cleric, because I thought there was a Domain of Protection. Because that is her thing: protecting people. If the PCs end up in a pinch and need an NPC to give them a leg up to avoid a TPK, she's the kind of NPC it's easy to see doing it. I was going to come up with a story reason she and others might have the protection domain...which research then showed me did not exist. I realized ability-wise she was closer to a paladin anyway...maybe...and that's where I'm stuck.

So, her husband is more of a healer than her, he mostly steals from the cleric spell list and is a Lore Bard, whereas Veshti kinda embodies the "I will be your shield!" quote (ironically, she only pulls our the shield, with a mace, when the glaive is really impractical).

So, which of the Paladin Oaths (or, even other Cleric domains) really fit that best? I was thinking maybe Oath of the Ancients and maybe just it more of a moon flavor than a nature flavor, but really idk. Would Oath of Devotion be better for protecting? It seems like a maybe, but I'm not sure. Or would this work with a Light Cleric and just grade her down to medium armor and remove the mount? Or hell, what about a multiclass? Any ideas?

Eilistraeen paladins are typically Ancients (the tenets are basically Eilistraee's dogma, heh) or Redemption. Redemption is really good at protecting, but since you've already found a protection domain, I guess this is a rather moot point now.