Paladin opinions [3.5e]

[Flail_master]

Hey everyone, first thread first post, wish me luck :P

OK so basically i want to dedicate this forum to everyones opinions on 3.5 paladins, i myself am a level 6 paladin now, and I've been playing long enough to get a feel of them, combat wise, perhaps not roleplay wise, which saddens me :P
But anyways, another thing i want to ask is what all you paladin players got as a reaction to you're choice? if anything some people in my group sorta resent the fact im a pally coz they wanted to be evil.
However in my opinion, people tend to play either evil or good party campaigns, and honestly, it seems a bit stupid/weird/illogical to play with a mix of good and evil, you would need a hell of a good reason why they're travelling together, paladins or not!

All i know is people i know didnt like me limiting their options, despite the lack of logic behind a mixed party.

and a lot of people forget that it should be alignment by character, not character by alignment (in my opinion :P) i think paladin roleplay holds potential

anyways enough rambling, your opinions?

[Critical]

I'd stick to your groups opinion. Paladins can be such a weight when making decisions/doing something. I'd not use a paladin at all, unless the party is alignment specific.

[hamishspence]

The Order of the Stick are a mixed adventuring party that include LG and CE characters.

That said, the "association" thing does prevent the paladin from staying with the party- if he knows one or more of the members is evil.

There are a great many varieties of evil character in D&D- some of which "play well with others" better than most. Not all are the cliched "psychopathic evil" of PHB.

Similarly, Paladins don't have to be played as "kill everything evil on sight" - some varieties of paladin may be interested in redeeming evil beings rather than killing them, seeing killing as a last resort.

[Yukitsu]

Everything they said about paladins blah blah applies to evil characters as well. Especially ones that aren't clever enough to take advantage of a paladin ally.

[SpikeFightwicky]

First off, welcome to the forum!

Personally, I always found that the paladin was a fun class to play. The trick is to not get caught up in playing a stick in the mud. Whenever I opt to create a paladin in a game, it's usually met with groans and sighs. Once the game starts, they're usually pleasantly surprised that I don't play 'Lawful Stupid'.

I usually try to set an example, but don't force other players to play by my code. For example, if there's a reward offered for a quest, if the rewarder isn't rich by any means, I'll forgoe the reward, but not try to force the rest of the party to do the same. When someone who's well off offers a reward, or if it'll be insulting not to take it, then I'll likely give it away to someone more needy.

[LaughingRogue]

Yeah i usually dislike the "Lawful Stupid" paladins that are mentioned above

but they're usually good tanks in combat, so it evens out
I like rogue type characters so me and the pally usually get into some arguments about two times a game, but it's really all in good fun

[Flail_master]

hmm fair enough with the association, my quarrel mainly was just the logic behind it other than miko's case being 'she didn't fully know' or Roys case 'he's keeping Belkar in check'

my problem with miko's case in a real game being, they'll find out eventually.
and although ' why should i care bout someone elses class being affected by my actions' sometimes it just seems unfair to say that, i mean people who play paladins aren't doing it to hurt the party, and although my party is alright with it now since we all have nuetral and good chars we like, i recieved some grief, but we are alignment specific now, and we like to roleplay and think of histories for characters so mixed party couldnt really work at this point.

[Flail_master]

Yeah i usually dislike the "Lawful Stupid" paladins that are mentioned above

i agree here, paladins are roleplayed wrong a lot from what ive seen and it gives us a bad name

ive visited countless sites trying to sort out my characters personality

but they're usually good tanks in combat, so it evens out
I like rogue type characters so me and the pally usually get into some arguments about two times a game, but it's really all in good fun

another thing i agree with, the arguments and conflicts can be fun roleplay wise! some people miss that point sometimes. it's not literally "YOU ARE DOING EVIL THINGS! YOU DIE!"
sometimes theres such a thing as having a friend, or reasoning with them :)

[hamishspence]

Yup.

I liked Savage Species's "An evil character can be a loving parent, devoted spouse, loyal friend, without affecting their evilness in any way"

[Flail_master]

First off, welcome to the forum!

Personally, I always found that the paladin was a fun class to play. The trick is to not get caught up in playing a stick in the mud. Whenever I opt to create a paladin in a game, it's usually met with groans and sighs. Once the game starts, they're usually pleasantly surprised that I don't play 'Lawful Stupid'.

I usually try to set an example, but don't force other players to play by my code. For example, if there's a reward offered for a quest, if the rewarder isn't rich by any means, I'll forgoe the reward, but not try to force the rest of the party to do the same. When someone who's well off offers a reward, or if it'll be insulting not to take it, then I'll likely give it away to someone more needy.

again i couldn't agree more!

thanks for the welcome BTW :)

good to hear theres another pally player who doesn't wanna be a 'stick in the mud' 'lawful stupid' pally :)

[Draz74]

O-chul and Hinjo have some good opinions on this subject.

[paddyfool]

May I recommend Fax Celestis' Paladin? It ties specific abilities to specific oaths, and allows you to choose far more precisely what ideals you wish to commit your character to.

[Octopus Jack]

I love playing paladins, I love tricking them, manipulating them and killing them once they're no longer useful. In other words paladins are fun to have around and I don't know what (other) evil people complain about.

Also Paladin soup is nutricious and tastes good!

[Flail_master]

May I recommend Fax Celestis' Paladin? It ties specific abilities to specific oaths, and allows you to choose far more precisely what ideals you wish to commit your character to.

oooo i like, at the least its got some good concepts in it :)

dont think ill change now tho, as much as i like the idea of it, two guys in our party have already changed character few times, dont wanna make it a third, we are finally set with our characters :P

[Yukitsu]

For RP purposes, I always like taking a paladin, conforming to the rules of their written code, then adding a philosophy on top of it. Especially good for the philosophies that clash with paladin-ness.

Solopsist paladin and Nietzschian paladin were a blast to play. Especially their really odd justifications as to why they could fight for good, when they didn't really believe in the world/the relevance of the world. Athiest paladin was pretty neat as well, but less philosophically incongruent. Making them sort of contradictory by nature makes them less obviously a paladin, and for some reason, makes them pretty interesting to RP, so long as you remember that they're people with other beliefs and desires as well.

[Mystic Muse]

May I recommend Fax Celestis' Paladin? It ties specific abilities to specific oaths, and allows you to choose far more precisely what ideals you wish to commit your character to.

I personally prefer Surrealistik's Paladin

Paladin's are personally my favorite characters. I'm playing one right now in a red hand of doom campaign. (Surrealistik's one) It's fun but there's a slight problem. everybody else in my group is neutral aligned.

One of the reasons I like Surrealistik's Paladin is Lay on hands is actually relevant with it. there are obviously more but that's one of the main ones.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I <3 paladins.

I love playing all sorts. From the ones that ride the line between falling and not (my favorite) to the fair and balanced, to the inquisitorial style that seems more like some one playing 40k to the reconsiler.

All of em. I've never been a stick in the mud for any one. And we have had necromancers in parties with paladins. ITs all the more fun to play a paladin when there is an evil person in the party. Cuz you want to out them but you don't especially if you have a good story arc for not. or there needed.

[hamishspence]

It helps if you know the DM's opinion's on what's a "gross breach" and what isn't- similarly with what's an evil act and what isn't.

Also, some sources have the concept of "partial fall" where the paladin who commits an evil (but fairly minor) act loses some, rather than all, of their powers- with the amount of power lost depending on how evil the act was, and how much of a breach of the Code it was.

[Flail_master]

man this is awesome, didn't expect this much response :P

but a lot of stuff you guys are sayin is inspirin some confidence in my chosen class :)

may have to show this to my fellow adventurers :P

[RagnaroksChosen]

I highly recomend finding a prestige class at your level to go into though. after level 6 paladins start to loose power.

[hamishspence]

Paladins in general seem to be one of the more common D&D things talked about here- some people love them, some hate them, some are indifferent, but they get a lot of "airtime"

[Kylarra]

Paladins in general seem to be one of the more common D&D things talked about here- some people love them, some hate them, some are indifferent, but they get a lot of "airtime"

Like monks!

I've always liked the idea of a paladin personally, but it is something I'd recommend discussing with your group ahead of time. Of course, I'm always a proponent of creating groups that would plausibly work together rather.

[Starbuck_II]

It helps if you know the DM's opinion's on what's a "gross breach" and what isn't- similarly with what's an evil act and what isn't.

Also, some sources have the concept of "partial fall" where the paladin who commits an evil (but fairly minor) act loses some, rather than all, of their powers- with the amount of power lost depending on how evil the act was, and how much of a breach of the Code it was.

I thought gross meant the defintion word... 144 number...

[Flail_master]

What u guys think of the whole free mount thing? i like the idea, especially considering my DM let me have a lion :P

overall tho i think its a good class feature, no one else has it... cept druids maybe

my lion is too epic :P

[RagnaroksChosen]

What u guys think of the whole free mount thing? i like the idea, especially considering my DM let me have a lion :P

overall tho i think its a good class feature, no one else has it... cept druids maybe

my lion is too epic :P

have you ever seen the ubermount build? they use paladins mount and with a feat combine it with an Animal companion to get a... super mount.


I ususaly switch out my mount for the charging smite variant just cuz i like to smite.

[Flail_master]

lol very nice, i like the sound, tho im gonna stick with my lion, i like him a lot :P

[hamishspence]

What you you usually describe him as looking like?

There is a lot of variety- lion manes can be any shade from blond to black, any length from short to long. Then there's base color (some lions are white, some, especially blackmaned lions, can be pretty dark)

There's also the Cave Lion (spotted, short or no mane) which is pretty hefty for a lion.

If it's a lion from the celestial planes, it might look a little different from a standard one.

[Flail_master]

What you you usually describe him as looking like?

There is a lot of variety- lion manes can be any shade from blond to black, any length from short to long. Then there's base color (some lions are white, some, especially blackmaned lions, can be pretty dark)

There's also the Cave Lion (spotted, short or no mane) which is pretty hefty for a lion.

If it's a lion from the celestial planes, it might look a little different from a standard one.

if anything i see him as just a normal coloured lion, large brown mane, perhaps yellower than usual, desert sand coloured fur, but sue to celestialness i kinda imagine a faint glow coming from him if u look at him for a second or two

my paladin's a paladin of Pelor so it would make sense for the glow to be mainly round his mane, like the sun

[hamishspence]

Does make sense- and it goes well with the maned face symbol of Pelor.

A Pelorite paladin might be a little closer to Neutral Good than most paladins are, what with Pelor being a NG deity.

[Flail_master]

yah probably but either way still paladinny :)