The Paladin Appreciation Thread

[8BitNinja]

Just a short while ago, I made a thread about heroes.

But then I said to myself "you know what, let's make a thread about holy knights of virtue and honor who defend the faith, the weak, and the oppressed, what would you call those?" Then I looked in the mirror and saw a Paladin, and I remembered "Oh, those are called Paladins, I remember now, that's why I trained since I was 6 at the local church to fight and call upon divine guidance to help me"

I don't want to brag, because humility is a virtue, but Paladins are pretty cool, post anything you want pertaining to the Holy Knights of Virtue and Justice here

[CovertCobalt]

In a 4e campaign I GMed some time ago, one of my PC's was an Eladrin Paladin of Corellon, god of Arcane magic, Beauty, and the Fey. His name has since been lost to the ages, but his greatest deed lives on to this day, passed on from game to game when my gaming buddies and I reminisce.

The PC party was facing down a group of Vecna Cultists in a grand Art Museum in the capitol city of a Roman-ish human empire. Somehow, they had managed to unleash a gigantic flesh golem abomination, covered in still-sentient undead heads of the cult's victims, screaming for mercy. The Paladin faced the beast down alone, while the rest of the party attempted to stop the cultists from stealing an immensely powerful piece of magical artwork. With barely any hp left and no uses of Lay on Hands left, he managed to score a massive critical hit on the thing, which I decided was Corellon granting him extra strength since he was protecting something both Arcane and Beautiful.

Basically, the Eladrin Paladin cut a 12-foot tall flesh abomination in half with a single stroke and made it burst into holy silver flames, complete obliterating it. The remaining cult members immediately surrendered.

[Pex]

Playing a 2E human paladin in the U1/U2/U3 Salt Marsh module. It was cool the pseudodragon chose to adopt me due to my virtuousness instead of the elf rogue who first befriended it. I've had in character issues with that rogue. It was nice to win one.

What was even better was when it was time to confront the Lizardmen. Salt Marsh and the Lizardmen normally got along fine but there was concern when we discovered the Lizardmen had a relationship with the pirates we defeated. The Lizardman on board the ship just departed when we fought the pirates. We were just going to investigate what was going on. I was very insistent that the Lizardmen were not our enemy. Technically speaking we would be in error entering their domain and they would naturally defend themselves. We must not cause them injury while trying to find a way to communicate. The party agreed. When we approached and entered the Lizardmen cave naturally they attacked as we couldn't understand each other and they felt threatened. The party did only subdual damage. Spells cast just incapacitated. We did not do any true hit point damage and killed no one. When finally we found a Lizardman who could speak Common I immediately dropped my weapon, told the party to do the same, and surrendered to plead our case. That we did not injure any Lizardman helped a long way when speaking to their king. We learned of their trouble with the Sahuagin and agreed to help. We befriended the Lizardmen. I felt like a True Paladin that day.

[8BitNinja]

Right now, I have an unplayed character whose name is Steven Lightblade, a human Paladin of Heironeous, his story is that he is the son of a nobleman who is a Paladin and his mother is a Cleric. Steve was sent off to learn to become a Paladin at age 6 and wishes to join The Holy Order of the Unyielding Light, an order of Paladins, by the time he is 25 (current age). He has a dream that seems to be a divine message that a cult worshiping Hextor has arisen and the Cleric living nearby hands me some money and a horse (named Henry) and I set off to a local town, where I will meet future party members when I finally get to play with this character

I would love to join any game with this character, as long as most if not all of the party is good aligned

[TheYell]

Right now I am Markos Theophilos, a Holy Fist of Iomedae- a paladin / monk PF brew who hews to the paladin code. Currently we're playing Wrath of the Righteous.

[Keltest]

First edition elf paladin named Keltest (clever, huh). Boldly championed the cause of righteousness, only to be foully turned to stone fighting against a cursed Drow while trying to rescue a princess (seriously). My party broke off my arm to continue to wield my blade against him. We got captured anyway, and I was un-petrified by the Drow so I could be sacrificed to Lolth to bring her into the world.

Fortunately, things didn't go as planned, we all escaped and I got my arm back. And two levels! yay for happy endings!

[wumpus]

There was this paladin in the party, and he didn't try to take over the entire party to suit his whims. Yay paladin!
- Agree with Rich on paladins. But he does make great NPC paladins.

[Inevitability]

I played a paladin once. Kethoth the White, servant of an order of healing and health. He travelled north to a war-torn continent to find his sister (who'd gone missing on a pilgrimage a few years before) and relieve those who suffered from the war.

After encountering two decent-enough people, he travelled the continent with them. With them, Kethoth fought corrupt soldiers, healed injured citizens, and slowly uncovered more information about his sister's whereabouts. His allies were less-than-virtuous, but Kethoth stuck with them. After all, they needed someone to keep them from falling in with the wrong crowd.

On one of their adventures, Kethoth and his allies had seized a magical floathing vehicle, armed with a weapon able to shoot a stream of bullets (think magitech helicopter). They had landed it a few days' travel from a major city (the vehicle was associated with an enemy nation), and Kethoth's friends had gone off to buy supplies while Kethoth stayed with the vehicle.

The paladin never learned what had gone wrong, but his allies returned three days early, chased by a few dozen mounted warriors. They quickly entered their vehicle and took off. The paladin was confused, but his questions went unanswered. Then, he saw one of his 'allies' aim the weapon at the pursuing squad.

The sight of a f(r)iend willing to kill dozens of people, even though they could no longer harm him shocked Kethoth. Why did no one object? This wasn't right!

Before he knew it, the paladin dragged his friend away from the weapon, screaming angrily. Why? Why did he think it was okay to slaughter all those people? Kethoth's questions were never answered, for his 'friends' drew weapons and attacked.

The ensuing fight was brief, but violent. Kethoth's eyes were filled with tears as he struck down the rogue with a divinely-powered blow and turned to face his other adversary. His foe, clearly outmatched, tried to climb down the vehicle's ladder. Kethoth begged his friend to return, commanded his foe to surrender, threatened to cut the rope, but to no avail.

And so, Kethoth the White, champion of Purity and Goodness, cut the rope.

[8BitNinja]

There was this paladin in the party, and he didn't try to take over the entire party to suit his whims. Yay paladin!
- Agree with Rich on paladins. But he does make great NPC paladins.

What does Mr. Burlew believe about Paladins?

Right now I am Markos Theophilos, a Holy Fist of Iomedae- a paladin / monk PF brew who hews to the paladin code. Currently we're playing Wrath of the Righteous.

Nice name, if I remember my Greek correctly, your last name literally means "friend of God"

[Keltest]

What does Mr. Burlew believe about Paladins?

That Miko is the worst way to play a paladin, and that O-chul is the better way. And I agree. The world needs more O-chul.

[Sam113097]

The first game I ever GMed involved a sun paladin named Tye. He had the worst luck of any player I have ever seen. I wasn't trying to kill the character, he just kept putting himself in bad positions through a combination of bad rolls and poor planning. Highlights include:

• Knocked himself out trying to swing from a ship's mast
• Fell overboard in full armor
• Walked right underneath a lurking giant crab
• Ended up fighting an Orc berserker 1-on-1 in an arena
• Was thrown through a column by a troll
• Fell off a wall during an attempted stealth mission
• Got separated from the party in a ghoul-infested cave
• Tried to fight a bullette alone while 2nd level

Somehow, thanks to the help of the rest of the party, and many, many uses of Lay On Hands, he survived the entire game.

[8BitNinja]

That Miko is the worst way to play a paladin, and that O-chul is the better way. And I agree. The world needs more O-chul.

I agree, Miko is a disgrace to Paladins, and O-Chul is one of the best Paladins

The first game I ever GMed involved a sun paladin named Tye. He had the worst luck of any player I have ever seen. I wasn't trying to kill the character, he just kept putting himself in bad positions through a combination of bad rolls and poor planning. Highlights include:

• Knocked himself out trying to swing from a ship's mast
• Fell overboard in full armor
• Walked right underneath a lurking giant crab
• Ended up fighting an Orc berserker 1-on-1 in an arena
• Was thrown through a column by a troll
• Fell off a wall during an attempted stealth mission
• Got separated from the party in a ghoul-infested cave
• Tried to fight a bullette alone while 2nd level

Somehow, thanks to the help of the rest of the party, and many, many uses of Lay On Hands, he survived the entire game.

His new name is Tye the Invincible, and also...

[TheYell]

Yes that is the Greek meaning. Of course the gang I'm with makes a production of it.
"I am Markos Theophilos"
"...WHAT?"

So I said I got tired of them botching it and I wrote it out. With the Greek alphabet.

[ImNotTrevor]

I have been hoping to be a player in an Apocalypse World campaign as a guy I call Errant.

There is no Paladin class in Apocalypse World (except maybe the Touchstone if you really stretch your definition of Paladin) so Errant would be a class called The Faceless.

The Faceless operates by having a mask that hides their face, and by being big scary ragemonsters that hurt and dissapoint everyone they care about.

"But INT," you say, "That is not paladinlike!"

That is the point.

You see, Errant found his mask in an old dilapidated building that had apparently been called a "Mus um o ine Ar."

Within its walls, he found his real face. What happened to be a bucket helmet from the era of the crusades. Alongside it, he found some dusty skeletons and a big, leather-bound book called The Whole Bibble.

Errant can't read well, but he does his best with the Whole Bibble, and basically figures out that everyone should know about this God guy, because he seems like a tough guy worth having as the leader of all the gangs and hardholds ever.

Basically, Errant would be the worst paladin/crusader ever. He would be flat-out wrong in basically all his beliefs, and use them basically as a reason behind the searing, constant rage that fills his life. It certainly has nothing to do with his past, no sir. He is a Ragemonster in the name of the Whole Bibble.

This character is meant to be... sorta funny? In reality I planned to play him as the kind of humor where you either laugh or cry about it, and laughing is easier. Nothing about Errant would scream "hurr durr I am funny Bibble Angry Guy," but rather "I am in constant emotional torment and something in this book gives me a way to externalize the pain. It just happens to be kind of funny."

He's definitely a high-level RP sort of character and I look forward to playing him with the group I have. It's the only group where I would be comfortable doing so, because the subject matter can be abrasive and playing that character would actually be kind of exhausting for me. But I still want to try, you know?

And no, it's not angsty pain. Errant will spend virtually no time sitting in corners and crying. If Errant is crying, it will be while squeezing the breath out of someone who has touched upon that pain without proper precaution. It will be while beating someone to death with their own arms, screaming in rage for what he has lost and can never regain. It is why he wears the mask. His face is too soft, too weepy to express the steel structure around his soul.

Yeah. He would be a very emotionally intense character to play.

[Reltzik]

See, my paladin started off nice and new with bright ideals, limitless compassion, shiny gear, and that fresh new-character-sheet smell.

By level 5 he went jaded and cynical about the world, the gear is all scuffed and dented, and the character sheets smell like the potato chip grease that stained them at level 2.

I guess you can say that my paladin's depreciated.

.....

*flees*

[Florian]

Ah, Paladins, the good times!

Some years ago, I had fun playing Ser Andrej, a rather young nobleman hailing from Brevoy, a country famed for its swordplay and with nobility a bit overly fixated on dueling.

Your typical nobleman of that country, Ser Andrej was intelligent, charming, witty, well trained in the social arts and also a bit of a minstrel, along with being a master of the dueling sword und formally trained in military history and tactics.
He enjoyed fancy clothing, a good chelaxian red, having fun with the wenches, wooing some rich traders daughters with bouts of singing moonlight ballads and showing of in duels.

All the while, he was a staunch believer in the doctrine of Abadar, that civilization should be advanced, trade free, bandits and brigands rooted out and put to the sword and the wilderness tamed. Being young, he just heard some romanticized legends of the Paladins of Aroden of old, how they conducted their business and took an interest in this, trying a bit to emulate some of the old virtues. But, alas, to no avail. Full Plate and Horse, never, no style there.

That really was fun.

[Quiver]

So... I'm currently playing my FIRST EVER GAME of Pathfinder. And the character I create to inaugurate this auspicious occasion?

A Paladin.
Specifically, a half-elf Paladin of Shelyn, since they don't seem very common.

I admit, I'm still trying to feel the character out (and worrying I'm doing it wrong all the time), but I feel like a Paladin has potential to tell one of the most interesting stories in a group, so I'm excited to see what happens with her.

I'm currently playing her as an 'All-Loving Hero' and 'Wide-Eyed Idealist', the type of person who just wants everyone to get along, man, with a fascination for other cultures and "art"... by which she means " pretty much anything that someone uses as a mode of expression".

So... I figure her development will be fun to write.

[ReaderAt2046]

A few great Paladin stories I heard elsewhere:

A Noble Death

How A Paladin Does An Intimidate Check:

Bet You Didn't Think A Former Opium Addict Could Be An Awesome Paladin: (second story).

[Pex]

How A Paladin Does An Intimidate Check:

APPLAUSE!

[IntelectPaladin]

Seriously? I go all-out, I finally open up, I choose to finally enter the forums..And this happens.
The thread i choose to open up in is left destitute, alone, to rot. I should've figured. Let me go ahead an re-post my lastest addition to that thread.

I may as well reveal a bit more of Jev's career.

Here's a tale about how I handled the "level limit" Of the shop.
I had to level down often to stay in the shop.
Here's the first time,
as well as the story of what happened beforehand.

Spoiler: The level limit sidestory I. Very lengthy.

Show

So. Basically, The shop rules stated that you couldn't become too high of a level.
(And as you might imagine, Playing the same character for a year tends to pad your exp total.)
Since I wanted to continue visiting at the time, I once again took drastic action.

I let jev be leveled down, losing various abilities that had to be re-gained, etc.
(Not the best idea, I know, But I was doing too well, I thought.) Anyways,
I had to follow this level-down process three times. The D.M. was kind enough to let me explain why.

So,Here's "Level down I"
It had been right after the orcish fortress. And evidently, Exploding glowing eyes syndrome was spreading.
The town mayor, Who up until a few weeks ago had been a saint, Had been basically looting the taxes.
When we stopped to investigate why he didn't pay us,
He ran outside and drew his sword, as well as spells in the other hand.
(Not the usual town mayor, as far as i know, But he wasn't exactly in control of himself.)

Now, Pretty much everyone wanted to kill him. I had wanted to save the town from the possibility
of a mayoral nuke, But then something happen that started both the hate,
and my attempts to use ingenuity for the good guys.
The mayor, For a moment, Regained control and threw his sword down towards me. That act alone changed my intent, goals, and what i felt needed to be done in an instant.

I distinctly remember a conversation with the D.M. at the time:
Leech-player:"Wait, why didn't you pick up the sword?"
Me: I'm don't want to kill him.
D.M.: But you were trying to a minute ago.
Me: That was before i saw a chance to save him."
So, Basically, the mayor was beginning to go nuclear from the damage,
And that would've been bad because A: the town was filled with people, and B: There was a major battle happening, With a few more glow-eyes showing up around the town, being dealt with by guards and clerics.

So before he go off, I did what may arguably be the first stupid decision I had ever made.
I took town the mayour with a flying tackle, and healed him, yelling (In-game) for another teammate to go grab
some of the town ministers, clerics, etc, while I held him down.

At that, the mayor roared, and tried to get up.
I took damage for keeping him down, But I managed for long enough that a party member came back with the towns' highest-ranking priest in-tow. The priest got whatever was controlling him out of him, But let us know that it escaped.
At this point the battle had been won, and we all got rewards, prizes, etc.
And while everyone else was starting a new adventure next week, (Hence the need for a level-down,)
I decided to wrap it all up. In-game, it was a day after the battle. Various hunting parties of clerics, paladins, etc were being sent out to find that escaped thing, And Jev led one of them.
We'd tracked it to a seaside-cliff, Where it had been attempting to call up a portal to get home.

So, Here's the hard bit. I found it, alone, and managed to cause an explosion. And then, the inevitable happened.
The explosion had been strong enough to knock Jev right off of the 30-ft cliff.
In the moment, Jev decided to use to use his bedroll to protect his head from the fall.
To my surprise, It worked..But I was at 8- and bleeding out.
If it hadn't been for Jev's warg mount tracking him down and shouting for help, It would've been the end.
(What, you didn't know that wargs could speak?)

As things stood, It took the healers several weeks.
During that time, A home was granted by a particularly thankful mayor,
And my warg had actually been offered a job with the local watch. (Don't ask me about that one, I don't know why either.)
All in all, Daggerford was Jev's official home, at this point.

And thus ends another tale of Jev the paladin.
I hope you've enjoyed it, and thank you for reading this, Have a nice day of things!
Or turn a bad day into a good one by staying in bed. It can't be bad if you don't start it, right?
Well, So much for that.
Good luck with this new thread.

[8BitNinja]

Seriously? I go all-out, I finally open up, I choose to finally enter the forums..And this happens.
The thread i choose to open up in is left destitute, alone, to rot. I should've figured. Let me go ahead an re-post my lastest addition to that thread.

I may as well reveal a bit more of Jev's career.

Here's a tale about how I handled the "level limit" Of the shop.
I had to level down often to stay in the shop.
Here's the first time,
as well as the story of what happened beforehand.

Spoiler: The level limit sidestory I. Very lengthy.

Show

So. Basically, The shop rules stated that you couldn't become too high of a level.
(And as you might imagine, Playing the same character for a year tends to pad your exp total.)
Since I wanted to continue visiting at the time, I once again took drastic action.

I let jev be leveled down, losing various abilities that had to be re-gained, etc.
(Not the best idea, I know, But I was doing too well, I thought.) Anyways,
I had to follow this level-down process three times. The D.M. was kind enough to let me explain why.

So,Here's "Level down I"
It had been right after the orcish fortress. And evidently, Exploding glowing eyes syndrome was spreading.
The town mayor, Who up until a few weeks ago had been a saint, Had been basically looting the taxes.
When we stopped to investigate why he didn't pay us,
He ran outside and drew his sword, as well as spells in the other hand.
(Not the usual town mayor, as far as i know, But he wasn't exactly in control of himself.)

Now, Pretty much everyone wanted to kill him. I had wanted to save the town from the possibility
of a mayoral nuke, But then something happen that started both the hate,
and my attempts to use ingenuity for the good guys.
The mayor, For a moment, Regained control and threw his sword down towards me. That act alone changed my intent, goals, and what i felt needed to be done in an instant.

I distinctly remember a conversation with the D.M. at the time:
Leech-player:"Wait, why didn't you pick up the sword?"
Me: I'm don't want to kill him.
D.M.: But you were trying to a minute ago.
Me: That was before i saw a chance to save him."
So, Basically, the mayor was beginning to go nuclear from the damage,
And that would've been bad because A: the town was filled with people, and B: There was a major battle happening, With a few more glow-eyes showing up around the town, being dealt with by guards and clerics.

So before he go off, I did what may arguably be the first stupid decision I had ever made.
I took town the mayour with a flying tackle, and healed him, yelling (In-game) for another teammate to go grab
some of the town ministers, clerics, etc, while I held him down.

At that, the mayor roared, and tried to get up.
I took damage for keeping him down, But I managed for long enough that a party member came back with the towns' highest-ranking priest in-tow. The priest got whatever was controlling him out of him, But let us know that it escaped.
At this point the battle had been won, and we all got rewards, prizes, etc.
And while everyone else was starting a new adventure next week, (Hence the need for a level-down,)
I decided to wrap it all up. In-game, it was a day after the battle. Various hunting parties of clerics, paladins, etc were being sent out to find that escaped thing, And Jev led one of them.
We'd tracked it to a seaside-cliff, Where it had been attempting to call up a portal to get home.

So, Here's the hard bit. I found it, alone, and managed to cause an explosion. And then, the inevitable happened.
The explosion had been strong enough to knock Jev right off of the 30-ft cliff.
In the moment, Jev decided to use to use his bedroll to protect his head from the fall.
To my surprise, It worked..But I was at 8- and bleeding out.
If it hadn't been for Jev's warg mount tracking him down and shouting for help, It would've been the end.
(What, you didn't know that wargs could speak?)

As things stood, It took the healers several weeks.
During that time, A home was granted by a particularly thankful mayor,
And my warg had actually been offered a job with the local watch. (Don't ask me about that one, I don't know why either.)
All in all, Daggerford was Jev's official home, at this point.

And thus ends another tale of Jev the paladin.
I hope you've enjoyed it, and thank you for reading this, Have a nice day of things!
Or turn a bad day into a good one by staying in bed. It can't be bad if you don't start it, right?
Well, So much for that.
Good luck with this new thread.

If this is the thread you mean by the one you wish to open up in, the thread is still alive

If you mean another one, I don't know

[Bohandas]

I had a paladin character in the Temple of Elemental Evil videogame one time

Also, Murlynd's my second favorite Greyhawk deity.

[ThinkMinty]

I had a paladin character in the Temple of Elemental Evil videogame one time

Also, Murlynd's my second favorite Greyhawk deity.

Who's your favorite Greyhawk deity? I honestly only know of Myrlynd (as far as the deities go) from that setting 'cuz I was born in the '90's.

[8BitNinja]

I always thought Paladins were cool. I always wanted to be a cool fighter for the cause of good

When I say fighter, I don't mean the class archetype, I mean "one who fights"

[Lawleepawpz]

I've an unplayed Paladin as well; Valeyn Barech, Paladin of Athena. 1200 word backstory, counting an originally written code.
Son of a general, mother dead and younger brother, trained as a musician, ran away to be a mercenary and was chosen by his goddess before marrying a nymph.




Incidentally, as a DM I love Paladins most of all. They can be motivated for anything, and I feel they are a good excuse to explore the fact that in a world of objective morality, morality is more subjective than ever. Celestial a can be Neo-Nazis, demons can make more sense than anyone else, and a devil can find purchase in any room. Paladins provide the "human factor" that allows a paragon of virtue to actually exist in the cesspool that my D&D worlds tend to be.

[8BitNinja]

Incidentally, as a DM I love Paladins most of all. They can be motivated for anything, and I feel they are a good excuse to explore the fact that in a world of objective morality, morality is more subjective than ever. Celestial a can be Neo-Nazis, demons can make more sense than anyone else, and a devil can find purchase in any room. Paladins provide the "human factor" that allows a paragon of virtue to actually exist in the cesspool that my D&D worlds tend to be.

Personally, I believe that the morals of this world are black and white, so the Paladin for me is the one who, in a world where evil seems like a more powerful force, steps up and is a light to the world, becoming a paragon, but in the end, a standard to live by.

[Bohandas]

Who's your favorite Greyhawk deity? I honestly only know of Myrlynd (as far as the deities go) from that setting 'cuz I was born in the '90's.

Zagyg the mad mage

[8BitNinja]

There should be a Paladin appreciation day, I know too many Paladins who get too much flak

[Snark Knight]

I've got a paladin rolling around in my head right now. With all of the dark and gritty anti-heroes, I like the idea of an unabashed, straight-up good guy. It takes real courage to keep from giving in to bitter cynicism, and I think the paladin archetype is somehow necessary for our myths to inspire us into being better than we might give ourselves credit for being.

[8BitNinja]

I think the paladin archetype is somehow necessary for our myths to inspire us into being better than we might give ourselves credit for being.

Paladins were real, look it up