Paladin

[Mr. Cheez-It]

The compassion to pursue good, the will to uphold law, and the power to defeat evil â€" these are the three weapons of the paladin.  Few have the purity and devotion that it takes to walk the paladin's path, but those few are rewarded with the power to protect, to heal, and to smite.  In a land of scheming wizards, unholy priests, bloodthirsty dragons, and infernal fiends, the paladin is the final hope that cannot be extinguished.

Piergeiron Paladinson, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, might be the most renowned paladin in Faerun today.  Although his adventuring days are behind him, he represents the Lords of Waterdeep with a just and compassionate demeanor and unshakable courage.  Many younger paladins model themselves after him.

All paladins of Faerun are devoted to a patron deity, chosen at the start of their career as paladins.  Like paladins of other lands, the paladins of Faerun must be both lawful and good.  The paladin's deity must be lawful good, lawful neutral, or neutral good.  For example, both Helm the Vigilant One (lawful neutral) and Chauntea the Earthmothers (neutral good) have lawful good paladin worshipers.  Sune, the goddess of beauty, love, and passion, is an exception to the alignment rule, for her followers include paladins even though her alignment is chaotic good.  Additional information on the paladins of some of Faerun's religions appears in the Special Paladin Orders below.

Special Paladin Orders

Some faiths allow paladins to gain levels in another class and still return to progression as a paladin, exactly as some orders of monks do.  Special paladin orders include:

Azuth:  Rather than gaining levels as paladins throughout their career, the rare paladins of the High One are more likely to spend some time progressing in that class and then learn wizardry full-time.  Azuth's paladins cannot multiclass freely.

Chauntea:  Paladins of the Grain Goddess are rare.  They value compassion as much as courage, and spend much time helping common folk in rural areas.  They can multiclass freely as clerics, divine champions, and divine disciples.

Helm:  Paladins of the Watcher prefer to guard against evil or slay it outright rather than work to heal its damages.  They seem rigid and uninterested in helping others.  They may multiclass freely as fighters, clerics, divine champions, arcane devotees, and Purple Dragon knights.

Ilmater:  Paladins of the Broken God guard the weak and use their healing powers on any who need them.  They are not shy about fighting evil, but they would rather pause to heal someone who is about to die than sacrifice life in order to pursue fleeing evildoers.  They may multiclass freely as clerics, divine champions, divine disciples, and hierophants.

Kelemvor:  Paladins of the Lord of the Dead devote themselves to hunting and killing undead.  Some develop as paladins for their entire career, others begin as paladins but leave that path to progress as rangers and clerics.  They cannot multiclass freely.

Lathander:  Paladins of the Morninglord are among the best-loved heroes of Faerun.  They are loosely organized (along with other fighters devoted to the god) into a holy order called the Order of the Aster.  Within their own church, the paladins are frequently more conservative and concerned with the way things should be done than the clerics, who are often neutral rather than lawful.  Paladins may multiclass freely as clerics, divine champions, divine disciples, hierophants, and Purple Dragon knights.

Moradin:  The Soul Forger has few paladins, but the dwarves who choose this path often act as champions of all the dwarven gods.  They may multiclass freely as clerics, fighters, divine champions, dwarven defenders, and runecasters.

Sune:  Paladins of the Firehair defend things of beauty.  They seek out and destroy creatures that are particularly hideous in their evil.  They tend to be incredibly self-confident and are particularly effective in destroying undead.  They may multiclass freely as divine champions.  Paladins may choose Sune as a patron deity despite the fact that she is a chaotic good deity.  This is an exception to the normal requirement to select a patron deity whose alignment is no more than one step different from yours.

Torm:  Paladins of the True God defend the weak, defeat evil, and uphold the high moral standards required for servants of a god who serves bright and righteous Tyr.  They may multiclass freely as one other class.

Tyr:  Paladins of the Just God are front-line warriors in the battle against evil and untruth, and often lead military and adventuring groups to further their cause.  They may multiclass freely as clerics, fighters, and divine champions.

Yondalla:  Paladins of the Protector and Provider, are rare, but in halfling-run lands such as Luiren, they serve their fellow citizens with sword and shield.  They may multiclass freely as monks.

Adventurers:  Paladins take their adventures seriously and have a penchant for referring to them as “quests.”  Even a mundane mission is, in the heart of a paladin, a personal test â€" an opportunity to demonstrate bravery, to develop martial skills, to learn tactics, and to find ways to do good.  Still, the paladin really comes into her own when leading a mighty campaign against evil, not when merely looting ruins.

Characteristics:  Divine power protects the paladin and gives he special powers.  It wards off harm, protects her from disease, lets her heal herself, and guards her against fear.  The paladin can also direct this power to help others, healing their wounds or curing diseases.  Finally, the paladin can use this power to destroy evil.  Even the least experienced paladin can smite evil foes and turn away undead.

Alignment:  Paladins must be lawful good, and they lose their divine powers if they deviate from that alignment.  Additionally, paladins swear to follow a code of conduct that is in line with lawfulness and goodness.

Code of Conduct:  Paladins lose all special class abilities if she ever willingly commits an act of evil.  Additionally, a paladin's code requires that she respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, no using poison, etc.), help those who need help (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those that harm or threaten innocents.

While she may adventure with characters of any good or neutral alignment, a paladin will never knowingly associate with evil characters.  A paladin will not continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code.  A paladin may only hire henchmen or accept followers who are lawful good.

Other Classes:  Even though paladins are in some ways set apart from others, they eagerly team up with those whose skills and capabilities compliment their own.  They work well with good and lawful clerics, and they appreciate working with those who are brave, honest, and committed to good.  While they cannot abide evil acts by their companions, they are otherwise willing to work with a variety of people quite different from themselves.  Charismatic, trustworthy, and well respected, the paladin makes a fine leader for a team.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Rules

• Must be of a lawful good alignment. Paladins are unable to progress in levels and will lose their divine abilities if their alignment ever becomes non-lawful good.
• Must serve a patron deity. Upon character creation, players must enter a name of a deity that recognizes paladins (listed below). Paladins that do not have a deity will be unable to cast divine spells or use divine abilities.

Deities with Paladin Orders - Azuth, Chauntea, Helm, Ilmater, Kelemvor, Lathander, Mielikki, Mystra, Sune, Torm, Tyr, Deneir, Eldath, Gwaeron Windstrom, Hoar, Jergal, Milil, Nobanion, Red Knight, Savras, Shiallia, Siamorphe, Ulutiu, Hathor, Horus-Re, Isis, Osiris, Corellon, Berronar Truesilver, Clangeddin Silverbeard, Gorm Gulthyn, Marthammor Duin, Moradin, Arvoreen, Cyrrollalee, Utogalan, Yondalla, Baervan Wildwanderer, Baravar Cloakshadow, Flandal Steelskin, Gaerdal Ironhand, Garil Glittergold, and Segojan Earthcaller.

• Multiclassing restrictions (explained above).