The OD&D Paladin

[Crimhthan The Great]

The OD&D Paladin is my favorite character class to play and I also love to Ref them in the game. The following posts are from 2007 and earlier) and if it is in quotes it means it is not original.

I like to base a more rough and gritty Paladin type on Solomon Kane from Robert E Howard and also I plan to tell you of the Berserker Paladin.

Paladins IMCWs have a number of influences, and I tend to view them as a dual subclass of both the fighting man and the cleric classes.

I think I have mentioned this elsewhere, but the Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy by Elizabeth Moon has a very good depiction of a paladin - right down to getting a warhorse at 4th level and everything! The other thing is, though, that she seems to gain some levels as a fighter before being 'chosen' to be a paladin.

I did not read this book until about a year ago and I need to read it again to let it soak in.


The Pandion Knights from David Eddings’ Elenium and Tamuli series of books are a good example of a Paladin order, but they are not complete goody goody types, they are very tough practical and pragmatic.

[Crimhthan The Great]

As I have posted elsewhere:


I also model my Paladins after Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane. I read all I could find years ago, but I just recently got a copy of The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane The adventures of the Legendary Puritan Swordsman and have really enjoyed reading it again after all these years along with some new material not published before.

He was ... a strange blending of Puritan and Cavalier, with a touch of the ancient philosopher, and more than a touch of the pagan .... A hunger in his soul drove him on and on, an urge to right all wrongs, protect all weaker things .... Wayward and restless as the wind, he was consistent in only one respect - he was true to his ideals of justice and right. Such was Solomon Kane.

A grim avenger armed with a fanatic's faith and a warrior's savage heart.

All his life he had roamed about the world aiding the weak and fighting oppression, he neither knew nor questioned why. That was his obession, his driving force of life. Cruelty and tyranny to the weak sent a red blaze of fury, fierce and lasting, through his soul. When the full flame of his hatred was wakened and loosed there was no rest for him until his vengeance had been fulfilled to the uttermost. If he thought of it at all, he considered himself the fulfiller of God's judgement, a vesel of wrath to be emptied upon the souls of the unrighteous. Yet in the full sense of the word Solomon Kane was not a Puritan, though he thought of himself as such.

I have played many Paladins over the years. All except the current one have died in battle, and some of those died from old age more than from the battle itself. I always considered that Paladins do not retire, they fight until they are taken home.

[Crimhthan The Great]

I snagged this list out of a post on DF instead of taking the time to type in my own list. circa 2007

Here's a sample list of virtues that a Paladin is required to live by:

Truth:
The foundation of virtue. One who seeks out the truth within himself will surely develop other virtues, such as justice, courage, strength, and humility. Without truth, there is no light, but rather the spiritual darkness of self delusion and self deception, which must surely lead to other vices.

Honor:
The standard against which we measure ourselves, and are measured by others. It is a treasure which if kept grows in value; but once squandered can never be regained. The Paladin’s word must be more certain and sure than any written contract. And let every Paladin consider carefully before making any Oath, and never do so lightly or without due reflection; but rather let him strive to fulfill every Oath undertaken or stand bereft of honor.

Justice:
It is the Paladin’s duty has been to protect the innocent from harm and to punish the guilty. Fulfillment of this duty often requires physical combat; but battles fought differently are no less important. In all areas of life, the Paladin must strive so far as possible to fight injustice and help the right prevail.

Charity:
A Paladin will seek to aid those in need, giving succor and assistance to such as may need it, giving as his or her means permit, and without ostentation or display. True charity encompasses more than the material; a word of encouragement can mean more than gold, and a friendly ear more than jewels. The spirit of Charity may cause a Paladin to forgive a wrong done himself, if the act is truly repented. Charity will help the Paladin to avoid the errors of gluttony and greed.

Loyalty:
The brother and sister of Honor. When once a Paladin has made a commitment, let him or her not waiver or withdraw. But, realising that a Paladin does not compromise his or her loyalty, let no such commitment be lightly made.

Courage:
The Paladin is charged with the duty of fighting for the right and good, and is thus destined to face many opponents. The battles may be of the body, and the dangers faced by the Paladin may be physical; but courage is as greatly in demand with the more subtle opponent of the mind or spirit. Whichever circumstances the Paladin enters, he or she must always face the enemy with valor.

Nobility:
A man may be ennobled by a King; but a soul can thus be elevated only by living according to standards higher than those of the common man. To achieve the Chivalrous Ideal is not possible; but the very striving uplifts the spirit and purifies the soul, and marks the true Paladin.

Humility:
The Paladin who looks upon his or her life without evasion or self-deception, and exercises the virtue of Truth, will surely be humbled by the vast gulf that lies between the Chivalrous Ideal and the reality of what is. Thus chastened, the Paladin will surely avoid the error of pride!

Excellence:
The Paladin strives always to do and be his best , no matter what the area of endeavor. They do so not for pride's sake, but rather to infuse even the most mundane task with nobility, and thus uplift themselves.

Faith:
The Paladin must be true to that which he or she believes in above all else, for with faith comes strength against every adversity and reverse. Faith is the lifeblood of Courage and Nobility; without it, life has no meaning. With faith, no force, not even death, can defeat the Paladin

[Crimhthan The Great]

Some people follow the test for Paladin behavior, called "WWSD?" This stands for "What Would Superman Do?"

If you can look at a morally questionable situation and you can not imagine the Man of Steel doing what you are contemplating, then it is probably not appropriate for a Paladin. Using this test tends to clear up some of those cloudy situations.

Not a bad rule of thumb, but I think it can be a bit over the top at times. After all Superman has vowed not to kill IIRC.

[Crimhthan The Great]

I postulate that the whole concept of Lawful (or Lawful Good) as we modern humans conceive it out here in the RW and how deities in a mulitiple deity world would conceive it allows for a wide range of variation. The way a lot of people view paladins does a lot of injustice to the whole character class and results in a lot of play that doesn't jib very well with the goal of everyone having a lot of fun in the game. I find that the gritty version of a paladin is a lot more fun for the player and for the group.

Solomon Kane hates magic for instance as it is only evil in his experience and his background understanding of it. Yet he is pragmatic enough underneath the fanatic rage/sense of justice that drives him that he allies himself with and accepts the direct help of a pagan shaman that wield powerful magic in a couple of stories.

[Crimhthan The Great]

IMC (current ) There is only one Lawful god but many Neutral and Chaotic gods. However; many Neutral & Chaotic gods masquerade as Lawful. While all Paladins (and all Clerics) worship the same god there are many different types of Paladins with different calling. I hope to post some of the different ones here as time permits.

Some of the things that all Paladins have in common, they are born not made. They all have this thing going on from birth that leads them down the road to Paladinhood. They all have visions from time to time. At the age of 13 they all (similiar to some rites of passage into manhood in some societies) go off for a fast and vigil, where they wait for a vision to tell them the direction that their life should take. There are specific creatures that appear in their visions and each has a specific meaning.


Some of the creatures that they might see are:

ALLIGATOR, DRAGONFLY, OWL, ANT, EAGLE, PEACOCK, ARMADILLO, FALCON, PUMA, BADGER, ELK, RABBIT, BEAR, FISH, RAVEN, BEE, FOX, SKUNK, BEAVER, FROG, SNAKE, BUFFALO, HAWK, SPIDER, BUTTERFLY, HORSE, SQUIRREL, CAT, LIZARD, TURKEY, COYOTE, LYNX, TURTLE, CROW, MOOSE, WEASEL, DEER, OTTER, WOLF, DOG


Edit: Please note that I am not going to list the specific meanings I have assigned. If you do a bit of online research you can see what some of the native American meaning were; however, some of my younger players are on the internet and I don't want to give too much away so I have assigned my own meanings to the animal seen and you should too. 

[Crimhthan The Great]

Paladins should have constraints to offset his extra powers. I hope that when I finish outlining how I am currently running paladins, it will get a favorable review. Mostly so far I have been posting a few of my sources of inspiration and the beginning of what I am doing now. And yes, one of the basic of playing a Paladin is death before dishonor.

[Crimhthan The Great]

Going back to 2007 I decided to take the time to type up and post my own list of knightly virtues amended with all of the latest available information. It follows here in several posts and is semi-original. Note that Paladins are not necessarily knights and again these are loose guidelines to be adjusted by the ref.


BTW This list that follows in several posts is a starting point, if you applied all of it exactly and made the PC toe the line, then it would be extremely difficult for the player to maintain and it would tend to make them all cookie cutter characters; that is why I use these as a starting point in my mind and a guide for the players, but I allow a fair amount of leeway. For instance, I let them know if they are moving close to crossing the line, I give them a lot of feedback and as noted elsewhere, I have them read some of the books that I use as a reference and we discuss before hand what I accept and what I think is going to far. I take this list and leaven it with toughness, pure grit, and pragmatism. Also as I think I noted, I give each Paladin a focus on one or at most two of these and those are the most important for that character with a bit more leeway on the other items. I have found that makes it more fun for the player and the other players. YMMV

*************************************************************************************************
Knightly Virtues as exemplified by the Paladin.


Truth:
Truth is the foundation of virtue. To be truthful is to be genuine, free, and constant in keeping promises and being loyal to friends, ones liege and especially to ones God. To be truthful is to be honest and conforming to law, justice and to live truly and to govern ones life according to the truth. One who seeks out the truth within himself will surely develop other virtues, such as justice, courage, strength, and humility. Without truth, there is no light, but rather the spiritual darkness of self delusion and self deception, which must surely lead to other vices. Seek truth as sincerely as possible, not for any reason of personal gain, but because it is right. Do not restrict your exploration to a small world, but seek to infuse every aspect of your life with truth and all of the qualities of a Paladin. Should you succeed in even a tiny measure, then you will be well remembered for your quality and your virtue.

Honor:
To be truly honorable is to have a true sense of what is right, just and true and to have a true sense of what is wrong, unjust and false. To be truly honorable is to abhor those things that are vile and mean-spirited and to venerate that which is good, lawful and true. The standard against which we measure ourselves, and are measured by others. It is a treasure which if kept grows in value; but once squandered can never be regained. The Paladin’s word must be more certain and sure than any written contract. And let every Paladin consider carefully before making any Oath, and never do so lightly or without due reflection; but rather let him strive to fulfill every Oath undertaken or stand forever bereft of honor.

Justice:
A Paladin holds himself or herself to the highest standards of behavior, and knows that the little things are just as important as the big things. Seek always the path of "right", unfettered by personal bias or self interest. Remember always that the sword of justice can be a terrible thing, so it must be tempered with mercy. It is the Paladin’s duty to protect the innocent from harm and to punish the guilty. Fulfillment of this duty often requires physical combat; but battles fought differently are no less important. In all areas of life, the Paladin must strive so far as possible to fight injustice and help the right prevail. A Paladin must seek out the path of "right" without giving in to the temptation of expediency, then you will earn renown and honor beyond measure. Justice acts in conformance with what is right and renders unto all their due. Justice is equitable, upright, impartial, fair and always conforms to the principles of justice in dealing with others. A Paladin knows how to make the hard choices.

[Crimhthan The Great]

Knightly Virtues as exemplified by the Paladin.

Charity:
Sharing what is valuable in this life means much more than the giving away or the sharing of materials goods such as, food, shelter and clothing; true generosity means also the giving away or sharing of our time, our focused attention, wisdom and energy. These things are those that help to build and create a strong and rich community of the heart and spirit. A Paladin will seek to aid those in need, giving succor and assistance to such as may be in need of it, giving as his means permit, and without ostentation or display. True charity includes things such as, a word of encouragement which can mean more than gold, and a friendly ear more than gems and jewels. The spirit of Charity may cause a Paladin to forgive a wrong done himself, if the act is truly repented. Charity will help a Paladin to avoid the twin errors of gluttony and greed. Charity, this generosity of spirit also paves the path of mercy and makes that path easier to tread with a difficult decision of justice is required.

Loyalty:
A Paladin is known for the unwavering commitment to the innocent and to the ideals that he chooses to live by. There are many places that compromise is expected; however, loyalty is not amongst them. Loyalty is the brother and sister of Honor. When once a Paladin has made a commitment, let him never waiver or withdraw; however, realizing that a Paladin does not compromise his loyalty, let commitments not be made lightly or rashly, but only after deep contemplation and prayer.

Courage:
Courage is neither bravado or bluster, the Paladin must have the courage, the fortitude of heart necessary to undertake tasks which are difficult, tedious or unglamorous, dangerous and deadly, and to graciously accept the sacrifices involved. Being a paladin often means choosing the more difficult path, the personally expensive one, be prepared to make personal sacrifices in the service of the precepts you believe and the innocents that you value. At the same time the paladin should seek wisdom for stupidity is the sinister cousin of courage and the paladin must be able to correctly discern between the two. Courage means taking the side of truth in all matters, rather than seeking the expedience of the lie. Seek the truth at all times, but remember to temper justice with mercy or the pure truth can bring grief. The Paladin is charged with the duty of fighting for the right and for good, and is thus destined to face many opponents. The battles may be of the body and the dangers faced by the Paladin my usually be physical, but courage is as greatly in demand and even more important with the subtle opponent of the mind or the spirit. Whatever the circumstances the Paladin must always face the enemy with valor.

[Crimhthan The Great]

Knightly Virtues as exemplified by the Paladin.

Nobility:
This word is sometimes confused with "entitlement" or "snobbishness" and while that is true of some "nobles" not so with Paladins. In the Paladin code it conveys the importance of upholding ones convictions at all times, especially when no one else is watching. Great stature of character can be gained by always striving towards the ideal virtues and duties of a Paladin which ennobles the spirit and the character grows from dust towards the heavens. Nobility has the tendency to influence others by offering a compelling example of what can be done in the service of right. While a man may be ennobled by a King, the soul can only be ennobled by living according to standards higher and purer than those of the common man. To achieve the Chivalrous Ideal is not possible, but the very striving uplifts the spirit, purifies the soul and marks the true Paladin.

Humility
A Paladin values first the contributions of others and does not boast of his own accomplishments, leaving boasting to others. Tell the deeds of others before your own, according them the renown rightfully earned through virtuous deeds. In this way the office of Paladin is well done and glorified, helping not only the gentle spoken of but also all who call themselves paladins. Humility is to not have inconsistent pride or arrogance, but to be modest in one's demeanor without being servile, to have a spirit that acknowledges the truth, whether is it in one's favor or against one. The Paladin that looks upon his life without evasion, or self-deception and exercises the virtue of Truth, will surely be humbled by the vast gulf that lies between the Chivalrous Ideal and the reality of what is. Thus chastened, the Paladin will surely avoid the error of pride.

Excellence
The Paladin strives always to do and be his best, no matter what the area of endeavor. They do so not for pride's sake, but rather to infuse even the most mundane task with nobility and thus uplift themselves. Excellence is its own reward; however, it is the path of self-respect and the respect of others.

[Crimhthan The Great]

Knightly Virtues as exemplified by the Paladin.

Faith:
A Paladin must have faith in his beliefs, for faith roots him and gives hope against the despair that human failings create. Paladins must have faith in god's love and righteousness and in the ultimate goodness of the innocent, to be loyal, true and constant to anyone with whom he is associated; to conform to both the letter and the spirit of any matter between himself and others and to be true to his word at all times. The Paladin must be true to that which he believes above all else, for with faith comes strength against every adversity and reverse. Faith is the lifeblood of Courage and Nobility; without it, life has no meaning. With faith, no force, not even death, can defeat a Paladin.

Courtesy:
Courtesy is one of the virtues of Paladinhood. Courtesty and honesty are cornerstones of the Orders of the Paladin. There are two great threats to courtesy . Those are thoughtlessness and reaction to discourtesy, real or perceived. Guard well against speech without thought. The true test of courtesy comes in attempting courtesy in the face of rude, boorish, discourteous behavior. Always remember that the discourtesy of others is an opportunity to test and proclaim your virtue by sucessfully showing grace under the bond of courtesy in the face of discourtesy.


Prowess
To seek excellence in all endeavors expected of a Paladin, martial and otherwise, seeking strength to be used in the service of justice, rather than in personal aggrandizement. Provess is an oft taken for granted or forgotten virtue when discussing the philosophy of the foundations of Paladinhood, but it must remain pre-eminent. Paladinhood is by its very nature a military order and if divorced from the honorable warrior and his code, it loses its force, its hold and its meaning. The exercise of arms is necessary to maintain the Orders of Paladinhood. Prowess at arms is one thing that your character cannot bring you, nor can you will it to be. Your character and will; however, can bring you to the persistence needed to learn the skills of arms and to be of the elite of all fighting men, a Paladin.


Additional ones that I have not yet expanded on, but perhaps should be considered: Chivalry, Chastity, Compassion, Determination, Diligence, Endurance, Forgiveness, Good Cheer, Helpfulness, Honesty, Hope, Kindness, Patience, Perseverance, Piety, Prudence, Sincerity, Temperance, Wisdom, Valor I think most of these are included in my detailed list under one item or another or some like Chastity or Temperance, I would not want to bind on Paladins IMC anyway. Although of course you are free to do so if you want to.

[The Red Baron]

Read the Old English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

It speaks about the virtues of a knight, and because the Green Knight is derived from the celtic Green Man, it shares the theme of christianity vs nature with Three Hearts and Three Lions (The inspiration for the OD&D paladin, included in appendix N).

[randyb]

Apr 30, 2015 10:10:43 GMT -5 Crimhthan The Great said:

I think I have mentioned this elsewhere, but the Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy by Elizabeth Moon has a very good depiction of a paladin - right down to getting a warhorse at 4th level and everything! The other thing is, though, that she seems to gain some levels as a fighter before being 'chosen' to be a paladin.

As I read it, Paks also picked up at least one level of Ranger, which is likely why I've always wanted to play a multiclass (or dual classed, as relevant) Paladin/Ranger.

[tetramorph]

Wow this is some rich stuff.

I must say, for me, I would rather just role-play the Paladin in a pretty rules-lite kind of way.

A Paladin is a lawful fighting-man who makes a vow to his god through his god's clerics at his god's temple/church and receives, thereby a kind of commission.

If he breaks the vow he looses his role as Paladin and it may force change in alignment.

The clerics give him some blessed item or holy sword with the power to heal and maybe a couple of other cool clerical spells.

That would be good enough for me.

[Admin Pete]

This is my revised writeup for those who have not seen it:

Human fighting-men or clerics who have a Charisma score of 17 or greater may become Paladins at fourth level IF THEY ARE LAWFUL from the beginning of play for that character and must continue to be LAWFUL. Depending on the severity of any chaotic or evil deed, the remedy ranges from atonement/quest to revocation of paladin hood and once lost, it can never be regained.


Paladins have a number of very powerful aids in their continual quest for good. They can "lay on hands" to heal wounds or cure diseases and they are not themselves subject to disease. They heal two points of damage for every level the paladin has attained, twice per day at 4th level, thrice per day at 6th level and so on. They can cure minor diseases in groups of up to 20 people twice per day at 4th level and cure one serious disease for one person twice per day at 4th level and so on as for healing damage. Paladins starting at the base of 4th level can summon Light that functions as the spell or better as per referee.


Paladins that are 8th level and above gain the ability (separate from spells) to dispel evil (spells, undead, evil enchanted monsters, and such) by ordering it so, and they detect all chaos, as well as evil, at a range of 6”. They have a 10% higher saving throw against all forms of attack (excluding melee). They also gain the ability to see in the absence of light at 8th level.


Paladins with any type of Holy Sword are almost completely immune to all magic. The paladin may at any time he chooses obtain a horse which is likewise gifted (not subject to disease, has a 10% higher saving throw against all forms of attack [excluding melee] and detects all chaos or evil at a range of 6") by going on a special Quest, but he may never obtain a second within ten years of the first, so if one is killed it is not automatically replaced. The paladin's horse is a Heavy Warhorse, with Armor Class 2, Moves 24", has 8 + 1 Hit Dice, and high intelligence and wisdom. When the paladin decides the time has come to obtain his Warhorse, he will go on a Quest into the wilderness alone, guided by visions from above. The Paladin will be able to communicate telepathically with his horse.

Paladins will never be allowed to possess more than two magical items, this does not include armor, shield and up to 4 weapons that normally use. They will give away all treasure that they win, save that which is necessary to maintain themselves, their men, and a modest castle. Paladins may not obtain a castle until they reach 10th level. Gifts must be to the poor or to charitable or religious institutions, i.e. not to some other character played in the game. A paladin's stronghold cannot be above 200,000 gold pieces in total cost, and no more than 200 men can be retained to guard it. Paladins normally prefer to dwell with lawful princes or patriarchs, but circumstances may prevent this. They will form strong alliances only with lawful characters. However, they may be found in parties with Neutral Characters since most adventurers are Neutral, they will, however, not associate at all with Chaotic characters. Paladins are recognized wherever they go as constituting a legitimate authority of Judge, Jury and Executioner. Once they reach 10th level, even Kings are subject to their decisions.

Fighting-Men	EXP	Cleric	EXP
1st Veteran	0	1st Acolyte	0
2nd Warrior	2000	2nd Adept	1500
3rd Swordsman	4000	3rd Village Priest	3000
4th Hero	8000	4th Vicar	6000
				Clerical Spells/Level	Clerical Spells/Level	Clerical Spells/Level	Clerical Spells/Level	Clerical Spells/Level
Paladins	EXP	Hit Dice	Fight As	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
4th Questor Hero	10,000	6	Hero +1	2	1	-	-	-
5th Crusader Hero	20,000	7+3	6 Men	2	2	-	-	-
6th Knight of Renown	40,000	8+3	7 Men	2	2	-	-	-
7th Priest Knight	80,000	9+3	Super Hero	2	2	1	-	-
8th Pacifier Knight	160,000	10+3	9 Men	2	2	1	-	-
9th Avenger Knight	320,000	11+3	Lord +3	2	2	2	-	-
10th Justiciar Knight	480,000	12+3	11 Men	2	2	2	1	-
11th Holy Knight	800,000	13+3	12 men	2	2	2	1	-
12th Paladin Knight	1,200,000	15	14 Men	2	2	2	2	1

[tetramorph]

Admin Pete, that is one powerful Paladin!

Nice!

Are there any drawbacks?

[Admin Pete]

Aside from the standard BtB drawbacks, when a 4th level fighting man or cleric decides to become a paladin they have to earn additional experience per the table to be a 4th level paladin and then the experience requirements become very steep. Other than that this is not that much different from the standard paladin, the biggest thing I did other than requiring a lot my XP was to beef up the horse.

[The Red Baron]

Your paladin has as amny hit dice at 10k xp, as a fighting man has at 32k, and the paladin fights better.

I would seriously bump up the xp, shift the FC and HD progression down by a a level.

[Crimhthan The Great]

Apr 30, 2015 15:46:33 GMT -5 The Red Baron said:

Your paladin has as amny hit dice at 10k xp, as a fighting man has at 32k, and the paladin fights better.

I would seriously bump up the xp, shift the FC and HD progression down by a a level.

On the other hand, many of us believe that a paladin should be the most powerful human fighter of them all and given the steepness of the XP quickly becomes and the drawbacks to being a paladin, I think this is entirely appropriate.