Paladin
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Similar to the cleric, Paladins have many options due to the religious theme of The Emblem of Ea. Unlike Clerics who are the knights of their churches, Paladins are held to an even higher standard then as they are seen as the epitome of good and undertake missions in the name of the divine and the ideological power represented therein. Paladins are not simply Lawful Good fighters but are those called to rise above the corruption evident in society and even within their own orders and to take stands when no one else will.
On the Emblem of Ea, all Paladins must have a patron deity although not all Paladins may be beholden to a specific church organization. Due to their lawful nature, most Paladins find it beneficial to work together and form Paladin orders but there have been cases of a few who choose to work alone and to honor their deities requests in a more personal matter. Any Lawful Good, Neutral Good and Lawful Neutral deity can support a Paladin. For Lawful Neutral deities this means that they may also have Lawful Evil members of their churches since the alignment step rule is in effect. To a Paladin character this simply means that their church has elements of corruption in it that must be weeded out and destroyed. No matter what, a Paladin represents the most lawful and good aspects of whatever deity they serve.
A paladin then, is more than a holy warrior. A ranger, a druid, a fighter, could comprise the role of "holy warrior." A paladin is one who holds themselves to certain ideals, dedicated to the good and the right.
The Paladin Code
Paladins within Tenebrae are varied, and we do not require more than the basic assumptions provided by the code within the Core Rulebook. Players looking for more guidance for their roleplay might look to ancient writings of the era. These are considered historically accurate, though only provided as a roleplay aid. Adherence to these teachings is mostly found in kingdoms with older, more knightly traditions, such as Myrddion.
Paladin Orders
Althea: Paladins of Althea are often compassionate healers and protectors of the weak. They guard the weak and use their healing abilities on others in need. A Paladin of Althea may stop and allow a crime to go unpunished and an evil person to escape in order to heal someone who has been wounded and is in need.
Daeus: Paladins of Daeus are among the best loved heroes on Aeryth. They are often loosely organized into an organization known as The Templars of the Holy Sword, which also includes good fighters and serves as one of the arms of the military forces of the church. These Paladins tend to be more conservative then their clerical counterparts.
Eluna: Paladins of Eluna rarely gain full levels of paladins throughout their career and many times turn their attention to the development of arcane might or the gift of foresight. They often hunt down instances of evil magic and black spells, which bring harm to the world, and so have little to no problems working with magicians and other goodly aligned arcane spell users. Paladins of Eluna often become clerics or members of the Order of the Silver Crescent. Some even gain sorcery talents.
Gilead: Gilead's paladins are rare, and typically serve as guardians of roads and pathways through the wilderness. They may partner with Altheans to guard travelers or provide care at waystations, and range with Gilead's hunters against abominations.
Reos: Reos has few paladins but those who exist are pretty much exclusively dwarven. These paladins are normally considered champions of dwarven kind, blending together all of the virtues of the dwarven race into their ultimate warriors.
Serriel: Serriel's paladins are a new face among Ea's denizens. Like their goddess, they tend to focus on the beauty of civilization and the progress of mankind, whatever race they may be.
Vardama: Paladins of Vardama are almost exclusively concerned with the hunting, slaying and destroying of evil Necromancers and killing of undead. Most of the time they remain Paladins for their entire career but a few may take on the talents of hunters or rangers. In general, Vardama's paladins are extremely rare.
Additional Options
Additional spells, mounts are available.
Starting Kits
Paladins are defenders and warriors of their faith. Tenebrae tends to not pideonhole paladins into one way or method of acting: a paladin might be a sometime drunkard, but they've a heart of gold, for example, and even your beloved grandmother may be prone to cussing. By the same token, expect evil to be Evil.
Paladins typically function as defenders and warriors against evil. They have the ability to heal, though not as well as a cleric, and often the charisma (and reputation) to act as a spokesperson. They tend to have a high strength and benefit from a high charisma. A charisma of 14 is required to gain access to all paladin spells.
Most paladins tend to go with a 2-handed weapon as it doesn't take many feats or a lot of different stats: they aren't going to have as many as a fighter. Other popular choices include the two weapon fighter or sword and board. The last two options are more difficult to do but not impossible, as they require high stats, and a number of feats.
| Concept | Attributes | Feats and Skills | Notes |
| Crusader | Str 16+, Cha 14+ | Key Feats: Power Attack, Weapon Focus
Recommended Feats: Cleave Key Skills: Knowledge/Religion Additional Skills: Diplomacy, Sense Motive |
You are the blade of your god, a soldier of the faith. Use a single one-handed weapon in two hands, or a two-handed weapon. Smite when you know it won't be wasted. |
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