Paladin (Dungeons & Dragons)
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In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, paladin is one of the base character classes. The paladin is a holy knight, crusading in the name of good and order, and is a divine spellcaster. Paladins are almost always of the Lawful Good alignment.
In addition, compared to other classes the paladin class has one of the most restrictive codes of conduct in their singlemindedness and utter devotion to good. Paladin characters are expected to demonstrate and embody goodness. It is taboo for a paladin to lie or use poison, and some interpretations say they should only use stealth as a last resort. Other restrictions are sometimes laid on the paladin depending on campaign setting, ranging from restricting the class to the point of making it a comically unplayable character to a class that only differs from other warrior classes in its additional divine powers.
Aasimar (humanoids with some limited celestial heritage) have Paladin as a favored class.
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[edit] Early Editions
In older editions of Dungeons & Dragons the paladin class had very high ability score prerequisites, requiring a 17 Charisma and a 12 Strength (surpassed only by the Ranger, which required two ability scores over 13 and two more over 14). On top of ability score restrictions, both first and second editions of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons stipulated that only human characters could be Paladins. Of course, as with any Dungeons and Dragons rule, this was subject entirely to mutual player decision and Dungeon Master fiat: several Dragon magazine articles describe paladins of other races besides human and of other cultures besides the Western European chivalric romance notion of a true Christian knight.
[edit] Third Edition And 3.5
While there are no specific ability score requirements, a Paladin character is still expected to have high scores in order to be effective. These abilities are
- Strength: Paladins generally need high strength in order to participate in melee combat.
- Charisma: Charisma is key to almost all of a Paladin's unique abilities, including the ability to heal with "Lay on Hands", "Smite Evil," bonuses to all saving throws, and the ability to turn undead.
- Constitution: As a fighting class, Paladins need to be hardy and tough to kill.
- Wisdom: A high wisdom score is necessary in order for a paladin to effectively use what divine spells they receive.
Paladin class abilities include the ability to detect evil at will, immunity to fear and disease, enhanced attacks against evil creatures, the ability to heal and cure disease, bonuses to their saving throws, the ability to summon a "special mount" - usually a heavy warhorse, the ability to cast divine spells, and the ability to turn undead (both of the latter abilities similar to those of the cleric class). This establishes them as warriors with special power against evil foes and certain sinister attacks, supported by limited clericlike power.
The Paladin class is available to all races, although most paladins are still human. The class is especially uncommon class among savage humanoids such as orcs and goblins, where good beings are most rare.
Paladins are required to be of Lawful Good alignment. Furthermore, Paladins are forbidden from associating with any creature that they know to be evil, or any creature that consistently offends their moral code. If a Paladin changes alignment from Lawful Good, willingly commits an evil act, or grossly violates the code of conduct, they lose all the benefits and class abilities of the Paladin class until they receive atonement (many times in the form of a quest in the name of good).
Some accessory products have created variant paladins such as the Lawful Evil Paladin of Tyranny, the Chaotic Evil Paladin of Slaughter, and the Chaotic Good Paladin of Freedom (with the base Paladin being called "Paladin of Honor"). Under this scheme, Paladins become complementary to Druids, championing the extreme "corner" alignments just as Druids are champions of the partly-neutral "cross" alignments. However, issue 310 of Dragon magazine featured a "Paladin" for each alignment (for example, a Neutral Good Sentinel).
Paladins are also subject to the special rule that if they advance in levels in another class, they can no longer advance further as a Paladin. Some prestige classes waive this restriction (usually classes built especially for Paladins). The only other way to advance in other classes as well are feats found only in the Complete Adventurer (e.g. Devoted Tracker, which allows the Paladin to advance in both Paladin and Ranger, or Devoted Inquisitor, with the Rogue class) .
[edit] Video Game Versions
Software versions of Dungeons & Dragons such as Neverwinter Nights often loosen the requirements for playing a Paladin to simply being lawful good in alignment, and the paladin's unique position and alignment restriction is very rarely apparent in these software versions (with the exception of The Temple of Elemental Evil). This bothers many "hardcore" pen-and-paper role-players who see the paladin's limitations as part of what makes it an interesting class to play.
The paladin's specialties in most Dungeons & Dragons video games are its high defense, its ability to cast defensive spells, the ability to heal (with the class ability "Lay on Hands"), and especially its proficiency against undead monsters.
Paladins are more rarely represented in early CRPGs, with some (such as in Pool of Radiance) omitting the character class.
[edit] Further reading
- Defenders of The Faith - A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins D&D Accessory by Rich Redman & James Wyatt. 2001
[edit] References
- Cook, Monte; Tweet, Jonathan; Williams, Skip. Player's Handbook. 2000, Wizards of the Coast.
