Player Tips – Adding more Class to your Class – Paladin

March 25, 2016

I am back on track with the series. Last week I drifted away talking about The Conan RPG you can read about it here. And the last article in adding more class to your class was the Monk. You can read that article here.

Adding More Class to Your Class – Paladin!

So today’s’ player tip on adding more class to your class is the mighty Paladin. Of all the classes that Dungeons and Dragons have offered over the years I feel that there is something special about the paladin. In Second edition you needed ridiculous stats just to take a level of paladin. Back then I had many dreams of playing one but rarely if ever had the stats to make the requirements.

Also you had a massive set of guidelines to play one. But of all character types the paladin was the selfless hero. I loved that kind of character. As the edition grew so too did the availability of the paladin class. Now in 5th edition you can play a paladin easily and you no longer even have the alignment restriction.

You still have the benefits of being a paladin and you are automatically still a special character as you have been chosen by a deity because they see something in you or know that you will become something special. And that is a starting point for paladins. You need to ask your self are you something special or will you become so? There is no middle ground. After you have the answer to that you need to look into the why of it? Are you meant for a purpose or is your mission more broad?

As a paladin are you strong in your faith and your purpose? Does the character believe in what he is meant to do or is he a reluctant paladin. Does he see himself as something special or is he humble and think of himself as a fighter with the mindset of doing what is right? many of these questions can be asked of any character, but with a paladin I feel that you need to have these answers to properly portray a proper paladin.

Adding More Class to Your Class – Backgrounds

So now lets look at mixing Paladin with the standard backgrounds. As there can be a paladin for any cause it could be very easy to justify anything.

Acolyte – You have always been religious and you felt that entering religious service would be right for you. After something happens you are contacted by a being and given your divine mission. You could either be happy or nervous about so much resting on your shoulders.

Charlatan – You could go the easy route and be a changed man but what if you are so good at what you do that you are now a paladin of deceit. Your antics were literally enjoyed by the god of lies and he has granted you power to see what you might do with it. Your mission is nothing more than amuse him.

Criminal – Similar to the charlatan the easy way and be reformed, but what if a god chose him to receive divine power but he does not know who. What if he never changed his ways?

Entertainer – For this I think it would be awesome to take the gladiator variant. What if you were a slave and you always took the punishment for others until one day the god of justice and mercy can take no more and grants you the divine power to rise up against your captors.

Folk Hero – This is the quintessential hero, the one who rises up from the commoners, so to make this one interesting perhaps a god chose you, granted you power and knowledge but since you have already proved yourself you were never contacted never given a mission. The god has trusted you to just be yourself.

Guild Artisan – Are you a craftsman or a trader? Perhaps as a wandering tradesman you get to see the world and have the power to defend your self and help others.

Hermit – As a hermit you could come to self discovery or come across and help a traveler. As paladins tend to be in the right place at the right time, your solitude could be the mechanations of higher powers just so that you can help this one soul and prove you are right to take the mantle of a paladin.

Noble – A paladin rising up from a commoner is a site to see but a noble stepping away from a life of privilege can be just as satisfying. Perhaps as a young teenager your world is shattered when your family is killed. Rather than vowing justice, you seek out inner peace. You give your vast fortune to the poor, donate your family estate to some cause and enter a monastery. When you finally emerge you are a chosen paladin.

Outlander – This one is tricky unless you take into account the Oath of the Ancients. Perhaps you have always found the beauty of nature a wonder. Perhaps the lies of people you find grating and the matter a fact of nature is more soothing to your soul. What if you just get along better with animals than with people. What if the savagery of nature calls to your very being and you feel you are a hunter and rather than always hunter for food your skills have been called to hunt those who escape justice or pry on the weak.

Sage – Sages make the best mages, so are you a paladin that working for a god of magic or are you a paladin that uses his knowledge to hunt evil wizards? Did you train as a scholar to learn something specific or did you uncover something in your training that made becoming a paladin a necessity.

Sailor -Were you a sailor or are you a sailor. Men on the sea always need one of faith to help guide them. Is that you or were you convinced of another way of life by one. Did a noble act on your part not only change your life but anothers as well?

Soldier -The life of a soldier is hard no matter the time or setting. Did your paladin see to much pain, too much bloodshed or too much loss of life. Was it worth it, what ever the outcome? Is he a deserter or did he finish his service despite his opinions?

Urchin -Have you risen from the low station to be come a paladin designed to bring all out of squalor or have you too risen above the down trodden and those beneath you are not worth your time.

I hope that this player tip has inspired you the next time that you decide to play a paladin. I hope it enables you to bring more class to your class.

As always thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!