Quintessential Paladin

[Mage]

If anyone has this book, is it useful?
All my D&D characters are Paladins. My felow gamers tell me I don't act like a Paladin.
Will this book help?

 

[Mongoose Gar]

There's a chapter in Quintesstial Paladin II which gives rules for building a paladin's code, and the consequences for breaking it. It's basically designed to give a rules-based answer to all those debates about what a paladin should and shouldn't do.

 

[Mage]

Thanks dude.

 

[Utgardloki]

If being a paladin is not in your soul, then I don't think any book will help.

To play a paladin, you have to think "What would a boy scout do?" I love playing paladins; in many ways I find them easier to play than other characters because I don't have to calculate an angle. I just have to be straight and true, and everybody trusts me.

Why do they say your character doesn't act like a paladin? Maybe we can help.

 

[Mage]

Well, D and D was the first game I played in, and I played a Paladin, and I didn't even know what one was.
I'd say for lack of a better word I do not have a detailed definition or something I could relate to.
I'd say going the Scott Summers route might be the right way, but less 'ass-hole-ish'.

My Paladin is aligned to the God of justice at the moment. He drinks a lot...

Also, I have a cursed shield for him which adds to defence but makes his facial hair grow at a rapid rate.

I tried to stop the part from looting a corpse once, was pormptly told to mind my own business, and then subsequently tried it and got given out to for being a hypocrite.

I also said a few inappropriate things once, but no cursing and blinding, just really out of place stuff...

My hearts there, just not the....

 

[Utgardloki]

A group that wants to take advantage of a paladin character might have a rules-lawyer type who keeps saying "paladins can't do that" and "paladins must do that" whenever it is convenient for his own character. Being a paladin does NOT mean you have to be stupid or foolish or a pushover.

Paladins also do not have to be perfect. Sir Lancelot is an example of a guy who would certainly be a paladin, even though he is flawed. The important thing is that he strives to be the best that he can be, and does not use his flaws as an excuse.

A paladin may not fit in every party. If the rest of the party wants to be rogueish and ethically shady, the paladin will have to try to keep the party on the straight and narrow. You might want to consider how your character is fitting in with the rest of the party, and perhaps switch him out for another character if he does not fit in. Tell you DM that I said you should be able to switch him for another character without taking any sort of penalty. Especially if the players are inexperienced at the particular game, they should be able to make at least one practice character, especially if the character is not working out.

_The Quintessential Paladin_ might be able to help you out with defining a code of honor. You can also get guidance from just about any major religion. Fictional characters are good inspiration. Superman would be a good example of a paladin-like character. Batman is a bit of a "darker" character, but he also could easily qualify.

Your paladin can also mature. One of my paladin PCs started out being a little too heavy on the law side (kind of like Wojo Howitz on _Barney Miller -- liable to arrest someone for even a slight infraction of the law), but over time learned to "take it easy".

Hope this helps.

 

[Mage]

Thanks for the help dude. My group are good friends, but sometimes they are a bit too into their games, and it can really bug me sometimes.
At the end of the day I am a hard core war gamer who enjoys role playing, while most of them are vice versa.
I'll try going the superman route, but not too up my own behind with mesages.