[4e] Paladins and Implements

[Skorpor]

I'm planning to run a 4e game and me and my group are new to it, so I'm making the characters for the players to save some time and confusion. I'm thinking of having a Paladin in the group that would fill a defender/secondary leader role, but I noticed that many of the Charisma based powers use the keyword implement rather then weapon. I have always envisioned paladins as holy warriors rather then priests, so a paladin mainly using a holy symbol rather then a weapon sounds dinky. Would it be okay to houserule it so they have weapon keyword instead? Or would it have some repercussions that I have missed?

 

[MwaO]

Implement = Paladin spells
Weapon = Paladin weapon attacks usually boosted by divine energy

Paladins have had spells in every edition if that helps to think about it better.

If you do house rule it, they don't get proficiency bonuses to attacks - so a +3 proficiency longsword used on an implement power doesn't add +3 to hit.

 

[Skorpor]

I think my problem was I didn't look close enough on the paladin powers list, there are quite a few more powers that uses a weapon AND the charisma stat then I first thought. So if the character sticks mostly to those powers it should work out fine.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'm thinking of having a Paladin in the group that would fill a defender/secondary leader role

It's a great class to have in your party - while a 'secondary' leader in terms of healing & number of leadery powers, a few of it's leader-style utilities make my Warlord jealous - particularly Wrath of the Gods.

but I noticed that many of the Charisma based powers use the keyword implement rather then weapon.

Yes, all the Paladin's powers are 'Prayers,' but some of them use the holy symbol and can be visualized more like a classic Paladin's Cleric spells in nature.

I have always envisioned paladins as holy warriors rather then priests, so a paladin mainly using a holy symbol rather then a weapon sounds dinky. Would it be okay to houserule it so they have weapon keyword instead? Or would it have some repercussions that I have missed?

There are a lot more weapon-keyword CHA (and some STR or CHA) powers in Divine Power (if you're not using the CB). The main repercussion would be adding proficiency to attacks vs non-AC defenses. Another would be that the range of the power would rarely match the range of the weapon.

If it's mainly the visual, though, there are a number of magic weapons that also act as Implements, and you could even just allow the Paladin to have is holy symbol graven on his weapon or blazoned on his shield, so he's always striking more warrior-appropriate poses, even when casting Radiant Delirium.