D&D 2E AD&D 2e Paladin old west style?

[RavenSong]

I am in the process of creating a 2e Paladin for a new homebrew campaign that a friend wrote. It is still a D&D setting but he is giving it a bit of Wild West flavor. More horses, some guns, and very little metal armor. Apparently all of our characters are outlaws of some sort.

So, here I am trying to play a LG Paladin outlaw in the style of the old west. Suggestions for how to keep all the badassness of a Paladin without ignoring the feel of the setting?

 

[Nebten]

There actually was a show called Paladin that covers all that back in the 50' & 60's. Irony.

 

[RavenSong]

Oh yeah, good call. The show was actually called Have Gun - Will Travel. The main character was named Paladin. He was more of a good guy gun for hire though. He was a classy, intelligent dandy of a gunslinger.

It gives me a place to start. I think I am looking for something a little more rugged and dirty though.

 

[Nebten]

Check out the Gunslinger series by Stephen King. The Gunslingers of Eld were practically knights with guns who had their own social standing and moral code.

 

[Herobizkit]

Suggest to your DM that if you are not using armor as is that he instead use the Defense Bonus variant rule for characters and monsters. It simulates the protection of armor without actually wearing any, which would be very appropriate for an armor-light campaign.

Gah, nm. You're using 2ed.

Sadly, the Paladin's LG alignment doesn't allow for much in the way of being a traditional outlaw unless your DM ignores the traditional alignment restriction. If anything, you'd be the Sheriff, not the outlaw.

You could ask if your Paladin can take the Sharpshooter kit from the Complete Book of Dwarves (might also be in the Fighter's or Thief's handbook?) and just handwaive the racial restriction.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What about this guy? Joking!

Seriously, though, check out the Lone Ranger, Briscoe County, Jr., and Dudley Do-Right as examples of "western" paladins.

I've done the Lone Ranger more than once- all you need is hand-crossbows equipped with silver-tipped bolts and an appropriately named steed.

There was also the grand-daddy of all FRPG Western Paladins...

MURLYND!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You might also find additional inspiration in this thread.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

A paladin who is an outlaw is doable but it pretty much means that you have to have BBEG's in power in order to outlaw him in the first place and keep him on the dodge from "the law". I think the movie Silverado might have the character types you're looking for.