Breaking the stereotype of the chaste paladin

[NewJeffCT]

I was thinking about this the other day. The stereotypical image of a paladin is the chaste Sir Galahad. But, that kind of bothered me, as I saw nothing in the rules requiring chastity from a paladin – male or female – and I have been playing since early 1E days. However, it seems that the DMs I have played with over the years seem to naturally assume this to be the case.

However, could an argument also be made that a truly pious paladin should “be fruitful and multiply”? Do not some real world religions basically encourage child birth to increase the size of their respective flocks? Yes, I know they try to convert non-believers, too.

My thought was that would not a male paladin be true to his religion by fathering 10 or more children with a devout follower of his own L/G religion? A child of a paladin would probably have a greater chance genetically of following in his father’s footsteps, especially if raised by an equally devout mother. And, there is also a greater likelihood that all 10+ children at least follow the same religion as the paladin. (This is assuming the paladin can afford 10 or more kids and all…)

Heck, it could even be a paladinly duty – in order to increase the size of the church’s congregation, all male paladins must do their best to father one child per year after marriage.

Does anybody agree or disagree with me?

 

[Desdichado]

I've often been intrigued by the concept of a philandering paladin, actually -- noticing as you do that chastity is not really even implied, much less mandated, by the paladin's code.

But I've never actually played one.

 

[fredramsey]

You have lots of time on your hands, eh?

Any children the Paladin might father would be raised without a father figure. Can't slay evil and come home every night at 5:00 PM.

But hey, let the paladin get his sword polished as much as the next guy. I seriously doubt any of the "real" knights were truly chaste, but it makes a good story.

 

[diaglo]

in the FR you can be a paladin of Sune.

she ain't chaste in the least.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Uhm, just for kicks, you do recognize the difference between chastity and celibacy, right?

 

[fredramsey]

Oops.

Uh, yeah, I mean Celibacy, yeah, that's the ticket...

Uhm, just for kicks, you do recognize the difference between chastity and celibacy, right?

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

I've never imagined the paladin as chaste... the cleric or the monk, maybe--and that is only based on sect or personal vow. I've never had a blanket assumption like that about paladins.

Many of the paladins in the world I'm playing in right now are members of an order that heavily emphasises sex and openness with the body...

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Yeah, I don't understand a requirement for Paladins to be celibate.

I do understand a requirement for Paladins to be chaste - they are Lawful Good, after all, and their codes are equal parts Law and Good. Sowing wild oats, like any other overly-emotional activity, is definately a Chaotic infraction.

 

[Trickstergod]

Typically, I attribute essentially "free love," to put it simplistically, as being rather chaotic. Nothing necessarily wrong with it, but generally more of a pleasurable, personal thing that can, to a degree, be disruptive to society.

So while not exactly the sort of thing I'd have a paladin lose their status over for one indulgence (it's not evil, after all), it could gradually result in an alignment shift. As such, probably best strayed away from.

Of course, so long as there's some structure to what the paladin's doing, then sure. At the very least, though, the paladin would be responsible for any children he sired and have some obligation to the woman it was with.

It's one thing for a paladin to engage in some sort of intimate behavior with someone they care for and would feel an obligation to, though, and another entirely for a paladin to just go wenching.

In regards to the "go fruitful and multiply" argument for a paladin - sure, I could see it working. But for me, that would effectively mean either giving up adventuring or quite likely giving up ones status as a paladin if family and questing couldn't be reconciled.

And in regards to marriage or the rough equivalent, no, I have no problems with paladins doing that whatsoever. Some sects and versions maybe. But not all (or even most).

 

[Umbran]

Does anybody agree or disagree with me?

Well, there are a few things you have ot take into consideration here...

A paladin probably would not go around the countryside philandering and fathering children. A child out of wedlock is an exterme burden and disruption of the mother's life. And kids running around without fathers are a notorious source of chaos.

Even in wedlock, there are problems. Your typical paladin leads a violent, dangerous life hunting down some very evil things. That leads to a high risk of leaving your kids fatherless. And, unless the evil things are very stupid, the family would be a classic target of vengeance and blackmail.

So, while LG people in general certainly can have kids, I am not sure those active in fighting evil are going to do so.