Do paladin's require a god?

[Sejs]

In my games they don't require a god, much in the same way clerics don't require one, but most serve one because that's how they came to the role in the first place.

So you could have a paladin out there fighting the good fight, and the multiverse would see to it that they were taken care of, but they'd be more the exception than the rule.

 

[Shemeska]

Keeping in mind that I'm running a 3.x planar/Planescape campaign, I voted "Paladins are bound to a divine force, not necesarily a god", though in my campaign the vast majority of paladins (and clerics) are going to be linked to a deity, an arch-celestial or their plane, or a group of allied deities, rather than an abstract concept.

Godless clerics or clerics whose deity is of questionable origin and substance certainly exist, but it's much more rare to see such, especially when the gods are literally a tangible thing whose existance isn't open for debate [though their nature of claims of true divinity might be]. Similarly, paladins who are devoted to an abstract concept such as Justice or Law in the abstract exist, but they're much less common than paladins of deities or pantheons, etc. These paladins are found most frequently among the Mercykiller splinter faction known as the Sons of Mercy, members of the Harmonium, or within the Order of the Planes Militant, etc.

 

[Aaron L]

I consider paladins to serve, and be empowered by, a cosmologically real force of good. If they also seek guidence from a particular diety or pantheon in this service, that's fine.

Me too.

 

[Ryngard]

MOST Paladin's in my world follow a deity. But there are many who do not. They either receive their power from a deity (whether they know it or not) or some of them tap into the Divine source of Magic directly. I let the player decide.

 

[Herobizkit]

IMCs, Paladins follow a general Philosophy of Good rather than a particular deity.

To borrow a few God/desses from the Forgotten Realms, could you imagine a Paladin of Lathander being the same as a Paladin of Sune as a Paladin of Shar as a Paladin of Corelleon (the Elf God)? Neither could I.

 

[Wombat]

All Paladins, like all clerics and druids, should all be bound to either an individual god or a pantheon.

Just how I run such games.

 

[Derren]

Well, see my sig.


When you require paladins to have a god then you can rename them into crusaders. To be completly LG (which is what paladins are about) they must not be bound by any higher force which has a specific agenda and that includes gods.

And even if the paladin chooses to follow a deity, this god should have no controll over the paladins power.

 

[Sejs]

To borrow a few God/desses from the Forgotten Realms, could you imagine a Paladin of Lathander being the same as a Paladin of Sune as a Paladin of Shar as a Paladin of Corelleon (the Elf God)? Neither could I.

Particularly those paladins of Shar, heh.

 

[sckeener]

IMCs every god has a holy warrior. It could be a 'paladin', a 'blackguard', a cleric, a druid, or even a prestige class. My Thoth 'holy warriors' in the Old Empires are mystic theurges.

'Paladins/blackguards' that worship or gain their powers from a deity are the majority. I do have a minority that follow a cause or ideal though.

 

[frankthedm]

IMC, clerics require a diety, paladins have the option. IMG the Paladin's archtype come from a source independant of deities.

Paladins who have deities do recieve small benefits. But they also have to deal with divine agendas that might not always mesh perfectly with Paladin ideals.

Examples
A paladin can freely multiclass into cleric if thier patron deity is Lawful Good.
A paladin can freely multiclass into cleric Wizard or Sorcerer if thier patron deity is Marduk{God of the City & Pure Incatations].
A paladin who's patron deity is the LG sun god gets thier 1st level Cure light wounds as a short range ray.
A paladin who's patron deity is Moradin gets thier 1st level create water changed to Create Ale.