Druidic Paladin: Can one serve both man and nature?

[Rawion]

Alignment restrictions non-withstanding I just thought this would be a cool concept to discuss. What would his goals be? What lead him on this dual path to divinity? How do both philosophies come together as a unified, justifiable belief? Moral flaws? Fighting style? Equipment?
Say what you think now, don't be shy or the druidic knight's gonna make you cry. lol

 

[Rechan]

So would he be a paladin of a god, or the concept of nature, or?

My first instinctive thought is to not look at this particular character playing into the issue of Nature vs. Civilization. Man can very well be a part of nature, even cities can be - animals that live in communities, hives, herds, etc.

So I would make the focus on the conflict of the Natural vs. Unnatural. Corruption of Nature or Man. Aberrations and Undead. Magic that breaks the cycle (Immortality, undead creation, and if you're militant, then constructs too).

Another issue might be a certain level of natural civility. Just because predators kill and eat, does it mean that gnolls are more in line with nature when they go a-slaughter in a bloodlust.

Depending on how big into ecology your DM is, your character might also desire to "cull" (or even protect) certain monsters which are over or underbreeding. Too many apex predator monsters is bad, but not enough is also bad (because there's nothing eating its prey, leading to overpopulation).

To put a twist on things, maybe your Knight has a good opinion of some Monstersl, because they keep Man in check!

 

[Garthanos]

Paladin implies service to the divine - and nature gods work just fine... If you are going a human service style paladin (champion of a king for instance) ... you do indeed imply a greater counter point where the grand scale needs of nature and the rather limited human needs of a kingdom might conflict. The druids were said to be blood sacrifice style magic so your religious ceremonies don't look like shiny light and candles but more blood on altar...

Morality conflicts if you want some there are some interesting possibilities perhaps the nature religion basically promotes "be fruitful and multiply" to a much higher level of importance and considers nudity a holy state of dress, so this paladin might have issues when dealing other cultures virginity and hiding your body is good ethos.

Nothing in the Nature Paladin necessarily implies a fighting style I think but I have green knights who use wood hardened like steel (there is a handy ritual to do that in D&D 4e), usually these green knights I build as 4e Wardens class though depending on the fighting style somebody wanted we could go any number of routes. They are very much guardian protectors of a priestesshood so they certainly could be constructed as paladins of a nature god maybe hybrid ranger and avenger mix -- undead are as much enemies of nature as they are generic divine enemies they are incredibly un-natural so paladin abilities arent bad... I like my paladins mounted and although some celestial courser (horse) would be ok... if you are doing a Druidic one it might be more fun to have something less domesticated to ride like hmmm maybe a hypogriff or something like it perhaps it is normal for the Druid Knights.
In some games it would be reasonable to create them as rangers that is for certain

 

[Aus_Snow]

There was a NG Paladin variant in Dragon magazine - #310, I believe - called. . . Sentinel, perhaps? Anyway, pretty much what you're talking about. Fending off evil outsiders (etc.) from the material plane (i.e., Nature) they have sworn to protect, that kind of thing.

Well, it's close, I suppose. It even has a code of conduct, etc.

 

[Thanael]

Take a look at the following Book of Exalted Deeds PrCs:
Sentinel_of_Bharrai
Swanmay
Lion_of_Talisid

There's also the Nature's Warrior, who fits the Druidic avenger/warrior concept.

Another way would be to use a ancient/primal NG/LG Sun deity, which is in the middle of naturalistic and the paladin archetype. Probably opposing aberrations and undead, following an ancient religion that predates the medieval knights, but is still staunchly noble and lawful. The Eye of Horus-Re would be a fitting PrC.

But rather than amalgaming the two concepts how about a character who really switched his allegiances? Maybe a fallen paladin (to LN or NG) who discovered the power of nature? Or an ex-druid who became LG and who swore fealty to a king but still retains a bit of woodcraft? The Green Knight is an archetpye that fits here somewhat.

In the end the problems are not only the alignment restrictions but rather the conflicting archetypes. Druids stand for the ancient pagan beliefs, while Paladins are more modern, chivalric, monotheistic and feudal.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

I'm not sure if you're playing 4e or not, but such a character could follow Melora, goddess of the wilds. From a mechanics standpoint, the warden from Player's Handbook 2 might interest you. A more complicated take might be a hybrid Virtuous or Protecting Paladin|Guardian Druid.

The only thing that's hard for me to understand is a "nature" paladin that uses plate armor. Traditionally, the nature classes disdain metal armors, so it doesn't seem like nature gods would have too many clerics or paladins in their service. I did think of "earthsingers" once, basically a less invasive method of mining for ore that's more like massaging the desired material out rather than harshly hammering it away.

 

[jbear]

A Druidic paladin doesn't need to have a sword made out of wood.

The incorporation of natural vegetable shapes into design and architecture is common to many important real world civilisations through the use of irrational numbers rampant in nature: Phi for example (also known as the divine proportion). These numbers were used in the construction of temples not only so they would be pleasing to the human spirit, but also so that they could be inhabitated by gods much as the human body is a temple for the human soul.

Maybe your druidic paladin uses this divine proportion in the design of his weaponry and armour so that his god can infuse them with divine power as per the example of the temple above.

Also their is a vegetable part of the human body that controls all the vital functions. have you ever seen drawings of the artery and vein systems of the human body, or the nervous system. they look uncannily like the roots of a plant. also the chakras are thought of as the sensory organs into the spirit world that are like flowers that bloom on the vegetable part of the human body. right there you've got some stuff to inspire you as to how your druidic paladin channels his divine magic.

 

[Garthanos]

A Druidic paladin doesn't need to have a sword made out of wood.

No but it is very cool that it can quite easily. ;-) Even in a less magical universe Teak wood makes a fair blade or so they say. Metals particularly the alloys ( combinations of minerals not normally found without applying unusual conditions) most likely to make good weapons and armor are very unatural feeling to most people, pure and hardened metal which isnt an alloy cold iron.. how about steel where the carbon came from sacreficed blood used in the manufacture ;-).

I have also seen games were certain metals we call alloys are found naturally and others where silver and gold were enchanted quite frequently... enchanting / blessing could make a metal strong ... copper would look cool painted with green leaf blessed by the nature goddess would make a very naturey feeling paladin plate.