Essentials Paladin (Sentinel) is up

[Nahat Anoj]

It's simple. Ilmater should have been LG.. Wait, now that I think of it, wasn't Ilmater LG originally?

IIRC, yes, he was LG. But alignments in 4e are not exactly the same as alignments in previous editions. This suggests to me that the people who designed the 4e FRCS felt that 4e's Good alignment was at least as appropriate (if not more so) for a god of suffering than 4e's LG alignment.

Ultimately I'm willing to admit it's not a big deal. For my house games I can always say "WotC had a brainfart, Good PCs can be cavaliers of sacrifice." But it boggles my mind to have to house rule it.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

But to be honest, the requirement never struck me as odd back then, so I don't see why it should strike me as so odd now. And I don't see why a paladin with the virtue of sacrifice can't pray to Ilmater and also be lawful good.

True, such cavaliers can always pray to or even serve Ilmater. But a paladin of sacrifice who seeks to emulate Ilmater (that is, among other things, be of Good alignment instead of LG) technically cannot, even though such a concept is quite plausible.

 

[MrMyth]

Was anybody else surprised to see his class features not including a mount by default (even if it popped up at a later level)? The word "cavalier" kind of implies cavalry, no?

There is a Dragon article coming out next month, I believe, which gives the rules for using mounted cavaliers. It is somewhat weird it isn't part of the default, though, given the name.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

There is a Dragon article coming out next month, I believe, which gives the rules for using mounted cavaliers. It is somewhat weird it isn't part of the default, though, given the name.

At one point it was listed for October 21st on the WotC content calendar but on the 21st in its stead was a Beastmaster Ranger article.

 

[MrMyth]

At one point it was listed for October 21st on the WotC content calendar but on the 21st in its stead was a Beastmaster Ranger article.

Yeah, they said they realized that having an article come out with new options for the Cavalier before the Cavalier had actually been released... was not the best plan. So they brought in a ranger article scheduled for November, and pushed this one back to then.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I think the rationale for "lawful good" is...a very old-school rationale.

"Lawful Good" characters, in the old-school model, value a Good society over a Good person. Society makes everyone good. A Good person is just Good themselves (which doesn't do very many people any good).

So sacrifice is putting yourself at risk to save others. It is explicitly valuing the good that everyone can do over the good that you can do yourself (since you sacrifice your own abilities to empower others). This makes it "Lawful Good" in the sense that "Lawful" is roughly equated to "For All" (while Chaos is roughly equated to "For Me").

Valor, on the other hand, doesn't even require that you care about anyone in any cosmic sense. It's bravery, pure and simple.

BUT, either way, I adore paladins who are "Good Guys" again, and I'm okay with adding a different build for flexibility, for those folks who always had a problem with Paladins having to be LG.

 

[Markn]

In any case, I've heard that all you need to be a cavalier is a nifty magic shield of invulnerability.

And, if I'm not mistaken, you would need to speak in the voice of Danny Most.

 

[DracoSuave]

Yeah, I was excited about these hybrid sources, I really thought the paladin should have both. Then again, the warpriest has lots of martial flavor, and it's just divine.

Martial is not the same keyword as Weapon. The paladin is no more Martial than a swordmage. Replace green fire with white light.

Just cause a character is a weapon-using character does not mean they have -any- Martial flavor.

The ranger has martial flavor, because it uses non-magical attacks, with spirits buffing him in what he does between those attacks. The paladin's strikes are charged with holy fervor and power. There's nothing martial about making your sword glow with white power and causing the glory of your god to burst forth and immolate your enemies.

If you're using a weapon to channel magic power, you are by every definition non-Martial.

 

[Klaus]

The model for the traditional D&D paladin is Sir Galahad, whose purity and devotion to God let him heal at a touch and remove disease.

Sir Galahad, by way of Holger Carlson, the main character in Three Hearts & Three Lions, who even trumped Sir Galahad by having a holy warhorse, Papillon, and questing for a holy avenger.

 

[TarionzCousin]

The model for the traditional D&D paladin is Sir Galahad, whose purity and devotion to God let him heal at a touch and remove disease.

Yeah, everyone wanted Galahad's hands on them.

Dingo: You must spank her well, and after you are done with her, you may deal with her as you like... and then... spank me.
All: And me. And me too. And me.
Dingo: Yes. Yes, you must give us all a good spanking