Holy Orders (Another Paladin Thread)

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

One thing I've noticed is a lack of "Holy Orders" when regarding a Paladin. Many people forget just how much power a church weilds in a medieval setting. Add in magical healing and Gods that do take an interest in the world, often walking the earth with thier own feet, and you've got a powerhouse.

Tithes, the labors of the faithful, great works done by great heroes and patrons, all of these lead to even more power. From grand cathedrals built out of love (Check out the Cathedrals of Europe, or the Ottoman Empire) to small temples built where an event of great signifigance occured, there is a lot of support for a Paladin.

And here is where things can get interesting.

A Holy Order could provide a Paladin PC with a trained mount, armor, weaponry, training, healing, a place to spend the night, squires, etc.

Also, they may call upon the Paladin to do certian tasks.

Escorting a group of pilgrims through hostile territory to reach a holy site.
Take a Holy Writ to a far off temple/Cathedral.
Escort the King's Tax Man to the local center office so that he can tax the church (something that used to happen quite often)

Add in supporting clerics, monks, rogues, etc, and you could have an entire party devoted to one diety that can go on just as many interesting adventures.

A Holy Order also allows a good mix of role-playing and combat. From trying to root out a heretic bishop who is using mind control magic to totally enslave worshippers to speaking eloquently before the Coucil.

I use Holy Orders quite a bit, they're one of the premiere forces of my campaign setting, able to field hundreds of armored knights, as well as having deep coffers. I make sure that every class (even NPC classes from the DMG) are represented within a Holy Order unless they would defiantely exclude them for a reason. From rogues trained in espionage and counter-assassination, to monks tasked with guarding the fiathful in regions where weaponry requires oversight of possibly hostile nobles, all classes are worked in.

How many of you use Holy Orders, or have even considered them?

 

[Jdvn1]

I've never considered Holy Orders before--but it sounds like a good idea for a Paladin PrC. Paladins are required to be LG and follow a god, but they're not required to follow a church.

I have the same philosophy with Clerics.



Edit: And, actually, in the SRD, I don't see a requirement for Paladins to follow a god.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I used them in my campaign. We played a Scarred Lands campaign and the player who ran a Paladin of Corean and I came up with different orders based upon the different aspects of Corean. One order was focused on protecting the weak, one was focused on seeking out and destroying demons and other summoned creatures, a third was focused on the forge and the crafting of weapons and armor. While all part of one church, each order had its own heirarchy, goals and politics.

 

[Turanil]

I use Holy Orders quite a bit, they're one of the premiere forces of my campaign setting, able to field hundreds of armored knights, as well as having deep coffers. I make sure that every class (even NPC classes from the DMG) are represented within a Holy Order unless they would defiantely exclude them for a reason. From rogues trained in espionage and counter-assassination, to monks tasked with guarding the fiathful in regions where weaponry requires oversight of possibly hostile nobles, all classes are worked in.

How many of you use Holy Orders, or have even considered them?

The history of the Knights Templars is really an excellent source of inspiration to create such Holy Orders. As I envision it (in a fantasy Knights Templars Order), paladins are the elite of the Holy Order, the only ones who get the title of knight (Church Knight or Knight Templars). There is of course clerics in the order, to conduct the religious ceremonies that the order's members attend. Monks are rare Guardian Knights, not Shaolin Buddhists travelling monks ala David Carradine; they live in, and guard sacred places where weapons are forbidden. The bulk of men-at-arms who accompany the church Knights on the battlefield (see historical Knight Templars) are of the Warrior class, with occasional fighters (sergeants), not paladins. Rogues (spies) and Wizards (expert about arcane things) do exist within the order, but are just a few.

 

[Jdvn1]

No one else has used Holy Orders?

 

[Thotas]

Not as such. But I have liked to emphasize differences in what's expected in a particular priest or paladin depending on the particulars of a deity. My all-time fave example of this is in the 1e Deities & Demi-gods, we're exposed to Tyr and Forseti, both LG, both Norse deities, both with justice in their portfolio ... and Tyr is a war god, while Forseti is a god of peace. Mithras was an LG god who greatly valued truth, and keeping one's word was an absolutely enshrined value. Athena, goddess of wisdom, likewise valued knowledge and learning as the highest good. This much variety within Lawful Good, the alignment with the reputation for being a monolithic straight-jacket of invariance and inflexibility! And having a theme to the party just makes it all seem more sensible anyway, to a holy order is great if you can get your players interested in going that route. (It'll never happen with my current group.)