Paladin Code for Paladin of Ehlonna

[MerakSpielman]

Do not turn this thread into another of the paladin-morality debates we've been having so much fun with recently, please.

I'm going to be DMing a game for a brand-new player. She's still learning the rules, but has read through the race, class, and diety sections and decided she wants to play a half-elf paladin of Ehlonna. She likes the idea of being a virtuous champion, defending the woodlands, etc...

The default paladin's code in the PHB seems well tailered for a paladin of Cuthbert/Hieroneous, but not the right flavor for a paladin of Ehlonna.

How would you suggest modifying the Code to better suit this sort of paladin? I don't want to make it overly restrictive, just different. There will probably be a clause about protecting the forests, for instance.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

This sounds like a fun combination. You do realise that if she's playing a female her mount should be a unicorn!
As for the Code of conduct. She just needs to extend the same courtisey to forest dwellers as she would to city folk. this includes animals of neutral or good alignments.
Very little else needs to change.I would take out Know religion and make it Know Nature and add survival as a class skill. Also you might want to change her spells availible to be from the druid spell list.

 

[Moe Ronalds]

-Never harm plants or animals
-Always protect the forest and its people
-Don't defile nature (obviously up to interpretation, but this could include performing magical experiments (mommy, where to owlbears come from?), etc...)


As far as mechanical ideas go, you may want to make a few changes to the class to reflect how it's different from a standard Paladin. These are all off the top of my head, so if they suck, it is to be expected.

-Change out horse ability for animal companion
-alter spell list so it looks more like the druid spell list
-possibly add the Druid's restrictions for weapons and armor
-to compensate, maybe offer limited wildshape ability at higher levels

 

[Argent Silvermage]

-Never harm plants or animals
-Always protect the forest and its people
-Don't defile nature (obviously up to interpretation, but this could include performing magical experiments (mommy, where to owlbears come from?), etc...)


As far as mechanical ideas go, you may want to make a few changes to the class to reflect how it's different from a standard Paladin. These are all off the top of my head, so if they suck, it is to be expected.

-Change out horse ability for animal companion
-alter spell list so it looks more like the druid spell list
-possibly add the Druid's restrictions for weapons and armor
-to compensate, maybe offer limited wildshape ability at higher levels

Good ideas but you want to keep the flavor of the paladin. To many changes will dilute the effect. Remember Ehlonna is a diety of good aligned woodland creatures not nature itself. Her clerics wear metal armor and use longswords. They're not Druids.

 

[Aaron L]

I'd agree with Argent. Have her mount be a unicorn, and have her extend courtesy to forest animals and fey creatures. Treat venerable forest creatures as she would human(oid) nobles and such. MAYBE give her Knowledge (Nature) instead of (Nobility & Royalty), depending on how woodsy she wants to be.

Be as likely to fight a forest fire as the red dragon that caused it. Then go after the dragon.

Encourage nature friendly logging and farming practices. Discourage destructive practices.

Advocate laws in her country that protect the wilderness from destructive human intrusion.

She's still going to be a Lawful Good knight, but now she'll be a Lawful Good night that includes nature and happy animals in her list of things to be protective of.

I get a really cool picture of her character just thinking about it Good concept!

 

[Argent Silvermage]

One tweek would be to have her get Wild empathy at 3tr level and her mount at a later level to compensate for it being a unicorn.

 

[Aaron L]

Actually, as per Defenders of the Faith, a unicorn is fine mount, but delays mount aquisition until 6th level. I'd just go with that.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Actually, as per Defenders of the Faith, a unicorn is fine mount, but delays mount aquisition until 6th level. I'd just go with that.

DoF is 3.0 not 3.5
Not all of it applies. Just being a rules hound. Sorry.

 

[Aaron L]

I think that little bit is pretty safe