Paladin Inspirations

[Captain Tagon]

One thing a lot of Paladin players never seem to really play up is meekness. In my mind a Paladin should be meek. They have this power at their finger tips, but being good don't use it al the time. Their power should be controlled and they should be in control of themselves, only rising to anger and violence when absolutely necessary.

 

[Arrgh! Mark!]

You might try the paladin to be anyone of a slightly martial bent, chosen by a god.

I once played a Monk on a pilgramage to a shrine to his god with class levels of Paladin. He had a brown robe, a tonsured head, and a code of goodness and faithfulness over smiting of evil. (Though his god was focused on smiting of evil over the rest. An interesting character.) His biggest problem wasn't pride but oddly, humility. Everyone liked him and he was very careful in facilitating the party, but never strode forward to lead them to glory. (An interesting character again, because most of my PC's tend to be the front of the party and the guiding force.)

Just make sure that each paladins code suits him. The one from the PH is suited to knightly types, as that is this classes archetype.

Just be cautious. It's often pride that undoes many a paladin where it's completely unneccesary to do so. Why not try a paladin that has gluttony or lust as his undoing? A little more interesting.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That's the way I ran Byral Kahn, Captain Tagon.

 

[Ranger REG]

Everyone remembers Lancelot as a quintessential Paladin...

Up until he slept with the Queen.

but some forget Joan D'arc.

While martial and aggressive, she was also quite humble- a vessel for God's will- and remember, she was a peasant.

The last paladin I played was modeled after her. Byral Kahn was the only child of a fisherman, but she was extraordinarly robust- and soon grew too large to safely work her father's small boat and nets without capsizing it. Instead, she apprenticed out to a mason, and learned the way of stone and strength. Finally, this giantess of a girl heard the call of the divine. Her Uncle, a smith, made her armor, but for her weapons, she could not carry a sword as a commoner. Instead, she stayed with what she knew..the Pick and the Maul.

Be a leader by example, not by setting yourself above all others. This kind of paladin, instead of berating those around her as cowards, merely charges (or stands her ground), shaming others into actions by her deeds.

Ironic that toward her end, she was accused of heresy and burned at the stake (albeit by her enemies, the British). Only many years after her death, we romanticized her as the ideal knight.

I guess being a paladin means making the right decisions, not the popular decisions.

 

[ElvishBard]

Paladin's are also very concerned with the lives of others. In Black Sun Rising, Damien (the paladin like guy) found his friend dead, and their super powerful potion lying empty next to him. He got down on the ground and asked forgiveness from his God, for being more concerned about an item that could be replaced than a human life which couldn't.

 

[Klaus]

There is always the original paladin inspiration, Sir Holger Carlson, from Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts & Three Lions".

Durandal -> The class is light on details on purpose, so you can make it your own. Since your character worships Dol Arrah, take a look at her details:
She is the goddess of Honor. So you might want to behave honorably in all dealings, even with dishonorable beings.
She is the goddess of the Sun. So you might be sworn to bring light to the dark places of the world (by going down into the darkness and fighting evil where it lurks), and to illuminate the lives of those around you (by being polite, cheerful and optimistic).
Her favored weapon is the halberd. You might try to emulate her, forgoing sword and shield in favor of the multi-functional halberd (can be used to trip foes, set against a charge and slice enemies). You might want to look into the Spinning Halberd combat style feat from Complete Warrior.

 

[The Great Bear King]

I'd try modeling a paladin after Patton or MacArthur if I were you. Also, Joan of Arc in my world was really burned at the stake for joining the order of Saint George which was a branch of the Illuminati (my world's conspiricy of light). The English priests who wanted her executed were members of the Final Church (A Dark*Matter Satanic organization). Enjoy this one!

 

[Nightfall]

ElvishBard,

Nice choice using Damien Kilcannon Vryce. He's one of my favorite people. Not sure I'd qualify him as a "paladin" but certainly a man of the cloth.

I'd also go with Klaus' bent, using a pole arm. Check out Dragon 331 or 332 (forget which one). It has some great ideas and feats to use regarding pole arms.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

I have a Lawful Good Cleric charged with looking after the paladin, who also happened to be the crown prince. This cleric has a decidedly dark turn of character, morose and cynical, suspicious in the extreme. Partially based on Alaister "Mad-Eye" Moody of the Harry Potter series, this priest is sometimes questioned or even called to task for his dark demeanor.

"The light that shines the brightest casts the deepest shadows."

The paladin/prince he protects was once faced with this dillemma: plunder the dragon's hoard guarded only by a dozen kobolds, or rush to safety the (insignificant NPC) commoner who helped the party find the place before he dies of the poison the kobolds used on him.

"I cannot place my glory before the safety of a loyal subject of my father."

The party did recover some treasure, though, which the prince immediately siezed to buy horses, armor, and equipment for the rest of the party. He then divided the rest of the treasure into equal shares, using his share to put a 10% deposit on a suit of armor (going for cavalier PrC) and giving the rest to the local orphanage.

"Safety in the faithful service of the crown is more important than wealth or glory."

Another cleric, this one a dwarf in the service of Moradin, refuses to use magic if there is another solution.

"It is my role to serve the All-Father as best I can -- not to beg that He serve me."

Some others, not attached to any particular story:

"It is better to die serving _______ than to live without purpose."
"I do not judge. You will be judged in the afterlife -- now!"
"I am but a humble servant of ______. It is by that authority that I command."
"To serve is to have purpose."
"Redemption of ignorance is always possible, but betrayal can never be forgiven."

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

There is always the original paladin inspiration, Sir Holger Carlson, from Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts & Three Lions".

Wouldn't the 'original' paladin inspiration be Pallas Athena, of the Olympian pantheon?