D&D (2024) Paladin Oaths as (Color) (Beast/Monster) Orders/Cells

[Minigiant]

One thing I use as a failsafe against TPKs is wandering NPC parties or solo paladins who miraculously show up behind the wounded or dead party to chase off or slay the monster in the nick of time and revive the fallen.

But I using give them a name that the townspeople can mentioned passed though the area in rumors or gossip.

"Oh we are out of halberds. The Red Hounds came by and bought all i had. And they made me turn my axes into more so I'm out of those too" the wrinkled blacksmith says.

Then if I need I describe some guys and gals clad in shiny armor and fur caps and cloaks caked in blood stabbing the cultists before the last PC's eyes close in death

Or is leave the bodies and a newly magic polearm for the PAM PC to pick up.

But which Oath would you guess the Red Hounds are?

Mechanically it doesn't matter as they are just barely existing NPCs who exist to rescue or be rescued or die to heat up a threat.

If each Paladin subclass was a stereotypical fantasy Color Animal named group, what are their names? Who gets to be the (Color) Dragons? Are Ancients Paladin the Green Stags?

Oath	Color	Animal/Monster
Ancients
Conquest
Crown
Devotion
Glory
Oathbreakers
Redemption
Vengeance
Watchers

 

[RoughCoronet0]

For fun, here's what I came up with.

Oath	Color	Animal/Monster
Ancients	Viridian	Elks
Conquest	Crimson	Destrier
Crown	Violet	Lions
Devotion	Gold	Elephants
Glory	Amber	Rams
Oathbreakers	Sable​	Jackals
Redemption	Ivory	Doves
Vengeance	Azure	Vipers
Watchers	Silver	Owls

 

[Minigiant]

For fun, here's what I came up with.

Oath	Color	Animal/Monster
Ancients	Viridian	Elks
Conquest	Crimson	Destrier
Crown	Violet	Lions
Devotion	Gold	Elephants
Glory	Amber	Rams
Oathbreakers	Sable​	Jackals
Redemption	Ivory	Doves
Vengeance	Azure	Vipers
Watchers	Silver	Owls

Oath of the Crown paladins being warrior priests loyal to a great kingdom called the Violet Lions is great.

Or just Purple Lions.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Oath	Color	Animal/Monster
Ancients	Emerald	Hart
Conquest	Crimson	Basilisk
Crown	Tyrian	Eagle
Devotion	Ivory	Dove
Glory	Gold(en)	Lion
Oathbreakers	Sable	Scorpion
Redemption	Platinum	Dragon
Vengeance	Iron	Valkyrie
Watchers	Azure	Owl

Tried to aim for both thematic colors and thematic creatures. Hart (or various other words for "deer") is a pretty obvious choice for Ancients. Personally, I think Lion works better for Glory than Crown, because the lion (especially if understood specifically as the male lion) is often associated with phenomenal personal strength, and with being sort of a lazy butthole resting on one's laurels, which I think exemplifies both the good and the bad of the Oath of Glory. Eagles have been associated with rulership since ancient Greece (they were symbolic of Zeus), and tyrian purple is the reason purple is the color of royalty. "The Order of the Iron Valkyries" sounds like EXACTLY the sort of thing you call on for revenge--or that you run in fear from because they are out for revenge. "Azure Owl" just has a nice ring to it, and "Sable Scorpion" has some nice alliteration, on top of the folkloric association between scorpions and betrayal (The Scorpion and the Frog).

I freely admit that my choice for Redemption is simply because I believe that that oath is the one most compatible with my preferred take on the Church of Bahamut, so if you don't like that one, blame it on my quirks.

 

[DEFCON 1]

There was a 4E Dragon article that was published in issue 406 in December 2011 that was part of the Nerathi Legends series... a handful of articles about other locations on the continent of Nerath. This particular article was called 'Rangers of Cernall' about a war-torn forested land that was protected by an organization called the 'Rangers of the Silver Hart'... a group consisting of Rangers, Paladins, Druids, Wardens and the like that were called "the finest hunters of beasts, monsters, and foes in the world".

@EzekielRaiden made the mention of Emerald Hart for Ancients paladins, which is why I remembered this article and the additional details about what this protective organization did and were.