Paladin of...

[Aleolus]

OK, what are some good, but unusual choices for a deity for a Paladin? I'm talking beyond Heironeous, Pelor, St. Cuthbert, and so forth. What would they stand for, and how would be a good way to play them?
I think Paladin's are only allowed to venerate deities that accept LG clerics, so we'll just use that as a baseline.

 

[Zurai]

Well, in the Forgotten Realms, Sune (CG goddess of love and beauty) is specifically allowed to have Paladins. I'd say that's a pretty unusual choice.

 

[Shin Okada]

Some ideas here.

If you are not playing in a world like Farune, you can be a paladin without any patron deity. He may be thinking that even LG gods in his world are selfish and imperfect, and thus, no one is the ideal avatar of LG. So he disdains other Paladins with patron deities as impure and maybe disdains LG gods themselves.

Paladin himself must be LG. But the rule does not say his patron deity must be LG. It is known that there are elven paladins with Corellon Larethian as patron deity, He may be a sworn protector of elven kind but may also often disagreements in the various ways and attitude between Clerics of Corelllon.

 

[Nifft]

Well, in the Forgotten Realms, Sune (CG goddess of love and beauty) is specifically allowed to have Paladins. I'd say that's a pretty unusual choice.

Aren't they the female clerics who always pose for those objectionably-armored fantasy pictures?

"Seems they're in all my books!", -- N

 

[Zurai]

Oh yes, her clerics are very wide-spread. Who doesn't like fiery red-headed visions of beauty?

Her paladins on the other hand, aren't talked about much. They're a bit stuffy for followers of a goddess that believes in free love

 

[mvincent]

OK, what are some good, but unusual choices for a deity for a Paladin?

Wee Jas. Despite being a kinda evil god of death, she is technically LN, and thus able to have LG paladins.

What would they stand for

Death

and how would be a good way to play them?

When I played one, he started as a pleasant, gullible farmboy who was very comfortable with death. Since religions often preach of an enjoyable afterlife, it was a short leap to believe that killing things is actually doing them a favor. Indeed the character joyfully wished for death himself, and sometimes even refused to kill enemies that he truly hated.

The character (who was an extremely nice, happy and polite) also wore grim skeletal armor, used a scythe, rode a skeletal (or white) horse , and adopted the name "Petite Mort".

If desired, here is the background I had provided to my DM at the time:
"History:
Growing up on a farm, Petite was no stranger to death. In addition to the many farm animals that are slaughtered, death among peasant farmers themselves is a frequent occurrence. For Petite’s kinfolk it was especially so, causing him to be passed from relative to relative throughout his childhood as his caretakers died off. He tended to take a serene attitude towards this however, since his village’s religion (like most) held that the afterlife is a paradise, and Petite accepted this unconditionally and literally.

Eventually, this naiveté made good ol’ Petty an easy mark for a death cult of Narull. The cult told him what he wanted to hear, and taught him a few secrets of the dark arts, but they mostly kept him around as muscle (and occasional recruiting). However, Petty’s incautious, exuberant and outspoken nature caused them problems by attracting unwanted attention to their proceedings, and they soon suggested that he “strike out on his own”.

Petite soon found his way into the church of Wee Jas, where he found himself drawn to a higher calling, one that somehow combined his kind, pleasant, optimistic nature with his morbid, violent past: that of a Paladin of Wee Jas.

Today, Petite is still incredibly naïve, trusting and literal, but he has a cause. He has taken a surname (Mort) from the church, and fervently believes that death is a blessing leading to a paradisiacal afterlife (given the default D&D setting, this is often true and even provable). He hopes to spread the word and convince others not to live in fear of death. He believes that he is doing evil opponents a favor by slaying them, and that pain is just fear leaving the body. He still tries to avoid undo suffering, preferring to ‘bless’ his enemies quickly. Petite might even go so far as to ensure a particularly hated foe does not die (believing them to be unworthy of such bliss provided by the afterlife).

The church of Wee Jas also promotes the use of magic and magic items, so Petite makes an effort to follow this doctrine and encourages others to do so as well. Ultimately, he is looking forward to dying, but seeks to selflessly spread the good word as much as possible before doing so.

Petite is good with horses (naturally… a farm boy), and frequently rides a white (or skeletal) horse while dressed in white & black armor fashioned in a Wee Jas skeletal motif and covered by a black, hooded robe. His favored weapons are a cold iron scythe (again, farming background) or a lance."

 

[Nifft]

Her paladins on the other hand, aren't talked about much. They're a bit stuffy for followers of a goddess that believes in free love

High Charisma, immunity to disease... I'm not seeing any conflict with "free love".

"Cleanest girl in town!", -- N

 

[Shin Okada]

Or, you can always play an arrogant, trust-no-one inquisitor type paladin. Patron deity is unknown or at least unspecified, but the Order of Illumination in Complete Adventurer (the order which has Shadowbane inquisitors and Shadowbane Stalkers) seems to be very interesting to role play. They are the guys who prefer to burn and destroy entire town if they cannot accertain the exact hideout of villains.

And throughout one's career, a Shadowbane Inquisitor tend to learn all the skills and feats to qualify for a Blackguard. It is written that there are many Inquisitors actually "fallen". And it is rumored that some are still hiding within the order.

 

[Elethiomel]

High Charisma, immunity to disease... I'm not seeing any conflict with "free love".

"Cleanest girl in town!", -- N

Indeed. Paladins of Sune's Code of Conduct (that they are Lawful towards) tends to be somewhat different from other paladins. But of course they are up front when they meet someone about exactly what they are and aren't after... which can disappoint some who meet that high Charisma character.

 

[evilbob]

Oh yes, her clerics are very wide-spread.

*cough* HA! *cough*