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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mlund" data-source="post: 5939670" data-attributes="member: 50304">While both are members of the Church Militant, Clerics come from the Clergy while Paladins come from the Laity.Clerics have duties and obligations to a religion that generally come with some form of education, leadership, and responsibilities.Paladins are the blessed faithful chosen by a deity or cosmic force to serve as a warrior-champion so long as they keep faith.Most of that is background, but some of it also translates into a high-level mechanical feel. Clerics are those who invoke divine blessing, while the Paladins are those who are perpetually blessed.Take a Cleric and a Paladin of Moradin, for example:The Cleric of Moradin is a priest, schooled in theology, formal prayer, tradition, and sacraments. He blesses newborn children, leads in worship, heals the sick, and consecrates the dead. He has superiors and subordinates. He can be a great fighting chaplain on the front-lines, a healer in the reserves, or the bringer of divine wrath from on high.A Paladin of Moradin might be a completely illiterate loner waging his own crusade against darkness and chaos. He gives no blessing, has no religious authority, and couldn't explain the intricate truths of scripture to save his life. Yet from Moradin flows the power in his sword arm, healing energy that keeps him alive, and glorious miracles in the heat of battle.Also, a Paladin with no specific deity in a polytheistic setting seems more viable than a Cleric-at-large. A noble Paladin might receive the patronage of Bahemut or Tyr to fight their common enemies without ever having been a worshiper. The Paladin's code and deeds align themselves with the interests of the deities and so they bless him. Clerics can have a harder lot as they are being called to serve two or more masters at once. It makes it almost impossible to function among the clergy.How does that translate mechanically?Clerics: - Most Simple and Finesse Weapons, Medium Armor, Light Shields, d8HD- More battle-focused Domains might grant improvements in these- PrayersPaladins:- All Simple, Finesse, and Martial Weapons; Heavy Armor; Heavy Shields, d10HD- Code-based defenses / resistances / immunity- Detect Evil, Smite, Lay on Hands- Marty Lund</blockquote>

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