Paladin new player guide

This is a page for the Paladin specific page for the Newbie Help Guide. Whenever possible, overlap with the general guide should be minimized.

For details, rules, and the other pages involved, see Category:Newbie Guide Contest.

What is a Paladin?

A Paladin holds a unique position: they are Holy Warriors, graced by the gods, though not as tied to them in service as a Cleric. Their gifts are more firmly rooted in the physical realm, and they hold the position of Masters of Armor. Clad in Plate armor and wielding tower shields they are shining beacons for others to follow, and are at their best when leading others into combat. Paragons of self-sacrifice, they are the only guild capable of protecting others, shielding them from blows with their own bodies. Everything a Paladin does revolves around a strong sense of ethics and justice, reflected in their Soul State. Though it is within their ability to ignore that inner voice, acting against it will require repentance later. This it both the Paladin's greatest blessing and greatest curse.

Mechanically Speaking:

Paladins are Armor Primary, Lore and Weapons secondary, Magic and Survival tertiary. Having armor as a primary skillset allows them several perks: they can eventually train all armor types simultaneously with no 'armor mixing' penalty. They can wear a large-sized shield on their arm, leaving both hands free. In addition, they can train armor down to a lower hindrance than any other guild, and are the only guild that can become minimally hindered while wearing the heaviest of Plate armors. They have the ability to PROTECT other adventurers, intercepting each blow aimed at them. They wield weapons as well as most other guilds, but will excel with them due to higher circling requirements. Magic is a tertiary skill which means it will take extra effort to ensure those skills do not fall far behind. A Paladin is inexorably tied to the state of their soul, which reflects their adherence to an unwritten code of justice that a Paladin cannot escape.

*PLANNED*Sometime in the not too distant future, the Paladin-exclusive skill Endurance will go live, granting feats of umm...endurance-y type things. Ways to shrug off poison, stuns, basically increasing survivability in more interesting ways than just reducing damage.

Notes on Roleplaying a Paladin

There will be a more detailed discussion of the mechanics of Soul State later in this guide, but before delving that deeply I feel it is necessary to cover some of the over-arching theories behind the Paladin guild. Paladins are quite literally, White Knights, and all the stereotypes that entails. Some fantasy settings have Dark Paladins, and while that is an avenue of roleplay that is available to you here, it is important to understand the differences. In Dragonrealms, you will not mechanically benefit your character by say, scourging innocents. The 'code of ethics' behind the Soul State is inescapable, so to be a Dark Paladin in this setting - to quote GM Armifer "Do what you must - and then pay for it". If you are so inclined, there is a great piece written on the topic here: The Sacred and the Profane

Training Your Paladin

Armor Skillset

Shield Choice

Beginning at 5th Circle, Paladins have the unique ability of being able to wear a large-sized shield on their arm, leaving both hands free for things like 2-handed weapons.