Paladins of Non Lawful Good religions Part I

Paladins of Non Lawful Good Religions

Introduction

A while ago, whilst I was still playing in my friends excellent Frandors keep based game and playing a character that every body told me was a Paladin waiting to happen in fact I read an posting on the Kenzer and co forum about the possibility of Paladins or rather an equivalent sort of divine champion coming from the non lawful good faiths of Telene. The writer was particularly interested in the Free, but it got me to thinking more broadly on the subject and I made a few mental notes for future use.

These ideas churned about in the creative stew, which I use as a substitute for a mind according to some and linking up with what I thought was a cool concept of a Tiefling Paladin another friend of mine had created for an all to brief on line game  we got Violet of who more latter.

It also generated a quantity of more general thoughts on the subject which resolved as the following.

• All the gods of Telene could if they so wished create something equivalent to a Paladin if they so wished.
• Most of the gods of Telene chose each for there own reasons not to for the greater part.
• The Evil ones largely because evil at all forms I feel requires a selfishness which really doesn’t work with the concept of a divine champion or group of champions requiring, again my feeling a certain selflessness. Also the Evil gods or at least some of them would become jealous of their own champions and see them as competition, or in some way seeking to replace them.
• Most of the others saw no general need for such and for the greater part saw their respective priesthoods as sufficient
• Those which did not chose not to where mostly the more martial lawful neutral sorts  with substantial knightly orders, the Founder and the Old Man and these where not unlike paladins having traced the same or very similar  routes as the paladin going from  fighter to knight to exemplar.
• The others which did but not all the time creating them only at need where the Peacemaker who would do so at times of extreme conflict and at present there is no such conflict on Telene. These champions rose form the ranks of its priesthood and where gifted with greater and more specific powers as well as retaining access to the magic of their god
• The Great Huntress and the Bear generally chose dedicated rangers when needed with the Bear more likely to do so than the Huntress whose patience allows her to see that most threats will simply pass.
• The Battle Rage has done so once using a dedicated barbarian chief to unite temporally the Fhokki clans of the north to stop the advance of the Kalamarian Empire in its expansionist phase but has not done so since. Given the rise of the Grevan another one may be required
• The Guardian has had exactly one champion at any one since the release of The Overlord from his prison by the Pel Brolenonese and no two of them have been from the same origin but tend to be outcasts with a high degree of personal responsibility and intelligence. Recent ones have included other than Violet a reclusive wizard, a half hobgoblin gladiator. The power’s the Guardian gifts each with also varies considerably from case to case.

 I will continue with more specific ideas for the Champion of the Free as that is the one I have featured in my game and which most interests others as far as I can see