The Struggling Paladin: Another Interesting Paladin to Play

We brushed over an interesting code that can be used for playing a paladin in our "Paladinic Philosophy 101: Another Way to Play a Lawful Good Paladin Without Being Lawful Stupid" segment. This paladinic code-based paladin is interesting but still lacks some of the element of growth we might really want to explore with a paladin character.  In this segment we are going to consider "the struggling paladin".

Paladins, like nuns and priests and other spiritual folks, are real people.  Real people have their faults and their struggles.  Priests and nuns and paladins can mess up with both their deity and the law just like anyone else.  They can pay the price like anyone else.  In the case of the struggling paladin, we pick a vice that becomes the paladin's daily struggle.  This struggle will sometimes force the paladin outside his normal bounds, and he will maintain some sort of daily atonement to try to keep himself forgiven for the mistakes he or she makes.

Possible Vices and Negative Effects

1. Bad Temper -- Bar fighting, Impatience with Negotiation, Anger at Party Members
2. Drinking -- Shirking Responsibilities, Sleep Late, Poor Choices
3. Difficult Trusting -- Difficulty with Group Plans and Tactics, Trying to do everything himself
4. Forgetting / Refusal to Eat / Rest -- fatigue and exhaustion
5. Stubbornness -- Refusal to ask for help (healing, skill help, etc), Refusal to accommodate other things when on a mission
6. Romantic Involvements -- time and focus away from duties and mission, altered priorities
7. Greed -- driven to make decisions based on acquisition rather than code, unable to spend money on needed items
8. Weak of Faith -- Difficulty in sticking with mission, responds poorly to setbacks
9. Arrogant -- Difficulty in deferring to others, difficulty in admitting mistakes and weaknesses
10. Tyrranical -- Often gives orders to party, generally unpleasant and disrespectful
11. Narcissistic -- spends too much time on appearance (polishing armor, trimming hair, sharpening weapons, bathing)
12. Envious -- finds faults in wealthy and powerful, always seeking positions of importance for himself

When choosing vices from these options or from other ideas, a player has to be careful not to introduce a big problem into the party.  Vices like being tyrannical should be approved by the party and GM before using them.  Character narration may also be needed to soften the effect of bleed in game.

Vices can also be worked into the plot by the GM.  One of the most compelling storylines I ever roleplayed for a paladin was the paladin being turned by a vampire.  This was a huge tragedy and struggle, resulting in him being excommunicated from his order, and having to search for a cure.  Even though a cure was found in this case (per the world rules in play), it had a profound and resounding effect on the character and completely changed the tone of his progression.  It also gave the character a vice to continually overcome.

I the case of all vices, the GM needs to be on board with atonement to make up for breaking the paladin's code, if that is part of the situation.  Atonement doesn't have to be a big grandiose thing for small transgressions.  It can be things like fasting, additional time spent praying or meditating, or even donating time and wealth to good causes such as the church.

Altogether, the tone of the struggling paladin is diminished over the typical arrogant, lawful stupid paladins that are sometimes played.  There may be a sadness, darkness, or deep sense of humility about the paladin that is clearly different.  The paladin may limit his interactions with other in telling them what is wrong because of his own guilt, shame, or feelings of not being worthy.  At the same time, he may have a very clear voice for doing the right thing.  This can keep the party on a good track without the lectures or grandiose gestures of lawful stupid.

Playing this kind of paladin can be fun.  Because of the lack of strict alignment interpretation, they can be flexible.  Whereas a standard paladin is more like playing Spock, a struggling paladin is much more like playing Kirk, throwing out the rules sometimes but still maintaining a good, lawful direction.  Next time you roll up a paladin, maybe give it a try and see what you can do with it.