Paladin (character class)
Encyclopedia
The Paladin is a character class
in Dungeons & Dragons
(D&D) and many later computer and pen and paper role-playing game
s - many of which were influenced by D&D. The class is loosely based on the paladin
s of medieval romance
, as a fighter for good and virtue, and usually, but not always, imbued with godly powers.
role-playing game
, paladin is one of the base character classes
. The paladin is a holy knight, crusading in the name of good and order, and is a divine spell caster. By definition and game restriction, paladins are always of the Lawful Good alignment in DnD 1st-3rd editions. The 4th edition allows the Paladin to match their deity's alignment. Paladin characters are expected to demonstrate and embody goodness and law - they are not supposed to lie or use poison, and some interpretations say they should use stealth, missile weapons, and other forms of impersonal warfare only as a last resort. Switching to any alignment other than Lawful Good or breaching part of the Paladin's code of conduct results in a loss of all class abilities.
The paladin is a champion of justice and destroyer of evil protected and strengthened by an array of divine powers. Most of these powers relate to providing benefits to those around the paladin. These include healing and curing of disease, morale in combat and turning of undead. Most of the abilities are similar to but of a lower level than the cleric's abilities.
The classic view of the paladin is that of the knight in shining armor. The character the class was derived from, Holger Carlson from Poul Anderson's
novel "Three Hearts and Three Lions
", was such a figure, but being a knight is by no means a requirement of being a paladin. They do often join an order, or serve a church, but they can also act on their own.
Later editions brought forward the more generalized concept of the "paladin" just being the pinnacle of combat related to a particular religious organization. This allowed "paladins" of various gods that were of an alignment other than Lawful Good. All "paladins" had a code or set of rules that must be followed but because of the differences in point of view between the alignments the rules governing behavior changed from order to order. This allowed for one of the more heinous villains in the game setting, the "Anti-Paladin" or "Blackguard". A complete and utter opposite of a proper paladin he is one of the dark champions of an evil order. Everything about him is a twisted visage of a paladin. Where the paladin is charismatic in a charming or trustworthy way, an anti-paladin's charisma came from being frightening or manipulative. A paladin's abilities were also mocked with the anti-paladin's abilities like "Harm" "Cause Disease" and "Cause Fear". These were never recommended as player characters.
World of Warcraft
, Paladins were at first a class exclusive to the human and dwarf races of the Alliance. When The Burning Crusade
expansion was released, the Horde faction gained these holy warriors with the addition of blood elves, while the draenei race were added to the Alliance faction and given the shaman as a playable class. With the release of the Cataclysm
expansion, tauren are also be permitted to become Paladins.
In the Warcraft universe's lore, the Paladin was first conceived by Archbishop Alonsus Faol of Northshire Abbey. Faol felt that the contribution to the war effort by pure clerics during the First Great War (Warcraft: Orcs & Humans) would not be sufficient for the battles ahead, and decided to create a more versatile cleric that didn't need protection in combat. Faol's apprentice Lord Uther the Lightbringer became the first Paladin. Uther used his natural leadership skills to rally the best knights of Azeroth to be blessed as Paladins, and formed the Knights of the Silver Hand. In Warcraft II, they were upgraded knights who could heal injured comrades and exorcise undead. At this point, Paladins were amongst the Alliance's most powerful melee units.
By the time of Warcraft III, the Paladin had become a separate class, rather than an upgrade. They were less powerful individual units, and were relegated to more of a support role in combat. In-game, they were Hero units, meaning they could gain experience and improve their abilities. They possessed the weakest direct offensive skills of the four Alliance heroes, instead protecting the troops with their aura, healing and resurrection abilities. During his later life, Uther trained Prince Arthas as a Paladin. In Warcraft III, Arthas was corrupted by the Lich King, and ultimately abandoned the way of the Paladin, killing his father the King and betraying the Alliance to the Scourge. After Uther became possessor of the late King's ashes, he was killed by Arthas, who wished to take possession of the magical urn containing the ashes. This led directly to the collapse of the Silver Hand, and the Paladins became scattered. They now fight under any Alliance flag.
In World of Warcraft game play, the Paladin is considered to be a melee-oriented hybrid class, which is a class that fulfills more than one role. Paladins have various protective auras they extend to party or raid members, 60 minute blessings which effect the entire group or raid (either Blessing of Kings to give 5% to major stats or Blessing of Might to give 10% attack power/mana regeneration), the ability to heal allies and ones self, and a unique system of seals and judgments for combat. Paladins can be specialized using talent points awarded at level 10 and above. The three talent trees are holy, protection and retribution. The holy tree helps the paladin specialize as a healer (acting as an armored cleric), the protection tree toward the role of a damage-absorbing tank for a group, and the retribution tree towards increasing the paladin's ability to do melee damage (representing a zealous crusader). In the Player versus Player (PvP) aspect of World of Warcraft, these talent trees are often combined in new ways to adapt to other classes in the game.
, paladins are the heavily-armored warriors associated with Dauros, the god of law. Paladins are characterized as stalwart defenders of good, but often to a fault: as they see themselves as the sole arbiters of good, many tend to view them as smug, sanctimonious or self-righteous. In the first game, they are contrasted with the warriors of discord, followers of Fervus. In the second game, they are contrasted with the blade-masters of Krolm.
In the first game, they are female, wield claymores and can be recruited at warriors' guilds if a temple to Dauros is constructed. In the sequel
, they are male, wield war hammers and can be recruited directly from temples to Dauros or upgraded from basic warriors. The in-game explanation for the sex change is that sometime in the five hundred years between the events of Majesty and Majesty 2, the sister paladins were driven mad by the wind god Lunord, as vengeance against Dauros in the struggle which led to Lunord's departure from Ardania. Dauros then bestowed his favour on the brother paladins who protected his temples.
In both games, paladins are very expensive to recruit, but they are aggressive, will readily respond to attack flags and will rarely retreat from battle, even from much stronger foes and bosses. They tend to have high-rated full plate armour, high attack and constitution attributes and wield powerful defensive magic, making them effective tank units.
, the Paladin class is one of the two human tank class choices. The other is the Dark Avenger, which gets life stealing skills instead of healing, and is more popular. Elves and Dark Elves each have another tank class, too, with more magic abilities than their human counterparts.
, the Paladin is one of three tank classes available. The other two choices are the Warrior and the Dread Knight. Paladins in Vanguard get healing and buff spells and use sword and shield, Dread Knights get life stealing and some other spells and use twohanded weapons like the Greatsword or the Greathammer, and Warriors get higher damage output and use dual weapons just like most melee damage dealer classes in this game (with the exception of the Monk, who can also opt to use some twohanded weapons instead). All three choices are intended to play differently and have advantages under specific conditions, but perform overall about equally well in respect to tanking. The later goal has been reached, the first one not so much, for compared to other classes, the three tank classes play more like subclasses of each other, than being actually very different.
s" to themselves and to any who join them. They are particularly effective against the Undead
, as they know many holy incantations effective against these creatures.
Paladins use holy magic as gifted by the High Heavens. They must maintain strictly ordered lives, constantly upholding the cause of Virtue and Light. They must never succumb to worldly temptations lest they risk being deceived into following false lights -- demons masquerading as heavenly beings.
During the mid-twelfth century, after the Church of Zakarum had gained prominence in the East, the Church decreed that the visions of Akarat would be spread throughout the known world in order to redeem the masses. Thus, the church selected a group of its most charismatic and devoted priests and sent them on a mission to proselytize the people of the West.
Unfortunately, the Church had not prepared these men for the rigors of travel or the hazards of the world. Those priests who survived their missions recounted tales of harsh weather, inadequate supplies, attacks from bandits, and even encounters with horrible monsters. To ensure the success of future missions, the Church set about training holy warrior
s, Paladins, to accompany and safeguard their missionaries. These "Protectors of the Word" proved to be more successful at converting the native peoples than the Priests they were assigned to defend. Impressing the locals with daring deeds, powerful weapons, and martial prowess was far more convincing than the condemnations of a soft-spoken monk
. However, once the Word had been spread to every major city of the West, the Protectors of the Word faded from public view.
Some decades later, Paladins were again called into service. During the height of the Time of Troubles, the Church commenced a second campaign of conversion. This time, however, unconvincible were deemed to be evil. The Zakarum inquisition spread through the lands like a tempest
, laying waste to all suspected of demonic possession or corruption. Leading this crusade was a new generation of Paladins, known as the "Hand of Zakarum". These cavaliers of righteousness swept through the lands, expunging the taint of demonic contamination wherever they found it.
In the midst of this bloody crusade, a rebellion
arose within the ranks of the Paladins of Zakarum. The rebels condemned the methods of the Inquisition, proclaiming that their new Order of Paladins should protect the innocent, and that the evil corruption they fought was merely evidence of their forebear's failure. They resolved to fight the true source of corruption. The Three Prime Evils - Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto. And so, these rebellious Paladins left their Zakarum brethren and ventured West.
Final Fantasy XI
, Paladin
is an advanced job that can be accessed after completing a special quest. It functions like a Warrior
, but with more defensive abilities. It can also use White Magic. A Paladin's main function is defense. Because of this, players often set Warrior as a support job. This allows them to use the Provoke ability and draw enemies' attacks towards them and away from party members (referred to as tanking).
While not identified as a Paladin, in Final Fantasy I, the Warrior class can upgrade to the Knight class after returning the Rat Tail key item to Bahamut. Doing this allows the Knight to cast up to third level White Magic. Final Fantasy III
also has a Knight class, which allows them to use the Cover ability and cast White Magic, two features of the Paladin class in later games.
Cecil Harvey, main protagonist of Final Fantasy IV
, is classified as a Paladin for most of the game. Similar to Final Fantasy XI, he can use White Magic, but the general role is more offensive than defensive. Cecil also appears in Dissidia Final Fantasy, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.
In Final Fantasy IX
the Boss and temporary party member Beatrix is classified as a Paladin, Basch is given the Paladin job in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
, and Snow Villers of Final Fantasy XIII
can theoretically be classified as a Paladin when acting as a Sentinel. He even has a heavy coat named 'Paladin'.
Final Fantasy Tactics
has the Holy Knight class, which is similar to a Paladin, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
features the Paladin as a Human-only class with healing, defensive, and holy abilities.
The Warrior of Light in the Dissidia games is somewhat Paladin-like, as he has many light-based attacks, wears heavy armor, is devoted to the Goddess Cosmos, and is fearless and strong-willed.
A Paladin-like character can also be made in Final Fantasy II
and Final Fantasy XII
by using heavy armor, white magic, and defensive abilities.
adventure games, the Paladin's most important 'ability' is the Honor, which also shows alignment in that game's system. Fighters and Wizards can achieve the Paladin rank at the end of Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
, and be imported as Paladins in Quest for Glory III: Wages of War
. They can also undergo training in the third but this is usually regarded as difficult if the player is not using exploits to raise his or her honor.
Although Quest for Glory paladins must act with justice and compassion, they are not necessarily "lawful good" by D&D standards; obeying unjust laws in fact causes a loss of Honor. Thieves may even become paladins, although this requires avoiding several side-quests that involve stealing from innocents prior to becoming a Paladin. After becoming a Paladin-Thief, in order to access the Paladin abilities, the thief must refrain from dishonorable actions (i.e. stealing).
Also, the character interactions are tied to "Paladin" and supersede any interactions that might be bound to the other characters (to an extent). For example, in the Third Game, the Liontaur Rakeesh will tell the Hero he needs to use his skills as a Fighter/Wizard/Thief to bring peace to Tarna if he is not a Paladin, but if the Hero is a Paladin, he refers to him that way rather than as any of the previous.
A person can only become a Paladin when he or she is granted the status by another Paladin. This usually occurs in the form of a speech and the handing down of the sponsoring Paladin's sword. Only a special Paladin sword may erupt into blue flame.
The Paladin gains more abilities the higher his "Honor" level grows. He will likewise lose Paladin abilities for losing Honor points. Honor Points are described in the Fifth Game as "the sum of all the good that a player does in the game. It increases with acts of kindness and heroism, and decreases with cruel or illegal activity. High Honor is the measure of a true Hero. Low Honor is indicative of a skilled Thief."
a new profession was added, a holy warrior that used power directly from the gods to buff or heal allies and himself, this profession was named Dervish. Clearly it was named after the dervish
's since they used an attribute called Mysticism
. They had Scythes for damage and could shapeshift into different avatars of the gods to gain new abilities, similar to the Druid class
from many other games.
Guild Wars 2
features a soldier profession known as the Guardian. It uses Virtue (divided into three categories: Courage, Justice, and Resolve) to aid allies in combat, or use to power the Guardian's own passive abilities. Can also create wards that prevent enemies from getting any closer, and can summon enchanted weapons to help in the fight
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
in Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
(D&D) and many later computer and pen and paper role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s - many of which were influenced by D&D. The class is loosely based on the paladin
Paladin
The paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. They first appear in the early chansons de geste such as The Song of Roland, where they represent Christian martial valor against the...
s of medieval romance
Romance (genre)
As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...
, as a fighter for good and virtue, and usually, but not always, imbued with godly powers.
Artix Entertainment Games
In all the Artix Entertainment games (with the exception of Epicduel, Mechquest and HeroSmash, but notably Adventure Quest Worlds) Paladin is available as a Character Class. (The founder of AE has a corresponding in-game Paladin NPC that trains the players as Paladins) Paladins in Adventure Quest and Dragonfable are mostly a powered-up version of Warrior, with Light-element damage and healing skills. In Adventure Quest Worlds, Paladin becomes an Upgrade-Only class (in the other games it is not) and functions as the game's main tank class. Curiously, in AQworlds you must fully rank up both Warrior and Healer to access Paladin, whereas in the other games the class is much more easily accessible.Dungeons and Dragons
In the Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, paladin is one of the base character classes
Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by his or her chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to...
. The paladin is a holy knight, crusading in the name of good and order, and is a divine spell caster. By definition and game restriction, paladins are always of the Lawful Good alignment in DnD 1st-3rd editions. The 4th edition allows the Paladin to match their deity's alignment. Paladin characters are expected to demonstrate and embody goodness and law - they are not supposed to lie or use poison, and some interpretations say they should use stealth, missile weapons, and other forms of impersonal warfare only as a last resort. Switching to any alignment other than Lawful Good or breaching part of the Paladin's code of conduct results in a loss of all class abilities.
The paladin is a champion of justice and destroyer of evil protected and strengthened by an array of divine powers. Most of these powers relate to providing benefits to those around the paladin. These include healing and curing of disease, morale in combat and turning of undead. Most of the abilities are similar to but of a lower level than the cleric's abilities.
The classic view of the paladin is that of the knight in shining armor. The character the class was derived from, Holger Carlson from Poul Anderson's
Poul Anderson
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
novel "Three Hearts and Three Lions
Three Hearts and Three Lions
Three Hearts and Three Lions is a 1961 fantasy novel by Poul Anderson. It is also a 1953 novella by Poul Anderson which appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction.-Plot:...
", was such a figure, but being a knight is by no means a requirement of being a paladin. They do often join an order, or serve a church, but they can also act on their own.
Later editions brought forward the more generalized concept of the "paladin" just being the pinnacle of combat related to a particular religious organization. This allowed "paladins" of various gods that were of an alignment other than Lawful Good. All "paladins" had a code or set of rules that must be followed but because of the differences in point of view between the alignments the rules governing behavior changed from order to order. This allowed for one of the more heinous villains in the game setting, the "Anti-Paladin" or "Blackguard". A complete and utter opposite of a proper paladin he is one of the dark champions of an evil order. Everything about him is a twisted visage of a paladin. Where the paladin is charismatic in a charming or trustworthy way, an anti-paladin's charisma came from being frightening or manipulative. A paladin's abilities were also mocked with the anti-paladin's abilities like "Harm" "Cause Disease" and "Cause Fear". These were never recommended as player characters.
World of Warcraft
In the MMORPGMMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, Paladins were at first a class exclusive to the human and dwarf races of the Alliance. When The Burning Crusade
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, often referred to as TBC or BC, is the first expansion pack for the MMORPG World of Warcraft...
expansion was released, the Horde faction gained these holy warriors with the addition of blood elves, while the draenei race were added to the Alliance faction and given the shaman as a playable class. With the release of the Cataclysm
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is the third expansion pack for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, following the last expansion Wrath of the Lich King. It was officially announced at BlizzCon on August 21, 2009, although dataminers and researchers discovered details...
expansion, tauren are also be permitted to become Paladins.
In the Warcraft universe's lore, the Paladin was first conceived by Archbishop Alonsus Faol of Northshire Abbey. Faol felt that the contribution to the war effort by pure clerics during the First Great War (Warcraft: Orcs & Humans) would not be sufficient for the battles ahead, and decided to create a more versatile cleric that didn't need protection in combat. Faol's apprentice Lord Uther the Lightbringer became the first Paladin. Uther used his natural leadership skills to rally the best knights of Azeroth to be blessed as Paladins, and formed the Knights of the Silver Hand. In Warcraft II, they were upgraded knights who could heal injured comrades and exorcise undead. At this point, Paladins were amongst the Alliance's most powerful melee units.
By the time of Warcraft III, the Paladin had become a separate class, rather than an upgrade. They were less powerful individual units, and were relegated to more of a support role in combat. In-game, they were Hero units, meaning they could gain experience and improve their abilities. They possessed the weakest direct offensive skills of the four Alliance heroes, instead protecting the troops with their aura, healing and resurrection abilities. During his later life, Uther trained Prince Arthas as a Paladin. In Warcraft III, Arthas was corrupted by the Lich King, and ultimately abandoned the way of the Paladin, killing his father the King and betraying the Alliance to the Scourge. After Uther became possessor of the late King's ashes, he was killed by Arthas, who wished to take possession of the magical urn containing the ashes. This led directly to the collapse of the Silver Hand, and the Paladins became scattered. They now fight under any Alliance flag.
In World of Warcraft game play, the Paladin is considered to be a melee-oriented hybrid class, which is a class that fulfills more than one role. Paladins have various protective auras they extend to party or raid members, 60 minute blessings which effect the entire group or raid (either Blessing of Kings to give 5% to major stats or Blessing of Might to give 10% attack power/mana regeneration), the ability to heal allies and ones self, and a unique system of seals and judgments for combat. Paladins can be specialized using talent points awarded at level 10 and above. The three talent trees are holy, protection and retribution. The holy tree helps the paladin specialize as a healer (acting as an armored cleric), the protection tree toward the role of a damage-absorbing tank for a group, and the retribution tree towards increasing the paladin's ability to do melee damage (representing a zealous crusader). In the Player versus Player (PvP) aspect of World of Warcraft, these talent trees are often combined in new ways to adapt to other classes in the game.
Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
In Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom SimMajesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
-External links:**...
, paladins are the heavily-armored warriors associated with Dauros, the god of law. Paladins are characterized as stalwart defenders of good, but often to a fault: as they see themselves as the sole arbiters of good, many tend to view them as smug, sanctimonious or self-righteous. In the first game, they are contrasted with the warriors of discord, followers of Fervus. In the second game, they are contrasted with the blade-masters of Krolm.
In the first game, they are female, wield claymores and can be recruited at warriors' guilds if a temple to Dauros is constructed. In the sequel
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim is a real-time strategy game developed by 1C:Ino-Co and published by Paradox Interactive. The game was announced on April 18, 2008 and was released on September 18, 2009. It is a sequel to Cyberlore's Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim.A Mac OS X version of Majesty...
, they are male, wield war hammers and can be recruited directly from temples to Dauros or upgraded from basic warriors. The in-game explanation for the sex change is that sometime in the five hundred years between the events of Majesty and Majesty 2, the sister paladins were driven mad by the wind god Lunord, as vengeance against Dauros in the struggle which led to Lunord's departure from Ardania. Dauros then bestowed his favour on the brother paladins who protected his temples.
In both games, paladins are very expensive to recruit, but they are aggressive, will readily respond to attack flags and will rarely retreat from battle, even from much stronger foes and bosses. They tend to have high-rated full plate armour, high attack and constitution attributes and wield powerful defensive magic, making them effective tank units.
Lineage 2
In Lineage IILineage II
Lineage II is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game for Microsoft Windows. It is a prequel to Lineage, and is set 150 years before the earlier game. It has become very popular since its October 1, 2003 launch in South Korea, reporting 1,000,918 unique users during the month of March 2007...
, the Paladin class is one of the two human tank class choices. The other is the Dark Avenger, which gets life stealing skills instead of healing, and is more popular. Elves and Dark Elves each have another tank class, too, with more magic abilities than their human counterparts.
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
In Vanguard: Saga of HeroesVanguard: Saga of Heroes
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is a high fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by Sigil Games Online, and now developed and run by Sony Online Entertainment. Originally, the game was co-published by Sony Online Entertainment , and the company producing it, Sigil Games...
, the Paladin is one of three tank classes available. The other two choices are the Warrior and the Dread Knight. Paladins in Vanguard get healing and buff spells and use sword and shield, Dread Knights get life stealing and some other spells and use twohanded weapons like the Greatsword or the Greathammer, and Warriors get higher damage output and use dual weapons just like most melee damage dealer classes in this game (with the exception of the Monk, who can also opt to use some twohanded weapons instead). All three choices are intended to play differently and have advantages under specific conditions, but perform overall about equally well in respect to tanking. The later goal has been reached, the first one not so much, for compared to other classes, the three tank classes play more like subclasses of each other, than being actually very different.
Diablo II
Paladins may use their skills to increase their prowess with sword and shield, as well as lend blessing "auraAura (paranormal)
In parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice, an aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object . The depiction of such an aura often connotes a person of particular power or holiness. Sometimes, however, it is said that all living things and all objects...
s" to themselves and to any who join them. They are particularly effective against the Undead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
, as they know many holy incantations effective against these creatures.
Paladins use holy magic as gifted by the High Heavens. They must maintain strictly ordered lives, constantly upholding the cause of Virtue and Light. They must never succumb to worldly temptations lest they risk being deceived into following false lights -- demons masquerading as heavenly beings.
During the mid-twelfth century, after the Church of Zakarum had gained prominence in the East, the Church decreed that the visions of Akarat would be spread throughout the known world in order to redeem the masses. Thus, the church selected a group of its most charismatic and devoted priests and sent them on a mission to proselytize the people of the West.
Unfortunately, the Church had not prepared these men for the rigors of travel or the hazards of the world. Those priests who survived their missions recounted tales of harsh weather, inadequate supplies, attacks from bandits, and even encounters with horrible monsters. To ensure the success of future missions, the Church set about training holy warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s, Paladins, to accompany and safeguard their missionaries. These "Protectors of the Word" proved to be more successful at converting the native peoples than the Priests they were assigned to defend. Impressing the locals with daring deeds, powerful weapons, and martial prowess was far more convincing than the condemnations of a soft-spoken monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. However, once the Word had been spread to every major city of the West, the Protectors of the Word faded from public view.
Some decades later, Paladins were again called into service. During the height of the Time of Troubles, the Church commenced a second campaign of conversion. This time, however, unconvincible were deemed to be evil. The Zakarum inquisition spread through the lands like a tempest
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
, laying waste to all suspected of demonic possession or corruption. Leading this crusade was a new generation of Paladins, known as the "Hand of Zakarum". These cavaliers of righteousness swept through the lands, expunging the taint of demonic contamination wherever they found it.
In the midst of this bloody crusade, a rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
arose within the ranks of the Paladins of Zakarum. The rebels condemned the methods of the Inquisition, proclaiming that their new Order of Paladins should protect the innocent, and that the evil corruption they fought was merely evidence of their forebear's failure. They resolved to fight the true source of corruption. The Three Prime Evils - Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto. And so, these rebellious Paladins left their Zakarum brethren and ventured West.
Final Fantasy
In the MMORPGMMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
, Paladin
Paladin
The paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. They first appear in the early chansons de geste such as The Song of Roland, where they represent Christian martial valor against the...
is an advanced job that can be accessed after completing a special quest. It functions like a Warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
, but with more defensive abilities. It can also use White Magic. A Paladin's main function is defense. Because of this, players often set Warrior as a support job. This allows them to use the Provoke ability and draw enemies' attacks towards them and away from party members (referred to as tanking).
While not identified as a Paladin, in Final Fantasy I, the Warrior class can upgrade to the Knight class after returning the Rat Tail key item to Bahamut. Doing this allows the Knight to cast up to third level White Magic. Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in for the Family Computer as the third installment in the Final Fantasy series. It is the first numbered Final Fantasy game to feature the job-change system....
also has a Knight class, which allows them to use the Cover ability and cast White Magic, two features of the Paladin class in later games.
Cecil Harvey, main protagonist of Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
, is classified as a Paladin for most of the game. Similar to Final Fantasy XI, he can use White Magic, but the general role is more offensive than defensive. Cecil also appears in Dissidia Final Fantasy, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department...
and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.
In Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
the Boss and temporary party member Beatrix is classified as a Paladin, Basch is given the Paladin job in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
is a real-time strategy RPG developed by Think & Feel and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. It is a sequel to the best-selling 2006 PlayStation 2 role-playing game Final Fantasy XII....
, and Snow Villers of Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
can theoretically be classified as a Paladin when acting as a Sentinel. He even has a heavy coat named 'Paladin'.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
has the Holy Knight class, which is similar to a Paladin, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
features the Paladin as a Human-only class with healing, defensive, and holy abilities.
The Warrior of Light in the Dissidia games is somewhat Paladin-like, as he has many light-based attacks, wears heavy armor, is devoted to the Goddess Cosmos, and is fearless and strong-willed.
A Paladin-like character can also be made in Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
and Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
by using heavy armor, white magic, and defensive abilities.
Quest for Glory
In the Quest for GloryQuest for Glory
Quest for Glory is a series of hybrid role-playing/adventure computer games designed by Corey and Lori Ann Cole. The series combined humor, puzzle elements, themes and characters borrowed from various legends, puns, and memorable characters, creating a 5-part series of the Sierra stable.Although...
adventure games, the Paladin's most important 'ability' is the Honor, which also shows alignment in that game's system. Fighters and Wizards can achieve the Paladin rank at the end of Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire is the second video game in Sierra's Quest for Glory series, and the sequel to Hero's Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero .-Gameplay:...
, and be imported as Paladins in Quest for Glory III: Wages of War
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War is a hybrid adventure/role-playing video game released in 1992 for the MS-DOS PC and Apple Macintosh. It is the sequel to Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire....
. They can also undergo training in the third but this is usually regarded as difficult if the player is not using exploits to raise his or her honor.
Although Quest for Glory paladins must act with justice and compassion, they are not necessarily "lawful good" by D&D standards; obeying unjust laws in fact causes a loss of Honor. Thieves may even become paladins, although this requires avoiding several side-quests that involve stealing from innocents prior to becoming a Paladin. After becoming a Paladin-Thief, in order to access the Paladin abilities, the thief must refrain from dishonorable actions (i.e. stealing).
Also, the character interactions are tied to "Paladin" and supersede any interactions that might be bound to the other characters (to an extent). For example, in the Third Game, the Liontaur Rakeesh will tell the Hero he needs to use his skills as a Fighter/Wizard/Thief to bring peace to Tarna if he is not a Paladin, but if the Hero is a Paladin, he refers to him that way rather than as any of the previous.
A person can only become a Paladin when he or she is granted the status by another Paladin. This usually occurs in the form of a speech and the handing down of the sponsoring Paladin's sword. Only a special Paladin sword may erupt into blue flame.
The Paladin gains more abilities the higher his "Honor" level grows. He will likewise lose Paladin abilities for losing Honor points. Honor Points are described in the Fifth Game as "the sum of all the good that a player does in the game. It increases with acts of kindness and heroism, and decreases with cruel or illegal activity. High Honor is the measure of a true Hero. Low Honor is indicative of a skilled Thief."
Everquest
Paladins - Icons of Virtue. The paladin combines the strength and battle prowess of a fighter with the healing and buffing of a cleric.Guild Wars
In Guild Wars NightfallGuild Wars Nightfall
Guild Wars Nightfall is a fantasy Action RPG and the third stand-alone campaign in the Guild Wars computer game series developed by Seattle-based game developer studio ArenaNet, a subsidiary of NCSoft corporation...
a new profession was added, a holy warrior that used power directly from the gods to buff or heal allies and himself, this profession was named Dervish. Clearly it was named after the dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
's since they used an attribute called Mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
. They had Scythes for damage and could shapeshift into different avatars of the gods to gain new abilities, similar to the Druid class
Druid (character class)
In role-playing games, a druid is a character class that is generally portrayed as using nature-based magical abilities and striving to protect nature from civilized intrusion...
from many other games.
Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game in development by ArenaNet. Set in the fantasy world of Tyria, the game follows the re-emergence of Destiny's Edge, a disbanded guild dedicated to fighting the Elder Dragons, a Lovecraftian species that has seized control of Tyria in...
features a soldier profession known as the Guardian. It uses Virtue (divided into three categories: Courage, Justice, and Resolve) to aid allies in combat, or use to power the Guardian's own passive abilities. Can also create wards that prevent enemies from getting any closer, and can summon enchanted weapons to help in the fight
Mabinogi
After completion of generation two players using human characters can gain a paladin transformation which gains experience as they level up.Dragon Nest
The paladin class is of the sub classes for the cleric stater class. Cleric's can choose to become paladins at level 15.The Paladin is more of a tank warrior and has the ability to cast a lot of blocks.See also
- Cleric (character class)Cleric (character class)The Cleric, Priest, or Bishop is a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games. The cleric is a healer, usually a priest and a holy warrior, originally modeled on or inspired by the Military Orders...
- Warrior (character class)Warrior (character class)Warrior is a character class found in many role-playing games. This class may also be referred to as Fighter, as in Dungeons & Dragons. The class is sometimes also referred to as a Knight, although in some games this is a separate class with a more chivalric aspect...
- Final Fantasy gameplay
Further reading
- Defenders of The Faith - A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins D&D Accessory by Rich Redman & James Wyatt. 2001