Many people venerate deities. Few of those show sufficient devotion and aptitude to draw magical power from those deities. Even fewer still are called to be a deity's personal champion. Paladins are those champions, endowed by their sponsors with incredible power to be a relentless force in the service of divine will. But to whom much is given, much is expected. While Clerics, and even Monks, are granted divine power with some behavior restrictions, Paladins are held to an even higher standard. A Paladin has all of those same restrictions, but must also match its patron's alignment exactly, and must maintain that alignment in order to keep its status.
PALADINS AND ALIGNMENT
Realm of Runes offers deities of every possible alignment combination, and so it is possible to be a Paladin of any alignment if there's a deity that suits your character concept. Since alignment is a fundamental aspect of each deity, and Paladins must match and maintain their sponsor's ethos, this metaphysical concept takes on special importance for many Paladin class feats and features. However, no class feats or features are exclusive to Paladins of one alignment or another. Instead, they are designed flexibly to take into account many possible alignment variations, adapting important variables, such as damage types, to the specific Paladin that gains those options.
One of the ways this is implemented is through the concept of Opposition Alignments. Each deity in Realm of Runes has a set of alignment combinations that it opposes. Deities might even include its own alignment in that set, putting paladins of that deity in the awkward position of also having an opposition alignment. Some class features, like Divine Smite, only work if the target has an opposition alignment. Others work against all targets, but are particularly devastating against those that stand in opposition.
DIVINE ALLIES
As Paladins grow in power, their dedication is rewarded by the assignment of allies sent to assist them on their missions. These allies either take the form of a divinely ordained mount, or a spirit that possesses a piece of the Paladin's equipment. This possession causes the inhabited item, whether weapon, armor or shield, to function as an intelligent magic item, and the item inhabited by the ally gains bonus magic runes. These runes are flexible, chosen by the Paladin each day, can be added to a weapon of any quality, and never count against the total number of runes the item can hold. Paladins are sent one ally automatically, but it is possible to use class feats to recruit more, and a Paladin can possibly even have all of them.
CHAMPION POWERS
Unlike Clerics, Paladins are not primary spellcasters and are not granted spell slots. However, their sponsors do provide them with divine magic in the form of Champion Powers, which are cast using Spell Points instead. All Paladins can cast heal or harm (chosen in the same way that Clerics choose the type of energy they channel) and their patron's signature spells as powers. They can also expand their repertoire further through the use of class feats, and have the potential to pick up one of their deity's domains. Almost every spell Clerics can cast, Paladins can too, and the class also has access to several special spells that are exclusively Champion Powers. Many of these exclusive spells are especially devastating to foes that have an alignment opposed to the Paladin's.
EMPOWERED OFFENSE, DEFENSE & RETRIBUTION
No class in Realm of Runes is invulnerable, but the divine protection offered to Paladins makes them close. Paladins are always experts with the weapon group that their deity's favored weapon belongs to, and that weapon also deals additional damage their hands. Paladins are also able to start with expertise in any armor category they choose, and can improve that proficiency beyond expert earlier than anyone else. This combination makes them especially deadly to enemies of the faith in close combat. However, simply ignoring the Paladin and going for its less well defended allies is not any safer. All Paladins have the ability to use a reaction to attack, and weaken, those that attempt to circumvent them.
DIVINE AURAS
While Paladins are always ready to go toe-to-toe with any foe that opposes their deity, they also make excellent team players. As they gain levels, they start to radiate divine power, which can apply passive buffs to allies, or penalties to enemies, just for being in proximity to the Paladin. A few auras are gained automatically, but there are many more that can be added with class feats. These auras have widely differing effects, such as inflicting or ameliorating fear, providing damage resistance, or adding alignment damage to all attacks. Better still, all auras are always on. No matter how many of them you gain, they all stack and you don't have to spend time on your turn in combat making sure they're active.
CLASS FEATS
Paladins have an extremely diverse array of class feats available. Many feats empower and add versatility to the divine allies that the Paladin has recruited. Thoroughly invested, a Paladin's mount can even rival an Animal Order Druid's animal companion. Other class feats include exclusive metamagic abilities. Lay On Hands adds additional status buffs when the Paladin uses heal or harm at touch to restore Hit Points, while Withering Touch instead adds status penalties when those spells are used to inflict Hit Point damage. Mercies and Cruelties work similarly, either relieving or inflicting debilitating conditions as a rider effect to heal and harm. Whether you focus fully on weapon combat or spellcasting, or fall somewhere in the middle, the Paladin has you covered with feats that fit that play style and provide excellent synergy with the divine power your Paladin has access to.
Paladins in Realm of Runes break from many of the traditions associated with past incarnations of this concept, while still maintaining those aspects that make it special. While Paladins are not restricted to one specific alignment as a class, each individual Paladin is functionally restricted to one alignment over the course of its career. This helps ensure that the call to be a Paladin is always a special bond between character and deity, while also making it possible to have champions for all deities that sponsor these emissaries. Next time we'll explore the different categories of minions, how each one functions and the most common ways they can be obtained.
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