Barbarian paladin [Archive] - Wizards Community

Barbarian paladin [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
halrebirth05
12-08-05, 10:19 PM My DM is starting to stress more roleplaying so I was looking for Ideas for a weird easier to roleplay character so I thought a paladin who had lost religion to become a barbarian or a barbarian who found religion and became a paladin

I'm new just trying to think
zaduma
12-08-05, 10:38 PM Or maybe, you could just play a solid class, I mean you shouldn't PLAN you character if your going to truely RP it. Just let the environment affect your character...
Steel Cobra
12-08-05, 10:49 PM new=solid class
and a prestige class if you do so desire.
Cymraegmorgan
12-09-05, 09:14 AM Nothing is easier to RP than a Fighter with no dump stat, no plans for a PrC, and taking Leadership.
Boshi
12-09-05, 09:55 AM I think my next character will be a half-fiend paladin :D
DaveReaves
12-09-05, 11:21 AM If your starting at higher than level one, this is not a bad idea. I don't think it will be easier to play than anything else though, it may even be harder.

You have to think of why your paladin, a deity blessed paragon of good and law, cast aside his devotion (and perhaps his faith and/or morality) to learn the ways of the savage tribes that practise barbarisam. What happens when he confronts his old peers? Where did the alignment change come from that lost him his old powers but let him learn the new ones? Did he keep his faith, loosing only his devotion to law? You may have all these questions and more answerd, and if you do and its a character you like, then go ahead. Just don't expect it to be "easy".
wyvern_55
12-09-05, 01:06 PM Personally if I were you, I would go with barbarian finding religion over paladin losing religion for 2 reasons.

1.) A paladin who is no longer lawful good loses all paladin abilities other than BAB and saves, this, while being good for role-play will seriously hurt your character, especially at low levels.

2.) A paladin who was a barbarian at one point will attempt to make up for past deeds and always carry that shame from being so ruthless and godless in his past (depending how you would play a barbarian), while still allowing you a proper roll-playing opportunity.

This concept is a good one and has many possibilities, although it isn’t the first time it’s been done (think Worf from star trek) but be sure to play heavily into the concept of honour, (a dwarf would be excellent for this)
wrecan
12-09-05, 01:12 PM A DM who starts with roleplaying wants you to stop thinking of characters as class/race/stats first.

Try writing out a history for a guy you would find interesting to play and then figure out what race/class/stats he would be.
Tyler Do'Urden
12-09-05, 01:24 PM In Unearthed Arcana, there's three variant paladins for the other three extreme alignments. Paladin of Slaughter (CE), Paladin of Tyranny (LE), and Paladin of Freedom (CG), which I guess would make the default the Paladin of Justice (LG). Barbarian/Paladin of Freedom would be interesting.
High Octane
12-09-05, 01:25 PM Try a full class first. You're putting the cart before the horses.

But at least you didnt say "warlock paladin"
shadowfox628
12-10-05, 11:10 AM Smart, but not smart. You're classes counter-act each other. Paladins MUST be Lawful Good, and barbabrians MUST be non-Lawful. Whichever way you see it, you're losing abilities here.
pwatson1974
12-10-05, 11:54 AM Of course, there's nothing to say you can't play a standard paladin from a savage barbarian tribe. All the fluff but none of the crunchy headaches. Pick up some cross class skills like survival, start out with hide armour rather than chain, that sort of thing.
Rake
12-10-05, 12:29 PM There is a PrC in the Book of Exalted Deeds called the Champion of Gwy...something. It's basically a divinely empowered and consecrated barbarian. Barbarians and paladins don't mix (not on the same character sheet, anyhow), as barbarians lose rage and paladins lose most of their abilities if their ethic-axis alignments shift away from chaos or law, respectively.
MindWandererB
12-10-05, 06:08 PM In addition to the Champion of Gwynharwyf (sp?), there's the Holy Liberator PrC. It works pretty well with a CG barbarian.
Surgo
12-10-05, 07:26 PM Don't let these naysayers get you down, halrebirth05! I think a paladin that becomes a barbarian is a pretty cool idea. Just make sure that you check it out with your DM first, and see if you can keep the paladin's abilities upon his conversion! (This would probably work best in a world with distant gods, like Eberron).
MarkB
12-10-05, 08:07 PM My first character when I returned to D&D after a several-year break was Grudnuk, the Half-Orc Paladin. His upbringing was pure barbarian, though he had no actual Barbarian class levels. I ended up writing a four-page background of his tribe's history and a two-page write-up of his deity. Great fun character - extremely straightforward in outlook, brave and forthright, but with a pragmatic edge to his character and a sense of honour shaped by a barbarian outlook. His special mount was a dire weasel (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/m.blunden/dnd/GrudnukWeasel.jpg), and he wielded an adamantine glaive.
Talonz
12-10-05, 08:07 PM Losing or finding religion are such big character hooks that you'd just be confusing the issue with drastically opposite character classes after the first. Don't worry about that so much as what motivates or does not motivate the character to make such a major choice in his life after he has already been adventuring?

Motivations, goals, foibles, personality traits...thats what makes characters interesting, not the labels or numbers.
Jarlaxle_The_Rogue
12-11-05, 01:16 AM Personally I think a Barbarian/Paladin is a great idea. Anakin Skywalker anyone? Great characterization options, a Paladin who battles against his instinct and anger, and doesn't necesarily always succeed. (given you've got to have a lenient DM for this)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
halrebirth05 12-08-05, 10:19 PM	My DM is starting to stress more roleplaying so I was looking for Ideas for a weird easier to roleplay character so I thought a paladin who had lost religion to become a barbarian or a barbarian who found religion and became a paladin I'm new just trying to think
zaduma 12-08-05, 10:38 PM	Or maybe, you could just play a solid class, I mean you shouldn't PLAN you character if your going to truely RP it. Just let the environment affect your character...
Steel Cobra 12-08-05, 10:49 PM	new=solid class and a prestige class if you do so desire.
Cymraegmorgan 12-09-05, 09:14 AM	Nothing is easier to RP than a Fighter with no dump stat, no plans for a PrC, and taking Leadership.
Boshi 12-09-05, 09:55 AM	I think my next character will be a half-fiend paladin :D
DaveReaves 12-09-05, 11:21 AM	If your starting at higher than level one, this is not a bad idea. I don't think it will be easier to play than anything else though, it may even be harder. You have to think of why your paladin, a deity blessed paragon of good and law, cast aside his devotion (and perhaps his faith and/or morality) to learn the ways of the savage tribes that practise barbarisam. What happens when he confronts his old peers? Where did the alignment change come from that lost him his old powers but let him learn the new ones? Did he keep his faith, loosing only his devotion to law? You may have all these questions and more answerd, and if you do and its a character you like, then go ahead. Just don't expect it to be "easy".
wyvern_55 12-09-05, 01:06 PM	Personally if I were you, I would go with barbarian finding religion over paladin losing religion for 2 reasons. 1.) A paladin who is no longer lawful good loses all paladin abilities other than BAB and saves, this, while being good for role-play will seriously hurt your character, especially at low levels. 2.) A paladin who was a barbarian at one point will attempt to make up for past deeds and always carry that shame from being so ruthless and godless in his past (depending how you would play a barbarian), while still allowing you a proper roll-playing opportunity. This concept is a good one and has many possibilities, although it isn’t the first time it’s been done (think Worf from star trek) but be sure to play heavily into the concept of honour, (a dwarf would be excellent for this)
wrecan 12-09-05, 01:12 PM	A DM who starts with roleplaying wants you to stop thinking of characters as class/race/stats first. Try writing out a history for a guy you would find interesting to play and then figure out what race/class/stats he would be.
Tyler Do'Urden 12-09-05, 01:24 PM	In Unearthed Arcana, there's three variant paladins for the other three extreme alignments. Paladin of Slaughter (CE), Paladin of Tyranny (LE), and Paladin of Freedom (CG), which I guess would make the default the Paladin of Justice (LG). Barbarian/Paladin of Freedom would be interesting.
High Octane 12-09-05, 01:25 PM	Try a full class first. You're putting the cart before the horses. But at least you didnt say "warlock paladin"
shadowfox628 12-10-05, 11:10 AM	Smart, but not smart. You're classes counter-act each other. Paladins MUST be Lawful Good, and barbabrians MUST be non-Lawful. Whichever way you see it, you're losing abilities here.
pwatson1974 12-10-05, 11:54 AM	Of course, there's nothing to say you can't play a standard paladin from a savage barbarian tribe. All the fluff but none of the crunchy headaches. Pick up some cross class skills like survival, start out with hide armour rather than chain, that sort of thing.
Rake 12-10-05, 12:29 PM	There is a PrC in the Book of Exalted Deeds called the Champion of Gwy...something. It's basically a divinely empowered and consecrated barbarian. Barbarians and paladins don't mix (not on the same character sheet, anyhow), as barbarians lose rage and paladins lose most of their abilities if their ethic-axis alignments shift away from chaos or law, respectively.
MindWandererB 12-10-05, 06:08 PM	In addition to the Champion of Gwynharwyf (sp?), there's the Holy Liberator PrC. It works pretty well with a CG barbarian.
Surgo 12-10-05, 07:26 PM	Don't let these naysayers get you down, halrebirth05! I think a paladin that becomes a barbarian is a pretty cool idea. Just make sure that you check it out with your DM first, and see if you can keep the paladin's abilities upon his conversion! (This would probably work best in a world with distant gods, like Eberron).
MarkB 12-10-05, 08:07 PM	My first character when I returned to D&D after a several-year break was Grudnuk, the Half-Orc Paladin. His upbringing was pure barbarian, though he had no actual Barbarian class levels. I ended up writing a four-page background of his tribe's history and a two-page write-up of his deity. Great fun character - extremely straightforward in outlook, brave and forthright, but with a pragmatic edge to his character and a sense of honour shaped by a barbarian outlook. His special mount was a dire weasel (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/m.blunden/dnd/GrudnukWeasel.jpg), and he wielded an adamantine glaive.
Talonz 12-10-05, 08:07 PM	Losing or finding religion are such big character hooks that you'd just be confusing the issue with drastically opposite character classes after the first. Don't worry about that so much as what motivates or does not motivate the character to make such a major choice in his life after he has already been adventuring? Motivations, goals, foibles, personality traits...thats what makes characters interesting, not the labels or numbers.
Jarlaxle_The_Rogue 12-11-05, 01:16 AM	Personally I think a Barbarian/Paladin is a great idea. Anakin Skywalker anyone? Great characterization options, a Paladin who battles against his instinct and anger, and doesn't necesarily always succeed. (given you've got to have a lenient DM for this)