2020 Geek-A-Long: Paladin

Let me start by saying, mistakes were made. And they were made by Past-Me, who happened to be very high on Vicodin after having all four of her impacted wisdom teeth removed. It seemed like a good idea at the time to get some Geek-A-Long blog posts put together and scheduled while I was at home convalescing. Now, however, it’s come to my attention that maybe that wasn’t the best idea. As it turned out, I scheduled this post for next Sunday, which is sort of a problem since it was supposed to be released YESTERDAY.

Without further ado, I present to you the second Dungeons & Dragons playable class this year: Paladin.

P.S. My brother-in-law Mr. Llama (Megan-Anne’s husband) wrote this post for me, so it isn’t a narcotic-fueled hot mess. You’re welcome.

I love a Paladin — a shining sword of their god’s wrath, beheading demons with glowing swords, healing those who have been hurt by evil. Paladins are able to come crashing in, take a big blow, and then deliver a massive strike to their enemies. And when they use their Divine Smite, they get to roll so many extra dice.

The 5th Edition Paladin is one of my favorite classes to play. This was not always the case, however. In previous editions, Paladins were restricted to the Lawful Good alignment. This meant, with certain DMs (dungeon masters), your Paladin couldn’t jaywalk without losing their holy powers. It was restricting and encouraged some player to be what I called “Lawful Frustrating.”

These are characters that push against the story and group because they are sticking to their character’s principles. Your Rogue wants to steal the thing you need? The Paladin might suddenly be morally obliged to try and prevent the thief from having the cool adventure that the DM set up for them. Those kinds of restrictions are something that good DM’s and players can work with to make interesting drama. It can also be an excuse for a “Lawful Frustrating” player to try and take control of the game.  

In 5th Edition, Alignment isn’t a hard rule anymore. It’s a suggested guideline. Bards can now follow laws and monk’s can now break them. Paladins can do the will of their god, even if it means you have to break the town’s laws to do it. There are now Paladins of Freedom and Paladins of Vengeance, who are free to overthrow oppressive kingdoms or hunt for their sibling’s killer. Now, paladins can be more than the mindlessly faithful follower of order. In my home game, a country boy Paladin is often at odds with the established church Paladins and this tension has created some great dramatic moments at my table. 

That doesn’t mean that a Lawful Good Paladin can’t be interesting. Take a look at Evelyn Marthane from the Dice, Camera, Action and Acquisitions Incorporated games. Her player, Anna Prosser, knows how to use those qualities to make stories richer and more emotional, as well as being the statistical equivalent of a fireball in platemail. She’s a happy-go-lucky and sometimes naive young woman who won’t hesitate to use the power of her god Lathander to protect her friends. 

Paladins are so much fun to play because they are a damager, a tank, a healer, a spellcaster, and a charismatic speaker. Paladin builds are pretty focused on dealing damage but can be great at just about anything. The only paladins I don’t really care for are the multi-class Warlock/Paladins. It is a great way to up your combat effectiveness, but it feels like the DM is then forced to ignore how you are a servant of two masters. I am sure there are players that balance it well, but it’s never really sat well with me. 

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Paladin pattern here. Instructions and charts for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong! Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~Jac and Mr. Llama

Praise Lathander!

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