P a l a d i n s O f R O K O O N
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Foreword:
=========
This document describes the concept of a new fighter group in Xyllomer,
the Paladins of Rokoon. I"ll just call them Paladins for now.
I would like to begin by telling what the Paladins are not supposed to
be. They are not supposed to be PowerKoons (tm), nor are they meant to
replace the Satais.
Not PowerKoons
--------------
Some suggested a fighter-cleric combination with access to combat
specials and miracles. I think such a dual-class character would be too
powerful, at least I can"t think of any resonable way to balance such a
character. I would like to refer to the Demigods and the Huitzi-Fanatics
as failed approaches to dual- or multiclass characters.
My suggestion is closely orientated at the Paladin class of AD&D, a
modified fighter-class. The fighting abilities are slightly reduced
compared to "pure" fighters. As adjustment he receives some special
powers.
Not a replacement for the Satais
--------------------------------
We have a few neutral warrior guilds, three evil warrior guilds but only
one warrior guild fighting for "good". I think it would be nice to have
an alternative group of good-aligned warriors, especially when they have
different kind of leaderships and motivations.
It"s not the idea to convert all Satais who worship Rokoon into
Paladins. Everyone can and should chose the guild he likes most. And you
don"t have to be a paladin to fight against evil.
Nor must this be the end of the Alliance between the Satais and Clerics.
Considering the current numbers of "evil" characters, I think they would
still need each other.
The Paladin class
=================
I would like to have a deeper look at the different parts of the Paladin
class as I see it. The parts are the skills, the combat-specials, the
Paladin-specials, the integration with the clerics, the guild structure,
joinning the paladins, and the equipment.
Skills
------
A Paladin would have access to all important (and unimportant) combat-
skills, e.g. parry, defence, sword, axe, club, staff, throwing, shield,
aim, maneuvering in armours (just to name a few). But the maximum skill-
levels for these combat-related skills would be slightly below those of
a "true" fighter, e.g. excellent instead of perfect.
This still makes a Paladin a strong fighter, but it puts him at a slight
disadvantage in a one on one fight against a warrior.
He would be able to learn first aid, medical, ancient language and
ritual additionally.
Paladins can train up to quite good in their own school. The higher
skill levels would have to be learned from other paladins, who either
learned them in their former guild (perfect combat skills would drop to
excellent) or from another paladin. Training of new combat skills would
be instilled by divine intervention. The same goes for important combat
skills missing in the skill pool of the founders.
Combat-specials
---------------
A Paladin would have full access to the common fighter soul (CFS). He
can learn and use any special and any style. But the limits for his
special masteries would be slightly below those of a "true" warrior.
His masteries in the styles would not be affected.
Training would be done normally, i.e. from other paladins. Basic
knowledge in missing or new specials would be instilled by divine
intervention. The same goes for specials missing in the specials pool
of the founders.
Paladin-specials
----------------
Ok, now to the fun part. If you are familiar with AD&D 2nd Edition, then
you will recognize the following suggestions for special powers:
"A paladin can detect the presence of evil intent."
- The paladin closes his eyes and feels the auras surrounding him. He"ll
detect the number and degree of evil auras of people in the same room.
It won"t give names or descriptions of the aura"s owner, though.
- Followers of enemy deities, undeads and demons are especially strong.
- Followers of evil deities and people with negative faith in Rokoon
would have a weaker evil aura.
- High stats result in stronger auras.
- The auras of invisible and hidden people are detected, too.
- Negative room alignments can mask evil auras, depending on room align-
ment and strength of the aura.
- Detecting takes some time, the paladin"s eyes are closed. Other people
notice that the paladin is concentrating upon something, and could
leave to avoid being detected.
- Unlike the priest, the paladin doesn"t probe the mind of others, he
just feels their auras. The people present in the room won"t notice
that they are detected, though they see the paladin concentrating.
- Detection fails if someone is fighting in the room.
- Effect type: instant
- Activation delay: 4 seconds
- Required faith: low
- Faith costs: very low
- Mana costs: low
"A paladin receives a [...] bonus to all saving throws."
- He has additional resistance against magic.
- Effect type: permanent, while faith requirement is met
- Required faith: very low
"A Paladin is immune to all forms of disease."
- Cannot be infected with plague, necromantic confusion, etc.
- Effect type: permanent, while faith requirement is met
- Required faith: very low
"A paladin can heal by laying on hands."
- The paladin can heal (some) wounds of one person (including himself).
The person must be resting or sleeping. The paladin kneels down, puts
his hands over the wounds, closes his eyes and prays to Rokoon.
- Paladin and receiver may not be fighting.
- The paladin heals on large wound, depending on room alignment, faith
of paladin and faith of receiver. The amount of healing would be simi-
lar to a cure+.
- Both the Paladins hands must be present (arms/hands not
missing/broken) and free (not wielding weapons).
- Effect type: instant
- Activation delay: 2 seconds
- Reusage delay: 1 hour (12 RL minutes)
- Required faith: high
- Faith costs: medium
- Mana costs: medium
"A paladin can cure diseases."
- The paladin can heal the illness (plague, necromantic confusion, etc)
of one person. The person must be resting or sleeping. The paladin
kneels down, puts his hands on the chest of the ill person, closes his
eyes and prays to Rokoon.
- Paladin and receiver may not be fighting.
- Both the Paladins hands must be present (arms/hands not
missing/broken) and free (not wielding weapons).
- Effect type: instant
- Activation delay: 4 seconds
- Required faith: medium
- Faith costs: low
- Mana costs: low
"A paladin is surrounded by an aura of protection."
- The paladin has an additional armour layer, somewhat like a mage
shield, only weaker. The aura can be "felt" (seen in the description).
- Effect type: permanent, while faith requirement is met
- Required faith: very low
"A paladin gains the power to turn undead and fiends."
- Paladins can turn undeads by shouting an ancient ritual and using
their holy aura to channel the might of Rokoon against these creatures.
A holy symbol is not required.
- Effect type: instant
- Reusage delay: 25 seconds (5 RL seconds)
- Required faith: low
"A paladin may not possess more than 10 magical items."
- Magical items include magical armours (mails, helmets, gloves, etc),
magical adornments (rings of protection, green medallion, etc),
magical weapons (all but arrows and bolts), magical gimmicks (wands,
firestones, light stones, crystal pyramids, etc) and magical
communication-devices (tell-gems, tell-rings, linegems, etc).
- Herbs and potions are not considered magical when counting against
this limit.
- The paladin can check his current number of magical items counting
against the limit.
- There is no immediate punishment for having more than 10 magical
items. That means a paladin can carry the magical equipment of some-
one who died, for example. However, the times where a paladins holds
more than 10 magical items should be very very limited.
"A paladin never retains wealth."
- Paladins may not be traders. Nor should they pile up coins in a bank.
- He may of course spend coins on training, equipment, herbs, repairs,
etc.
- And he can buy a ship, though it shouldn"t be a frigatte. ;-)
Integration with clerics
------------------------
Clerics and Paladins would be members of the same guild and would use a
united guildline and the same boards. The headquarter would be the
temple in Padorn.
The Paladins would have a similar ranking with three steps as the
clerics, just with other names.
Clerics would regain some of the faith spend on praying for miracles to
protect or heal a paladin, just like he would be a normal follower.
Unlike the clerics, a paladin doesn"t need a holy symbol to use his
specials, including the ability to turn undeads.
A paladin can estimate their own faith in Rokoon and sense the presense
of evil auras, but they won"t be able to sense the alignment of a room.
Faith is regained primarily by visiting sermons. They cannot speak
prayers or bless. But they would gain some faith for killing or
destroying enemies of Rokoon, depending on the strength of the enemy.
Paladins would have the ability to query the current mantras, just like
clerics. But they can"t pray for portals or otherwise open one them-
selves. They can use portals opened by clerics normally, of course.
They can ask Morion and some other shrinekeepers for portals, cures and
barriers, just like the Satais. Yet this is primary intented for urgent
situations, and shouldn"t be their normal way of travelling.
Guild Structure
---------------
One suggestion for the guild structure would be that Paladins integrate
fully with the clerics. They would have the same ranking (with different
titles, though) and the same rights and duties. Paladins could vote on
guild topics, council-votings and guildspeaker-votings. They can be
voted in the council or appointed as guildspeaker. The promotions of
Paladins would be approved by council decision.
An alternative idea is that the Paladins would have a military organisa-
tion with one leader and several sub-leaders. The leader would be member
of the cleric council, which would be the only connection of the cleric
and paladin structures.
The paladins themselves would be answerable to their leaders and not the
council. Promotions would be dealt with by the Paladin leadership and
not by the normal council decision/voting, for example. The council would
guide the leader of the Paladins and he/she would be answerable to the
council and the guildspeaker.
The exact form of leadership will be decided by the founders and the
cleric council (concerning integration into their ranks).
Joining the Paladins
--------------------
To become a Paladin, the applicant has to find a Paladin who would
accepts him as his student. The applicant would not join immediately,
instead he has to pass an initiation periot followed by a special quest
(ideas?). He receives his paladin specials after solving the quest.
Just like the clerics, a Paladin could accept up to four students
(though he should have no more than two active students). Students who
weren"t around for one IC-year can be abandoned by his master.
Equipment
---------
There would be a special field plate mail, helmet, a twohanded sword,
a onehanded sword and a shield. These would be magical (and counting
against the limit, yes), autoloading and expensive. All of these are
optional, a paladin doesn"t have to use them.
There would also be a non-magical (and non-autoloading) set of armours.
But basically a paladin can use whatever armours and weapons he prefers,
except items with necromantic or otherwise evil (divine or magical)
powers.
Conclusion
==========
Ok, that"s the concept so far, though it might be subject to some
changes. If you have questions, ideas or complaints, send a mudmail to
Masklin or an email to christian.roslawski@NOSPAMt-online.de, please.
Before this can start we would need some characters in Xyllomer willing
to be the founders of this group. The only restriction is a mimimum age
and being a faithful follower or servant of Rokoon.
I would need a lot of help with the various descriptions and names (the
"Paladins of Rokoon" was my best idea so far). Any help there would be
appreciated. You could write messages for a new cfs-style, or the desc-
riptions for the paladin-specials. And ideas and texts for the various
items and rooms would be required, too.
Questions and answers
=====================
Q: Can Paladins improve the alignment of a room?
A: No, they have no special to bless or otherwise improve the alignment
of a room.
Q: Can Paladins receive channelled miracles?
A: No, they can"t.
Q: Must Paladins attend the evening sermon?
A: No. While they would lose some faith for missing a sermon, Rokoon
does not demand their presence in every sermon.
Q: Does he have to be a Rokoon follower?
A: Yes.