Valrik

This is an A-OK idea.

I like this topic's goal a lot. For too long have people had entirely different ideas on how far a gold will get you. To some, a gold piece will get you a small cottage, and silver/copper is used for day to day supplies. To others, a gold will get you a mug, and everything else is just pocket change It's a sad state.

Yes. The updated and expanded guide is accurate.

The Silver Hand was not disbanded.

Everything you tried to "contribute" turned out to be blatantly false and omitted from this guide.

Overview The Paladin is without a doubt one of the most popular classes, and in my opinion, one of the hardest to play. A good paladin character can give a story life and depth that otherwise simply could not exist, such as by providing meaningful character conflict or by inspiring his companions to be even more invested in their roles. On the other hand, a poor paladin character can completely derail the setting and generally ruin the RP for those involved. The purpose of this guide is to help you become the former in those two alternatives, whilst refraining from telling you how a paladin is played. Starting us off will be some key points, so if you do not have the time to read this guide, you can at least gather some core ideas. -There is no such thing as a typical paladin. As of legion, a paladin's way of fighting and life depends heavily on the philosophy he subscribes to. -There are 6 major orders (and by extension their philosophies) that almost all paladins encountered have subscribed to: the Silver Hand (pre-legion), the Blood Knights, the Argent Dawn, the Scarlet Crusade, the Hand of Argus, and the Sunwalkers -Regardless of the society they come from, paladins have always occupied a role of social prestige. It is very rare for there to be a paladin pariah. -As of Legion, almost all paladins have united under one banner in order to vanquish the Legion -All Paladins ultimately have their power driven through faith and self-confidence that what they do is right. While I will refrain from my own conjecture as much as possible; sometimes it might be best I input things that are very likely, if not confirmed (headcanon). These bits will be in red, so that you may ignore them if you disagree. Furthermore, I understand there is a fair bit of controversy to paladins; every individual statement can have a citation upon request. If you want a citation on a statement, I can provide it (or if I do not find it, I'll either change it red or remove it.) History While I considered putting this section towards the end, it is better that I start us off with this so that you can reference it easily in later sections of the guide. This particular segment isn't required to play a paladin, but it is very helpful especially if you wish to make a guide. The years are color coded to signify which order the date is most relevant to; years in white are relevant to most if not all orders. What is a Paladin? For such an iconic class, there is quite a lot of debate as to what paladins actually are. Some will tell you they are just priests with swords, others will tell you that they are actual conduits to the light. Answering this question isn't so simple because paladins, as said before, are different between all their orders. To ensure that you have an answer regardless of who you play, I will be explaining what paladins are to each society. Silver Hand, Argent Dawn, and Scarlet Crusade The Paladin in human and dwarf cultures plays the role of the virtuous hero. During the Second and Third War, they were competent commanders on the field of battle, capable of advanced military maneuvers. They were also fighters without equal in the field of battle. Above all, they were icons; they embodied the three virtues in a way that any man or dwarf could rally behind, regardless of nationality or social status. Being unique creations, they blended the Light and the way with the hammer and shield in a way that had never been seen before in human culture. While the concept of a priest that can fight is nothing new, the Paladins have completely transformed the idea of bringing the Light to warfare. Though now their prestige and power has greatly diminished, they are still seen as paragons and champions to many humans, dwarves, and elves. In short, they are a unique breed of champion that is both respected and feared, and were once nigh unstoppable. Truly, they could be a hero class in their own right. The Hand of Argus The Vindicators and the Hand of Argus are similar to human paladins in that they occupy the role of an elite group of defenders of Draenei society. They synergize the Light and martial skill, but heavily focus on the latter in their combat. Regardless, they are the skilled elite of the Draenei and are their race's equivalent of the mighty Knights that occupy human society. The individual vindicator may not be as prestigious in draenic society as a Silver Hand Knight would be in human society. They formed a distinct military-only aspect of society, in stark contrast to the priests of Draenei civilization. The Blood Knights The Blood Knights acted as the backbone of Silvermoon's military. Whilst many elves are elite in combat by default, and without a doubt the majority of Blood Knights were former elven soldiers and even paladins, their role is far less elite and specialized. While Quel'thalas has guards and common soldiery to rely upon for day to day affairs, ultimately military incursions were lead and dominated by the Blood Knights. In their formation, they were little more than a military formation, being a widely secular group. To the Blood Knights, the light was little more than a tool. After the Burning Crusade however, they occupy a much more reverent role and take their faith to the Light far more seriously. The Sunwalkers Unlike the previously mentioned orders, the Sunwalkers do not occupy a particularly elite role in Tauren society. Instead, they serve as a counter to the Night Elven teachings, and worship An’she rather than Elune. If anything, the Sunwalkers can be compared to as Druids, who call upon the powers of the sun (which may actually be the Holy Light). As such, their prestige is society is little different than that of a druid. What can a Paladin do in combat? Perhaps one of the most chaotic ideas regarding the paladin is what they can actually do. Some play their paladins as simple warriors almost entirely devoid of power from the Holy Light. On the other hand on the spectrum, paladins have been played as almost completely spellcasters, draped in cloth. Unlike a paladin's demeanor or way of life however, it is fairly standardized as to what a paladin is capable of in the field of battle. While it is possible for a priest to fight (hence terms such as Battle priests), paladins are special in that they uniquely combine combat and the Light together. A paladin is a frontline fighter. Whether you're in a massive battle or in a light skirmish, you can expect a paladin to more often than not attempt to engage in immediate close quarters with the enemy. They more often than not rely on their martial prowess and physical gear to win them the day, to avoid wasting unnecessary energy by calling upon the Holy Light. For many paladins, this is more often than not all that is required. Some paladins have grown so good with their martial prowess that they seldom rely on the Light for typical combat, such as Tirion Fordring. However, when the time comes that they are needed to call upon the holy light, they are able to cast the Light quickly and efficiently, such as the chaotic battlefield commands it. Whilst the powers of each paladin vary between the individual and his order (A Knight of the Silver Hand is more often than not capable of doing more than a Scarlet Crusader), few can deny that they are just as deadly with their righteous power as they are with their martial prowess. The Philosophy of Paladins Perhaps the most important of all the sections (and one of the hardest to tackle). Paladins act very different depending on the order they were raised in, their race, and the order they consider themselves a part of. They are all very different, with different ways of thinking and different tenants that are valued. Some are even at exact odds with one another, such as the Scarlet Crusade and Argent Dawn, and the Silver Hand and Blood Knights before the Burning Crusade. Despite all these differences, there are a few things that can be said for all paladins. Paladins are the most ideological of almost any class. Regardless of order, it can be said that they adhere to the ways of thinking they subscribe to the most zealously. Be it adhering to the three virtues in order to be an absolute icon to fanatically purging those with the plague of undeath, the paladins can be expected to follow their ways more so than many others in the world of Azeroth. The Silver Hand The Silver Hand, until recently, has been a strictly alliance-aligned order of paladins. They represented the traditional faith of the Church of the Holy Light. Being the first of the paladins, they primarily adhere to the basic three virtues: Respect, Tenacity, and Compassion. However, while they are respectful, it is not always kindness. The knights are not ones to allow themselves to be pushed aside easily, especially when innocents are involved. To them, respect can be as simple as acknowledging a man's sovereignty as his own person. Likewise, tenacity may not always be a stubborn persistence, but instead a lack of refusal to admit defeat. Regardless in how the individual knight interprets his virtues, he sticks by them in a way that can make him an inspirational icon to those around him. He is more often than not working as a paragon of justice, going through proper channels to make sure the law is upheld. Having roots back to the Alliance nobility, they may even carry a deserved air of superiority around them, though many more are likely to be very humble. Paladins of the Silver Hand worship the Light itself as a divine force. As of Legion, their beliefs and virtues have changed to be almost identical to that of the Argent Dawn, mentioned below. The Argent Dawn The Argent Dawn (and by extension the Argent Crusade) is very similar to the Silver Hand. However, one could say that they are more tolerant, even more "relaxed" than the order they came from. While the Silver Hand was a stalwart Alliance order all the way until Legion, the Argent Dawn have realized that ultimately all living and innocent peoples are one in the face of evil. What they do is often for the good of the people of Azeroth as a whole. It should not be thought that an Argent Dawn paladin cannot get "tough" like a Silver Hand knight can. Indeed, they are just as likely to find a rational compromise as they are to refuse to move a single inch when the innocent are on the line. An Argent Dawn paladin can be depended on to do the right thing no matter the cost, even if it involves breaking a couple laws. The Scarlet Crusade On the other side of the spectrum from the Argent Dawn is the Scarlet Crusade. Formed out of corruption from Balnazzar, as well as the fear and despair that gripped the overwhelming majority of paladins that survived the Third War, the Scarlet Crusade is fanatical and zealous. Whilst they still have the three virtues, it is unknown to what extent these are followed. Ultimately however, one can suspect that whatever the Scarlet Crusade does, it is rationalized by proclaiming it is for the greater good of Lordaeron. In terms of roleplaying a Scarlet Crusader, a crusader could be expected to be unhesitating, regardless of the situation. If something needs to be done for the good of humanity and the Light, there should be no question to this hypothetical knight. It should be noted that as time has gone on, even raw zealotry and madness has not allowed the majority of the crusade to keep the powers of the Light; many of them have lost the capability to command such power. The Hand of Argus The Hand of Argus, whilst certainly a paladin order, holds several virtues different to the human orders: Obedience, Bravery, Intelligence, and Honor. To the Vindicators, it could be described that thought and emotion are one. They can be relied upon to act quickly and with retribution. They act as the hand of the Naaru, and as such do whatever is necessary to vanquish true evil such as the Burning Legion, and the Void, wherever it arrives. However, while a human crusader acts with insanity and zeal, there is wisdom and justice to the Draenei's way of thought. Ultimately, many of them act like the personification of justice for the many wrongdoings against their people. The Blood Knights The Blood Knights, out of all the singular orders, have undergone one of the most dramatic transformations. In their formation, their ways were particularly irreverent in contrast to other orders. They were known to be callous if not even vengeful towards the Light, which had abandoned them during the calamity of the Third War. Binding the Light to their will, they followed no virtues or moral code, which made them an outlier in the ways of the paladins. Where for other orders there was the warmth of the Light, there was only a cold rejection for them, and it could be said that their personality reflected this. After the Burning Crusade, the Blood Knights had once again re-established a healthy relationship with the light thanks to the Sunwell; Liadrin, with A'dal's teachings, began to transform the Blood Knights. In turn, their philosophy has changed in that resembling the Hand of Argus, as the two worked side by side in the Shattered Sun Offensive. However, it can be said that there are exceptions- given their situation in Quel'thalas society, they could be assumed to have a heavy leaning towards the government that lords them, rather than their faith. The Sunwalkers Little is known about the actual philosophy of the Sunwalkers. However, it can be gathered that their way of thinking is very similar to that of the druids. They are believers in the balance of nature. However, while the druids more often than not revere the sun and moon equally as playing a heavy part in society alongside the balance of nature, the Sunwalkers place an almost complete emphasis on the sun as their guiding force, in tune with the idea of balance. End Note While I have tried my best to give a general overview of the histories, philosophies, and fighting styles of the many paladins and their walks of life, ultimately they, like all classes, are so diverse that it is impossible to categorize and talk about them all. While these 6 orders make up the majority of the class's composition, they are not the only way. Do you want to make your paladin follow your own order with its own virtues? Nothing's stopping you! Truthfully, this guide is hardly mandatory. In other news, this is my first formal guide ever, so any worthwhile feedback is appreciated. The majority of this lore is gathered from gamepedia and both volumes of Chronicles.

You cannot vanquish me.

Relegating the RP to a few dark zones doesn't sound particularly fun at all. If you want to bring warhammer here, I really think it'd be better off with WHFB- considering that it isn't nearly as grimdark.

Blizzard has a very unique and cartoony artstyle which is seen across all of its games. Warhammer tried to emulate this with its latest release, DoW3 Needless to say, people consider one of DoW3's critical issues as its blizzard-like artstyle. Maybe there is inspiration, but ultimately Warhammer is a very gritty setting. Even the comedic shoulderpads are portrayed in a very grungy and realistic light.

This would be better resolved in a game like Roll20, outside of WoW. Interesting idea to have the story set in 8e (Considering none of the other RPGs have updated), but WoW is about as far as you can get from 40k from a visual standpoint.

An excellent post about an urgent topic. +1

Hail, champion.

I hope this event takes off, it looks interesting.

You have eight minutes to leave.

There's a couple problems with the footman gear, but they're minor. (Boots are in the pants slot, pants are in the waist slot etc) Aside from that, brilliant work Now I can be an actual silver knight

HD stormwind guard recolors.

One of my players tried RPing a tiefling pedophile. Not much of a story there.

The level 40 one. The 20 mount is already silver.

Take the Kirin Tor down a notch.

Bad edits? Can you make the charger armor silver rather than gold?

You hero! footman when

How does this rendition of the Deathwatch interact with those outside of the guild, and in public settings? The primary concerns from RPH lay exactly with that subject, given one of the largest complaints was your guild being populated by gankers.

Having a clear roadmap can actually make or break a successful guild forum topic. People like to know what they'll be doing within your guild. You may not have enough members, but you should label out your plans as to what adventure you'll be taking on with the guild once you do, rather than just putting "kick some demon butt". There have been plenty of times where two guilds with similar concepts post at the same time, but the one with vague IC goals gets left in the dust, whereas the one with a clear process gets a bunch of members.