Hi, i’m getting back into roleplaying with my friend, do any of you have any interesting paladin RP concepts for me? I’m struggling to think of who this paladin is going to be, and what other people will find interesting too, rather than the stock paladin sorta thing.
1 Like
Welcome back, first and foremost.
Let’s get to the question, including some spoilers:
you’ve joined in a pretty good time. Shadowlands is just around the corner. Anyone that dies goes into the maw (mega hell). If you watched the cinematics (Uther) you will see that he didn’t go to some light paradise, but instead to the weird blue people. Means one of the highest paragons of light didn’t get what many thought they would, namely a light heaven.
This could play in your paladins character as a huge dilemma.
Killing someone or in the past in the names of the light / war or whatever means you sent them to mega hell. One of the highest light paragons didn’t get the good light heaven that many characters might have believed in.
This might create some religious doubt, even for your paladin character.
All of this only comes up when Shadowlands is released though, so don’t do anything too quickly now.
Over all the implications are, imagine your paladin who maybe just wants to do good and only kills when it’s absolutely in self defense.
Whoever you killed? Congratulations, you did sent them to an eternity of torment.
Here’s the thread about it. Maybe you can draw some thoughts from there to your character. 
On another note:
now that the war is over, your character may try to help the places that were hit by the war or, a very simple task, offer talking sessions in Stormwind to those who are in need. Try to establish friendships crossfaction. Establish a church in Booty Bay (because why not, right?) or try to establish a place in other places of the world, perhaps other hubs? Duskwood (pls no deus vult let’s purge this place of all evil), Booty Bay and Redridge are all zones with active roleplaying communities / people traveling by, Westfall as well but I am not sure if the local Defias guys there want you there. 
Depending on how much your character is with the light, you might seek for him some conversations out with lightforged or even ren’dorei to understand the other side better.
Dunno, there are a million options really.
1 Like
I appreciate you taking the time to reply. What you said was informative and has given me a good few ideas, thanks.
I forgot to mention:
Now that the new expansion is launching soon’ish there are events. Big ones like that, small ones that you might randomly come across in the world.
Maybe that can shape your character too!
2 Likes
Best paladin is of course a crusading one… 
2 Likes
Oh so many things can push you towards being/becoming a paladin.
How old is the character? Is he a Stormwind native? Was he maybe a boy who grew up watching the birth of the Paladins, and their heroic actions against the savage Horde. Did he hear legends of Turalyon battling the Horde in Blackrock mountain?
Was he always pious? Did he naturally progress to it or was it a shocking event that pushed him towards the light?
He could be as mundane as a simple alliance conscript/recruit. He could have watched the scourge pour over Azeroth before the Northrend campaign. Or saw the valor of the paladins who selflessly fought and sacrificed at the broken shore?
Perhaps he is a veteran of previous wars, plagued by guilt and pushed to find comfort in the Church of the Holy Light? Maybe he walked away from the path of war and became one of the pious? BFA and the shadowlands prepatch seem to have a lot of arcs that can push your character towards the light? Perhaps now, a pious and clam man, he is forced to take up the sword in defense of his homeland again? This time with light and steel as his weapons.
Is he a lordaeronian refugee? It could have pushed him towards a scarlet like zeal, maybe he saw the suffering of his people and as a compassionate character decided to become a healer and a guide?
Pally’s can come from sooo many backgrounds, and can be very different characters depending on them.
Hope my chime in helped you!
EDIT: I’d also like to note that since it was brought up here, the fourth war is technically over but the horde and alliance are not at peace… It is simply not what an Armistice means… it is a break in hostilities not a declaration of peace, and traditionally Armistices have led to even greater and bloodier conflicts, perhaps vigilance or distrust can drive him to seek the power he’d need to defend his home.
1 Like
Not to derail the post, you made a lot of good points but I doubt we’d know/interact with Uther (our IC toons) unless well you are getting into very powerful toon territory.
It’s pretty much stated that the infinite afterlives of WoW’s religions all exist within the shadowlands. Durotan for example is said to be hunting with his ancestors in the Orcish version of paradise.
Not trying to be a “Well Actually” guy 
, but I think we can crate a lot more interesting characters without having them become figures involved in the cosmology of the universe(Personal preference and subjective opinion OF COURSE )
1 Like
My favourite idea for a Paladin is in fact a wandering Paladin. One who goes town to town, farm to farm, walks any road looking for rights to wrong and those to help. If you are looking to role play a young new Paladin, this might be the best idea.
When I made a paladin way back when, I had him be raised on stories of virtuous Knights who saved villages from bad men and fought evil dragons. He carried these ideas and ideals into his training as a Paladin. His goal was not to go out and shout “For the Light!” at folks as he smashed them, but to serve the regular person. If he was walking down the road and saw a farm house with a ruined roof, he’d stop and offer to help the farmer patch it up. If he saw someone hungry, he’d hand over the last of his copper to help them eat.
I find this a much more interesting to play idea than the stock paladin of Stormwind who is essentially just the Wow version of a Crusader from European history.
Consider as well sitting down and looking at what kind of Paladin you want to be. Even just looking at the three spec choices. Do you want to be one that protects people from harm? One that focuses on healing the wounded and sick? Or one that wants to use his power to punish evil doers? Look at the tenants of the Light and how it has been practiced by notable Paladin NPCs.
If you want to be unique, don’t just be another ‘basically a warrior who can use the light’.
6 Likes
Aye I like that, the idea of the mythological “Knight Errant” it’s a cool thing and sort of a way I play my pally as well 
but it can be hard to find meaningful interactions
I think in this case, you can be both. It is how I roleplay Desartin. Sure he’ll be all "In the name of the Light’ while pounding enemies of the Alliance/the Light into dust, yet when there’s not a war going on, he still goes out to help the average Joe if he can ( Though sadly some of this has to be done off-screen since there’s not always rp to be found in other zones).
In all fairness, it’s not like our characters will have to interact or see Uther personally to discover where he ended up, news will be travelling to and from the Shadowlands. People will probably travel to and from the Shadowlands. Uther’s fate won’t be a secret known only to a handful.
And personally, I think a more interesting example to consider would be that of Alexandros Mograine. He was at one point Lordaeron’s shining hope to cleanse the land of the undead, the Light’s wrath made incarnate as the Ashbringer and whose death cleaved a wedge between the remnants of Lordaeron that lasts to this day. Whereas Uther stilll serves as a paragon of justice within the Bastion, Alexandros was condemned to the hellish pits of Maldraxxus.
Feel like throwing in a suggestion here, my guy:
Maybe go looking for a certain book. Bare with me, but if you pick a lore book from wowpedia, then take a couple people/your guild on an adventure with you to go find it, with the excuse ‘that it will teach your Paladin a new spell,’ then you automatically have some great role-play to pursue. The book could be in an inn in Western Plaguelands, for example. That’s a decent walk from Stormwind!
Same could be done for his armour, his sword, and so on.
2 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.