Where do I start?
Begin first by seeking out any paladin or priest of a goodly faith in
character. They will guide your character in the right direction.
Remember that your character must be both eligible and a member of an
eligible faith (see HELP SQUIRE or HELP PALADIN for more detailed and
specific information) in order to begin the process.
How long until my character can become a paladin?
The candidate must complete the coded lessons at a paladin school and
this, right now, takes a minumum of four real world months. Once those
are finished then a candidate requires two months of satisfactory role-
play as judged by their mentor and the paladin administrator.
The timeline and the chance of success depend upon role-play alone.
Can I make a demihuman paladin?
Yes, if there is a school available to support your racial choice.
How should a squire behave?
A squire should hold themselves to the same standards that paladins
must abide. Squires in training who do not feel obliged to observe the
paladin's code may be assigned remediation, additional lessons, or they
may be simply stripped of their position and set free to pursue other
careers.
What about the old rule that paladins cannot marry?
This is no longer the case as a general rule, however, some paladins
may still have to take vows of celibacy. This will vary between the
religions and their orders.
What about the old rule about paladins and magic items?
This also will vary between orders, but paladins should still be very
circumspect about what they choose to wear. Magic items with suspect
origins, histories, and affiliations may gain the unwanted attention of
a paladin's deity.
How do I address a paladin?
All paladins are not necessarily knights, although we have structured the
system in Forgotten Kingdoms to encourage them to be. Therefore there
are a few acceptable titles. We will use Billy (a man) and Susie (a
woman) as examples.
Billy can be Sir Billy or Lord Billy depending on his role.
Susie can be Dame Susie or Lady Susie depending on her role or
preference (either title can be correct for a female knight).
Which books may I read to find out more about paladins in Dungeons and Dragons?
There is a lot of information available from 2d Edition Dungeons and
Dragons books from the "Forgotten Realms" campaign setting. I recommend
"Faiths and Avatars" (TSR 9516) because it has very detailed information
on all faiths on Faerun and descriptions of the major paladin orders for
those faiths who have them. "The Complete Paladin" (TSR 2147) also has a
wealth of information, but it is not well researched.
Martin, Julia and Boyd, Eric. "Faiths and Avatars". Random House, 1996.
Swan, Rick. "The Complete Paladin's Handbook". Random House, 1994.
Which books may I read to find out more about knights in history?
I have published a list of many books of this sort and posted a large
amount of information in the thread Knights that may be helpful. Many
prominent knights wrote treatises about chivalry, but I recommend the
writings of Geoffroi De Charny, Ramon Lull, and Gutierre Diaz de Gamez
(who wrote about his master Don Pero Nino, Count of Buelna) specifically
to see how a knight might understand his code of ethics and how others
live up to it (or fall short). I also recommend medieval romances like
"Parsifal" or "Tristan and Isolde" and stories of the famous examples
like King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table or the "Song of Roland"
(about one of Charlemagne's Twelve Peers).
What happens if my paladin loses his or her bonded mount?
If a paladin's bonded mount is killed or otherwise lost then there
is a chance that the paladin may receive a new one. The paladin is
eligible for a new bonded mount three (real world) months after one
has died. Please note the difference between eligible and entitled.
The final decision rests with the paladin administrator and the
game's staff, but if your paladin's mount dies please submit an
application stating the date and the method of your mount's demise.
We will keep track of time passed since its death and potentially
get you a new one.
On the forums: Use In-Game Forum commands to activate your forum account --> World -->
Knights. Player-posted resources.
http://www.forgottenkingdoms.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=9147
The Paladin Code. Old information from Kelemvor.
http://www.forgottenkingdoms.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=5260
Posts on the forums have different information than the help files. Which is correct?
The help files are the most correct, up-to-date information.