Question to priesthood specialists

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Toying with IWD2 character creation I noticed Ilmaterian paladin being able to take cleric level without losing the ability to forward paladin class. I suppose it's nothing to do with D&D3, but well... kits can be composed and some of them could possibly include such multiclassing bonuses just like several prestige classes do (Sacred Harrier f.e.).

The roleplaying question is how this paladin is then viewed. Apart from the obvious 2e fighter/cleric conotation and other mechanics-related issues, of course.

Is he viewed as a knight more closely associated with church circles though not a cleric sensu stricto or is he a semi-cleric wandering around with Avengers and Purifiers, laying hands and detecting evil? The first of those would resemble Sparhawk or Vanion (non-d&d) having the church rank of patriarch with several relevant duties but still lay people.

 

I assume you mean Consecrated Harrier in your post.

Kits are really obsolete in 3E with the introduction of skills and feats.

In FR, Paladins of Ilmater, I believe, are able to multiclass freely as clerics. Or maybe it was clerics with monks. No kit or anything involved.

Role-playing-wise, I don't think there's that much involved. Just another step toward uberness, if you will. Or just because your god lets ya (Ilmater himself is a Clr20/Mnk20).

[ February 23, 2003, 22:30: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

I see. Thank you Next question is: how do those paladins of Ilmater and paladin/painbearers of Ilmater look, behave etc - I mean the significant differences, flavours etc besides the general view (my other than just knowing rules, facts and playing cRPG experience is practically nonexistent)...

Off-topic: whose cleric was Ilmater?

 

I don't know that much about the significant differences between, say, the monk of Ilmater and the cleric/monk of Ilmater. Presumably, the former is more geared toward being alone with his god as his guide and such. The latter takes a more direct approach to serving the Church, but as well as understanding the ways of the monk.

To that other question, Ilmater is, well, a cleric of himself. His stats are in Faiths and Pantheons, and I think he simply has access to all that divine power, so he can channel that to replicate cleric spells. Or something like that.

And something to note, Monte Cook (one of the authors of the Player's Handbook) has said that multiclassing restrictions are there mostly for flavor. Removing or imposing them usually does not upset game balance very much.

[ February 23, 2003, 23:52: Message edited by: C'Jakob ]

 

Next question: Some info on Ilmater's religion besides Ilmater himself. I first though they were close to Christianity, then they seemed more like Buddhists to me, now it looks like an Indian half-religious half-philosophical sect. What's most correct?

Same to Lathander. This one looked surprisingly close to Christianity to me in many concepts until I noticed one of their most important beliefs is reincarnation. This leaves the impresion that it's sort of a Christian/Eastern mix.

 

Sorry about the delayed response, Chevalier.

From playing Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate II, as well as skimming Faiths & Pantheons, I can only tell that Ilmater's faith is most like Christianity (or at least what Jesus taught). They carry the pain of others, stand firm in persecution, pray for their enemies, and so on.

As for the monk thing, I think the FR designers just said, "Hey, look! There's the monk thing again in 3rd Edition! I'd bet that'd go, like, mad well, with Clerics!"

I don't think you should look too far. Forgotten Realms sort of has its own stuff made up, as with the Monks and Priests. I think that Ilmater has its roots in Christianity, but kind of got warped with the Monk thing, so now it's just kinda its own thing.