What's your opinion on the notion that Paladins have to be lawful good? Personally, I feel like insisting on lawful good is a bit restrictive, and instead have them be any lawful alignment. I think that works well with the theme of the archetype without being too restrictive.
Well, the idea of alignment is just inherently restrictive. The whole point of it is to cram all of human interaction/motivation/reasoning into a 9-box chart that we can all lol at how over-simplified it is.
So sure, it’s restrictive. But then we gotta ask “what is a paladin?” Is a paladin just somebody that likes armor, swords, and the smug satisfaction that they’re right and everybody else is wrong? Well then, sure, you don’t have to be Lawful Good for that.
If you’re idea of a paladin reflects back on the historical crusades, and the terrors and glories of christendom’s multi-century wars with the muslims, jews, and other christians in the near-east, well…. you’d probably have a hard time convincing most folks that “Lawful Good” should even be an option.
But if the point of a paladin is to be a paragon of virtue, fighting for a noble cause, lifting up the fallen, standing against the darkness, joining with others that are committed to establishing justice, and inspiring others to do the same? I dunno man, that sounds like it’s gotta be Lawful Good.
