Editing Paladin (section)

====In Iron Kingdoms====
Since it returned to [[Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition]] as a campaign setting, the [[Iron Kingdoms]] have offered four new paladin Oaths; Radiance, The Wall, Edicts and The Custodian. Whilst based on different in-universe holy orders (the [[Cygnar|Cygnaran]] Precursor Knights of Morrow, the [[Protectorate of Menoth|Protectorate of Menoth's]] Order of the Wall, the [[Iron_Kingdoms#Dwarves_.28Rhulfolk.29|Moot Judges of Rhul]] and the [[Iron_Kingdoms#Iosans|Iosan Custodians]] respectively), nothing about these subclasses really prevents them from being lifted for use in other settings when paired with the right deity.

As it happens, most of these Oaths, besides having overlapping tenets between each other, also tend to fall into established archetypes among both character tropes and Paladin personalities, so they're a lot easier to include if you like their mechanics or their specific mix of tenets. Most of the previous tips can be applied to these, and you can even adapt the source material if you want to more closely follow it or give context/flavor.

Tenets of Purification (Oath of Radiance):
::'''Compassion:''' Aid others, protect the weak, and punish those who threaten the powerless. Show mercy to your foes, but temper it with wisdom.
::'''Discipline:''' You are the shield against the endless terrors of the world. Your blade must be forever sharp and your spirit pure.
::'''Purity:''' You are the cleansing light that vanquishes the foul and unclean. You will not tolerate the corruption of the innocent, whether in life or in death.
Befitting Cygnar being the [[Ultramarines|designated "Lawful Good" poster boys]] of Warmachine, the Oath of Radiance can be played like you're a worshiper of Bahamut. Or a Watcher Paladin with a stronger emphasis on Good.
* The first tenet is your best reminder to avoid going full Black Templar: You're supposed to HELP PEOPLE AND CARE, not just punish evil.
* The other two tenets heavily focus on facing external threats. These are good plot hooks to get you moving against whatever is in the campaign, but should be taken with care to not become too zealous. Discipline can work if you focus on self-improvement, and Purity can be less "BURN THE HERETIC" if you remember that protecting the innocent is part of its motivation.
* Tips from the Oath of the Watcher or Midgard's own Oath of Radiance can come in handy to help avoid too much friction with the party: be pragmatic if a fellow player draws strength from a Fiendish or similar source, and try treating it as a plot arc for redemption or coexistence, instead of just flat out going "YOU ARE CORRUPTED AND I REFUSE TO WORK WITH YOUR TAINTED SOUL". And of course, consider things like motives, circumstances, and personal loyalty...as well as, y'know, working together against the greater threat.

Tenets of the Wall:
::'''Compassion:''' Aid others, protect the weak, and punish those who threaten the powerless. Show mercy to your foes, but temper it with wisdom.
::'''Discipline:''' You are the shield against the endless terrors of the world. Your blade must be forever sharp and your spirit pure.
::'''Protection:''' You are the sanctuary of the innocent, and behind your shield, they can find respite. Every life lost under your watch is a failure of duty and must be atoned. 
::'''Vigilance:''' The threats you face are cunning, powerful and subversive. Be ever alert for their corruption.
Ironically, the [[Ecclesiarchy|religious fanatics]] of the setting provided a more compassionate Oath than the blueberry mascots. It can even be played straight up like the Oath of Devotion! (Granted, it's the Nice exception compared to the majority of the Protectorate's organizations which are decidedly Lawful and Zealous)
* Like the Oath of Devotion, you have justification to avoid being Lawful Stupid or Stupid Good, using sensible judgement in situations and avoiding being a killjoy by caring for others.
* Much like Paladins of Pelor, your tenets actively promote being kind and caring for the innocent. Definitely a big aid in fitting in your Paladin, though like previous tips say, try not to be disruptive with it. Whether by being gullible, or pompous in parading your goodness.
** Heavy roleplayers will want to be extra mindful of what "atonement" in the third tenet means to them and fit in something appropriate to the group dynamics. This being the Protectorate of Menoth, atonement can range among self-flagellation, a penitent crusade, or simply spending a weekend donating alms to the local soup kitchen.
* With so much emphasis on being a stoic, compassionate defender of the innocent, the fourth tenet might seem almost like an afterthought by comparison. Even so, mind that you don't go full Inquisition in your vigil against corruption; your other tenets can help with that.

Tenets of Edicts:
::'''Authority:''' Your actions are irrefutable. You do not protect or harm others for personal gain or a fleeting mortal agenda. You simply act in harmony with divine decrees and ensure that others live their lives by the same standard.
::'''Law:''' You understand the differences between the laws of mortals and the laws of gods. Mortal laws that conflict with divine laws are to be disregarded. When a divine law is broken, the individuals responsible should be punished as decreed by the divine law for such transgressions.
This is where things get a little tricky. And from the setting's dwarves, no less! Namely because, as you can see, there's a heavy emphasis on "GOD LAWS BETTER THAN MORTAL LAWS".
* Some cultural context might actually really help: in brief, the Iron Kingdom's dwarves lean towards neutrality, and their [[Iron_Kingdoms#The_Great_Fathers_and_the_Claywives|religion's mythology]] basically leans towards being productive craftsmen, as their idea of heaven is eternally perfecting their craft. So from here on out, it helps to remember that for the intended followers of this Oath, "divine teachings" leans more towards "be a kickass crafter" rather than "smite the demonic". Plus, there's elements of freedom over slavery, using intelligence to better your life, and everyone having a place and purpose.
* The first tenet certainly threatens to make you someone certain they're always right while telling others what to do like [[Order_of_the_Stick#Other_Characters|Order of the Stick's Miko]], just because "[[Word Bearers|I harm or protect as the gods decree]]". However, you CAN avoid being an unsympathetic, aloof fanatic if said teachings actually account for being productive and protecting others. Then it can work in your favor when you follow the actual intent behind early religious characters: [[The Last Church|doing the right thing because of your faith, and defying the corrupt telling you to look the other way or further their cause]].
* Ironic that the tenet of LAW threatens to make you go full Chaotic Stupid, given that it doesn't even tell you to respect local laws or just authority, but instead to actively disregard them if they contradict your teachings despite saying that "you understand the differences between them". However, you can follow the earlier tip for this: your divine teachings are actually a fairly decent template which accounts for things like selfless protection and just laws, and what you're standing against isn't "Human Culture C with X laws on Religion and Taxation", but the sort of tyrants a D&D party is supposed to face who set laws like "You have to pay the Tax on the Royal Taxes, otherwise I throw you in jail and charge you Triple Taxes while your family pays the Imprisonment Tax".

Tenets of the Custodian:
::'''Duty:''' Be responsible for your actions and their consequences, protect your charges, and obey those who have just authority over you.
::'''Vigilance:''' The threats to your charge are cunning, powerful and subversive. Be ever alert for their corruption.
::'''Courage:''' You must be willing to do what needs to be done for the sake of order, even in the face of overwhelming odds. If you don't act, then who will?
And finally, the setting's elves round things out with their take on the Oath of the Crown! And thankfully, it can be played in a similar fashion.
* Basic Oath of the Crown tips help: Follow the party because you were ordered to, have some operational freedom, and/or appreciate Law and Order because they're meant to benefit people.
* There's a lot of emphasis on being a responsible and Lawful individual. However, while "your charges" could be seen as a clinical "escort mission objective" for the especially Lawful Stupid types, it's just as viable to inject more compassion into it and define charges along more humane lines, like "the people I want to protect, my allies, and the subordinates who trust me with their lives".
* Going by the literal definition of the term, a good way to integrate yourself into the party and the plot is to use what you're supposed to be a [[Adeptus Custodes|Custodian]] of. You're cooperating with them in order to better protect or restore it, or because the Big Bad is trying to destroy it.
* Cultural context isn't as necessary to make this oath playable as it is for the Oath of Edicts, but it can help with inspiration. Long story short, the [[Retribution_of_Scyrah#The_history_of_the_Elves_in_the_Iron_Kingdoms|elves of the Iron Kingdoms]] are in peril: their [[Iron_Kingdoms#The_Divine_Court_of_the_Elves|gods]] entered the mortal realm only to get separated from the divine one and are now slowly dying out, their kingdoms are shattered, their people are scattered, and they're facing threats all around. You don't need to adjust the Oath that much to use it in a game, but you can still draw inspiration from the fact that you're a Custodian of a broken people whose gods are on the road to extinction, and you're trying to preserve or restore what little is left while [[Retribution of Scyrah|extremists]] think to cut out the cancer from the roots (human magic, human magic is the cancer is what we're saying).