Paladin Sage Abilities

Below can be found a list of the knowledge fields and studies available to the Paladin Class. Starting at 1st level, the paladin gains one field, and one study within that field. This choice is left entirely to the player.

There are four fields to choose from:

Animal Training: the act of teaching animals to perform specific responses when presented with defined conditions or stimuli. Training may be directed towards companionship, labour, detection, protection, hunting, herding, entertainment and other practical ends. This field also encompasses the selection and breeding of animals for desired traits, as well as the care, treatment and maintenance of their health through basic veterinary knowledge.

Leadership: enables the character to organise, direct and oversee other persons, from small groups to larger bodies acting in concert. The field provides practical understanding of authority, the exercise of command and the maintenance of order, allowing the character to guide effort towards a defined purpose. It includes recognition of power, the pursuit of personal aims and the defence of established social values.

Mastery at Arms: increases the efficacy and efficiency of using weapons in combat, enabling the character to employ arms with greater precision, timing and control, and thereby gain a superior advantage over an adversary.

Reverence: relates to a life of conscious grace and servitude to the divine, marked by true penitence for shortcomings, misjudgement, errors and transgressions, and enabling a deeper understanding of the divine and the unnatural, as well as the proper conduct expected in relation to both.

Sage Studies

The studies within these fields are each described more thoroughly on their own pages — and in turn are a number of sage abilities, which are located through the links below, awaiting possession by player characters and others. Following are a list of studies sorted by their field.

Animal Training

• Camelback Riding: describes the use of the camel for transportation across arid regions and for combat, including mounting, control, endurance travel and effective action while mounted. The study includes management of pace over long distances, rationing of water and load, handling of temperament and the use of camels in caravans and desert warfare.

• Dog Training: enables the use of dogs for defence, attack, tracking, transport and labour, including the conditioning of behaviour and the management of working animals in varied roles. It includes breeding for temperament, the teaching of commands, coordination of multiple animals and the care necessary to maintain their effectiveness in demanding conditions.

• Falconry: includes the use of falcons, hawks, eagles and owls for the purposes of hunting and reconnaissance, including their care, handling and directed flight. The study encompasses training birds to return, recognising their limits in weather and terrain and employing them to locate or flush prey and observe distant activity.

• Flying Mounts: includes the use of hippogriffs, pegasi and other aerial mounts for transportation and combat, including control in flight and manoeuvre at altitude. It covers take-off and landing, maintaining position in the air, communication with the mount and the risks associated with aerial movement and engagement.

• Horseback Riding: describes the use of the horse for transportation, combat and labour, including mounting, control, pacing and effective action while riding. The study includes care of the animal, management over distance, riding in formation, use of the horse in battle and the handling of varied terrain and conditions.

• Mahout: enables action as rider, trainer and keeper of elephants and oliphants, including their control, direction and management in work and combat. It includes understanding their behaviour, issuing commands, maintaining discipline and employing their strength in labour, transport and warfare.

• Underwater Mounts: allows knowledge of hippocampi, sea horses and sea turtles, enabling controlled movement and action in waterborne and underwater environments. The study includes handling of mounts in currents, coordination of movement beneath the surface, awareness of depth and pressure and the use of such creatures in travel and conflict below the waterline.

Leadership

• Heroism: a philosophy that quests for reverence and glory through great risk, deeds and selflessness, encouraging the undertaking of actions that place honour, sacrifice and the welfare of others above personal safety. The study fosters a reputation for courage, shapes conduct in moments of danger and promotes acts that inspire recognition and lasting renown.

• Judgment: enables the character to make sound decisions when selecting and directing those who serve under them, particularly in assigning duties and placing trust in both followers and hirelings. It includes the assessment of character, reliability and capability, allowing effective delegation and oversight. The study also grants the ability to influence and steady larger bodies of people, extending beyond immediate associates to groups as large as a settlement, a province or an entire kingdom.

• Logistics: provides detailed knowledge of the organisation and management of supply, movement and support, enabling the endurance of long-term campaigns and the efficient operation of smaller parties. It includes the acquisition, storage and distribution of resources, planning of routes and timing, and the maintenance of cohesion and readiness over extended periods.

• Motivation: enables the character to inspire and strengthen the morale of hirelings and followers, encouraging loyalty, resolve and willingness to act, particularly in combat. The study supports the rallying of individuals and groups to a common purpose and extends to the ability to influence wider populations, from a settlement to a province or kingdom, when circumstances allow.

Mastery at Arms

• Martial Discipline: improves the tactical advantage of combatants through comprehension of formations, movement and the use of special equipment, allowing coordinated action, effective positioning and the maintenance of order in combat. The study includes the organisation of troops, control of spacing and timing and the proper employment of arms and armour in concert with others.

• Physical Balance: describes the combatant’s ability to improve balance, posture and footwork while fighting or performing labour, enabling stability under strain, controlled movement across uneven ground and the recovery of position after impact or misstep. The study applies equally to combat and strenuous activity requiring coordination and control.

• Puissance: a collection of enhanced weapon skills and combat proficiencies that increase the individual’s effectiveness as an opponent, improving strength of blow, timing of attack and the ability to press an advantage. The study reflects disciplined practice and physical conditioning directed towards the decisive use of arms.

• Unarmed Combat: improves the character’s ability to fight without weapons, increasing opportunities to strike and cause damage when pummelling, grappling and overbearing. The study includes control of the opponent’s body, use of leverage and balance and the application of force at close quarters.

Reverence

• Beasts: provides knowledge of supernatural animal forms, their behaviour and their nature, including their habits, origins and the conditions under which they may be encountered. The study includes recognition of such creatures, understanding of their tendencies and the means by which they may be avoided, approached or opposed.

• Divination: pursues means of discovering knowledge of the present, past and future through extra-sensory communication, including signs, omens and other forms of insight beyond ordinary perception. The study encompasses interpretation of such information and the limits within which it may be trusted or applied.

• Dweomercraft: incorporates the power to detect, communicate with and ultimately control manifestations and creatures of supernatural origin. The study includes recognition of magical presence, interaction with such forces and the methods by which they may be influenced or directed.

• Piety: reflects the paladin’s personal confidence and trust in their religious cause and sacred destiny, sustaining adherence to doctrine, conduct and obligation. The study reinforces devotion, strengthens resolve in the face of doubt and aligns the character’s actions with the expectations of their faith.

Awarding Knowledge Points

At 1st level, the paladin player character will gain 12 knowledge points in their chosen study. A d8-1 is rolled for the other studies in the paladin's chosen field, producing a result of 0 to 7 each. A d4-1 is rolled for all other studies in all other fields, producing a result of 0 to 3 each. Therefore, the paladin will accumulate sufficient points in every study to most likely become an amateur in all or most studies. Be sure to read the sage abilities page for additional details.

This accumulation is assumed to occur steadily, through everyday discussions with NPCs in settled places, chance reading of books, experiment and insight, whether or not the character ever expresses their intention to gather this knowledge. Time in the campaign is often skirted over ... so we may assume the character spoke to someone in their profession along a road, at a tavern, perhaps finding a shelf of books (and poking through themm) during an afternoon's shopping or whenever.

Once the character has gained sufficient levels, the number of both fields and studies are increased. Furthermore, as levels are gained, so are knowledge points, enabling characters to progress from amateur to authority, and thence to expert and sage. At 5th, 9th and 13th levels, the paladin will gain a new study in a field that the paladin possesses. At 7th and 13th levels, the paladin will gain a new field.