This is a Paladin Outfit I made for Runescape.
Not much to say about it, it’s just a paladin armour.

Paladins are quite straightforward characters. They’re self righteous people with a thing against evil. As a matter of fact, I never could stand paladins in games or literature.
Self important, rigid blokes you can’t really argue with, and not particularly entertaining at the pub unless you fancy making fun of their bigotry (and possibly risk being cut in two by their holy sword during the process).

Ok, in games and books paladins usually speak directly to their deities, so there isn’t that “hey, who told you you’re good and I’m not” element that makes bigots so unpleasant in real life. Their answer would always be “my god did, really, now die”.

On the other hand, they tend to make game-play quite relaxing. Like “hey, there’s a guy dressed in black. And his armour has spikes and skulls, let’s kill him”. You don’t have to put too much thought into playing a paladin. If it’s evil it has to die, full stop.
Thieves and mercenaries are more fun, I’ve always thought.

This was an outfit destined for the shop, so the requirements were about a classic, quite iconic paladin armour.

The only slightly more unusual element I managed to slip in is its colour. Instead of the canonical, high reflective  steel armour I went for a white enamelled metal.
Which is, by the way, the kind of armour you would spend the most time cleaning.
Can you imagine how easily it would get dirty? If I lived in a Fantasy world I’d totally be a villain. You wear black and you don’t have to worry about stains.

Anyway, if I were to design an actual in-game paladin I’d try and convey the concept of a religious fanatic  a lot more.

To me a paladin is closer to an agent of the Spanish Inquisition than a good guy who learnt how to fight despite his distaste for violence.
I’d see Paladins as strict, close-minded people well determined to crush any opposition to their faith.
They would wear the sort of attire meant to scare infidels away, and possibly a hood, and cruel weapons.
They would carry symbols of their power, and be vocal in their convictions. And they would roam the land and mindlessly destroy anything they consider wrong, and maybe hang trophies of slain enemies on their armour, just to be sure their intentions are clear.

That would be a paladin I would play in a game. If I weren’t so fond of stealth and deception. And the occasional collateral damage.

by Paolo Puggioni

2 Responses

1. Vivi says:

   December 21, 2012 at 13:37

   “Ride like the wind
   Fight proud, my son
   You’re the defender
   God has sent”

   Reply
2. leonardo says:

   January 7, 2013 at 10:49

   Wonderfull armour details. I love your style 🙂

   Reply