Isn't paladin just warlock with a sharp stick?

[Daitengu]

See, the main difference between a Warlock and Paladin is alignment and costs of power.

Warlocks often sell their souls for power and align with evil gods and demons. While Paladins sell their work/duty for power aligning with mostly good gods.

Warlocks are also spell casting summoners while Paladins are sword n board healers.

Just saying, you CAN be a warlock for a good god, and a paladin for an evil god. And the powers you get change accordingly. Evil Paladins aka dark knights life steal instead of using a god's power to heal. And light warlocks will cast a light bolt instead of shadow, and summon something good aligned like an angel instead of a demon.

Chinese cultivation novels like to drop the whole equivalent exchange part and be selfish dicks. I can't hate on them for that, only pity them, fore their government lead them to be that way. Like one novel with an mc Warlock killed and incorporated the most dangerous animal's blood into his body literally becoming less human. Then upgraded his power through theft and murder over the course of the novels.

 

[AliceShiki]

This is how I'd define it:

Priest/Cleric: Someone who has vowed to devote their life to a deity.

Paladin: A priest that wears an armor and knows how to wield a weapon.

Warlock: Synonym to "priest of an evil deity."

 

[WingsOfPhantasy]

Hmmmn... Maybe, but I've yet to see a Warlock rock a cool armor set like a Paladin, so no.

 

[NotaNuffian]

See, the main difference between a Warlock and Paladin is alignment and costs of power.

Warlocks often sell their souls for power and align with evil gods and demons. While Paladins sell their work/duty for power aligning with mostly good gods.

Warlocks are also spell casting summoners while Paladins are sword n board healers.

Just saying, you CAN be a warlock for a good god, and a paladin for an evil god. And the powers you get change accordingly. Evil Paladins aka dark knights life steal instead of using a god's power to heal. And light warlocks will cast a light bolt instead of shadow, and summon something good aligned like an angel instead of a demon.

Chinese cultivation novels like to drop the whole equivalent exchange part and be selfish dicks. I can't hate on them for that, only pity them, fore their government lead them to be that way. Like one novel with an mc Warlock killed and incorporated the most dangerous animal's blood into his body literally becoming less human. Then upgraded his power through theft and murder over the course of the novels.

That isn't a warlock, that is a reskinned chinese cultivator.

 

[Daitengu]

That isn't a warlock, that is a reskinned chinese cultivator.

IKR! CN warlocks just miss the whole point.

 

[MintiLime]

Outside of gaming mechanics, in novels I often see that paladins have an Order, and they are typically part of Organized Religion, whereas the typical Warlock seems to be a one off powerful dude

 

[Cortavar]

From my understanding of DnD :

- Clerics are devoted to an actual god, be it good or evil, and supposed to be a part of the larger organized religion of that god. They pray the god for magic powers and receive them after.
- Unless they're not and are either stealing powers from the gods or drawing it directly from upper concepts. But those two are fringe options, and not representative of the general cleric.

- Paladins are warriors who have a strong set of values, and are empowered by them. How the empowerment works is up to the individual DM and even the individual paladin. Higher beings, gods, concepts, self strength of the soul, pushing from the other dimension or pulling by the paladin, all explanations can work.

- Warlocks are either cunning little shits or hapless idiots who beseeched, stumbled upon or were chosen by beings far beyond a mortal's understanding. Their patron can be a proto god, a demon, a fey, a great old one or basically any really powerful entity living in an external plane that isn't a real god. Their relationship with their patron is a lot more personal than paladins or clerics, as they can briefly meet them or receive direct messages from them. Selling your soul isn't mandatory for warlocks, but it's a common practice for the kind of beings they serve.

The main difference between a paladin recognized and powered by the Fey and a warlock in service of a Fey would be that the first is judged upon their acts, and the second upon their results. Even with the same entity granting power, the dynamic isn't the same.

If you are a powerful outer being and you want a person to act as an exemple of what virtues you believe in, get yourself a paladin. If you want to get shit done to serve your own specific interests, no matter how, get yourself a warlock. If you want to be worshipped and a religion or cult built around you, with people who serve your general interests, get yourself a cleric.