I personally hate skills with x times per day usage. And looking at Shadowdark's design choices, it seems to me that it's not used very much. Is Knight of Sr Ydris an exception?
I find the regular choice of making a roll testing your attribute when using a ability more elegant and exciting. No need for control over daily uses, and more in line with how magic and most class abilities are used.
Some classic paladin restrictions are on tithing. You must donate 10% of your acquired treasure to a good religious institution or the poor. You cannot use this tithe for your own benefit in any way.
You cannot adventure with Chaotic or Neutral characters.
Lose Paladin powers by doing things that are not Lawful/Good.
No stealth items. Maybe further restrict dishonorable missile weapons, like crossbows.
Sense evil (and/or evil intent!) by smelling the aura.
Limit Cleric spells to Healing and Protection, i.e. a more narrow band of spells
No assassination or backstabbing: In some rules, Paladins can't perform sneak attacks or use underhanded tactics. This limits combat strategies, making them less effective in ambushes or surprise scenarios.
Must uphold law: If the local laws are unjust, but the Paladin is bound to follow Lawful Good, they might have to struggle between obeying the law and doing what's right. This could create moral dilemmas, but if the law is evil, does the Paladin have to oppose it? Maybe, but that's a tricky balance.
Paladin Reputation score mini game mechanic: Paladin gets and maintains a Paladin score.
I personally hate skills with x times per day usage. And looking at Shadowdark's design choices, it seems to me that it's not used very much. Is Knight of Sr Ydris an exception?
I find the regular choice of making a roll testing your attribute when using a ability more elegant and exciting. No need for control over daily uses, and more in line with how magic and most class abilities are used.
I also always think that paladins are tied to oaths. Oaths that determine your powers and penalties are great.
Some classic paladin restrictions are on tithing. You must donate 10% of your acquired treasure to a good religious institution or the poor. You cannot use this tithe for your own benefit in any way.
You cannot adventure with Chaotic or Neutral characters.
Lose Paladin powers by doing things that are not Lawful/Good.
No stealth items. Maybe further restrict dishonorable missile weapons, like crossbows.
Sense evil (and/or evil intent!) by smelling the aura.
Limit Cleric spells to Healing and Protection, i.e. a more narrow band of spells
No assassination or backstabbing: In some rules, Paladins can't perform sneak attacks or use underhanded tactics. This limits combat strategies, making them less effective in ambushes or surprise scenarios.
Must uphold law: If the local laws are unjust, but the Paladin is bound to follow Lawful Good, they might have to struggle between obeying the law and doing what's right. This could create moral dilemmas, but if the law is evil, does the Paladin have to oppose it? Maybe, but that's a tricky balance.
Paladin Reputation score mini game mechanic: Paladin gets and maintains a Paladin score.