Category:Project Heretica

First, for those who guessed: YES, IT HAS TO DO WITH PALADINS. But not entirely with paladins, actually. Most explanation will be done on how the name emerged (it will be silly and you will unleash words of undiluted wrath upon me once you hear it), but it has evolved into a little thing on its own, because it managed to reveal a little thing I wasn't aware of in my own retoolings.

So, without further ado, I introduce...Project Heretica

1) Why "Project Heretica"? It sounds like a quirky name...

And...well, yes, it is quirky.

You see, most (if not all people; if not, you'll know here) of the people I know are aware that my favorite class...no, archetype in a fantasy setting is definitely the Paladin. In fact, whenever I play a game, usually the main character WILL resemble a Paladin in some way, unless the main character's progression is fixed. Whether it's a console game, an MMO (with some exceptions), or a tabletop game, the first archetype I seek is definitely Paladin.

And, of course, there are LOTS of perceptions about Paladinhood, but there are some core concepts. First, they are GOOD. No, not merely Lawful Good, not merely Altruistic, but Good to the point of ridiculousness. That is balanced with a specific concept; they are GOOD, but they are also GRITTY. It's not easy being the good guy, much less the hero in a place full of corruption, where your higher-ups DEMAND you to be the beacon of light in the sea of darkness, much less when your companions won't stop until they corrupt you. Sometimes, harsh decisions have to be made, but the Paladin will be one of the few, if not the only one, who will ponder on what's beyond.

Another is that they are warriors blessed. They are skilled in arms just as the swordmaster, or the huge guy wielding an axe, or the guy with flair and a thin needle in his arm, its handle covered by an impossibly nice-looking cup. However, because of their mission, they are also blessed with nice things. Blessed armor. Healing abilities. Ways to layeth the wrath of their gods upon the non-believers and the forces of darkest Evil.

Another thing is that they are called. You can try your best to become a Paladin, but unless you've heard that call, it's hard, if not impossible, to stir the gods to give you that power. You've probably been screened from your birth, and you'll gonna be pestered about it until the day you die, and probably the gods will be FURIOUS because you decided to be a simple farmer instead of leading the glorious battle of Good against Evil. Or...maybe not, but not everyone can answer the call.

And...well, they are meant to be tanks. In the defensive, surviving, sense of the word. Look at any game that has Paladins, and what you'll probably see is that they hit just as hard as the warrior wearing the same weapon would on a normal day (without the buffs that make that warrior hit harder), but when you take a hit, while the squishies would die, you just call it a flesh wound and then heal it up to non-existence. Huge explosions? Nah, you shrug it off and say "did it got hot in here"? Vile, poisonous wounds that could kill a man in seconds? "Aww, my clothes got stained... PREPARE TO FACE THE WRATH OF MY GOD!!" The Paladin is expected to be the first to enter, and the last to leave, IF he is to leave at all.

So, after all of this, why the name "Project Heretica"? Well, you see, when reading the Tier system for classes system of Balance Points, I was quite surprised that the Paladin was well below the expected power curve, only useful if you were mounted on a pony with a drill for a weapon, shouting the finest praises to your deity in hopes you could land a crit; else, other people might just leave you and your fanaticism on the nearest church...if not a sacrificial altar in hopes of gaining favor with who knows which deity. It was a bit hard to deal with, but apparently, Paladins are not as awesome as they should be. And...well, considering just how many rewrites, upgrades, and rebalancings of Paladins you see (not as many as Monks, of course), D&D apparently doesn't have the best of Paladins.

So, as a dutiful Paladin fan, I decided to put the best of my abilities to place the Paladin on the pedestal it should be: right along the Grey Knights, the Diablo II Paladins...you know, the guys that dish holy justice and bite more that they can chew, swallow, digest and...erm, you get the idea. However, while there were less hassle with other classes, there's a fundamental problem with Paladins: if the class is supposed to be my favorite, why I am retooling it and not defending it until I am sorely beaten? That would be...heresy! Heresy of the worst sort!

Hence, "Project Heretica". Which isn't just about Paladins; as you'll see later on, it covers more than just those warriors of absolute Good...