# Religious Fantasy



## svtarr (Jun 9, 2015)

I am working on my first book and I really want to explore Paladins, Clerics, and Priests in an adventuring and warfare type of story line.

Are there any good fantasy novels that explore these kinds of classes deeper?  

I would like to walk a thin line between the historical Templar type of warrior and the Dungeons and Dragons Paladins and Clerics.

Thanks
SVTARR


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## thecoldembrace (Jun 9, 2015)

Warrior Priest by Darius Hinks is a good story in the area you are looking for.


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## svtarr (Jun 9, 2015)

Thank you.  It will be ordered today for immediate consumption.


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## Caged Maiden (Jun 9, 2015)

ooh, I do like paladins--so much I wrote one too.  I like the idea of toning down the D&D class a touch and combining it more with a Knight Templar feel.  When I wrote my paladin, I went a little further away from D&D and instead created a young man who was trained as a soldier in a military academy, but underneath he was a religious fanatic and fancied himself like the paladins from children's stories, holy knights that fight for good and smite the undead.  

Your concept sounds fun.  I don't specifically know of any books that depict paladins, but you might try Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance, just for ideas.  Unfortunately, my own concept (after the MC mentioned above is old and gone and the order he began takes on a new sort of presence in the land) needs work.  I don't think my order is very strong because they don't have a motivation other than battling undead...which aren't common in my world.  I'd encourage you to give your paladins a bigger purpose than mine have, because I don't think my concept is strong enough to explain their continued existence in three books.  In that case, I'd think history books about the actual Knights Templar might be a good place to start--just to give them some motivations.

Best wishes.


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## svtarr (Jun 9, 2015)

Awesome advice and some angles I hadn't considered as dig into my first draft. So excited that I found this forum and the knowledge and experience the members hold.


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## CupofJoe (Jun 10, 2015)

There are The Thirty in various of David Gemmell's Drenai Novels.


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## X Equestris (Jun 10, 2015)

I'm working on a project that features something rather similar to this.  The order that is featured polices magic users and deals with magic related threats.  That mostly takes the form of security at centers of magical learning, patrolling the countryside and ensuring that those mages who live amongst the populace are following the rules, and deploying units to investigate and eliminate dangers involving magic.  They started out as an arm of the main religion of my setting, but separated after one of that religion's heads attempted to use them for her personal ends, and for purposes that ran counter to the fundamentals of the religion.  So by the point my main work is going to take place, the order is entirely separate, though the faith is still a major part of it.  I'm planning on introducing religious strife with schisms and such later on.

Looking for info on real life military-religious orders like the Templars, the Hospitallers, the Teutonics, etc. would be useful for ideas about organization and how such groups operated.  Obviously, the fantasy aspects are going to vary based on your world, but I think the recommendations of the others in this thread are solid.


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## Feo Takahari (Jun 10, 2015)

_Three Hearts and Three Lions_ predated and influenced how D&D portrayed paladins. _The Deed of Pakensarrion_ was written in response to how people _played_ paladins, attempting to show a more sensible approach than the smite-first ask-questions-later style players often went for. I've heard _The Stormlight Archive_ has a great paladin as well.

Would I be smote for mentioning a certain spoilery paladin in _Final Fantasy IV_?


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## Russ (Jun 10, 2015)

Templars seem to get all the love.

I reccomend the Urban book on the Teutonic Knights and their military history.  I think you would get a lot out of it.


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## Epaminondas (Jun 10, 2015)

I love those types of characters/groups too. 

I'm have two such groups in my WIP. One is an anti-mage group similar to what X Equestris described though magic is completely banned by international treaty in my world so the knightly order is sort of a UN type of force.

The other one is very much a my take on the Templers/Hospitallers. There are divisions of the order, corresponding to the three moons and three deities of my setting (for one of the religions). I used a lot of stuff from the Templars for the hierarchy, qualifications, organization, etc... Ironically I'm having the same trouble with them that the actual Templars ran in to... what's their purpose during peacetime (when there are no pilgrims to protect)

I wish I had good advice on where to find good information because it's surprisingly hard to find good info about them that isn't just the basic story. But if you're wanting a D&D sort of blend then look to the Knights of Solamnia from the Dragonlance books. They were pretty much a great example of taking a Templar template and fitting them into a new setting. That's really what it's about... making them fit your established world history and give them a reason to exist


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## Russ (Jun 10, 2015)

You are right that the Templars have inspired a ton of very poor quality publications.

I have a strong medieval library at home, if there are certain areas of knowledge about the crusading orders you need info on, let me know and I can try and compile a vetted reading list for you.


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