Paladins are rare individuals on Krynn, mortals
chosen from among the faithful to do the noble
work of the gods of Light. Few enough receive the call
to paladinhood that in many eras their role is subsumed
by the work of the Solamnic knights or other military
orders with divine patronage. Paladins are highly
respected by priests of their patron deity, welcomed into
the churches as holy warriors in the cause of good, but
they are typically too focused on their direct service
to play much of a part in the day-to-day affairs of the
clergy.
Krynnish paladins require a lawful good, lawful
neutral or neutral good patron deity, and cannot use
supernatural, spell-like or spell abilities without one.
Paladine is foremost among the patrons of Krynn’s
paladins, although there have also been occasions when
Majere, Kiri-Jolith or even Mishakal has blessed an
unlikely mortal with the ability to challenge the powers
of evil. With the renewed focus on acquiring followers
and champions in the post-War of Souls era, and the
loss of Paladine from the ranks of the gods, the other
gods of light are investing more individuals as paladins
than in previous ages.
Paladins are able to freely multiclass as clerics
of their patron deity in the DRAGONLANCE
campaign, as well as acquire prestige classes devoted
to their deity, without suffering the consequences
described in the Player’s Handbook. There are no
paladins in eras where the gods are unknown or absent,
such as the early Age of Despair or Age of Mortals, and
after the Cataclysm their existence passes into legend
much like that of other true clerics.