From my understanding:

1. Paladins serve concepts in the form of tenets. These concepts are also a part of certain god portfolio's. Sometimes they directly serve the applicable god. Sometimes they serve churches, temples, or religious sects. Most of the time they adventure due to tenets. Many join the Order of the Gauntlet so they don't have to wait for orders from a temple or blocked by a government to strike down evil. Looking up "Order of the Gauntlet" faction if you are looking for something specific. They protect the weak and strike down evil preferably before things get out of hand.

2. Depending on the tenets, its usually "strike down evil, protect good". A lot of evil roams free. Clean up an area and move on would be my guess. Picking a subclass means you completed your training and took your vows.

3. If you unintentionally broke your vow. You have to spend a long time depending on the severity of the crime seeking absolution. This can be facilitated by another of your order. Both cleric and paladin are qualified to help you, but has to be from your specific order. If you are devout enough you could do it yourself (Dm's choice).

If you did so intentionally and the crime is severe enough, it use to be that the god would curse you several times over and turn you into a Death Knight(powerful undead) and be labelled an Oath Breaker. Doomed to seek redemption for as long as the god says so. When or if you redeem yourself the god would claim your soul and you'd be welcome to their realm.

Nowadays you just lose all power and either you suck at life or another god picks you up. Oath Breaker devolved to be an evil paladin that simply serves something evil.

4. Loss of love, warmth, and a piece of your very soul. They are divine casters. The very essence flowed through them. Nature, life, light, etc depending on who or what you served. Quite heartbreaking. They'd be very bitter and always looking over their back for the inevitable retribution. You devoted your life and were rewarded, but you turned your back. They would know immediately and it would be quite painful but definitely not all physically either.

5. Yes. Pantheons may favor you including who you follow to give you room to likely do what you want. Also creatures from the plane your god lives in technically could favor you as well. Unlikely but a DM may have a say in that. Oath of Vengeance comes to mind as an example of a paladin that does not necessarily have to serve a god at all.

Last edited by Aishaddai; 11/04/21 08:23 PM.