Types of Edicts (CPaH)

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Below are three categories of religious edicts, along with several representative examples. The DM is encouraged to supplement these lists with edicts of his own. Though the number of edicts varies according to doctrine and circumstance, it's a rare paladin who isn't required to follow at least one or two edicts from each category.
==Expressions of Faith==
Most paladins, regardless of whether they follow a religion or philosophy, must perform certain rites to affirm their faith. Church officials may establish some of them; for instance, a paladin may be required to pray before every meal. Others may be self-imposed; for instance, a paladin may dedicate each battle to the spirit of his murdered brother. Other examples:
Prayer: The most common type of religious expression, prayer takes many forms. A prayer may be a verbal recitation from a sacred text, several minutes of silent meditation, or a fresh verse composed anew each morning. A paladin may be required to pray at a particular time every day (at sunrise or before bed), whenever he gets a chance (such as once a week), or only when a certain event occurs (the death of a companion or a falling star).
Rituals: A ritual comprises a fixed sequence of actions, performed at a specific time (the first day of spring, the paladin's birthday) or to recognize a particular event (the defeat of an enemy, the acquisition of a bonded mount). An endless variety of rituals is possible: tossing a gem into a volcano, building a shrine with a specific number of stones, bathing in a stream with a perfumed soap, immersing a sword in an enemy's ashes.
Proselytizing: Some churches require their paladins to proselytize, spreading the word about their faith and recruiting new converts (an especially strict church might impose a recruitment quota, requiring a paladin to bring in a minimum number of converts every year). Alternately, the paladin may invite curious agnostics to attend religious services or engage skeptics in philosophic dialogues. He may also (in the absence of suitable clerics) give religious instruction to acolytes, lead prayer services, and assist with sermons.
Symbol: To demonstrate his devotion, the paladin may be obliged to display the symbol of his faith on his shield, armor, or banner. He may also wear a piece of jewelry, such as a ring or pendant, inscribed with the symbol.
Pilgrimage: The paladin may have to make pilgrimages to a temple, saint's tomb, mountain peak, cemetery, or other sacred location. Once he arrives, he may be required to say a prayer, present an offering, or spend the night in meditation. A pilgrimage may be made on a specific date (a holy holiday or the date of a founder's death) or within a particular period (once a year or any time before he attains a new level).
==Service==
The paladin may be expected to perform a variety of military, ceremonial, and household duties. These duties supplement the routine responsibilities required of all paladins, as described in Chapter 7. Examples:
Eliminate enemies of the faith: All paladins are expected to defend their faith against the forces of evil. As a minimum, the paladin must protect his church, monastery, or temple from enemy attacks, and must also seek out and destroy all evil characters and creatures.
Beyond these basic requirements, the paladin's responsibilities depend on exactly how his faith defines evil. While most faiths accept the standard definition (that is, the definition in the PH), some define evil more narrowly. It's possible, for instance, for a church to condemn a particular neutral religion as blasphemous, in which case a paladin may be obliged to destroy the followers of the neutral religion as if they were evil (the Votary, described in Chapter 4, is one example). Conversely, a liberal church may require its paladins to eliminate only chaotic evil characters and creatures; other evil adversaries may be destroyed, imprisoned, or even tolerated, as decided by the individual paladin.
Healing: In many religions, a paladin's extraordinary healing powers are valued not only for their practical applications, but also for their sacred implications. Each healing may be a holy sacrament, proof of the deity's compassion.
As a requirement of such a faith, a paladin may have to perform elaborate healing ceremonies. For example, the paladin may don a golden ritual gown, then lay hands on an ailing peasant while priestly acolytes chant and sing.
In certain primitive religions, priests believe that evil spirits cause illness. The mere presence of a paladin helps frighten the spirits away. In practice, a paladin may stay with an infirm patient for days, even weeks, until the illness passes.
A paladin may also be obliged to assist at the beginning and end of life when a cleric isn't available. During the delivery of a child, a paladin's words comfort the mother while his touch blesses the new baby with good health. When a high-ranking priest or important member of the congregation nears death, the paladin remains at his bedside, acting as a symbolic escort into the next world.
==Behavior==
Faiths impose behavioral edicts to instill discipline, address the perceived desires of a deity, or keep their followers submissive. Some behavioral edicts persist merely as tradition, their meaning no longer understood. Examples include:
* No facial hair. Heads must be shaven bald (females included) or tonsured.
* Fast for 1–4 days per month. (The DM may impose a –1 penalty on all ability checks or combat rolls during this time.)
* Must wear certain clothing (a cap or other head covering, sandals instead of boots, a knotted belt, a particular color).
* No violent acts in a church burial ground.
* Must leave a portion of food remaining on his plate and a sip of drink in his cup at the end of a meal (to symbolize temperance).
* May not touch a corpse.
* Must always sleep in a particular way.
* May not use curative powers on animals.
* May fight on a holy day only in self-defense.
==Historical Role of the Church==
Compared to his medieval counterpart, the knight of the 10th century was almost unrecognizable. More outlaw than hero, the pre-feudal knight gloried in barbarism, ignoring written law in favor of vigilantism. The monarchy, weakened by infighting and indifference, could do little to control them. While peasants came to resent and even fear the knights, they lacked the resources to impose order. Anarchy loomed.
Uneasy about the knights' increasing power, the church abdicated its passive status and resolved to take action. This decision was made for two reasons. First, the church stood for peace and order, principles the knights openly mocked. To live up to these sacred ideals, the church had no choice but to assert its authority. Second were practical considerations. The church depended on peasant tithes and rental property for income. For its economic survival, the church had to find a way to suppress knightly greed.
The church initiated its ambitious campaign in the late 10th century by proclaiming the "Peace of God." Taken literally, the Peace of God renewed the church's commitment to protecting the lives and property of all people. Implicit in the proclamation, however, was the notion that those who threatened to disrupt the social order were enemies not only of the state, but of God himself. Although no enemies were identified, the proclamation was obviously aimed at the knights.
To enforce the Peace of God, church dignitaries organized a series of ceremonial affirmations. Held in public forums to guarantee large audiences and maximum exposure, the dignitaries invited nobles, aristocrats, military officials, and the knights themselves to pledge a peace-keeping oath. The ceremonies were conducted with much pomp and solemnity, including the presentation of sacred relics and special prayers to reaffirm God's omnipotence. Further, the church warned that anyone who failed to uphold the Peace of God would be excommunicated. It was a threat not taken lightly. Even the most seditious knights feared an afterlife in Purgatory—or worse.
The church undertook the second phase of its campaign in the early 11th century by issuing the "Truce of God." Unlike the previous proclamation, the Truce was specifically directed to the knights, spelling out in no uncertain terms the behavior expected of them in order to remain true to their faith. Knights were forbidden to attack the clergy under any circumstances, nor were they allowed to commit violent acts against peasants. They were required to fast on holy days and refrain from fighting on the weekends. Fearing divine retribution, the knights grudgingly complied.
By the middle 11th century, the church had succeeded in convincing the knights that they were soldiers of God. As such, they were duty-bound to defend the church and promote its interests. Reluctantly but irrevocably, the knights adjusted, abandoning their independence for their new role as divine servants. They accepted special blessings, participated in sacred rituals, and distinguished themselves on the field of battle. Once scorned, knights were now respected and admired.
But the benefits gained by the knights paled before those acquired by the church. Not only had the church built an army of loyal warriors, it had become a formidable political force. As the church grew in wealth and power, the distinctions between religion and government gradually blurred. Clerical leaders came to influence every facet of government. This uneasy alliance persisted for much of the Middle Ages.