Demographics (CPaH)

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It's fair to say that most campaigns have fewer paladins than any other character class. In part, this is due to the character generation rules. Unless the DM allows players to use Table 2 in Chapter 1, it's difficult to roll up the ability requirement numbers in the first place; it's hard enough to roll a 17 for Charisma, let alone the minimums for Strength, Constitution, and Wisdom. But remember, there's a reason for those numbers. Only the strongest, wisest, and most committed persons meet the demands of paladinhood, and the dice automatically weed out unqualified candidates.
The paladin's rigid ethos also keeps the population down. Where other characters may commit questionable acts without penalty, even a single violation of his ethos can cost the paladin his identity; one careless act, and he's back to fighter status. (To emphasize this point, the DM might arrange for a novice paladin to meet a fighter NPC who's suffered just such an indignity.) And let's not forget paladins' high mortality rate. Any character whose morals compel him to accept all challenges, fight to the last opponent, and die for a principle is unlikely to live to a ripe old age. In fact, many regard an elderly paladin as a curiosity; either he's an exceptionally skilled warrior or he's been extremely lucky.
A conscientious DM, then, should restrict the number of paladins in his campaign, both as PCs and NPCs. Most parties can handle one or two paladins without compromising realism or play balance. Encounters with NPC paladins will probably be rare, limited to tournaments, royal gatherings, and war zones in most adventures. If the party regularly meets, say, twice as many paladins as rangers or druids, reconsider the cast of characters.
Parties comprised of nothing but paladins are possible if the DM is comfortable with high-level encounters (with so many special abilities, a party of paladins requires tougher-than-usual challenges), and if he comes up with a plausible reason for bringing so many PC paladins together. An emergency meeting of The Most Ancient and Revered Order of the Thorn or some other order (see Chapter 9) makes a good starting point for an all-paladin campaign and may also suggest springboards for adventures. (An order member has committed an evil act and the PC paladins must bring him to justice; the order sends the PCs to a distant land to retrieve medicinal herbs for an dying High Officer.)
==Homeland==
Most paladins come from urban areas large enough to sustain an organized military, support a large church, or serve as a government base. As a matter of convenience, governments and churches seeking new paladins tend to draw from the immediate area rather than recruit in the hinterlands.
A candidate with an outstanding reputation inevitably comes to the attention of a recruiter, regardless of where he lives. Still, unfamiliarity with government protocol and discomfort in formal situations generally excludes candidates from rural areas. More likely, residents of remote areas who wish to become paladins will seek out mentors or small independent churches, often becoming Errants or Skyriders instead of Chevaliers or Divinates.
Once a character becomes a paladin, he won't necessarily remain in his own country. Unless he's assigned to the kingdom's standing army or appointed to a permanent bureaucratic position, he probably spends a good deal of his time in distant lands, representing his superiors on various quests and missions. A paladin's ties to his homeland may diminish as his career progresses; as he increases in level and experience, his superiors feel less of a need to monitor his activities. Paladins able to build strongholds often declare their independence by settling far from their old homes.
==Age==
Paladins have a lot to learn. They usually begin to train in childhood, well before age 10. A typical 1st-level paladin is 16–18 years old (see, however, the Medician, page 58).
Because their ethos requirements channel them into lives of conflict and danger, paladins die young. Paladins over 30 are rare, and it's nearly impossible to find one in his 40s. Paladins who reach 50 or 60 usually retire—some because of family obligations, others to attend to their strongholds. Often they retire at the insistence of their superiors, who find aging paladins more useful as teachers or administrators than soldiers.
==Social Background==
Most paladins have an aristocratic or noble background, coming from the upper ranks of their homeland's social class. A paladin's parents tend to be accomplished scholars, decorated soldiers, or respected bureaucrats, usually well-connected and affluent. Because of their educational and cultural advantages, children of privileged citizens best represent their government and church.
In practical terms, upper class candidates can better meet the economic demands of paladinhood. In many cases, new paladins must provide their own horses, armor, and weapons. These expenses, added to maintenance costs and tithing requirements, are often beyond the means of middle and lower class candidates. Would-be paladins of lesser resources must usually find patrons to foot the bills, or secure sponsorship from their governments or churches.
Regardless of his background, a candidate is typically treated as a member of the nobility once he becomes a paladin. The general populace respects him as a symbol of society's highest ideals. The aristocracy regards him as an honored colleague, if not quite an equal.
==Women as Paladins==
Even in the historical feudal era, women fulfilled some of the knight's military functions (see p. 86). In service of their king or church, women often donned armor and wielded swords. They fought with the skill of the best male soldiers, defending their strongholds from siege, even leading troops on the battlefield. Female paladins may be uncommon, but they're not unknown.
==Marriage==
Relatively few paladins marry. Because of their fealty responsibilities, most postpone marriage until their mid-to-late 20s, an age few of them actually reach. Financial obligations also make them hesitate. It's difficult to raise a family with so many demands on their already meager resources; how can a paladin choose between tithing and feeding a hungry child? Finally, some religions forbid marriage outright, demanding that celibacy be included as part of their paladins' ethos. For these reasons, rarely do more than 10-20% of the paladins in any campaign world ever take a spouse.
Though paladins are generally free to choose their mates from any social class, there are advantages to marrying into the aristocracy. A mate from the upper class solidifies the paladin's reputation in the eyes of both the general public and the power elite. A privileged marriage increases the paladin's access to rulers and officials, making them more likely to lend money and grant favors. A marriage of partners from different countries can strengthen the political bonds between their governments. And there may be practical advantages—an affluent spouse often comes with a sizeable dowry, which can give a considerable boost to the paladin's stronghold fund.
Marrying an aristocrat, however, is not without drawbacks. The paladin may be obligated to his spouse's family in addition to his own. Periodically, he may have to serve in the military of his spouse's government. Many times, a paladin is required to turn over a dower to his spouse, amounting to a third or more of his holdings. Though the spouse doesn't formally acquire the dower until the paladin's death, the spouse still claims it; the paladin can't sell, rent or improve any part of the dower without the spouse's permission.
Because a marriage vow is a promise, a paladin won't consider divorce, nor will most churches consider granting one. However, if the spouse is guilty of committing evil acts, the spouse is usually required to divorce, as associating with an evil character—even a husband or wife—is an ethos violation.
==Historical Role of Women==
Women had it rough in feudal times. They could own land and hold administrative positions, but for the most part women lived in total subservience to men. Unmarried women were not allowed to travel without their fathers' permissions, and were chaperoned even on routine shopping trips. If an unmarried woman's father died, she often became a ward of the state. Her legal guardian, appointed by the king, assumed control of the woman's property, using her livestock and other personal possessions as he saw fit until she married.
Custom demanded that married women remain submissive to their husbands, with their responsibilities confined to household supervision and raising children. A married woman could not sell property without her husband's consent, nor could she be heard in a court of law unless her husband accompanied her. Widows were often required to return home and live with their parents. In especially harsh monarchies, a widow could be forced to remarry, with the king's court choosing the groom.
Though upper-class women had about the same access to education as men, the subject matter differed significantly. Where men received training in hunting, economics, and horsemanship, women studied poetry, languages, and needlework. Daughters of high-ranking officials were often sent to convents for their education, remaining there for the rest of their lives if they didn't marry.
Most women, regardless of class or status, married in their early teens. They had children as soon and as often as possible, irrespective of the considerable risk associated with childbirth. Women were often grandmothers by age 30.
Women married to knights had more authority and a bit more respect than most of their peers, particularly if their husbands owned strongholds. When duty called the knight away, his wife took over the daily operations of the stronghold, making all decisions regarding finances, staff, and maintenance. A knight's wife could also petition to speak to the highest officials of the government or church. An audience was usually granted, if only as a courtesy to the husband. Tradition and law limited the wife's influence, however, and she was rarely taken as seriously as a man.