Supplement I, Greyhawk introduces a new character class, Thieves (on the "dark side" of alignment) and a new sub-class of Fighting Men, the Paladin - paragon of virtue. According to Supplement I, fighting men with Charisma scores of 17 or greater may gain paladin status "...IF THEY ARE LAWFUL from the commencement of play..." The paladin is a unique character, both trusted and well liked, with a knack for leadership and inspiring loyalty, all as evidenced by the superior charisma score, and perhaps more to the original point, the Paladin is a totally lawful acting hero. Paladin status bestows upon the character the following abilities; to heal wounds and disease by "laying on hands", to detect the presence of evil, a bonus to saving throws, and the ability to dispel evil once they become a superhero. If in possession of any "Holy Sword" the paladin becomes immune to the effects of magic attack.
With the ability to heal wounds and disease and confront evil, the paladin is frequently compared to a cleric of lawful alignment. I see the character classes as quite different, however. The concept of the cleric is one devoted to religion, be it a pantheon, a specific deity or merely the cleric's alignment. Upon reaching name level the cleric may build a temple and gather followers. Clerics are holy warriors with the ability to cast a number of different spells (miracles) granted by their faith. They also have power over the undead monsters. The inspiration for the cleric class is perhaps the religious orders of knighthood. At least that is what I think.
Paladins are fighting men who serve a lawful cause. The original paladins of legend served Charlemagne who himself served God. This origin is an important distinction. The paladin serves the social order, established ruler(s) and the "might for right" cause (see the paladin in Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions). With high charisma they are inspiring to others. They give hope to those downtrodden by their mere presence (as in Elizabeth Moon's Deed of Parksenarrion, another excellent paladin story).
According to Supplement I, the paladin will normally prefer to dwell with a lawful prince and will gift most of their earned wealth to the poor and to religious institutions. The paladin will only retain four magical items, excluding armor and shield and up to four magical weapons. "They will give away all treasure they win, save that which is necessary to maintain themselves, their men, and a modest castle." It is as if they have a vow of poverty. Obviously their motive for action is different from the usual adventurer who is out for gold.
Paladins have gained a reputation due to the way many have been played over the decades, but I do not believe the intent is for them to be the moral police. They are champions devoted to the defense of human society at its best. They embody many of the ideals of chivalry and are prohibited from committing dastardly deeds or associating with those who do. It seems simple to play the paladin as a champion of order and a self sacrificing servant of a noble cause, rather than as a self righteous bully. Of course settings vary and in your world paladins may be something totally different than in Greyhawk or in my world.
The distinction between cleric and paladin may seem trivial, but I see it as similar to the difference between a knight Templar and the paladins of Charlemagne or the Knights of the Round Table.
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