Quick! I need to know the difference between a Paladin, Templar, Cleric, and Priest...

Quick! I need to know the difference between a Paladin, Templar, Cleric, and Priest. Aren't the only differences between them alignment? Correct answers only, please.

depends on the system

Depends on the system.

Read the Book

Assuming you're talking about just sorta the general use of these terms, and not some specific game.

>Paladin
A knight of righteousness, imbued with holy power
>Templar
A devout warrior, may or may not have divine power, but can be seen more as a warrior-monk.
>Cleric
A battle-ready conduit of the Gods.
>Priest
A holy man. Often but not always focused more on preaching the message and conducting sermons than going on an adventure.

Pretend I am a novice game designer looking to make my own system.

>D&D
paladins are warriors invested with divine spells and restricted by a special code of conduct, traditionally lawful good but more recently allowed to be any alignment. Templars are nothing in particular. Clerics are clergy invested with divine spells. Priests are any clergy, most of whom cannot cast spells.

>real world
Paladins are legendary members of Charlemagne's court. Templars are members of one particular knightly order active during the Crusades, or possibly any of the other organizations who took the same name later, especially one particular branch of the Freemasons. Clerics are any clergy, and priests are any clergy but often specifically refer to Catholic clergy.

Paladin and Cleric are classes
Templar and Priest are professions

This is an unnecessary level of granularity using terms with connotations that are too similar. As a designer, you should drop the idea of making all four of these distinct.

Paladin
>cleaves your head off, then falls because of DM jackassery
Templar
>cleaves your head off, burns down your village in the name of his god
Cleric
>bashes your head in, uses your blood to sanctify the weapons of his entourage
Priest
>sits hundreds of miles away in the safety of his cathedral, more likely than not ordered this whole raid between choir boy molesting sessions

In what capacity are you asking this? If it's in reference to a specific system, then just read the book. I have no idea what system you're asking about.

If you're asking about history, has it right.

If you're asking general opinions about what they should be, flavor or function-wise, there is no "correct answer." Therefore, in my completely subjective opinion:

>Paladin
A warrior wielding divine power to smite the forces of darkness in his crusade against evil, empowered directly by a deity.

>Cleric
Essentially a living saint, capable of calling down miracles from the Heavens rather than casting spells. They embody a religion, and may have a crusade against evil or might have some other noble cause.

>Templar
A non-empowered warrior belonging to a holy order committed to a religious cause. Once again, probably involved in a crusade of some kind, but they don't get the divine empowerment of paladins.

>Priest
A priest. I don't know what you're looking for, here. Definitely a member of the clergy, probably not divinely empowered or at most maybe capable of minor healing (especially diseases). Probably scholarly, might have some martial skill depending on religion and setting.

Then write the book, do research and don't use other games definitions to define your game.

Yeesh, so much for trying to drum up some discussion. Thanks to everyone else who at least tried to humor me.

Come up with concepts in your mind that you want to include in the game. Decide on names for these concepts later. If you're using a name that has a real-world historical counterpart, look up the actual history and make sure you want those associations.

We just want you to be creative man. Do what you think is cool, instead of Relying on what's already been done.

>Paladin
Peer of Charlemagne
>Templar
Knight of Solomon's Temple
>Cleric and Priest
Synonymous terminology for religious leaders, usually Christian.

There is no one correct answer. If you want to go by cliche then DnD has inspired the definitions in which are found across DnD and various vidya. There is however nothing definitive about that. Paladins could just as easily be non-magical, clerics could be synonymous with priests (and also non magical), templars could be just about any warrior associated with some kind of religious cause.

>Paladin
terrorist, think jihadi john
>Templar
terrorist, think AQ/IS grunt
>Cleric
terrorist who dabbles in instigation
>Priest
instigator, fundraiser & recruiter

Well...in Dark Sun there was a class called Templar, I believe. They were essentially these servants of some Sorcerer-King given magical powers through their servitude. I also always thought the only real difference between a Cleric and a Priest is how a Priest doesn't necessarily have as much power, if any, at his disposal, and doesn't go around adventuring.

Those are different words that sometimes are used to represent concepts that are mostly the same, and sometimes used to represent concepts that are entirely different. It really depends on the context. For instance, in a sort of dark, gritty low-fantasy setting, I might use "paladin" and "templar" (temple knight) interchangeably, but in a more far-flung, idealistic high fantasy setting, I might use "templar" to refer to literal temple knights, while I "paladin" only to refer to truly larger-than-life exemplars of good and justice.

Priest - holy man in general. If magic is involved, pure casters.
Cleric - warrior priest. Heavier on the priest.
Paladin - warrior priest. Heavier on the warrior.
Templar - specific type of paladin?

>Paladin
Courageous holy warriors who use the favor their gods grant them to smite evil and chaotic creatures. Some serve out of a core drive to take up arms against demons and foul monsters. Others serve out of a sense of obligation, vengeance, or concern.

>Templars
Chosen protectors of holy places and relics who can invoke their deity's power to protect their environs from despoilers and desecrators.

>Cleric
Champions of their gods' interests in the mortal world who wear or wield their holy symbols as icons of their service, can channel power of their deity through these icons. Some believe the quality and composition of the icon is important, but it's really about the belief of the individual in what the symbol represents that powers it.

>Priest
People capable of using magic whose belief in a deity funnels magic through a veneer of their belief and manifests it as miracles around them.

>Alignment
[Cackling Semen Demen noises]