30 Days of D&D Challenge Day 3: Favorite Playable Class

Day 1 Can be found here.
Day 2 Favorite Playable Race
Day 4 Favorite Game World
Day 5 Favorite Dice

Paladin by H-Minus

As a kid he grew up with all manner of Arthurian Romances and its fair share of derivatives the Knight in Shining Armor archetype always appealed to me so it's no wonder that I always gravitated towards the Paladin.  My first Paladin was in AD&D, he was my third character period and I was ecstatic with my dice rolls because I was actually able to play a Paladin (my first two characters were not legible due to the 17 Cha requirement) and this bad boy was also my first character to roll an 18 (92!) in Strength.  Without a doubt the best I've ever done with 3d6 in order.  Of course I didn't quite know what I was getting myself into being a wee lad at the time.  Saving throws and healing myself were great, the experience requirements were awful though.  When my Paladin joined a larger campaign by the time I hit 10th level everyone else was 13 (multiclass) to 16.  Still without the mighty spells I wasn't quite the low man on the totem pole.  I was assassinated, resurrected (as I played another character), returned with a half finished holy avenger, plunged it into the deep heart of an elder black dragon and drew forth a blade bathed in holy white flames.

Then later, I fell.  I became akin unto a god, unintentionally of course, I drew my own worshipers and displeased my God.  My lack of humility did me in, and my blade shattered.  I soldiered on as a powerless fighter, I fulfilled my noble role without the blessing of a god and when it came time I defeated an anti-paladin as my companions routed his army.  With the black blade of his unholy avenger I forged a new blade of yin and yang to symbolize the new path I was on.

I had forgotten the scope of that campaign.  It was what got me hooked on D&D to begin with.

Paladin: Heroes of Might and Magic

My favorite rendition of the Paladin is in Third edition.  I can't speak much for pathfinder as I have limited experience but I do like the changes they've brought to the table filling the 18 or so dead levels.  Mostly though I like how the formula for Lay-On-Hands was altered as it gave my low level self the chance to spread the healing around.  No longer did I have to make a difficult roleplaying choice between spending my once a day healing on a bystander or saving the life of an ally.  The saving throw bonuses, lower spell casting access (although I still found the spells to be superfluous), and the smiting really added quite an arsenal to the Holy Knight.  Still that smiting lead to the my first encounter with the dreaded 'Lawful Stupid", I'm glad I never behaved in such a way but I understand the trepidation people place on the Paladin and his code after encountering one of those straightjacket stick-in-the-muds.