Temple Guards

If a temple anywhere in the Realms is large or grand enough, its guards might well be com¬manded by a paladin. Priests of most churches can call on paladins to render appropriate-to-the- faith military aid whenever the need arises; as a general rule, however, paladins work out in the world to defend believers and further the faith. Few of them do guard duty in a temple, except on special occasions such as particular holy rites, or presiding over the choosing of a new high priest in controversial circumstances. Most temple guards are accomplished or at least disciplined warriors who devoutly believe in their deity, and who are closely supervised by priests of the temple. They might be trained and occasionally tested by pala¬dins and might possess unusual skills.
Most temples have a few novice guards, too. These are commonly less accomplished indi¬viduals who have more enthusiasm than skill. Adventurers be warned: Only in tavern tales are clergy foolish enough to let such novices guard anything without veteran guards working along¬side them and commanding them.
Quite a few temples have war dogs or beasts as¬sociated with their deity as trained or “wild but penned into an area intruders are forced or lured into” guardians. Moreover, the storage vaults of some faiths feature deliberately created undead sentinels.