TalonDemonKing
2011-02-07, 11:41 AM
So many questions :smalleek:
Lets get some hypothetical situations going here.
1) We have Good guy Paladin who is credit to team. As a Paladin of Pelor, he is Lawful Good.
1a) What constitutes his daily routine as a paladin? Being Lawful, or being Paladin?
Chaotic characters can still follow a daily routine and still be Chaotic. A rogue, for example, could wake up, do his morning exercises, some daily hygine, and even offer a prayer to her deity every morning. A paladin could do the same, yet one is Lawful, and the other is Chaotic.
But in the same bucket, a Paladin going through those motions is no different than a barbarain doing the same. Does a daily routine even justify being lawful?
1a.a) Drunken Master Monks. Should they be chaotic or lawful?
1b) For a Paladin, when does Law trump Good? When does Good trump Law? When do these ideals trump idea's such as self-preservation?
If the law says "Never to steal.", but the Taxes are too high for the Paladin or any commoner's to buy food, does it become okay to steal? The law says no, but a chaotic good character wouldn't even have a thought about 'Right or Wrong'.
If this Paladin is in the Underdark, and near a Drow city, does it become okay to disguise oneself and lie? Doing so would be unlawful, but not doing so would mean certain death (Or imprisonment.) Does the Paladin bust down the doors and "Bring the Light"? Or does the Paladin simply sneak in, and be that 'Gentle ray of warmth'?
1c) Hard choices.
In the book of Exhalted Deeds, there is a picture with two-succubii and a paladin, with the caption along the lines of "A paladin must choose between destroying evil and honoring love."
If a Paladin destroys the Cubi; then they destroyed evil (Yay) but destroyed love (Boo). If the Paladin allows them to live, then he honor's love (yay) but allows them to live (Boo).
Is there a correct choice? Will he be in the 'Okay' either way? Or will he be damned either way? Can a Paladin fall for -him- believing in what's right? If a Paladin falls, can another Deity restore his powers, if what that Paladin belives is in accordance with that new deity? Could a deity support a Paladin that doesn't follow their Dogma to the letter?
I run a campaign where Paladin's will come in contact with Demons (For the purpose of this campaigns, Demons and devils are the same thing). These Demon's are a full, mammal race, and as such, will get hungry, will bleed when cut, will love, will get pregnant, will have kids.
When does it become 'Not good.' to kill? Can a Paladin of Pelor slay a child, if it will grow up to be evil? What about a pregnant woman?
(On the subject of 'Always Evil' races; what if they're -not-? A billion individuals, you're bound to get one or two that simply don't fit the template. What if a succubus had a thing for flower arrangement, and didn't want to "be evil', but maybe get married? Have a child? Have a quiet, peaceful life away from the Abyss? Does the Paladin still slay the Demon? How does this differ from an Orc? Or a Goblin? Can 'Always Evil' races be reedemed (If not full good, at least to neutral?))
2) Let's take a Chaotic Good Barbarian. She is credit to team. She is also a "Noble Savage." Honor, and all that good stuff, which is a common trope for barbarains.
Doesn't "Honor" break "Chaotic" right there?
More to come, but I'm hoping to get a discussion flowing here...
Lets get some hypothetical situations going here.
1) We have Good guy Paladin who is credit to team. As a Paladin of Pelor, he is Lawful Good.
1a) What constitutes his daily routine as a paladin? Being Lawful, or being Paladin?
Chaotic characters can still follow a daily routine and still be Chaotic. A rogue, for example, could wake up, do his morning exercises, some daily hygine, and even offer a prayer to her deity every morning. A paladin could do the same, yet one is Lawful, and the other is Chaotic.
But in the same bucket, a Paladin going through those motions is no different than a barbarain doing the same. Does a daily routine even justify being lawful?
1a.a) Drunken Master Monks. Should they be chaotic or lawful?
1b) For a Paladin, when does Law trump Good? When does Good trump Law? When do these ideals trump idea's such as self-preservation?
If the law says "Never to steal.", but the Taxes are too high for the Paladin or any commoner's to buy food, does it become okay to steal? The law says no, but a chaotic good character wouldn't even have a thought about 'Right or Wrong'.
If this Paladin is in the Underdark, and near a Drow city, does it become okay to disguise oneself and lie? Doing so would be unlawful, but not doing so would mean certain death (Or imprisonment.) Does the Paladin bust down the doors and "Bring the Light"? Or does the Paladin simply sneak in, and be that 'Gentle ray of warmth'?
1c) Hard choices.
In the book of Exhalted Deeds, there is a picture with two-succubii and a paladin, with the caption along the lines of "A paladin must choose between destroying evil and honoring love."
If a Paladin destroys the Cubi; then they destroyed evil (Yay) but destroyed love (Boo). If the Paladin allows them to live, then he honor's love (yay) but allows them to live (Boo).
Is there a correct choice? Will he be in the 'Okay' either way? Or will he be damned either way? Can a Paladin fall for -him- believing in what's right? If a Paladin falls, can another Deity restore his powers, if what that Paladin belives is in accordance with that new deity? Could a deity support a Paladin that doesn't follow their Dogma to the letter?
I run a campaign where Paladin's will come in contact with Demons (For the purpose of this campaigns, Demons and devils are the same thing). These Demon's are a full, mammal race, and as such, will get hungry, will bleed when cut, will love, will get pregnant, will have kids.
When does it become 'Not good.' to kill? Can a Paladin of Pelor slay a child, if it will grow up to be evil? What about a pregnant woman?
(On the subject of 'Always Evil' races; what if they're -not-? A billion individuals, you're bound to get one or two that simply don't fit the template. What if a succubus had a thing for flower arrangement, and didn't want to "be evil', but maybe get married? Have a child? Have a quiet, peaceful life away from the Abyss? Does the Paladin still slay the Demon? How does this differ from an Orc? Or a Goblin? Can 'Always Evil' races be reedemed (If not full good, at least to neutral?))
2) Let's take a Chaotic Good Barbarian. She is credit to team. She is also a "Noble Savage." Honor, and all that good stuff, which is a common trope for barbarains.
Doesn't "Honor" break "Chaotic" right there?
More to come, but I'm hoping to get a discussion flowing here...