So what do you do with a paladin that...

jaldaen · Mar 9, 2002

climbs out of a sewer system and stops an oncoming car by pointing a (broken) gun at it... asks the driver to "open the door"... at which the driver flees... the paladin jumps into the car and takes off the wrong way down a one way street... misses a couple head-on collisions... pulls into an alleyway and loses the copter that's following him just long enough to jump out of the car and into a dumster...

Notes:

1) The paladin had earlier had the rest of the party killed by the combined attack of a troll and pair of stag beetles... He used an incendary grenade to burn the bodies of his companions in order that they not be "eaten" by the local flora/fauna
2) He made sure to take the 3,000 credits off of his fallen comrade, while forgetting about the frag and concussion grenades on their corpses belts. Needless to say there was a nice little explosion that buried the alcove he had placed them in...
3) He was in a "hot zone"... ie there were a lot of baddies around that could smell the corpses... and were coming his way.
4) The paladin was in fact trying to complete a mission for his superiors, however he got spotted while trying to gain a sample of "a substance" they wanted... thus his escape into the sewers.

So... my question is:

What should I do with him?

... part of me wants to say... good job!
... the other part wants to say... you are sooooo.... not a paladin anymore!

Any comments, rants, suggestions...

-Jaldaen

PS: He's still in the dumpster... he rolled a nat 20! on his hide check and the heat from the dumpster hides his heat signature...!

-Joseph

Skarp Hedin · Mar 9, 2002

Wow, quite a situation.
I guess that a lot of that would depend on the attitudes and codes of his religion.

1) He burned his dead pals so they wouldn't get chowed on by uh, stuff. Well, that shows a certain degree (Maybe? depends on what he did while burning) of reverence for the dead? That'll depend a lot on the campaign, though -- if death-fixing magicks are common, perhaps he was hasty. If death is generally permanent, then hey, burn away, I reckon. What's his religion think about the dead?

2) He took the money but not the grenades? That sort of seems stupid. I can see how a man on a mission would need cash, but with all the local combat that seems to have been going on, grenades would be handy.

3) Well, the mission could have been seriously jeopardized by the local nogoodniks.

4) He -does- have his duty, after all.

However, armed carjacking is illegal, and really, unnecessary. He could have used many other methods of dodging the copter. Using the threat of force (holding someone up with a fake/broken weapon is still armed robbery, so long as the victim is unaware of the weapon's status) to steal a car to run away from someone.. That's really iffy.

Now, his superiors might be happy, assuming he succeeds in his mission. The granter of his paladinly status may be displeased. I'd wait to see what he does in the future -- does he reimburse the man whose car he swiped? Does he show remorse for his actions? Does he may -any- kind of reparation? If death-fixing magic is a normal part of the campaign, then burning his pals could be a big error, but that depends a lot on the religion in question, I think.

jaldaen · Mar 9, 2002

Skarp Hedin said:
Wow, quite a situation.
I guess that a lot of that would depend on the attitudes and codes of his religion.

1) He burned his dead pals so they wouldn't get chowed on by uh, stuff. Well, that shows a certain degree (Maybe? depends on what he did while burning) of reverence for the dead? That'll depend a lot on the campaign, though -- if death-fixing magicks are common, perhaps he was hasty. If death is generally permanent, then hey, burn away, I reckon. What's his religion think about the dead?

Well to be fair... he knelt down after he threw the grenade and started praying, but when the frag grenades and ammo started cooking off he got the the hell out of dodge ;-)

Death is not permanent, and he did save a few locks of his buddies' hair in case they want to be resurrected...

Skarp Hedin said:
2) He took the money but not the grenades? That sort of seems stupid. I can see how a man on a mission would need cash, but with all the local combat that seems to have been going on, grenades would be handy.

I think he was just thinking that he needed to get out of the area quickly, so he didn't bother to do more then put his fallen comrades (one that was rent in half...) on a hastily made pyre (from stag beetle legs) and toss the grenade...

Skarp Hedin said:
3) Well, the mission could have been seriously jeopardized by the local nogoodniks.

He almost got killed by a carrion crawler and gibbering mouth before he got away... ;-)

Skarp Hedin said:
4) He -does- have his duty, after all.

However, armed carjacking is illegal, and really, unnecessary. He could have used many other methods of dodging the copter. Using the threat of force (holding someone up with a fake/broken weapon is still armed robbery, so long as the victim is unaware of the weapon's status) to steal a car to run away from someone.. That's really iffy.

That was my main concern as well...

Skarp Hedin said:
Now, his superiors might be happy, assuming he succeeds in his mission. The granter of his paladinly status may be displeased. I'd wait to see what he does in the future -- does he reimburse the man whose car he swiped? Does he show remorse for his actions? Does he may -any- kind of reparation? If death-fixing magic is a normal part of the campaign, then burning his pals could be a big error, but that depends a lot on the religion in question, I think.

Sound like good advice and thanks for the prompt response ;-)

-Jaldaen

PS: This was in my nearly always hilarious Dragonstar campaign... Boy do I love my group! ;-)

Skarp Hedin · Mar 9, 2002

PS: This was in my nearly always hilarious Dragonstar campaign... Boy do I love my group! ;-)

Ohhh. I -was- trying to figure out what the heck sorta campaign had helicopters, fragmentation grenades, and gibbering mouthers all tearing about the place causin' a ruckus.

I don't really know anything about Dragonstar other than there's like, dragons, and guns. And space. From the rest of your description, it seems like he sorta tried to do the right thing, but got sidetracked with the sweet, sweet temptation of some grand theft auto. Also known as, the easy way out. Paladins aren't supposed to take the easy way out, heh. So he should probably do penance of some sort for that.

Fade · Mar 9, 2002

I say he was just desperate. Maybe in trouble if it's indicative of a long-term trend, but for now he seems fine to me.

hong · Mar 9, 2002

Your paladin's player is in full action-movie mode, as is fitting for a cinematic setting like Dragonstar. It sounds like he had a ball during that session. If that's the case, and if he isn't abusing his privileges as a paladin to gain lots of bennies for himself, then let him have his fun.

evileeyore · Mar 9, 2002

Still I'd nail 'im on the car-jacking... Something like this:

He turns in his report to his superiors, and they (whilst praising his success) strongly remind him that the organization has a need to remain within the LAW. Then penalize him by docking his pay (to repay the innocent wronged).

If the organization isn't a legal entity, keep note of this slip, and watch for future slips. He he continues to slid (or just never realy does any "good" acts to counter the semi-evil ones), give him warnings from on high: visions of himself as evil, dreams with messages from the GOD giving him a stern warning, etc. Also his GOD should start to become concerned about his continue allowance of illegal activity (read CHAOTIC)...

If he lies in the report, well I'd definitely chalk that up as an evil act.

TTFN

Dark Helmet · Mar 9, 2002

You make today trash pick-up day.

Paladin: "What's that beeping noise?"

jaldaen · Mar 9, 2002

Dark Helmet said:
You make today trash pick-up day.

Paladin: "What's that beeping noise?"

That's the funny part... I ended the session with him waking up to a beeping sound and a sudden shudder of the dumpster ;-)

-Joseph

PS: I kinda wish I hadn't rolled that it was Wensday night (ie trash pick up day ;-) Then he would have had to find a way out of the city, but not he just has to keep from being suffocated and crushed to death... ;-)

hong · Mar 9, 2002

Re: Re: So what do you do with a paladin that...

jaldaen said:
That's the funny part... I ended the session with him waking up to a beeping sound and a sudden shudder of the dumpster ;-)

-Joseph

PS: I kinda wish I hadn't rolled that it was Wensday night (ie trash pick up day ;-) Then he would have had to find a way out of the city, but not he just has to keep from being suffocated and crushed to death... ;-)

No problem. He has a mobile phone (or the equivalent), right? He can use it to get someone to intercept the garbage truck. This gives the other PCs a chance to save the paladin.

This may not work if your campaign is set in Russia....