Elder-Basilisk
First Post
Two things.
1. If your DM decides against you, just say "forget this law stuff," become chaotic good and take the holy liberator prestige class. You would recover a number of your paladin abilities (and the mount would actually be better since you can take other prestige classes and it still advances).
2. One might argue that the act is bad--not because it is objectively wrong for child molesters to die but rather because it deprives the populace of a chance to see justice in action. Learning that a sicko is dead is one thing. People say "whatever" or "he had it coming" or "the paladin only killed him because he was a half-orc; he was probably reaching for his wallet to get his ID not his zipper when the paladin killed him. You know what kind of racist pigs these paladins are." However, if there is a chance for his guilt to be determined lawfully and for him to be hanged or stoned by the community instead, the communal action of punishing the pervert would more strongy inculcate aversion to such acts and the publicness of his execution would serve as a more clear and intimidating message to others with similar urges that "such actions are not tolerated here--suppress your perverted desires or die." In short, by killing him alone, out of hand and in private, your paladin passed up a chance to do more good.
You may also have undermined respect for the law and other positive tendencies in the town. If it becomes public knowledge that "paladin X" killed someone in his own home--with or without good reason, they weren't there so they just have your word on that--it will likely be seen that paladin X is above the law. Now this could either lead others to behave as if they were above the law if the general reaction to your paladin's actions are commendation or to frustration with the law not doing anything if those who wish to foment dissent and impede your effectiveness are successful at casting doubt on your actions. (If I were an evil cult leader in the town, I would find some "witnesses" to the act and ensure that people heard a story about you looting the guy's body while the girl cried next to it. I'd make sure some of them said they saw you go in and cut the guy's head off without ever saying anything or giving any warning--did they hear what the guy said beforehand? Of course not. Defending yourself from accusations of murder would reduce your effectiveness a lot more than spreading false accusations would reduce their effectiveness. If generally accepted, it would also form a base for generating public dissatisfaction with paladins and your character's religion in general). If the law does nothing about it, of course, the evil cultists can continue by saying, "and what is the law doing about this injustice? Nothing. So-called paladins walk into innocent mens' homes and kill them for their money and the justice system does nothing about it. How can you trust that justice system with anything else?" And, of course, if the law does decide to do something to you, that will undermine respect for the law as well. (Now the evil cultist says "that guy had it coming and look what the "justice" system is doing to a paladin who did the right thing. How can you trust this "justice" system to prosecute evil cultists when it's punishing paladins for doing good?)
Now if you have a viking style justice system in this area, you're in luck. Just walk outside, announce that you killed the bastard and pay 70 gp or whatever the weregild is set at to his family. And then you're fine.
1. If your DM decides against you, just say "forget this law stuff," become chaotic good and take the holy liberator prestige class. You would recover a number of your paladin abilities (and the mount would actually be better since you can take other prestige classes and it still advances).
2. One might argue that the act is bad--not because it is objectively wrong for child molesters to die but rather because it deprives the populace of a chance to see justice in action. Learning that a sicko is dead is one thing. People say "whatever" or "he had it coming" or "the paladin only killed him because he was a half-orc; he was probably reaching for his wallet to get his ID not his zipper when the paladin killed him. You know what kind of racist pigs these paladins are." However, if there is a chance for his guilt to be determined lawfully and for him to be hanged or stoned by the community instead, the communal action of punishing the pervert would more strongy inculcate aversion to such acts and the publicness of his execution would serve as a more clear and intimidating message to others with similar urges that "such actions are not tolerated here--suppress your perverted desires or die." In short, by killing him alone, out of hand and in private, your paladin passed up a chance to do more good.
You may also have undermined respect for the law and other positive tendencies in the town. If it becomes public knowledge that "paladin X" killed someone in his own home--with or without good reason, they weren't there so they just have your word on that--it will likely be seen that paladin X is above the law. Now this could either lead others to behave as if they were above the law if the general reaction to your paladin's actions are commendation or to frustration with the law not doing anything if those who wish to foment dissent and impede your effectiveness are successful at casting doubt on your actions. (If I were an evil cult leader in the town, I would find some "witnesses" to the act and ensure that people heard a story about you looting the guy's body while the girl cried next to it. I'd make sure some of them said they saw you go in and cut the guy's head off without ever saying anything or giving any warning--did they hear what the guy said beforehand? Of course not. Defending yourself from accusations of murder would reduce your effectiveness a lot more than spreading false accusations would reduce their effectiveness. If generally accepted, it would also form a base for generating public dissatisfaction with paladins and your character's religion in general). If the law does nothing about it, of course, the evil cultists can continue by saying, "and what is the law doing about this injustice? Nothing. So-called paladins walk into innocent mens' homes and kill them for their money and the justice system does nothing about it. How can you trust that justice system with anything else?" And, of course, if the law does decide to do something to you, that will undermine respect for the law as well. (Now the evil cultist says "that guy had it coming and look what the "justice" system is doing to a paladin who did the right thing. How can you trust this "justice" system to prosecute evil cultists when it's punishing paladins for doing good?)
Now if you have a viking style justice system in this area, you're in luck. Just walk outside, announce that you killed the bastard and pay 70 gp or whatever the weregild is set at to his family. And then you're fine.
