Solar Armor = Insane!

[Stormtower]

This nonsense about Divine Challenging oneself is just another variation of the bag-of-rats, updated for 4E in 2008.

Complete and utter nonsense, and any paladin who tries it at my table will be given a firm "no."

 

[Snarls-at-Fleas]

Perhaps he challenges himself because he thinks he is so righteously powerful that he needs a handicap in order to even the odds. Perhaps he challenges himself because he can only truely know the suffering of those he saves by inflicting it upon himself. Perhaps he is just a Paladin of Masochism.

Sure, tons of great RP reasons to challenge yourself.

Tons of RP-like excuses I would call this.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I would not allow a paladin to divine challenge himself, rules or no rules. I would also get up from my chair, walk around the table and smack the player upside his head with the heaviest rulebook I could lay my hands on.

This is why I bought the World's Largest Dungeon!

 

[bganon]

There's even another reason this doesn't work: the action to use the armor is an Immediate Reaction. So even if you -could- Divine Challenge yourself, you'd take damage when you attack, on your own turn, and you can't take immediate actions during your own turn.

This also means you can't Radiant Pulse yourself and also use the armor. If there's a cleric in the party you can still have fun, but because you can't take immediate actions on your own turn it's pretty hard to get the free healing all by yourself.

 

[Celtavian]

re

If a paladin starts doing that, that's when I start telling him his god or goddess has denied him power. His power is not to be used to target himself, but to target evil enemies. Why would you ever allow a player to use Divine Challenge on himself? Does it not say enemies in burst? A paladin is not his own enemy.

What kind of DM would let a player do this?

 

[Incendax]

If a paladin starts doing that, that's when I start telling him his god or goddess has denied him power. His power is not to be used to target himself, but to target evil enemies. Why would you ever allow a player to use Divine Challenge on himself? Does it not say enemies in burst? A paladin is not his own enemy.

What kind of DM would let a player do this?

As written, a god or goddess cannot deny their paladins or clerics their power. Once chosen it is up to the clergy to police their own if they are using their powers unwisely, unless you've house ruled otherwise.

Either way, it is just the case that what you think is right, wrong, or makes perfect sense is not what other people may think is right, wrong, or makes perfect sense.

 

[Cadfan]

Well, yes and no. The game does state that a DM gets to use his judgment on what counts as a valid target for a power. And there's plenty of thematic reason to think that Divine Challenge shouldn't work on yourself.

 

[Piratecat]

I'm 'divine challenging' myself right now, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

 

[Starbuck_II]

I'm 'divine challenging' myself right now, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

Well, it is better than laying of hands and touching yourself.

 

[Wormwood]

Would you guys really allow a paladin to challenge himself??

Nope.

Of course, I'm blessed with players who would never ask.