Paladin Werewolves

[jonesy]

http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/294461-druid-vampire.html and a Paladin Werewolf walk into a bar. The barman asks "Bloody Mary?"

"I'm already here", says Mary, the Shaman Ghost.

 

[frankthedm]

wrong window!

 

[Thunderfoot]

http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/294461-druid-vampire.html and a Paladin Werewolf walk into a bar. The barman asks "Bloody Mary?"

"I'm already here", says Mary, the Shaman Ghost.

I just threw-up in my mouth....
I have to agree with the school of thought that a paladin who knows he's afflicted and doesn't seek help loses paladin status so it is a moot point.

It's a curse, not a boon. Curse is bad regardless of what "Twilight" and the glitter nazis are trying to tell us. And the only good vampire is a vampire with a stake in his heart, a mouth full of garlic and his head buried three countries over from his body; which had been burned and the ashes submerged in a running river....

 

[TanisFrey]

This is how I would play the situation if I was the DM:

I would rule that a paladin who in inflicted with Lycanthropy at low level whom then gains the immunity to disease should still have to live with the effects of the curse. That is every month he will involuntary shift on the full moon. I would argue that he is immune to any new disease but, suffers the old ones.

If he learns that he is an afflicted lycanthropy of a type that is inconsistent with his god (ie. any lycanthrope that does not have a Lawful Good alignment) and does not try to contain it will loose their paladinhood. If they try something and it fails once and they try a second time without changing/improving the method, looses their paladinhood.

I would allow them to learn the Control Form skill, found in MM, but can only use it to prevent the transformation, if they can find a acceptable teacher, like a cleric or paladin afflicted lycanthrope or a Natural lycanthrope with a Lawful Good alignment. This would only be a short term crunch for them not a permanent fix.

If an accident occurs and they get loose and harm/injure someone, the paladin needs to make some sort of amends to the family of the victim, to atone for the beast. If they refuse to try to do this they imperial their paladinhood (lose some class ablilities).

 

[Stormonu]

So is a werebear paladin acceptable? If so, I don't see why a Lawful Good werewolf paladin wouldn't be possible (helm of alignment change or similar magic to keep the LG alignment, or just good 'ol willpower).

 

[TanisFrey]

So is a werebear paladin acceptable? If so, I don't see why a Lawful Good werewolf paladin wouldn't be possible (helm of alignment change or similar magic to keep the LG alignment, or just good 'ol willpower).

Yes, a Werebear paladin is acceptable because a werebear is an always LG creature. A werewolf on the other hand is an always CE creature. An afflicted lycanthropy retains their own alignment until they become aware of what they are and choose to take wolf-man form.

A Paladin trying to fight what they are and try to contain it is acceptable.

 

[Starman]

This is one of the issues I have with alignment. See, I think a paladin inflicted with lycanthropy could be a really cool story. It seems ludicrous to me to shoot down a potentially cool game event due to alignment.

 

[Stormonu]

Yes, a Werebear paladin is acceptable because a werebear is an always LG creature. A werewolf on the other hand is an always CE creature. An afflicted lycanthropy retains their own alignment until they become aware of what they are and choose to take wolf-man form.

A Paladin trying to fight what they are and try to contain it is acceptable.

From the 3.5E MM glossary, disucussing alignment (p.305)

Always: The creature is born with the indicated alignment. The
creature may have a hereditary predisposition to the alignment or
come from a plane that predetermines it. It is possible for individuals
to change alignment, but such individuals are either unique
or rare exceptions.

I think most PCs fall into the "unique or rare exceptions" myself, and there's always Rule 0.

This is one of the issues I have with alignment. See, I think a paladin inflicted with lycanthropy could be a really cool story. It seems ludicrous to me to shoot down a potentially cool game event due to alignment.

Yeah, I sometimes feel the same way. Probably from too many years of exposure to WW's Vampire & Werewolf games.

<EDIT> Folks never seem to have issues with the idea of a good individual who falls to evil (such as the fallen angel), but won't even consider the prospect of the reverse in a creature of evil redeemed (a werewolf turned paladin) or good so indomitable it refuses to collapse into evil.

 

[Thagdal]

I just threw-up in my mouth....
I have to agree with the school of thought that a paladin who knows he's afflicted and doesn't seek help loses paladin status so it is a moot point.

It's a curse, not a boon. Curse is bad regardless of what "Twilight" and the glitter nazis are trying to tell us. And the only good vampire is a vampire with a stake in his heart, a mouth full of garlic and his head buried three countries over from his body; which had been burned and the ashes submerged in a running river....

Glitter Nazis? /godwin

Anyhow vampires as good antihero types is far older than twilight.

I'd run with the paladin suffering the curse, requiring atonements for the terriable deeds done in that state and not getting paladin special ablities until they got cured.

 

[Stormonu]

2) Paladins shouldn't be able to use bestial powers. They're chaotic powers. Basically you'd have a Paladin who could use Barbarian Rage powers, and that can't be okay for Paladins. Not that they can't have emotions, but we're talking about wielding the powers of "the beast within". This should be similar to "wielding the powers of crack-cocaine for good". It's not a Paladin sort of thing.

I don't see the Chaos descriptor on Polymorph, Shape Change, or Animal Shapes spells, so I do not agree they are chaotic powers.