A Paladin Question

[Vocenoctum]

I had a problem with my paladin and another player once, the other player kept doing little things that were irritating, so finally I mentioned something to him, and he said he doesn't mind sparring or combat in party and would like to see how our characters faced off.

I told him that no matter who won such a combat, our two characters would not be in the same party afterward. The paladin isn't overly serious, but he does take somethings serious.

This sounds like a similar situation. Putting two togethor that by many rights shouldn't be togethor will draw them apart. The only reason the two would stay togethor is metagaming. ("He's in the group, I should put up with him.")

IMO of course.

 

[Leopold]

This sounds like a similar situation. Putting two togethor that by many rights shouldn't be togethor will draw them apart. The only reason the two would stay togethor is metagaming. ("He's in the group, I should put up with him.")

or there is an evil far greater and far more sinister than either of them can handle seperately and must work together to solve it...

 

[Tar-Edhel]

Man your a paladin and your friend comes back like "His skin is now black as coal, his eyes were melted out by black candles and replaced by undulating pools of reddend magma and his teeth are filed to sharklike points. That and his armor is all black and red with symbols of hextor on it." it's time to draw your sword, and get to the truth of the amtter, and smite some evil if necesarry.

Especially with a fiendish template, the embodiment of what the paladin has sworn to destroy: evil.

If I was the paladin, I'd go with step 3. I would try to save my friend's soul but I definitely wouldn't thrust him with my life night and day. Said otherwise, no way I'd go on adventures or mission with him.

Maybe emprison him (for his own good) with the help of the other party members and investiguate to see what happened and try to get him back the way he was.

That's what I would like my friends to do if I ever showed up as a demon (or devil).

Let's say that there is a LN brach of Hextor, The Champion of Evil, Herald of Hell and Scourge of Battle (let's...). I would expect a LN branch to focus on the Scourge of Battle aspect, not Herald of Hell (as the fiendish template and my friend's appearance would imply for me). My conclusion after seeing him come back showing off the darkest aspect of a god that is everything I fight against would be that my friend, whatever he might say, was indeed a follower of the LE branch (or mislead by such followers) and needed to be brought back to light.

I do agree that good characters shouldn't be calling for murder on assumptions. But they definitely shouldn't simply try to 'live with it' and accept that one of their close friend is slowly becoming a monster.

 

[kigmatzomat]

This sounds like a similar situation. Putting two togethor that by many rights shouldn't be togethor will draw them apart. The only reason the two would stay togethor is metagaming. ("He's in the group, I should put up with him.")

Of course there's the classic reason for a good character to stay around evil ones: to make sure they don't do evil.

The game I run has a non-humanoid paladin NPC in the party and the PC thief (Burne) is NE. The paladin has more trouble understanding & dealing with the good PCs than the thief. Being taught that all the "races of man" are inherently stupid and foolish means he expects them all to be evil. The "rare" good ones confuse him.

(Me) "Burne's heart is evil but his head is dependable. As long as he is making a profit from doing good deeds his evil remains in check. That and he's easily controlled."

(Burne's player) "I am NOT easily-"

(Me -points under player's feet) "Shiny!"

(player) "Where?!?"

(Me) "See? Easily controlled by his greed."

(player) "Grrrr...."

 

[Leopold]

Of course there's the classic reason for a good character to stay around evil ones: to make sure they don't do evil

or the old saying: "Keep my friends close and my enemies closer...."


oh and for all those blood thirsty Lawful "Kill all evil HOOOO!" good types, i just wish i had more of ya! I need to add a few more PC deaths to my roster, i'm barely pushing triple digits...

brains b4 brawn i always say...

 

[Kae'Yoss]

My tuppence

I'll just assume you use the FR Clangeddin, which is (L)awful(ly) Good.

Now there are two ways to deal with that: refuse to work with a worshiper of an evil deity, or watch over him. Fact is, I'd prefer not to travel around with a hextorian, even sharing the camp with him (imagine sleeping with a worshiper of an evil god who just might stab you in the back while you slumer!). Fact is, that's something the player has to decide. Fact is, that's nothing the DM has any right to decide! If I played a paladin in a party where we have a faithful of some evil bastard god, and one that looks like a feat at that, I *might* say I keep an eye on him. But I might just as well say that I don't want to be in the same party with someone like him. And if the DM then told me I had to swallow it and keep on playing as if nothing had happened, I'll surely leave that campaign, and call that DM things he could sue me for.

I have a similar situation: playing a CG bladesinger who is very keen on defending the elven People, and not killing others if it can be helped, unless we catch him red handed, (a behavior that has earned him the title of chosen of Corellon), I have an elven evoker in the party who behaves like a pointy-eared human. He's CN (something I have no problems with) but his behavior lately is more on the lines of NE or even CE, and he'll probably change alignment soon. And my char will have no choice thant to ban or even kill that wizard, if his behavior won't improve (what I will do exactly depends on the wizard's last deed). Luckily, our DM won't tell me that I have to sit tight and let everyone else do what they want. (And, the player seems to have realized that his actions will result in the game to end, since we are only 3 players and the death of one of them, or the fact that the one will never deal again with the other will make it all unplayable, and in the last gaming session he has shown a lack of evil deeds.)

 

[Leopold]

all great advice for the paladin. Please post more. I have another paladin NPC that's in the party as well. Half-dragon lizardman paladin of bahamut and am going to take most of this advice and apply some of it to him as well. Thanks for all the good info! Keep it coming!

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Your lizard Pal will probably never work with a Tiamat-Worshiper, and might attack them on sight. Maybe trow in a little of that draconic arrogance and aloofness. What kind of dragon, by the way? Gold? Flavor his behavior with whatever is usual with the dragons of his parent's kind.

And remember: When within earshot of an avathar of paladin, never make less-than-deferential comments about scalykind, or you're suddenly 2 foot tall and have red hair and nose!

 

[Crimslain]

Im the paladin in question, I've been thinking about this for a while, I think my only choice is to watch over him, no matter how much I would like to smite him over and over again.... I am going to tell him that he will be watched like Saddam would be if he were in America, and if he ever strays from the path of neutrality he will be answering to my sword without question or remorse. Ive seen this template in action once before and didnt like what I saw through a detect evil. I have been thinking since then to take a prestige class, the sacred exorcist, to hopefully remove the spirit that now possesses my one time friend, this is the only way I can ever help him complete the quest for his kingdom, as for now my view is he will either turn back to the life he once lived or he will die with his soul lost to Hextor......

 

[Tar-Edhel]

I have been thinking since then to take a prestige class, the sacred exorcist, to hopefully remove the spirit that now possesses my one time friend, this is the only way I can ever help him complete the quest for his kingdom, as for now my view is he will either turn back to the life he once lived or he will die with his soul lost to Hextor......

So you are aware of the fact that he is being controlled by disreputable individuals (if not plain evil individuals)?

And you are helping him regain his kingdom?

So a LG paladin is helping a friend (who acts against his will since being controlled) to establish a kingdom where evil will reign?

That greater good you two are fighting for better be worth the deal...

Of course we don't know the whole story (you apparently don't as well, accordnig to your DM ) but the more I hear about it, the less I could imagine your paladin accepting the situation.