italianranma
First Post
I bought this dragon magazine specifically because the sage answers a question on paladins on that page. I can't find it now, can anyone transcribe it so I don't have to buy the magazine again on ebay?
Dragon Magazine #341 p82
- Thread starter italianranma
- Start date
Cheiromancer
Adventurer
Is a coup de grace attack an evil act?
(i.e., can a paladin make such an attack
without falling from grace?)
The coup de grace is simply a kind
of attack and is neither inherently
good nor inherently evil. In some
cases, it's the best option against
a foe (such as an unconscious but
regenerating troll). If attacking a
particular character would be con-
sidered an evil act--such as stabbing
an innocent merchant in the middle
of his shop--delivering a coup de
grace on that character would be just
as evil.
Of course, if the paladin has already
promised to face her foe in nonlethal
combat, delivering a coup de grace
would almost certainly violate her
code of conduct.
(i.e., can a paladin make such an attack
without falling from grace?)
The coup de grace is simply a kind
of attack and is neither inherently
good nor inherently evil. In some
cases, it's the best option against
a foe (such as an unconscious but
regenerating troll). If attacking a
particular character would be con-
sidered an evil act--such as stabbing
an innocent merchant in the middle
of his shop--delivering a coup de
grace on that character would be just
as evil.
Of course, if the paladin has already
promised to face her foe in nonlethal
combat, delivering a coup de grace
would almost certainly violate her
code of conduct.
AnonymousOne
First Post
I have a question for you all along similar lines:
In our current campaign we were ambushed by a small party of drow, nothing challenging really, Between Crossbow bolts that have a vial of Alchemist's fire built in (mine), the Lightning bolts (party wizard), we were able to create alot of light, which really helped us out. Anyway, we've picked up a paladin in our party. My elven Rogue is Chaotic Neutral and after turning a pair of drow into torches, I decided to help out the Paly. I hamstrung the drow he was fighting, during that drow's next turn it hacked at me while prone, My next turn I elected to bash it in the face with the basket-guard of my rapier to knock him out (we needed information).
The Paladin promptly condemmed me and told me that I shouldn't have done that ... Anyone else see something weird about that? Sure I struck a prone foe, but at the same time I did the most life preserving thing possible...
In our current campaign we were ambushed by a small party of drow, nothing challenging really, Between Crossbow bolts that have a vial of Alchemist's fire built in (mine), the Lightning bolts (party wizard), we were able to create alot of light, which really helped us out. Anyway, we've picked up a paladin in our party. My elven Rogue is Chaotic Neutral and after turning a pair of drow into torches, I decided to help out the Paly. I hamstrung the drow he was fighting, during that drow's next turn it hacked at me while prone, My next turn I elected to bash it in the face with the basket-guard of my rapier to knock him out (we needed information).
The Paladin promptly condemmed me and told me that I shouldn't have done that ... Anyone else see something weird about that? Sure I struck a prone foe, but at the same time I did the most life preserving thing possible...
Cheiromancer
Adventurer
That seems more Knightly Code than Lawful Good. What you did was unchivalrous. But the demands of chivalry did not apply when fighting bandits, wild animals, etc.; I would assume that most monsters (especially those with chaotic and/or evil tendencies) would fall outside of the code.
italianranma
First Post
As a player and a DM, I've very lienent when it comes to combat actions for Paladins. IMHO since the paladin class doesn't give any bonus feats or class abilities for non-lethal damage I see no reason why a paladin should ever be expected to be anything less than lethal in combat against true enemies. Sure, beating your charmed friends into unconsiousness is one thing, but don't expect mercy if you're a stranger coming at me with the intent to kill.
If it's in the paladin's code of conduct to act in a certain way, then by all means! But as far as I know the only thing spelled out in the PHB is not to use poison.
Oh, and thanks Cheiromancer. I needed that quote to prove a point to someone on the WOTC boards who was trying to say that killing anything was an inherently evil act.
If it's in the paladin's code of conduct to act in a certain way, then by all means! But as far as I know the only thing spelled out in the PHB is not to use poison.
Oh, and thanks Cheiromancer. I needed that quote to prove a point to someone on the WOTC boards who was trying to say that killing anything was an inherently evil act.
