D&D 5E Is trafficking in soul coins ostensibly evil?

[Scribe]

Again though.... Paladin PCs commonly slaughter evil creatures without any repercussions from their gods (which is the only source of morality in game that matters.) If good gods (who are the literal source of good morality in game, aka they literally define what is good) have no issue with it....than it shows that things that in our world that would be absolutely criminal are A-ok in dnd land.

I mean lets be honest here, 5e has no morality 'in the game'. Wizards has moved away from any kind of mechanical impact to Alignment, and Alignment is the 'morality' system of the game.

There is nothing to speak of really in 5e.

 

[Stalker0]

I mean lets be honest here, 5e has no morality 'in the game'. Wizards has moved away from any kind of mechanical impact to Alignment, and Alignment is the 'morality' system of the game.

There is nothing to speak of really in 5e.

well considering this is the very discussion of the thread I have to disagree with you. The OP wanted to know if their actions fit that of a Lawful Neutral character. That is what we are debating.

 

[Scribe]

well considering this is the very discussion of the thread I have to disagree with you. The OP wanted to know if their actions fit that of a Lawful Neutral character. That is what we are debating.

I get that, but there is no mechanics of the Alignment, aka morality, system.

It's subjective opinion and how your table plays it.

 

[R_J_K75]

Again though.... Paladin PCs commonly slaughter evil creatures without any repercussions from their gods (which is the only source of morality in game that matters.)

I'm sure that this was common in the early iterations of the game into 1E AD&D. Up until 5E paladins had to be LG. I've read somewhere, regarding sentient evil beings, as a rule of thumb, paladins would try to apprehend, turn them over to the authorities for trial and give them a chance at redemption before outright slaying them. Obviously, there are exceptions, devils and demons that are inherently evil are probably beyond redemption. Playing a Paladin that just runs around killing anything and everything evil is pretty one-track minded and seems like a pretty boring character to play, but I suppose it all depends on the character concept, the individual campaign and the DM running it.

 

[Stalker0]

Don't care. Commonly-done DOES NOT mean rightly-done. Lots of people IRL tell lies without repercussions. That doesn't make telling lies okay.

It would be if you lied all the time and not only did your god not punish you, they continue to give you their divine juice.

This isn't the real world, this is dnd.... where good and evil aren't just ethical discussion points, they are literal forces in the world empowered by actual gods and devils.

No it emphatically is not.


It is enslavement though. Continuous, torturous enslavement of a soul. That is literally said in the description of soul coins:

The soul is already enslaved to hell, whether its in a tiny coin or a fiery hell pit.... the soul is already damned. Sure you could break the soul out of the coin....and then they just go to hell. The soul is literally "damned", destined to suffer eternal torture. You can't change that.

So is possessing hte coin good, absolutely not. But is it truly evil in the context of dnd....eh I think a neutral character could be justified and going "hey it is what it is"

 

[Stalker0]

I get that, but there is no mechanics of the Alignment, aka morality, system.

It's subjective opinion and how your table plays it.

It sounds like then your point is "there is no point in having this debate".

Which is fine....but then seems a weird place for you to hang out and post

 

[Scribe]

It sounds like then your point is "there is no point in having this debate".

Which is fine....but then seems a weird place for you to hang out and post

I mean the debate itself is fine. I've already provided the correct answer at the start.

I'm just saying there is no 5e mechanical system of morality. No crunch.

 

[R_J_K75]

I'm just saying there is no 5e mechanical system of morality. No crunch.

It's been a few years since I read the 5E PHB and DMG, I know that they got rid of all the alignment spells, but is there nothing that gives any guidance on the consequences of one violating their alignment, such as a Paladin?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

There's others who can stop tiamat though. She's more like Godzilla though.

Adding another devil can kill more people than tiamat can. Your mortal existence is temporary. Selling soul is a two for 1 for evil. One less for another plane +1 for the Hells.

Which is, of course, why Wyll, and everyone else in BG3, doesn't have an alignment. It's overly simplistic and limiting way of evaluating a complex mesh of judgment calls.

 

[Zardnaar]

Which is, of course, why Wyll, and everyone else in BG3, doesn't have an alignment. It's overly simplistic and limiting way of evaluating a complex mesh of judgment calls.

I reread Tyrants of the Nine Hells. You can sometimes legally wiggle out of the contract via an infernal lawyer.

Eg Wyll was 17 when je signed his soul away. Not legally binding in my country so the Devil would be hoping Wyll doesn't know that.

Game has options on how to get out anyway.