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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SirEuain" data-source="post: 1564386" data-attributes="member: 8744">Here's the thing... Was the paladin's behavior moral (good)? Possibly. The child involved WAS in imminent harm, though not so much so that the paladin couldn't have avoided killing the guy. The perp may not have been able to defend himself from behind, but neither would he have been able to defend himself, period.Was the paladin's behavior ethical (lawful)? As others have pointed out, that depends on the deity involved. A god that places a heavier emphasis on redemption than on punishment would certainly find your conduct unbecoming.Should your paladin get smacked down for it? Certainly. Allow me to indulge in a little criminology/criminal psychology...This is questionable behavior, even for the most strident paladin, but that's not the real issue. The real issue is that your paladin didn't take anything else into account but the immediate scene before him. This is a D&D setting, after all, which means small populations. You've said this person was a repeat offender. From the description, he was operating with very little in the way of precaution - if a PALADIN can get this close without attracting the target's attention, it's because the target's pretty convinced that nobody'll be there. This, despite a virtually public setting for these atrocities. All of this points towards one thing, the true reason your paladin should get slapped down.The man had accomplices. By killing him without need, you've unnecessarily risked letting them get away with it. Your paladin has inadvertantly aided and abbetted these people by his negligence, which most certainly IS a violation of his code of conduct. He's certainly within reach of atonement, and fortunately for him there's an obvious and handy quest already involved. He must, however, come to grips with the knowledge that he could have saved more children by letting this vile man live.</blockquote>

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