NPC's insulting Paladin PC. Long...sorry.

[Zappo]

Uh-oh, this seems to be an out-of-game problem. Are you sure that the DM is the problem?

The way I see it, there are many kinds of paladins. Some will value honor more, some less. Some will lean to Lawfulness, some to Goodness. Thinking that all members of a class necessarily think in the same way is quite limitative.

Anyway, having a LG character choose a likely death instead of hiding from the law is nothing particularly stupid. The paladin isn't charging ten balors or some other idiocy, he is simply putting his faith in the LG king (and his god as well) to defend him. The DM stating that this equals death is metagaming. The paladin knows that it is very dangerous, but believes that it's better than losing his honor by defying the law. Again, I can see other paladins making different choices, but this paladin is doing what he thinks is right.

As for the insults, definitely don't assault the NPC. Some paladins won't react to verbal insults, but if your paladin (who seems to take his honor very seriously) feels irritated, he should issue a regular challenge.

And of course, giving in to the dark side once and for all is a nifty plotline too, but it doesn't seem to be what you're looking for.

 

[Kilmore]

People say Paladins are tough to play. Naah. They're tougher to DM. It's possible that your DM can't handle a Paladin PC. I admit that that's not something I'm eager to do as a DM, either.

 

[SoulStorm]

Zappo, You stated exactly what the characters perspective was. I'm also starting to agree that I should discuss my concerns with the DM instead of trying to resolve them with the character alone. Also, you are correct, I have no intention to make the character evil.

Kilmore, maybe DM'ing a Paladin isn't easy. That doesn't justify being an ass.

 

[derverdammte]

I'd just find another game. If that's the standard for this guy, it's not worth it.

It really sucks that there seem to be so few decent gamers around with relatively problem-free games.

 

[SoulStorm]

Well, I'll talk to him and give him the opportunity to change his tactics. If not, I have every intention of finding a new group. I've considered looking for a good Champions game now that 5th edition is out. It's a lot harder to find a Champions group than a D&D group though.

The sad thing is that the guy knows how to tell a story. If he could just can the power games he'd actually be a really good DM.

 

[Zappo]

It really sucks that there seem to be so few decent gamers around with relatively problem-free games.

That's because, make no mistake, DMing well is HARD.

 

[derverdammte]

That's because, make no mistake, DMing well is HARD.

You're right--it is. But it's also hard to find decent players. I have a lot of trouble in my area, because so many of the gamers I run into are people I would *never* want to play with (or have run a game for me). One guy--seriously--started telling me about his 40th level anti-paladin character from second edition. I just about choked.

And yeah...different strokes for different folks. Sure. Fine. But these are not people I want to play with. With decent players, a campaign practically runs itself (for me). But if I have players who challenge my every rules call, etc., that tends to suck.

But returning to the point, if this DM's not just having a bad day or something, I would seriously leave. I don't go to a game to be insulted, and as a DM, I wouldn't do that to my players unless I was actually trying to get them riled at a specific NPC or group of NPCs. If he's trying to frustrate your character and force some hard choices, that's one thing. But it sounds like he's just being insulting to you, personally. That ain't cool.

 

[Thanee]

Well, I'll talk to him and give him the opportunity to change his tactics. If not, I have every intention of finding a new group. I've considered looking for a good Champions game now that 5th edition is out. It's a lot harder to find a Champions group than a D&D group though.

Champions!!! You are so right, that it is hard to find a decent group that plays Champions. We played that for quite some time and it's just so cool, but really, really hard to master (a lot more difficult than D&D IMHO)!

5th edition is actually out by now? Gotta take a look for that one, then.

The sad thing is that the guy knows how to tell a story. If he could just can the power games he'd actually be a really good DM.

Tell him that, unless you think it'll offend him!

Tell him, that the game is about fun and not about competition!

Maybe even offer to DM a game (if you think you are better at that) to show him what you mean!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I will state, however, that I've made many comments concerning honor. None of those comments involved insulting the lack of honor in others though.

Maybe you should try it, it's fun It can also be a good way to challenge other PCs unlawful behavior without starting a fight. As an observation, you don't even have to defend it carry the discussion any further. One of my paladins once said "Your integrity is cheap if you would sell it for a few paltry coppers" to the party thief as he looted the bodies of fallen townsfolk (the ones we didn't rescue in time) after a battle. As I recall, he got the point.

On a more seroius note, wouldn't paladins wish to encourage others to right behavior by their example? To say "My honor compels me to refute this charge in public" is one thing. To say "I shall refute this baseless charge of treachery in public hearing. To do otherwise would be to admit guilt and would impugn my honor" is something else entirely. The second statement lets others know that this is not simply a matter of your personal honor but is equally a matter of theirs (since they are in exactly the same situation). You aren't directly condemning them for abandoning their honor but you are demonstrating that that is what they are choosing to do.

 

[Gothmog]

I have to agree with S'mon, your character doesn't act much like a paladin if he is concerned more with his honor than furthering the desires of his god. Paladins IMO should ignore personal slights against them- they are supposed to be held to a higher standard than most people, and challenging someone every time you are insulted seems like someone who places his own ego ahead of anything else.

Now, as far as the insults go, if they were directed at you personally, then there is a problem which you need to discuss with the other players and the DM. If they were directed at your character, then maybe you need to evaluate how you played and think from an outside perspective how your actions seemed. After all, as a 4th level character, it is likely that your character isn't widely known, so some snobbery on the part of social betters is to be expected.

Not trying to attack you personally, just offering a slightly different point of view.