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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Doctor Shaft" data-source="post: 1978676" data-attributes="member: 25737">I think your player is seriously under-representing what combat actually is. I think, if this player is going to knock out a beserker gnoll, of all opponents, then he'd better exhibit this kind of "knock em out" behavior all the time, or just cut it out. Preferably, I'd probably say he has to cut it out.  Here's what irks me about it.  If this were a "REAL" situation, no one, not even a paladin in their right mind would waste time trying to only "knock out" a beserking gnoll with a huge battle axe.  This is a serious fight, involving a serious opponent that wants blood.  It's too easy to metagame the situation by just guessing the stats and also the difficulty CR of the encounter, and then based on that make the decision to "spare the opponent."  I have a very strong feeling your paladin PC would not attempt to do this against another encounter if the enemies were powerful.  Personally, I like the Worf analogy another poster used. Worf is actually a really good character to look at in terms of codes of honor and paladins.   Worf may be a sci-fi klingon, but he's as straight and holy warrior philosophy as they come.  I wouldn't completely discourage a paladin PC from knocking opponents out, but they should definitely use the "Worf Approach" to things. When you're up against a bunch of raging barbarians... do you take the time to play around with "knocking the guy out" when your party members are around, and I suppose potentially in danger while you're tied up. Or do you take the challenge seriously and finish the fight before it gets worse?  I can't say that knocking the gnoll out was completely crazy. But the rope and the dragging him back to town thing was just completely meta-game. No person in his right mind would drag a barbarian gnoll back to the authorities of some time miles and miles away. Or, if they were fighting life and death... they'd probably not go through all the pains to merely maim or injure everyone. They'd finish said conflict and move on.  If anything, the best way to take care of annoying paladins is to simply let his actions become known throughout the town.  People might get suspicious of this paladin if he plays his "redeemer" hand too much.  The DM can always impose consequences for overzealous or obvious behavior.  And another analogy besides Worf. To get super cheesy: think Jedi.  Obi Wan Kenobi has a mission at hand. If he has the opportunity to capture someone... he will. But if there's a bigger goal ahead of him, he's not going to waste time knocking out or "attempting to save" every person he encounters.</blockquote>

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