Paladin Question...

[Kae'Yoss]

I'd say that the Paladin dedicated his life to his order and his deity. When he died, he fulfilled his purpose, and now enjoys his rewards in the afterlife. Since we're talking LG organisations here, it's quite possible that they believe that it was his fate to die how and when he died.

Raising him would mean robbing him of his reward, going against fate (which could be called a planar authority), and, as others have mentioned, against his god's will, since that god saw his duty fulfilled and called the paladin to his side.

I could totally see the god leaving the choice with the paladin, not punishing him for either choice: Either he chooses to accept another duty and enter the plane of grief and suffering called the material plane, or he decides that his work is done for good, and that others need to take his place (especially since he already proved unable accomplish the task he died trying to do.)

I wonder if the cleric just sits there watching the body while they decide if they're coming back or not...

That's the real reason for the three-day delay before you bury someone.

 

[pawsplay]

evil.

The Paladin is kicking back with his diety in a realm of eternal lawful good happiness. If said Paladin refuses to heed the clerics calling and come back to aid his party- does he lose his Paladin abilities, and ergo no longer qualify for the special seat at the Diety's table?

Vorp

No.

If the deity really isn't done with him, he'll be turned into an archon or something anyway.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Is the cleric of the same god as the paladin? If yes, then the god would grant the spell to the cleric if it was His will. If it was His will, then I would think He would tell the paladin and the paladin would return. If it wasn't His will for the paladin to return, then He would give the paladin a choice, or not grant the spell to the cleric.

Now, if the cleric worshipped another god, then I would expect there to be a Divine Negotiation.

Cleric's God: Hey, I've got one of my followers asking to return your paladin over there back to the realm of the living. Can you send him along, please?

Pally's God: Well, we were just kicking back with a few brews here. Does your follower really need him? I mean he did a heck of a job sacrificing himself for your follower. I would think they would be grateful to him for that, but once again it appears your followers don't have the chops to make it on their own.

Cleric's God: My followers don't need the help of your paladins!

Pally's God: Really? Then why are they asking for him back? He is good company, maybe they are just missing him? Tell you what. I'll have a talk with him and see if he likes hanging out with me more than with your followers.

 

[Vorput]

Is the cleric of the same god as the paladin? If yes, then the god would grant the spell to the cleric if it was His will. If it was His will, then I would think He would tell the paladin and the paladin would return. If it wasn't His will for the paladin to return, then He would give the paladin a choice, or not grant the spell to the cleric.

Now, if the cleric worshipped another god, then I would expect there to be a Divine Negotiation.

Cleric's God: Hey, I've got one of my followers asking to return your paladin over there back to the realm of the living. Can you send him along, please?

Pally's God: Well, we were just kicking back with a few brews here. Does your follower really need him? I mean he did a heck of a job sacrificing himself for your follower. I would think they would be grateful to him for that, but once again it appears your followers don't have the chops to make it on their own.

Cleric's God: My followers don't need the help of your paladins!

Pally's God: Really? Then why are they asking for him back? He is good company, maybe they are just missing him? Tell you what. I'll have a talk with him and see if he likes hanging out with me more than with your followers.

hehehe

 

[gizmo33]

This is quite simply incorrect. A Paladin loses his status if:

1) He ceases to be Lawful Good or
2) He grossly violates the Paladin code or
3) He willingly commits and Evil act.

Declining to be raised fulfils none of these criteria.

Unless the Law that the paladin follows says that you must agree to be raised from the dead, or some variation of that? I always got the impression that "Law" in DnD was circular and vague, and left up to the individual DM and his choices (like the rest of the alignments). Your response would imply a universal set of laws, which define what "Law" means for DnD across all campaigns.

 

[Umbran]

The Paladin is kicking back with his diety in a realm of eternal lawful good happiness. If said Paladin refuses to heed the clerics calling and come back to aid his party- does he lose his Paladin abilities, and ergo no longer qualify for the special seat at the Diety's table?

Um, last time I checked, "special seat at the Deity's table" is not a paladin ability. A paladin's status is something he or she has in life. The afterlife plays by different rules.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Um, last time I checked, "special seat at the Deity's table" is not a paladin ability.

It's not? But the guy in the recruitment office said so! "Come to the Order" he said. "Pick up as many chicks as you can handle" he said. "Get a special seat at our Lord's table in the afterlife" he said.

So that's not true? Does It mean I have to give back the chicks as well?

 

[Cyberhawk]

There are two things in this scenario IMO.

1. The Paladin did the whole "heroic sacrifice" thing and saved his buddies while taking out the big-bad. That pretty much means he's all done as far as his obligations go. He can stay in Valhalla (or wherever) without any problems.

2. That being said it sounds like if he was given the opportunity to come back and start pounding on bad guys again he would probably chose to do so. Unless his deity, or one of the other major good beings, pointed out that there were other things to do. Kind of a "here's the big picture and we need you doing ~this~ not going back there" deal.
As a DM I'd probably play up the whole different perspectives thing.

 

[gizmo33]

Um, last time I checked, "special seat at the Deity's table" is not a paladin ability. A paladin's status is something he or she has in life. The afterlife plays by different rules.

Are those rules in that "Book of Nine Swords" that people talk about? I really don't keep up with all of the supplements.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Are those rules in that "Book of Nine Swords" that people talk about? I really don't keep up with all of the supplements.

Nope. Plenty of rules of sending people to their afterlifes, but few about what they're supposed to do afterwards (except for the Eternal Blade PrC, which gives old heroes something to do: Annoy the younger ones )