Paladins and the Mentally Instable People that Play Them

[thedungeondelver]

Never had anything even remotely resembling all these Paladin horror stories I read about around here.

Same here. This "paladins are a problem class that attract THE CRAZY" is something I've never, ever seen in any gaming circles. Ever. Except for anecdotes here on enworld.

 

[Nifft]

Actually, there was one more Paladin in a game where I was a player. He was so non-crazy, we sometimes forgot he was a Paladin.

It's always the really special ones that stick in your mind, though.

Cheers, -- N

 

[jdrakeh]

Alas, it sounds like he's one of those folks who think that Marvel Comics' Punisher is a good template for Paladin.

A series of threads posted here over the Summer made it very clear that a great many gamers (or ENWorld posters, anyhow) view "anti-hero" as the correct way to play a paladin. There was much citing of the creed "The ends justify the means" and advocation in favor of pre-emptive slaughter (i.e., killing people who may someday be driven to evil, even if they're perfectly good at the time that the paladin encounters them).

 

[Nifft]

pre-emptive slaughter (i.e., killing people who may someday be driven to evil, even if they're perfectly good at the time that the paladin encounters them).

That's only justified if they look funny. It's paragraph 3b (subsection seven) of the Uniform Paladin Code.

Cheers, -- N

 

[hopeless]

Regarding Paladins

Does the Paladin class attrack players who are:
unstable? No. (Depends on what you call unstable)
(After reading the rest of the thread I have to apologise for this remark for being out of context)

needs to dominate the group? No. (Yes, this is still true if you're wondering)

feels that the game should be centered around the character's quests? Yes. (Naturally even if the rest of the group disagrees for good reason and the dm railroads them when he realises the paladin in question is being a p**t)

The paladin class is designed to have the game centered around the character's quests. Quests for the special mount, quests for atonement, quests for a holy sword, quests for land, lady, liege, and god. Quests are the meat and drink of the paladin class.

(No although the dm can design games that way, unless the rest of the party has a reason to go along thats one character out of the way whilst the others get on with what they want to do or not as in one case I noted)

That is why there was a chr 17 mininum to play a Paladin (in AD&D). Only someone who was obviously the leader of the group would get to play the Paladin, because their quest-nature, in a group game, would eventually lead to the game being focused on their quests (unless the GM was very good).

I played a Paladin in a game and I preferred to see the journey of the group as the quest so to speak. But then I always viewed the best way to turn someone to the right path was to show it was actually better through action and let them come to the realisation... and no nobody noticed except one dwarf fighter went from CN to CG when i ran a LN Cleric which I doubt played a part since my character's actions were usully downplayed unless I screwed up big time usually as part of a dm fiat although I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt since I don't play in that group anymore...

By the way that Paladin was slain trying to fend off two black dragons who ambushed two adventuring parties with a sortie of yu'anti and was afterwards asked why my LG Paladin didn't just use her laying on of hands instead of attacking the dragon brring the fact either way the character was dead since my cleric (from above) tried to stop the dragon breath with a Control water spell after critical succeding a spot check so could pull an attack of opportunity on the buggar, dragon sped at full speed towards a pillar of water roughly resembling the cleric's own raised hand and all of a sudden the dm decided no the dragon wasn't surprised and even though taking 40pts of damage from colliding with the wall still pulled of its breath attack AND pulled out of its dive even though it had opened its wings to slow its descent allowing it to fly off even though everyone behind the wall was now about 20' below where they had been standing and thus there was no way the dragon's breathw eapon would hve hit them and yes I argued the point even though one of the others claimed he could drive his car through a wall and spray the same area... although I did wonder if he actually meant a wall since I didn't have a flip chart stand and pad to illustrate the point although I did try to point this out neither worked...
Sorry a very sore point, I have however have seen two others run a perfectly good paladin, one was under 2nd edition and he was stuffed with insufficient funds and from my point of view roleplayed it well, the other under 3.0 was a mite of a powergamer but still used the code in a way that made it a remarkably effective tactical tool.
And the opposite where the dm from above ran a paladin where he persuaded the dm to let him use 1st edtion rules for money for his noble born paladin character was at least was initially good but then went downhill as he pursued the fanatical gloryhound with no humility and seriously evil tendencies...(I'm not kidding about that!)

There are always two sides to the story... sorry for going on.
Take care!

 

[Baron Opal]

You know, I honestly can't remember having the internet-touted Lawful Stupid Paladin in any of my games. Seriously.

Most of the more disruptive players I've encountered turn their nose up at the notion of having to be LG. Obnoxious thieves? Oh yeah. The creepy dude playing a hot elf chick? Naturally. The character using "CN" as an excuse to be "CE"? Too many times. But an obnoxious LS Pally? Nope.

Me too. I can't remember a time when I've had others groan when someone said they wanted to play a paladin in my home games. It may be that my paladins aren't specifically tied to a religion. That's a house rule I never adopted. IIRC, in first edition they were chosen people but not specifically bound to a god like clerics are, so my paladins were always free agents.

In fact, I'm frankly surprised that there are more "paladins irritate me" threads than "clerics irritate me" threads. I've had far more problems with obnoxious clerics than paladins.

And cavaliers. They really irritate me. I've had far more problems with them than any other class. Although, I'm sure that was player driven too.

 

[hopeless]

Paladins

I used to regular play LG characters when I played in a group.
Usually got the character killed when I second guessed myself although one time after having a cleric aged 60 years by the ghost of a dragon I played up the age problem when everyone charged up a 300' slope to the top of a hill with the bad guys rushing out.
One had a flame strike scroll ( a minotaur in a Faerun campaign) which the dm claimed spread 230' down the slope killing the character of a new player and he tried to claim it hit me until i pointed out that due to his rules for casting spells before moving and my cleric being now 83 years old and clad in full plate with a STR of 10 was 250' away.

That character was LN and the first time i tried something other than LG save for a Mage/Rogue who although the last one to climb a rope that was then cut was still the only one killed outright for failing a saving throw whilst everyone else fell into the web the character at the front cast from a cloak he was wearing...

Never mind sorry for digressing, but has anyone read the Order of the Stick or Goblins web comics?
Do I need to mention Kore? Or Miko as examples?
Do you think these characters were inspired by the actions of people as described in this thread?

 

[Prince of Happiness]

I used to regular play LG characters when I played in a group.
Usually got the character killed when I second guessed myself although one time after having a cleric aged 60 years by the ghost of a dragon I played up the age problem when everyone charged up a 300' slope to the top of a hill with the bad guys rushing out.
One had a flame strike scroll ( a minotaur in a Faerun campaign) which the dm claimed spread 230' down the slope killing the character of a new player and he tried to claim it hit me until i pointed out that due to his rules for casting spells before moving and my cleric being now 83 years old and clad in full plate with a STR of 10 was 250' away.

That character was LN and the first time i tried something other than LG save for a Mage/Rogue who although the last one to climb a rope that was then cut was still the only one killed outright for failing a saving throw whilst everyone else fell into the web the character at the front cast from a cloak he was wearing...

Never mind sorry for digressing, but has anyone read the Order of the Stick or Goblins web comics?
Do I need to mention Kore? Or Miko as examples?
Do you think these characters were inspired by the actions of people as described in this thread?

Huh?

 

[IcyCool]

Huh?

You need to turn your gibberish filter up. Preferrably to eleven.

 

[hopeless]

Paladins?

Huh?

Sorry started off by trying to introduce the alternative view that this isn't just restricted to Paladin's getting manic players but then realised I was going WAY off track and changed it to pointing out a couple of other Paladin's that are shown to be run by such players...

Just wish i didn't turn out that much gibberish without realising it...