D&D 5E Paladins and the weapons of evil cults

[Ancalagon]

Hello

So in my next session, the party may fight an evil priest (follower of the Elephant Demon, a god of hunger and rage), and his retinue (see http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?585430-Fight-vs-warpriest-am-I-missing-something ). The priest wields a tulwar (think a long-sword without versatile feature). If the party is victorious, they may want to claim this Tulwar as a treasure...

... however, it is a weapon of an evil priest. It is made from the tusk of an elephant and has the vicious property (roll a 20, + 7 damage... strictly worse than a +1 weapon IMO but...) And I've just realized that the only party member that can wield it is the paladin.

Should I make an issue out of this?

 

[Nailen]

Is it the weapon that is evil, or the priest wielding it?

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[Nevvur]

Unless it's an intelligent weapon, there's no intrinsic conflict. From a narrative standpoint, I think the 'typical' paladin would find wielding it distasteful, if only because its difficult to decouple the tusky nature of the sword with what it represents - a weapon made by and for evil elephant cultists. However, I wouldn't challenge a player whose paladin recognizes its usefulness as a potential tool in the struggle against evil, and wants to 'redeem' the weapon by using it to smite stuff.

In the other thread, you mentioned he's an Ancients paladin. Depending on how he's portraying the archetype, he could have additional justification for using it. "It's an elephant tusk, made of natural materials with which I have greater affinity than cold steel," or "I honor the life of the beast that gave its life to make this weapon by turning it against its killers."

 

[Shiroiken]

The only issues would be social and spiritual. Socially, if a weapon is identified as a part of a cult, such that no one other than cultists would wields such a weapon, the paladin may not wish to wield it. If the weapon itself has been consecrated to an ideal opposed to the paladin's oath/god (such that it radiates an aura of evil or such), then the paladin should want to destroy it instead. Another possibility would be to attempt to consecrate it to the paladin's ideals, assuming you (as DM) would allow such a thing.

 

[Fanaelialae]

It all depends on whether the weapon itself is evil. After all, an evil cult could make an item that isn't intrinsically evil (just as any magic user could craft such an item). Even if it is evil, it's possible that the presence could be exorcised and the weapon redeemed.

 

[Illithidbix]

Depends, in your world is there a spiritual stain left upon items used for partially holy/unholy purposes?

As Shiroiken points out, people who recognise the weapon might jump to conclusions.

I mean it might be fun for it to provide disturbing dreams etc.

 

[Ancalagon]

The weapons is engraved with a chant to the Elephant Demon, but when sheathed looks like a bone-handled, large tulwar, nothing more.

The priest is also wearing a valuable suit of armor but that one *screams* Elephant Demon (large leering face etc) so I imagine

I mean it might be fun for it to provide disturbing dreams etc.

Ooooh... given where they are going, this is an *awesome* idea