Paladins at dinner parties: Polite or Truthful?

[Jeph]

Paladin's don't lie. To do so would be both unlawful and evil.
Paladin's are always polite. They are respectful, courteus, and mindful of others.

Now it is impossable to be both polite and truthful at a dinner party. The host is a _horrible_ cook, but you look at all the smiling, automoton faces around you, mindlessly throwing out complements. YOu have to say something, the pressure is unbearable.

To say that the cooking is good would be the most horrible and blatant of lies.
To say that the cooking is bad, this would be deeply insulting and hurtful.

WHAT TO YOU DO?!?!

 

[Tsyr]

Paladin's don't lie. To do so would be both unlawful and evil.

Since i don't hold that statement to be true (Nor the second one, really, although I agree with this one less), I can't answer the question.

 

[Crothian]

As lieing and being respectful to the host would be the norm at a dinner party, it is the lawful thing to do.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I believe that any paladin I played in that situation would probably spend the entire evening trying not to say anything, before exploding in a shower of Holiness from sheer embarrasment.

Or hope that someone attacked the party.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

don't lie, deflect...

"Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live."
-Socrates

"Conversation is the enemy of good wine and food."
-Alfred Hitchcock

 

[Kilmore]

The best thing for the paladin to do is hold his tongue as he holds his supper.

Being completely honest in this situation is probably NOT the best defense against chaos!

 

[Greybar]

"Good host, your dinner party has the most elegant and well spoken guests and I am humbled to be here."

if pressed on food:
"Surely the preparation of the food is unlike any fare that a humble soldier of light such as myself is normally favored with."

John "hope you spent point on that Diplomacy skill!" Dunkelberg

 

[Nifft]

There are laws of courtesy just as there are laws of honor. The former are called "etiquette", but are conduct none the less. Insults cause injury. Finally, there are plenty of ways to say something nice without saying something specific.

"My lord, I am honored at your hospitality and generosity for allowing me to dine at your table. Especially give your chef my regards."

You can even truthfully say that one part of it was better than the rest, right? This works well when pressed.

"Of all this respeldant feast, my tongue rejoyced most at the stuffed peppers."

-- Nifft

 

[Wicht]

Ettiquette IMO would demand that If you can't say something nice you say nothing at all (about that subject) unless pressed, in which case you should be honest but discreet.

This would make an interesting in-game test. A host wishes to test the honesty of a group of people. He instructs his otherwise talented chef to cook horrible food. He praises his chef before the meal and tells all present how much he dotes on the man's cooking. Then they eat. The food is worse than horrible. The host then asks each what they think of the meal. He is interested in who will be honest and who will be a lie in an effort to gain his favor.

 

[Sir Edgar]

Neither paladins nor anyone of lawful good alignment are necessarily always truthful or "goody-two shoes". Everybody lies. As far as I know, paladins are not under a truth compulsion spell and white lies for the sake of good manners are perfectly acceptable. Anyhow, I don't see any reason why a lawful good paladin wouldn't slaughter an entire village, for example, if he felt he had to (ordered by his king or wanted to control a plague). But that's just my opinion.