Paladin's conflict

[Taelorn76]

In the campaign I am in right now we just found out that a member of the group is a lycanthrope (wolf), he just found out as well. Now me being a paladin should I kill him now, or should I try to save him and cure him of this disease? This goes back to what others were saying about morals and what is right and wrong, or good and evil.

I know I can't turn my back and walk away, because I would be letting evil roam.

This kind of goes back to an argument in the BoeD thread
https://www.enworld.org/index.php?threads/66661/

 

[BSF]

One of the components of Good is Compassion. Of course, you can take Compassion two ways. You can Compassionately put him out of misery at becoming such a perversion of nature, or you can Compassionately help him out of the plight by standing by him, restraining him so when the curse takes over, and trying to find a cure. As a DM, I would see either course of action as being acceptable. Though, I would probably talk with both players to make the whole thing work out well.

Probably the way the other character reacts to the knowledge that he is a lycanthrope would play a big part in this decision. If he was appalled at what he had become because he will eventually cause harm to his friends and innocents, I think the Paladin would be more inclined to help him.

If the character was excited by the rush of power and reveled in the fear he could cause, then the Paladin would be completely correct to do everything he can to protect the world from this monster.

 

[reapersaurus]

In the campaign I am in right now we just found out that a member of the group is a lycanthrope (wolf), he just found out as well. Now me being a paladin should I kill him now, or should I try to save him and cure him of this disease?

I'd assume you noticed the Remove Disease ability?
That kinda suggests that Paladins are all 'into' helping people remove themselves from afflictions.

"Should I kill him now?"
"or should I try to save him?"

ugh.

 

[AnthonyJ]

In the campaign I am in right now we just found out that a member of the group is a lycanthrope (wolf), he just found out as well. Now me being a paladin should I kill him now, or should I try to save him and cure him of this disease?

Assuming he's an afflicted lycanthrope, and hasn't succumbed to his beast nature, he's just under a particularly nasty curse, and should be saved. If he's surrendered to the lycanthrope nature (which seems unlikely if he just found out) it becomes wilful evil, and he must be judged for his actions.

Various gods have different thresholds for acceptable behavior, but compassion is fundamental to the LG nature; simply hacking down everyone with the misfortune to be bitten by a werewolf is more LN or LE.

 

[Taelorn76]

I am currently 4th lvl so I can not cure him myself. Our DM has said that to remover that curse we need to get a powerfull healer to do it. Right now we are in the middle of the woods with the full moon 3 nights away.


He is also showing signs of enjoying the power that might come with it.

 

[AnthonyJ]

I am currently 4th lvl so I can not cure him myself. Our DM has said that to remover that curse we need to get a powerfull healer to do it. Right now we are in the middle of the woods with the full moon 3 nights away.

He is also showing signs of enjoying the power that might come with it.

Well, be prepared to bind him for the full moon. At the moment he is being tempted by evil, but has not yet fallen; as such, it is your duty to assist him in not falling. If he wilfully gives into the temptation, well, it becomes a judgement call at that point.

 

[DMScott]

I personally would try to save him up until the time salvation becomes effectively impossible. When "effectively impossible" occurs is one of those judgement calls that's tough to make. It depends on your character's personality, the likelihood of finding a cure vs. the likelihood an innocent will be harmed before the cure, etc.

As a guideline: With Detect Evil at will, you should be able to tell if and when he becomes evil in human (or whatever) form. Until that happens, you should definitely be trying to save him.

 

[Xavim]

Why is it that every Paladin under the sun sees death as the solution to everything?

Assuming you've been travelling with the party for a while that character is your friend. What would you do if one of your friends was being possessed by a horrible curse? If the answer to that is the same as the way you play your paladins I'm glad I don't know you.

(you know, and don't have a horrible curse...)

 

[Hammerhead]

Why not just manacle him every full moon until you find a cure? It seems reasonable enough. If that doesn't work, just have you and your friends pummel him into unconsciousness when he changes; with all of you attacking him, it shouldn't be THAT hard.

Or, since lycanthropy leads to evil, kill him. Evil must die. Furthermore, your fellow partymates are associating with evil, so they must die as well. Goodness must be maintained. (Being sarcastic here.)

 

[tonym]

I am currently 4th lvl so I can not cure him myself. Our DM has said that to remover that curse we need to get a powerfull healer to do it. Right now we are in the middle of the woods with the full moon 3 nights away...

Three days. Alot can happen in three days. I'd suggest the party bust their butts trying to find a high-level healer pretty soon. I'd also suggest that killing the afflicted PC would be a last, last, last resort.

(But if somebody has to do it, none better than the paladin.)


Tony