Sejs,
What if they're unaware of the law? What about the severity of the law? Does a paladin who litters lose all his abilities then and there? (Bless me father, for I have sinned. It's been 15 minutes since my last confession.. I littered. Sorry. Can I have an Atone so I can smite evil again please?) What if the law makes no sense? (No red hats on Tuesdays) What about areas where some laws serve to protect the wicked, but are on their own, solid laws? (You may not strike a priestess for any reason.. in a drow city. Attack a priestess of Lloth.. lose your paladinhood?)
If they are unaware of the law they can not be held accountable. I do not know a single medieval town that has littering as a law. Some places have strange and exotic customs and laws (no red hats on Tuesdays) then yes, the paladin should compensate for them. And as for your last point DID YOU READ THE COMMANDMENT, Priestesses of Lolth are evil, and kill and enslave innocents, that is considered corrupt and therefore the paladin does not have to follow it.
There are times when lying can be noble. Does this dress make me look fat? No. (*BAM*). Are there any revolutionaries against Dreal Lord Tyranton in there? No (*BAM*) What do you think of my plan to erect a giant thousand-foot tall statue of myself in the town square? I think it's ...interesting, sire (*BAM*)
If you think lying is noble, then that is your opinion. To me, it is not.
3. The only creature a paladin can kill without proof or due-process is one of irrevocable evil (demons, devils, etc.). Other creatures, even the most foul of them, can be turned to good. At the very least, they have a right to a FAIR and BALANCE trial (a paladin that wittingly takes one to a rigged trail breaks the oath). If the creature refuses to allow itself to be judged by a court, then it may be offered a dual to the death, the gods then judge who lives or dies.
Gotcha, so instead of smiting evil, a paladin has to issue a court order to the various serial rapists, mass murderers, soul-selling diabolists, zealot cultists of slaughter-gods, drow, chromatic dragons, kuo-toa, and what not. Then he has to hope they show up for their fair and balanced trial.
Ok, again, DID YOU EVEN READ THE COMMANDMENT? Ok, here is all a paladin has to do "Evil Necromancer, I am here to make you pay for your crimes, bow to the courts." "Are you a fool paladin? I shall never bow to you or anyone else!" (IF the necromancer is obviously powerful) "Then it is a fight to the death, the gods shall see who is guilty (smite evil)" Or if the necromancer is not very powerful, subdual damage him to unconsciousness then MAKE him go to the courts. IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS, that if it is not apparent that they will show up, then the gods decided who is guilty or not (duel). Come on, you have to READ the commandment before you can argue it.
I can think of several crimes that are worthy of execution; not just murder.
Again, this is your opinion. My opinion is that no crime is worthy of death, but I think an eye for an eye suits well for medieval justice (and this does not mean that the paladin should rape rapists, I mean that a murder is worthy of murder, anything less is not worthy of murder).
Wait.. guile and trickery are tools of evil? Being smarter than the other guy means you evil?? I missed the boat, somewhere. There was a boat and I wasn't on the boat. Likewise, a paladin can't fight monks or spell casters, then, yes? No weapons.. or is it they're not supposed to attack those that can't defend themselves? Not attacking the defenseless I agree with. But not the no-weapon thing. I likewise don't agree with he no-stealth thing. So if a paladin is trying to slip past a blockade ..er.. rather a Blockade of Evil, and he would otherwise get by unnoticed, does he have to step out, announce himself and get his fight on with the garrison present? The courtesy to the opposite sex and lords bit could get -really- tricky, too. I'd say it's a nice -guideline- but shouldn't be a hard and fast -requirement-.
Guile and trickery are tools of evil to a person with a pure heart. And that does not mean you are dumb, were did you get that connection? And when I said weapon, I ment natural weapon, powerful spells, etc. And no, he will not go around the blockade, and he does not have to fight it either, that is why DIPLOMACY is on the paladin list of class skills.
Boy, I sure hope paladins come equipped with Phlacrities of Faithfulness then. Particularly if they thing they're doing something good, and were in actuality tricked, and the eventual results of their actions would be bad. Bam.. no abilities. That'll teach you to trust people, you darn (ex)Paladin.
This is a difficult one to stomach, even for me, but if you read under the atonement spell, paladins do lose class abilities for unwillingly or unwittingly doing evil, this includes such spells as Dominate Person, etc.
quick heads up - you're looking for sow - to spread or seed. A soe is a cask.
I am sorry, you do not have to insult me, I was writing quickly. I am sure I have several spelling mistakes across this one too, lets stick to the discussion at hand, shall we?
Even then it could easily lead to some real rock and a hard place situations where there is no real alternative than by associating with a lesser evil to take out a greater one
There is always an alternative, a paladin should never willingly assosiate or deal with any evil, and a paladin would never choose an evil, even if it is lesser.
You're inherently better, because the evil wouldn't be looking to help people at all in the first place.
No, because what is evil? You are not just evil, you are evil because you do evil acts. If the paladin does evil acts, he is just as bad as the evil he wishes to suppress.
Unless you are playing in some different setting than I have ever played in, it's not like the every town, village, hamlet, and dale has a judicial system. And those that do probably have killing as a number one punishment.
If the place has no laws, then a paladin can't really break them can he? And if a place has laws that kill for minor things, then the paladin must believe that the law is corrupt and therefore may break it.
A man covered in blood runs around a corner sees someone (a paladin) and says "hide me there's an axe murderer trying to kill me!" The Paladin hides the poor soul. Then a blood covered oaf comes around the corner with a bloody axe. He asks the paladin "Do you know where is?" Any paladin would have to lie. It is the good thing and the lawful thing to do.
NO, he says "Yes, I am protecting the soul you wish to kill. Now, lay down your weapon and lets speak of this, but if you attack, I will be forced to defend myself" If you have a paladin that would say something else to an axe murder, then you have no paladin.
