The Blue Wizard
First Post
Kill them, kill them swiftly and with no hesitation. And then butter your bread with their bones!
Role playing moral dilemma, what would you do?
- Thread starter Erithtotl
- Start date
Celebrim
Legend
Sanackranib: Your complaint seems to depend on the assumption that all religions are morally equal, and has the hint of the belief that all religions are morally evil. At the very least, you seem to believe that moral education, religious education, and any sort of evangelistic behavior is enherently evil.
I would surmise that you hold the concept of free will rather highly, and see anyone imposing thier opinion (regardless of the means) on someone else as the essence of evil?
I respect that last opinion and see some merit in it, but I think you have to balance it against the right of a society to protect its members (even from themselves). Can you err on the side of being too dogmatic? Easily. But you can also err too far on the side of Libertarianism.
I do agree, however, that there has been too little mention of the parents in this discussion, and at the very least they need to be sought out and interviewed. They do certainly have a primary responcibility for the care of thier children, and that is not something which you can easily overrule.
What we are trying to avoid though is leaving the children to become the founders of a regenerated sect of slavers and human sacrificers. If the parents prove to be capable people, then certainly leaving the children with them is an option (especially in cases in which the criminal behavior does not seem to be deep rooted) and certainly reuniting the familes especially in cases were repentence seems to be real is a good and just goal. However, if the parents prove not capable to the task of reeducating the children (or not willing), then I would argue that sending the children back to form little nests of cannibels, slavers, and murderers (and whatever else evil cultists do) is somewhat equivalent to child abuse.
I would surmise that you hold the concept of free will rather highly, and see anyone imposing thier opinion (regardless of the means) on someone else as the essence of evil?
I respect that last opinion and see some merit in it, but I think you have to balance it against the right of a society to protect its members (even from themselves). Can you err on the side of being too dogmatic? Easily. But you can also err too far on the side of Libertarianism.
I do agree, however, that there has been too little mention of the parents in this discussion, and at the very least they need to be sought out and interviewed. They do certainly have a primary responcibility for the care of thier children, and that is not something which you can easily overrule.
What we are trying to avoid though is leaving the children to become the founders of a regenerated sect of slavers and human sacrificers. If the parents prove to be capable people, then certainly leaving the children with them is an option (especially in cases in which the criminal behavior does not seem to be deep rooted) and certainly reuniting the familes especially in cases were repentence seems to be real is a good and just goal. However, if the parents prove not capable to the task of reeducating the children (or not willing), then I would argue that sending the children back to form little nests of cannibels, slavers, and murderers (and whatever else evil cultists do) is somewhat equivalent to child abuse.
Zaruthustran
The tingling means it’s working!
Stay
Of course your Paladin has to stay. You can't abandon these innocents to the jungle or worse.
So, have the DM retire your character for awhile. Over email (or conversation, or some other method that doesn't take up table time) you two figure out what your character does and if it works.
Victory at rehabilitation/getting the kids to safety = massive XP for your paladin. You've overcome 40 foes and redeemed souls (big "story" bonus).
Failure means you fail. Very little XP for you, assuming the kids didn't kill you in your sleep.
Since your PC will be out of the action for awhile you should take over an NPC or create a "guest star" PC. That way you can still play at your regular game nights.
-z
Of course your Paladin has to stay. You can't abandon these innocents to the jungle or worse.
So, have the DM retire your character for awhile. Over email (or conversation, or some other method that doesn't take up table time) you two figure out what your character does and if it works.
Victory at rehabilitation/getting the kids to safety = massive XP for your paladin. You've overcome 40 foes and redeemed souls (big "story" bonus).
Failure means you fail. Very little XP for you, assuming the kids didn't kill you in your sleep.
Since your PC will be out of the action for awhile you should take over an NPC or create a "guest star" PC. That way you can still play at your regular game nights.
-z
Henry
Autoexreginated
Erithtotl said:
You have your answer, from my perspective. Talk to your DM about this, as your paladin would know the rules of his god well enough to determine the best (not the "correct") course of action. My logic is as follows:
You are engaged in a higher duty to your god currently, one that the world cannot ignore. What good is it to save these 40 children, if, by your lack of participation, the whole world is forfeit? On the other hand, the children have NO ONE, not even the slavers, to care for them.
The best alternative is that you send a message to your order, through the PC's, informing your superiors of the situation. You stay behind to see to the children's well-being, and make preparations to either bring them to the mainland, or to set them up with more permanent instruction here. (I am opting for the "bring them with you" aspect myself, but your sea captain is going to balk at bringing FORTY extra passengers with you without having planned for them.)
Your PC buddies go back to the church with you, and another paladin or holy warrior is issued to your group as a replacement. VOILA! You play the NPC for the balance of the "crisis" quest, then after the quest is over, you resume play of the old PC. If your DM is feeling generous, (s)he could just say that the experience you accumulate playing the NPC gets transferred to the PC, representing the experiences that your paladin had in the land of savages protecting and converting the children.
This way, your paladin follows his heart without harming his duty, your experience totals don't get too far removed from the other PC's, and you don't have to sit out any action.
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