D&D 5E roleplaying the Oath of the Ancients

[Ahrimon]

I haven't read through the rest of the thread yet, but just from reading the oath the first thing that popped into my head was the Norsemen from 13th warrior. Especially the smaller guy who always translated for the Arab. They were always laughing and happy and willing to sail off to another land to help people out. I can see all four oaths in them.

 

[Henry]

I'm in agreement with Riley about most of these - I'd especially have a chat with the group about dynamics of an Ancients Paladin with the rest of the group - sometimes, there are character concepts that just don't harmonize with a party, so it's important to have that "grown-up conversation" (as Happy Jack's Podcast puts it) and be sure.

Same thing with the DM - I would get his or her views on redeemability first, at least as your church would see them, and inform your decisions on that. In my campaigns, for instance, outsiders are irrevocably tied to their alignments of their planes - it's the whole "frog and the scorpion" story, they are part of the planar stuff they came from, axiomatically, and couldn't go against their nature for long if they tried. Your DM might differ, and hopefully would help clue you in on the way the metaphysics of the world worked before you are faced with the choice. I wouldn't even consider jumping off a cliff if I knew that flying magics and parachutes didn't exist.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Honestly?

I think just asking this question is enough. Every table, every player will have different answers, sure. But the fact that the question of how to be true to the surrounding, non-constraining descriptions of a class or class feature, rather than simply seeing it through its mechanical implementation, means that you are taking the "philosophical" aspects of the class seriously.

The answers are secondary to that.

 

[ccooke]

When I first read this particular oath in the PHB, a character concept sprang fully-formed to mind.

It's even the right season for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIHv0OwoQ9M

(I am now having an idea of recasting all three ghosts as paladins on a job - Devotion, Ancients and Vengence in that order - and using them as a quest hook sometime)

 

[gyor]

If those guys want to play murderhobos your better off as an Avenger Paladin anyways. Or maybe a Avenger Paladin/Rogue Assassin.

A Drow Avenger 17/Assassin 3 with say Acolyte background would fit right in and be absolutely brutal.

 

[SirAntoine]

I think it was all there in the oath. Just try to stand up for what they say there when it comes up.

 

[77IM]

Devotion = deontology
Ancients = utilitarianism
Vengeance = consequentialism

 

[pukunui]

Anyone got any good sayings that an Ancients paladin might be wont to say?

 

[Eric V]

Devotion = deontology
Ancients = utilitarianism
Vengeance = consequentialism

Makes Ancients quite close to Vengeance though, right? Is that what you had in mind?

I sort of saw it as:

Devotion: Deontology
Ancients: Virtue Ethics
Vengeance: Utilitarianism

 

[pukunui]

Would an Ancients paladin be OK with carousing? Could be one way to "appreciate" the arts.