Should the Paladin pay for Evil Magic Items he wants / has destroyed?

[Storyteller01]

Your story shows that this isn't the first 'incident' of said paladin passing judgement on a magic item before other party members get a chance to approve/disapprove it's destruction. What else has been done/decided in the past?


For the sword, probably a good idea to destroy it, but the party should have been consulted. As mentioned earlier, the wizard may have had other options available.


As for the spellbook, well... it's not the first time the church has burned evil books. Of course, Hitler did too, but hey...

 

[billd91]

My personal opinion is that if a paladin is adventuring with a party who wants to sell Evil items rather than destroy them, he's probably adventuring with the wrong party.

Amen to that, Brother Henry. Anyone adventuring with a paladin should be a hero, not an accountant.

 

[Tom Cashel]

...From nearby the fighter says, "You know the value of that sword is coming out of you share of the treasure "

The wizard screams "Again?! Every time we defeat someone, it is either 'He used an evil spell, burn his spell book' or 'his magic items are evil, smash them!' That stuff is not cheap and neither were those Greater Boots of Speed you love so much. if your share of the rest of his stuff doesn't cover the sword, THOSE are getting sold."

My vote is "Power Attack the Fighter and Wizard next," but that's not in your poll.

Alternately, "dump salsa over the heads of the fighter's and wizard's players" would work.

 

[Henry]

He should pay through the nose. Everyone knows that evil aritfacts have lots of great powers, and if he's going to deprive me of those powers, he'd better pony up.

It'll also help him with any voys of poverty he might have taken as well.

Are you sure you've never played in my and Torm's group?

We have a player whose opinion yours would fit to a "T". Ancient Orb of Dastardly Evil? The rest of the party is thinking to destroy the thing, he's thinking how much some evil wizard would pay for the thing - or worse, how he plans to start taking levels of Wizard...

 

[Hand of Evil]

Sorry, but I did not see detect evil, you sure the paladin just does not like black? While I am sure the paladin is noble and good in his efforts I do not know if he has the general publics well being in mind. He could have released a greater evil onto the would and now how about the clean up of the toxic evil bits of item all over the place, what happens if people come in contact with them?


My answer is other - I would have to see the agreement the paladin had with the other party and the code of the paladin.

 

[azmodean]

Can't vote in the poll, the full situation is not apparent.

If the party can't safely make use of the item, then the only option is to destroy it, but if there is some use for it, then the paladin should compensate them for his hasty actions. In either case though, he should consult with them first, especially if this is a known issue.

Some examples:
Wizard deconstructing the item for xp (not totally familliar with this rule, but seen it several places)
Bard/Sorceror/Warlock utilizing UMD to use the item without level loss. (what better way to get back at the enemy then by using the item for good?)
Using the sword in a special ritual for good (hey, it's a plot element many an evil character uses, why not the good guys?)

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Amen to that, Brother Henry. Anyone adventuring with a paladin should be a hero, not an accountant.

Any palidan adventuring with a party should be respecting the way they do things or finding a new party. Why should the whole group bend around him?

If he is the only one who wants an item destroyed (and while we might be talking an evil intelligent artifact, we might just be talking an unholy sword that the neutral character can use just fine) then he should pay to destroy it. And then maybe leave the party.

 

[Space Coyote]

In my games, the party can't "sell" evil items. The stores/merchants/wizards, etc wont buy "evil" items. And the party is almost always good, therefore they wont sell "evil" items to evil people. Therefore if there was a Paladin in the party with a penchant for destroying evil items, it wouldnt bother them one way or the other.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

As a note:

First is the Paladin just destroying stuff. Or does he 'sense' evil coming off it. I mean sure, you could sell the hand of Vecna for a lot & dock the paladin his share for destroying it....

If you play in a 'good guy' game (most parties with paladins in them are), then the destruction of evil items is a benefit for the entire party, in fact the entire world.

Now, if he's just being an idiot & breaking stuff..... Have the rogue steal his ATM card.

 

[Elf Witch]

If an item is evil then it is the duty of the paladin to destroy it. And since a paladin should be adventuring with like minded people then I don't see the problem.

How to destroy it should be discussed with the party. If a wizard can use it to make another magic item thus in essence destroying the evil item then both the wizard and paladin should be happy.

And the cost of the evil item should not come out of the paladin's share of treasure. It should not even be considered treasure but another evil to be confronted and destroyed.