The Paladin's Code...and TIME TRAVEL!

[Kai Lord]

If a paladin could travel back in time and murder a person who would eventually do evil things, is it incumbant upon him to do so...?

Of course not. What Paladin adheres to "the ends justify the means?" None. Lots of ex-paladins would fall into that camp, though.

A Paladin doesn't fight evil with evil, he fights it with good.

 

[Voadam]

At this piont, I keep feeling that I should mention the Detect Evil spell. If you look at the list, you'll find things like "Cleric of an Evil Deity," "Undead," "Evil Artifact," and "Evil Creature." None of the categories mention someone of an Evil alignment.

The argument can be made that Evil Creature means he of an Evil Alignment. I would point out the many instances (notibly in the Domains section, especally the Fire, Water (or is it cold?), Earth, and Air sections) where they list Fire and Air creatures. This doesn't refer to Fire Elementials only. You can turn/rebuke a Red Dragon if you'd like.

Without the Evil Alignment, the Detect Evil aspect of a Paladin is sorely limited. It also removes many DM headaches.

It also lists evil outsiders as separate from evil creatures. Only evil outsiders have the alignment descriptor [evil] and they are already covered by the category evil outsider. I believe evil creatures in the detect evil spell means any creature with an evil alignment.

 

[NoOneofConsequence]

That's fair, I too perhaps have read too much into the scenario. I would have to say though, that with what minimal information we do have, the paladin destroying an evil-doer is not murder. It's a sanctioned execution direct from his god.

Paladins are Lawful Good, one would expect their deities to be as well. How does a LG deity "sanction" a pre-emptive execution? For reasons many people have outlined, it's a clear violation of a Good alignment. You can't hide behind "God told me to do it!" because the god never would!

Doesn't make it the best possible means to deal with a situation, I'll grant, but the paladin doesn't have that luxury. He has a demonstrable evil and a clear action that will prevent some evil from occurring, so his path should be clear - prevent the evil.

Murdering the future evil doer is not the only way to "prevent the evil". A paladin would never accept a philosophy of doing the lesser evil, which is what you are proposing. Paladins seek the good solution, not the easiest or simplest. As holy warriors of lawful good gods, paladins are not mindless 'fire & forget' weapons - they are deeply ingrained in the religious thinking that motivates their god.

Edited for tone.

 

[Lela]

It also lists evil outsiders as separate from evil creatures. Only evil outsiders have the alignment descriptor [evil] and they are already covered by the category evil outsider. I believe evil creatures in the detect evil spell means any creature with an evil alignment.

I can't argue with that. Namely because you're right. They may have left the option open though. What's 3.5e say?

I still haven't had an issue where I've had to decide between the two. I may do it on a case by case basis. I don't retract my opinion but I do retract my statement (which may not be fully rules based).

As to Evil (and Good) alignment, IMO, it should take a lot to get there. You can be Neutral with Good or Evil tendencies but Detect Evil won't show that. They've got to be doing something really bad in life to gain the Evilness. Killing children for fun would qualify but stealing on the street wouldn't (though they're might be Evil tendencies).

That's a subject for another thread.