D&D 5E Vengeance Paladin alignment

[S'mon]

I figure the vengeance paladin is basically Solomon Kane. He chased a dude halfway across the world for killing a girl that I think he didn't even know. He is basically just hard-a$$ good.

That being said, I figure vengeance paladin can pretty easily fit into most alignments with a little refluffing (or maybe reemphasis)--an oath of justice paladin or an oath of revenge paladin if you are looking for more LG or evil.

Solomon Kane seems like a LG Paladin of Vengeance, but The Punisher would be more like a N or even CN(E) Paladin of Vengeance IMO.

 

[abirdcall]

Just going off of the examples the PHB gave.

The first is really ambiguous, and the second is a big deal, but the latter two are small potatoes in comparison, yet still listed as cause for Avengers to reveal themselves.

Fair enough.

I think the text under 'fight the greater evil' is still relevant. It says 'my foes or a lesser evil'. Well if your foes are the thieves' guild and a dragon is threatening to destroy the entire city then the dragon is the greater evil here.

Vengeance Paladins don't need to just swear one oath either. They could swear vengeance against multiple foes throughout their career. So while the thieves' guild might be a good target at level 3 when the dragon can't be stopped anyway. At level 10 the 'greater evil' would be more of a target for them.

 

[Flamestrike]

I always figured Vengeance Paladin's are the Batman paladins. It's the Dark Knight archetype.

But, again, I do find different people's interpretations interesting. The notion that Q from ST:TNG is LN is ... interesting to say the least.

Vengeance Paladins are more like the Punisher than Batman for mine.

Lawful Evil types prepared to do what ever needs to be done 'for the greater good'.

Genocide. Torture. Murder. No mercy. No forgiveness. By any means. That trope.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Solomon Kane seems like a LG Paladin of Vengeance, but The Punisher would be more like a N or even CN(E) Paladin of Vengeance IMO.

I can buy that. There aren't a lot of Robert E. Howard heroes that I would think of as lawful, but I could see him being one. He certainly has a strong sense of discipline.

 

[abirdcall]

FWIW I think Inigo Montoya is the popular character who most fits the Vengeance Paladin.