What does the paladin do when...

[Angcuru]

Some interesting replies here. I'm surprised that no-one had thought to pull the wife off of the stone table. Seemed quite obvious to me.

What I would do in this situation:

Roll my wife off of the table onto the floor of the tower as I charge towards the mage, sword drawn. Cut one of his legs off at the knee, causing him to become unbalanced and twist around as well as disrupting the ritual, grab the child in my free arm, kick the mage into the pit. Holding the child, I run over to my wife, 'Lay on Hands', put the child in her arms, run back over to the mage, (just in case he's still alive) and stab his head off.

 

[maddman75]

Assuming I trusted the DM, I'd make a prayer to my god, make a lunge to grab the child with one arm and drag my wife off the slab with the other, knowing full well that this would involve turning my back on the wizard.

If the DM is doing his job right, has seen Spiderman, and knows the cliche that if the hero when faced with a no-win situation does what is right anyway with no regard to his own safety everything will turn out alright in the end, all will be cool.

If not, then my paladin will forsake his gods, join with the sorcerer, and become EVAL

 

[Angcuru]

Alternately:

Lay on hands on the wife, toss her over my shoulder. Walk up the sorcerer, grab him by the shoulder, turn him around, sucker punch him in the face, grab the baby, kick him in the jewels, let my horse pound his skull to a pulp as he lies on the ground writhing in agony. Walk down the stairs, wife and kid in hand, saying to myself "I kick ass."

 

[s/LaSH]

Oh, so we're allowed to use real world tactics, not just game ones. That changes everything. You can't chop someone's leg off with one blow in D&D once they get past, oh, fourth level? They just have too many hit points to knock them off balance in one attack.

Yeah, stunt men could save the day. Thus rendering the whole moral dilemma moot.

 

[Remathilis]

This is why I don't play paladins. Or anyone with family. I've seen enough sadistic DM's kill my wife, kids, parents, siblings, dog, etc. Drifter orphans for me.

In the case, I attack the mage, save the kid, res the wife if possible.

 

[JohnClark]

Just cause I'm a weird guy I'd pray to my god and if they did nothing like others have said I'd take the opportunity to become evil. Always wanted to play a blackguard.

 

[LuYangShih]

Angcru: Right. An epic level Sorcerer is about to complete his dark ritual, using your child as the final component, and when you go to grab your wife, he doesn't kill the child and complete the ritual? And chopping his leg off, as s/LASH said, is completely unfeasible thanks to the way D&D operates. Not to mention the other tactical problems in your approach to the situation. Your second "solution" is even more ridiculous.

 

[Dareoon Dalandrove]

I have to agree. Round one you win init. You save your wife. The sorcerer goes. Your kid drops into the pit and is killed opening the gate.

What my paladin would do.
Since the spell that holds the cutting pendulem seems to be held by concentration i'd tackle the sorcerer. I'd try to time it so that the pedulem was at the peak of a swing so that when we fall to the ground it sails off. My child might take some damage from the fall as When i bring the sorcerer down but it will still be alive. Then I either battle the sorcerer or toss him into the pit. Let the demons take care of him. If I fail to save my wife, and reserections aren't allowed. Still aint no thing. I'm a Divine agent and can travel to my gods home plane. So I could see my wife any time that I want.

 

[tonym]

Now for the question: What does the paladin, who is a disciple of the goddess of love and family, do in this circumstance?

Hmm. I'm running a Paladin, so I'll chime in.

I think my Paladin would PRAY the first round for Divine Intervention. After all, the gods 'must' be watching him, otherwise he would not have arrived at the Perfect Moment to foil everything.

If nothing happened, my Paladin would spend the next round trying to Disbelieve the scenario, thinking it must be an illusion.



TonyM

 

[Darkness]

If the DM is doing his job right, has seen Spiderman, and knows the cliche ...

If not, then my paladin will forsake his gods, join with the sorcerer, and become EVAL

Either of these sounds good to me.