Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5691425" data-attributes="member: 92511">Thank ye. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />Well, prioritizing is always important, in-game as much as real life. If it is not something that can be taken care f "right away" then you (the PC) just have to sort out what's more pressing/important and come back to the other thing, if/when possible.The kind that upholds law and justice as best you can. If there are authorities, a legal system, commonly accepted "local justice"...In most towns, for example, slaying a petty thief in the middle of the marketplace because you saw them swipe an apple (or even someone's coin purse) would, I think, be a bit of "overkill"/unnecessary. Call them out on it! Chase them down and try to drag them by the collar to the nearest town guardsman or constable's station, definitely fitting...by my codes.Good assumption.But also, a bartender watering his beer is not going to *ping* (I assume you mean on the paladin's "detect-evil-o-meter" <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />. A bartender poisoning the beer so he can loot his customers while they sleep in a coma like stupor? Yes. Keeping a secret meeting room for the evil reptile-god cult in his basement, most probably (unless he's acting under charm or coercion).And, you answered your own question. Law and justice. Is there local authorites and legal system? Yes? Then follow that. Does that mean you can do nothing without proof? Then get proof. (Yay, Investigative side-adventure time!) Just for example in my world: Yes. A Redstar Knight is known to be honor and oath-bound to always speak the truth. This does not, however mean that is all that is necessary to arrest and hold someone is the paladin's say-so. It holds a great deal of weight in people's minds/perceptions...the local guardsmen will unquestioningly take the paladin's assertion seriously...but it does not, in itself, warrant an arrest or conviction (nor warrant/allow for summary judgement on the paladin's part! She must speak the truth AND uphold the order of Law and Justice to the best of their ability. The code is not an "either/or" situation.)You are correct about clarity. Again, the whole point of this thread is to have/get DMs and players on the same page to avoid misunderstandings or misinterpretations in play.I was just using flowery language to make it sound/go along with the other tenets I wrote. But, rest assured, all players are aware of the parenthesized text.Thanky. Yeah, seems very simple to me, but a lot of people, I guess, have difficulty with the distinction. Doesn't seem vague to me at all. But ok...I would generally say that paladins (particularly of Celradorn, and most "battle" related gods, I would think) find "stealth" dishonorable and, regardless of it being in their code, would prefer not to do it. It's not going to be the paladin of the group's idea to engage in stealthy tactics. But if that is what the group decides, I don't see a reason they can't "go along with it" every once in a while.If you (or the DM) wants to be a real "letter of the code" kind of guy, the paladin could proudly stand his ground and demand the enemy "face his justice"...as a distraction for the rest of the group (who are hiding) to get in their surprise attacks. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Does that mean attempting to avoid an obviously superior force by hiding is going to get your paladinic status removed? No. Again, Lawful Good is not Lawful Stupid.A paladin that thinks it is a completely acceptable tactic to hide and try to make "surprise" attacks all of the time? Yeah, he's probably going to get a couple of celestial "hints"/warnings before a true "smackdown."What about it? My understanding of flanking is that you are at the side of the foe/the enemy...they are aware that you are there...causing momentary indecision or otherwise putting them at a disadvantage from one or both of your attacks.  The enemy knows you are there, no harm no foul. You're not trying to backstab him! lol. (if you are, then we'd have an issue with the code.)Ermmmm, check your character sheet, Psi, are you sure it says "Paladin" and not "Thief"? lol.This I would say is an absolute and big (and I believe completely obviously so by the terms of the tenet) "No-no."Certainly not. If you offer a foe surrender and mercy and then, when you turn to get the rope to bind them and take them back to town to meet their justice, they lunge at you with some hidden dagger they still had (or pick up their dropped axe and come at you or whatever), you absolutely have met your "required by the Code" behavior and are totally justified in parting head from shoulders.Again, a paladin living by a code of conduct is a person living by,with and for their ideals. It is not "ok" to lie sometimes because it happens to be convenient for you. Then in what way are people supposed to believe you speak the truth other times? Simply because you say so? But you can lie? A code of conduct, particularly in the case of "extreme" alignments like Lawful Good, does not allow for "sometimes." Again, it is an IDEAL that is to be followed. Does that mean a paladin CAN'T lie? No, that's up to the player and then the consequences must be applied, fairly, by the GM.Are you going to lose paladinic status because you lied to the evil cultist but ultimately thwarted their foul plot? No, probably not (well, not in my game, but this is where/why the DM/player need be on the same page).Would a paladin who did so feel guilty and seek out, legitamate in-game, penance/atonement for their infraction? Yes, they should.He acted against the code and he knowingly he did so. He should feel guilty and should DEFinitely want to "make amends" with his conscience, his deity and order as soon as possible...for his own sense of good and honor.I believe they are. "Defend the weak. Promote Order and Justice. Stop evil. Be nice. Don't lie." all seem pretty basic and broad-stroked for any paladin to use.Thanks again. Good input. Yeah. I've found having this kind of thing in place is pretty necessary in a polytheistic world. Also, cuts down on the "holy wars" of "No my god's more LG. Nuh-uh, mine is!" ;P--SD</blockquote>

Verification