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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mallus" data-source="post: 6041059" data-attributes="member: 3887">Some history...The AD&D (1e) supplement Unearthed Arcana placed some... questionable role-playing restrictions on several classes, ie restrictions, if taken literally, meant they were for all intents and purposes, unplayable.  For example, Barbarians couldn't join a standard D&D party until 6th level (ie, a party with both a magic-user and cleric) and couldn't use magical healing at all at 1st level (which raises the question of how they got to 2nd level at all, a fact compounded by the amount of XP they needed to get off 1st level).Paladins, now as a subclass of the UA class "cavalier", were subject to some, in retrospect, utterly ridiculous rules. Here's a direct quote:"As a result of the code and desire for battle, cavaliers cannot be controlled in battle situations. They will charge any enemy in sight, with the following order of preference: 1. Powerful monsters (dragons, demons, giants, etc.) serving 2. Opponent cavaliers of great renown, enemy flags 3. Opponent cavalry of noble or elite status 4. Other opponent cavalry 5. Opponent elite footmen 6. Opponent camp and headquarters 7. Opponent melee troops 8. Levies or peasants enemy leaders, then the leaders themselves. and standards. The cavalier’s charge will be made at full speed, regardless of army cohesion, intervening  friendly troops, or other such considerations." -- Unearthed Arcana, page 16.You can see here the origin of "Lawful Stupid". The class is unplayable --actually, it's not "played" at all during combat, since the PC has to follow the attack script quoted above, as if a particularly dumb bot in a video game. It should be noted the paladin as described in the AD&D Player's Handbook, is not required to be stupid, or practice a form of honor indistinguishable from suicidal stupidity. All that is required of them is them is 1) tithe, 2) not stockpile magic items, and 3) only consort/employ with good characters. Unfortunately, the autistic Bizarro World conception of quasi-Medieval honor suggested by the text in Unearthed Arcana has left an --unfortunately indelible-- mark on some gamer's conceptions of the paladin's code. Here endeth the history lesson.edit: I don't want to leave the impression AD&D, even including UA, is unplayable. In fact, I'm running it tonight! It's just that you need to take certain parts of it, as with any rule system, with a grain of salt... (a glass of wine or three wouldn't hurt, either).</blockquote>

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