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bubbagump wrote:

Why use any term at all? D&D existed without a term for underground areas for years (until the publication of the Forgotten Realms) with no problem.

Acutally, the term Underdark was first used, if I recall correctly, in Doug Niles' Dungeoneer's Survival Guide (1st Edition), which predates the Forgotten Realms as a Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting.

I stand corrected. I forgot about that one. Excuse me while I self-flagellate.

Pathfinder won't be doing anything with d20 modern. It's fantasy genre all the way. That doesn't mean we won't someday do a d20 modern Adventure Path or something, but if we do, it won't be part of Pathfinder.

Of course! I only meant something LIKE Pathfinder.

Why use any term at all? D&D existed without a term for underground areas for years (until the publication of the Forgotten Realms) with no problem.

Rather than an entire "world" underground, I'd rather see a new version of the old-school ideas. Back in the day, underground cities and regions were relatively isolated from each other. This allowed designers to use varied cultures, races, and creatures without worrying about how they 'fit in' with underground communities in other areas.

I never did like the idea that the Drow controlled the underdark and could conceivably be within striking range of any given surface city. While I can see the usefulness of wide-ranging and interconnected passages from a design perspective, I'd rather not see a world where there's a single entity or race that controls the realms below. If underground races and civilizations exist in the new Pathfinder world, I'd prefer them to be more-or-less isolated enclaves.

I've been absolutely DREAMING of a d20 Modern version of Dungeon! Unless you count the (relatively) awful stuff posted for free on the WOTC 'site, there's nothing out there. A few companies have written an adventure or two, but practically every one of them is campaign-specific or product-specific. Frankly, practically all of them such, too.

I was very glad to see d20 Modern when it came out, as it's a wonderfully versatile system. The only reason I haven't played it more is that there's no support for it. I think a Modern version of Pathfinder, complete with its own mythos, genre, and setting would be awesome. Maybe you could do a generic adventure path, and provide articles to customize it to d20 Future, d20 Past, or Urban Arcana.

Or why not a version of Dungeon with unrelated adventures geared toward d20 Future, d20 Past, Urban Arcana, AND straight d20 Modern? Assuming you didn't get too diverse, it should be doable.

Okay, I realize this post is almost incoherent, but I'm excited about the possibility!

Suppose just for the sake of argument that we accept everything WOTC and Paizo have said is true.

This is (potentially) a good move for WOTC because they get to increase their profits by producing Dragon and Dungeon content themselves. They know from 30 years of experience that as long as they put decent pictures on the covers people will continue to buy their stuff. When 4.0 comes out, they'll be sitting pretty as the only source of 'official' material. Also, many of us (especially us old-timers) will likely follow settings like Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms no matter who the publisher is. There's a lot of loyalty out there.

Also, this is (again, potentially) a good move for Paizo since they can get out from under outside oversight and produce what they want. Given the quality of their past and current products, they stand a good chance of cornering the 3.5e market. Also, producing a 'game supplement' like Pathfinder is potentially cheaper than producing a 'magazine', since you don't have to worry about so many unsold copies. Pathfinder has continuity built in (the Adventure Path concept) which encourages customers to continue buying, and also has a high value when compared to other products on the market.

While many may have hard feelings against WOTC after this, I suspect the gaming community will continue to grow for some time and that companies will continue to produce 3.5e products long after 4.0e is released.

All this will be rendered moot in 10-15 years anyway, since everybody is going to eventually follow WOTC's lead and become completely computerized. It's just a matter of time.

With all that said, I've decided that I'll not be converting to 4.0e when it comes along. I'll stick with Paizo and other 3.5e companies until the well runs dry, and by then I shoudl be too old to care one way or the other. I've been playing D&D for 30 years now, and it's been a good run. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. God bless Paizo for sticking around as long as they have.

I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Nobody produces a better adventure than Paizo. Nobody.

Years ago I had a player who named his fighter "Bob". Surprisingly, he made it work. Whenever he was asked for his name, he'd say, "Bob. Just Bob. That should be enough for the likes of you," or something similar. The character refused to tell anyone, including other players, about his origins or history. He even went so far as to describe himself as "just a fighter." "I'm not some noble barbarian 'warrior'," he'd say, "and I'm not a 'knight' or a 'soldier' or a 'swordsman'. I fight because that's what I know and because circumstances don't leave me much choice. If you have to call me anything, just call me a 'fighter', 'cuz that's what I am." Thus was born 'Bob the Fighter'. With all the oddball names I've heard since then, I think Bob was the most aptly named.

But more to the point, if you release a list of names or some other sort of naming convention, please please PLEASE try to avoid the random-consonant, multiple-vowel sort of gibberish I keep reading in current Forgotten Realms products. Give the elves elvish-sounding names, give the dwarves dwarven-sounding names, give the halflings hobbit-sounding names, and try to come up with something for humans that doesn't make them sound like dwarves who've learned to like light beer.

I'm afraid I have to disagree a bit here. While the levitate spell itself could probably do a pretty good job of breaking the webs, the real question is "can the mind flayer stand the strain?" Physical strength represents not just a character's muscular power, it also represents his ability to stand the strain of using that power. According to this interpretation, it would still be the illithid's own strength that determined whether or not he could escape the web.

In other words, the illithid could most likely move a rock entwined with webs quite easily. But when he tries to move himself the webs entrapping his limbs continue to bind painfully and he must use his own strength score to overcome them. To unleash his full levitational strength on himself in such a situation would undoubtedly cause him far too much pain. Imagine roping yourself to a tree and allowing a small car to pull you free: the car could certainly do the job, but the strain on you would be too much to bear.

With that said, I'm afraid I must admit that if it were the players trying to get free rather than a monster, and if they'd been having a tough time until now and were facing a possible TPK, I'd probably let this idea work. I tend to favor underdog players, though.

This has happened to me before. I now observe the following rules in every campaign I run.

1.) All PCs are made in my presence, and I keep the sheets until they die permanently. I scan them into my computer after every session and compare copies from time to time. This prevents characters from "correcting" their character sheets inappropriately.

2.) All dice are rolled in the open. Cocked dice or dice that fall to the floor must be rerolled. If I don't see the roll, it didn't happen.

3.) I have a copy of every player's character sheet available during every game. If I think something sounds fishy, I check the sheet. If it doesn't add up, it doesn't happen.

4.) If you "cheat" accidentally by making an honest mistake, you get a "do-over".

5.) If you cheat and nobody catches you but me, I'll warn you publicly not to do it again.

6.) If you cheat again or if everybody catches you, your character dies permanently and you have to start another one at lower level. Alternately, you forfeit all treasure and lose a level or two. (The exact penalty is decided by a vote of all players present).

7.) If you cheat a third time or get caught by everyone twice, you're out of the group permanently. No hard feelings, you're still our friend, but we take our game seriously and you can't play.

I make sure every player hears and accepts these rules before I let them into the game. To date, I've had to get rid of two players including on one occasion my own son. Everyone else has a great time. (My son still loves me, and has since been allowed to resume playing with us. He doesn't cheat anymore and makes sure no one else does, either. He's an awesome kid, even if he is only five.)

After many narrow escapes and a frustratingly low death rate, my group finally experienced the following fatalities:

PC Name: Dren o' Critwall, Intharia, Malsharon
Adventure: Spire of Long Shadows
Location of Death: just outside the spire
Catalyst: poor judgment and poor saves
Long Description: After heroically and, though it pains me to admit it, brilliantly conquering the dangers of the Spire, the party agreed to escort Sruggut the worm naga into the wide world he'd so hoped to see. The party's halfling barbarian, Aljekar, being a bit of a loose cannon, had gotten the party into plenty of scrapes by doing (in character) stupid things like yelling into darkened rooms, "Hey, anybody in there?" or wandering off alone and then running back toward the party with monsters at his heels. Needless to say, he was in pretty bad shape, hit point-wise. As he, his party, and Sruggut were leaving the area, Aljekar poked Sruggut in the back and belligerently asked, "So, Snake-butt, what's our reward for setting you free?" Sruggut, whose annoyance at Aljekar's attitude had reached a boiling point, simply said, "This," and cast a finger of death spell. Aljekar easily made his save, but his weakened fellow adventurers failed every single save thereafter. They fell to (Dren, 15th level rogue) another finger of death, (Intharia, 15th level fighter) a harm spell, and (Malsharon, 15th level cleric) yet another finger of death. Aljekar, ironically, escaped the battle, returning later to retrieve his friends' body parts and had to foot the bill for 3 true resurrections. As of the beginning of Into the Wormcrawl Fissure, he still hasn't managed to pay off all his debt.

Ironically enough, I did just that in my own campaign. Note that I changed the name from Zosiel to Zathos in my campaign, inasmuch as I was trying to tie the AoW in with other events that had happened previously. BTW, very little of this (except the story itself) are original. I borrowed heavily from other sources. Also, the description below was not written with later AoW events in mind, since I didn't yet have the final issues of Dungeon. Here's what I came up with:

Circlet of Zathos
The Circlet of Zathos is a silvery band imprinted on the brow with the glyph of Zathos, its original wearer. The circlet is actually made of a strange extraplanar material, though it would take a skilled whitesmith to notice it is anything more than common silver.

Non-legacy Game Statistics: Periapt of Wisdom +2 in circlet form; Cost 4,000 gp; Weight --.

Omen: The Circlet of Zathos dislikes an inactive life. If the Circlet is kept indoors for more than a few days, it begins to move when no one is watching. The circlet cannot go through doors or walls, but if an opening is provided, the Circlet will move outside if possible, preferring to feel the wind on its surface.

History
The ancient Empire of Aaqa spanned more than worlds – at its height it encompassed entire planes. Sages have often pondered how such a vast domain could be held together, even by the powerful and disciplined Vaati. One of the keys to the Empire’s success, little noticed by most scholars, was the Imperial Messenger Service. Highly trained and resourceful imperial messengers crossed planets and planes daily, carrying missives that decided the fate of worlds.
The messengers themselves were renowned for their speed and reliability. The many dangers of planewalking required that each of them was a skilled diplomat, a mighty combatant, and a wise traveler. One such messenger was the Vaati Zathos, herald of General Icosiol during the Chaos War. Zathos carried this particular circlet, the symbol of his inviolability as a member of the Imperial Messenger Service. (DC 15)
Little is known of Zathos’s early days in the I.M.S. He was born to a minor house, entering the Service’s training academy as a means of fulfilling his duty to the Empire of Aaqa. When his training was completed he was stationed at a minor outpost in one of the empire’s farthest provinces. He served there with distinction for several years, faithfully carrying epistles of the empire’s will to various local nobles and imperial officials.
Those familiar with the lawful nature of the Vaati are often surprised to learn that they were quite adept at the finer art forms. Their disciplined philosophy did not interfere with their enjoyment of life and its many beauties. Zathos himself was a poet. His many long journeys allowed him ample time to write, and his few surviving works display a surprising degree of passion for the wonders he saw in his travels. (DC 18; Freedom of the Road)
Zathos fulfilled his duty to the I.M.S. faithfully for over two decades, eventually being promoted to one of the Empire’s more significant outposts on the Astral Plane. Just prior to the advent of the Chaos War he met his nemesis, a balor named Kizarvidexus. Unknown to Zathos at the time, the demon had been dispatched by the Queen of Chaos to disrupt imperial operations on the Astral Plane and, if possible, to intercept messages involving imperial military strength. Zathos and Kizarvidexus crossed paths numerous times, both directly and indirectly, with Zathos coming out on top each time. Kizarvidexus eventually developed a great hatred for Zathos, though Zathos never viewed him as more than an obstacle to be overcome in the pursuit of his duty. (DC 25; Sympathy for the Demon)
Zathos was eventually promoted to a position as personal herald to the great General Icosiol, leader of the Vaati armies. His was the duty of delivering the empire’s official challenge to the Queen of Chaos on the volcanic plain of Pesh. As the armies of Law and Chaos assembled for their greatest battle, Zathos dutifully strode toward the enemy ranks to deliver his final message. With thousands of demons looking on in bloodlust, he read the imperial proclamation to the enemy general Miska, consort to the Queen of Chaos herself. Miska, predictably, demonstrated his contempt for the forces of Law by attempting to destroy Zathos on the spot. Fortunately, the instincts Zathos had developed in years of serving the I.M.S. were still sharp and, sensing the Wolf Spider’s impending attack, he leapt clear and was able to return to Icosiol’s side, the demonic hordes hard on his heels. (DC 31, Courage in the Face of the Enemy)

Legacy Rituals
Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of the Circlet of Zathos.
Freedom of the Road: You must spend an entire week traveling, spending no more time indoors than is required to eat a meal or reequip yourself. Temporary shelters such as tents and caves are considered “indoors” for purposes of this ritual. Cost: 1,700 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Circlet of Zathos).
Sympathy for the Demon: You are required to face an intelligent opponent of at least your CR or greater and outwit him in a game of chance or similar contest. You cannot attack your opponent unless your opponent attacks first. If your opponent attacks you before the contest is complete, the ritual is considered a success if you defeat your foe in combat. Cost: 12,000 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Circlet of Zathos).
Courage in the Face of the Enemy: You must speak face-to-face to the leader a hostile force composed of multiple enemies. The conversation must last at least three consecutive rounds, and cannot occur during rounds when other actions – including combat actions - are being taken by you or the hostile leader. The enemy force must have an EL at least three times your own level, must be within hearing of the conversation, and you must escape the confrontation without attacking or dying. Cost: 40,000 gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Circlet of Zathos).

Wielder Requirements
Clerics, rogues, or wizards are the most likely wearers of the Circlet of Zathos, but any character that frequently takes lengthy journeys might find it a useful tool.

Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 4 ranks
Knowledge (geography) 4 ranks
Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks
Survival 4 rank

Legacy Item Abilities
Experienced Traveler (Su): The Circlet of Zathos provides an enhancement bonus of 5 feet to your normal movement speed.
Wind in Your Face (Su): While you are wearing the Circlet of Zathos, light gusts of wind constantly stream from you, billowing your cloak or hair. At will on command, you can focus the wind to blow away or knock down smaller creatures, as the gust of wind spell. The save DC is 13, or 12 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 11th.
Wary Traveler (Su): While you are wearing the Circlet, you are never caught flat-footed.
Swift Traveler (Su): The Circlet speeds up your perception of time. While you are wearing the Circlet, you can activate haste for 1 round as a swift action, as though wearing boots of speed. You can use this ability up to five times per day. Caster level 15th.
Canny Traveler (Su): Once per day you can gain a +20 insight bonus on a single roll, as the moment of prescience spell. You must declare that you are activating the effect before you make the roll. Caster level 17th.
Emperor’s Authority (Sp): Once per day, when you issue the command word and touch the Circlet, you can force a creature to return to its native plane as the dismissal spell. The base save DC is 16, or 14 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Add your character level to this number and subtract the target creature’s HD to determine the final save DC. Caster level 17th.
Hardened Traveler (Sp): Once per day, when you issue the command word and touch the Circlet, you gain the benefit of the iron body spell. Caster level 17th.

Personal Costs _
Char Attack Skill Check hp Skill Point
Level Penalty Penalty Loss Loss Ability
5th -- -- -- -- Experienced Traveler
6th -- -- 2 4 +1 deflection bonus to AC
7th -1 -- -- -- Circlet of Wisdom +4
8th -- -1 -- -- --
9th -- -- -- 2 +2 deflection bonus to AC
10th -- -- 2 -- --
11th -- -- -- -- Wind in Your Face
12th -- -- -- 2 Wary Traveler
13th -2 -- -- -- Swift Traveler
14th -- -- 2 -- +3 deflection bonus to AC
15th -- -- -- 2 Circlet of Wisdom +6
16th -- -2 -- -- Canny Traveler
17th -- -- -- -- --
18th -- -- 2 2 Emperor’s Authority
19th -- -3 -- 2 --
20th -- -- -- 2 Hardened Traveler

I'm not real happy about this, either. I admit, I'd be happy if WOTC created other publications similar to Dragon and Dungeon, but ONLY if 1.) It had similar content and not random, unfocused snippets such as those currently on their website, 2.) It was of the same quality as the current publications and not just something dashed off over the weekend by some overworked designer, 3.) It was of similar price (I'd be willing to pay a little more for the magazines, but $20/issue for Pathfinder is ridiculous), 4.) it focused on Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms, and "generic" worlds (I don't have the time or energy to learn yet another campaign world, nor do I see the need to try), and 5.) I could get a hard copy. Sure, online content is great for some things, but it can't take the place of a physical object you can take to the game with you. I know you can always print off the 'online content', but who wants to buy all those ink cartridges? Also, online content is volatile. Every downloaded file will eventually get lost, corrupted, or whatever. Books and magazines last much longer (for example, I still have my 29-year-old 1e Player's Handbook and it's still in pretty good shape. I even have issues of Strategic Review from 30+ years ago and I can still use them in my game - show me one single computer file of ANY kind that has that kind of longevity!).

I wonder if those in charge have considered the needs of their customers. I use both Dragon and Dungeon extensively (you could almost say "exclusively") because my busy schedule and family life preclude me from doing all the work necessary to concoct my own home-brew campaign. Both publications put everything together for me so I can just pick up the magazine, read it, and run it without much effort on my part. If I don't have Dragon and Dungeon (or something similar), then I'll most likely have to quit playing D&D altogether eventually.

I understand there are various business concerns to think about, and after all, both publications and their licenses do exist to make money. However, any company that hopes to survive has to follow the first rule of business: Give your customers what they want.

To put it bluntly: I don't want another d*mn website to look at!

I guess I'm older than the dinosaurs. I started playing the year before 1e was released.

I still remember when combat was a more-or-less optional element of roleplaying, since the idea back then was to vicariously participate in an alternate reality rather than to amass experience points or gain power. Back then we all wanted to pretend we were in books like John Carter: Warlord of Mars or the Conan saga. It was more important to us to explore the milieu (remember that term, old-timers) than it was to reach a particular level or achieve a particular "character build".

The real difference between old gamers and young gamers? Old gamers wanted to construct a personality we'd had in the backs of our minds for years, probably ever since we read ("read", not "watched") the Lord of the Rings. New gamers want to recreate a video game, but with more options and control. Neither old-school nor new-school is best. Both have their place.

Advice for new-schoolers: Don't get upset when we old-schoolers aren't impressed with your character build. We want to know how your character developed, not how your stats increased.

Advice for "middle"-schoolers: The game never was about gaining treasure or amassing magic items. I hope you know that by now, and teach it to the new-schoolers.

Advice for old-schoolers: Don't let 3.5e turn you off of roleplaying. The new rules work better than the old ones, and have more options. Use them to recreate all the good times you had decades ago.

I'm currently having a great time teaching my five-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter how to play D&D. We use a tremendously simplified version of the rules and have a wonderful time together. Rest assured, by the time they're old enough to get on these messageboards they'll be old-school gamers.

Some classmates told me about D&D when I was 9. I begged Mom for it, and the old blue-boxed basic set showed up under the Christmas tree. Santa has been my hero every since.

For years, I had to settle with talking about the game with my friends at school, since none of them lived close enough to play it with me. I ran myself through endless solo adventures, ceaselessly toiling over my own designs and attempting to incorporate every new gaming product I could get my hands on into my home campaign.

Then, when I was in high school, I got to DM my first real game. A few friends and I played every week for almost a year. Later, in my first attempt at college, I got to DM an extended campaign for some friends in the Navy's Orlando nuke school. I also got to play a few one-shots with various other friends.

I'm now nearing 40, and I still play twice a week with two steady gaming groups: one includes 4 old-school players like myself who are having a great time hacking through the Age of Worms and looking forward to the Savage Tide, and the other includes my wife, my 5-year-old son, and my 7-year-old daughter. I can't quite decide which group is the most fun.

I'm with you, Tequila. We don't need another ultra-evil realm. I handle the issue in the Old School way - I ignore it. If ever I should use a Far Realm scenario or concept, I'll redefine it to fit into the cosmology I already use.

IMHO, the attempt to work everything into a cohesive whole is the greatest flaw in the current edition of the D&D game. Older versions clearly stated that the DM was to take only the elements he wanted and leave the others out. Even the rules themselves were subject to deletion or alteration.

This simple concept could clear up many questions and arguments currently floating around the 'net. Don't like the Far Realm? Then it doesn't exist in your campaign. Think the Abyss should be the source of evil and madness? Then in your campaign that's the way it is. Can't reconcile the cosmology of the Forgotten Realms with the cosmology of Greyhawk? Then redefine them or leave them out. Bam! Problems solved.

I realize, of course, that current D&D products are still intended only to provide further options, but I wish the writers could be more clear in stating that these options are just that: optional.

I've found the whole problem with having enough minis of the appropriate type rather frustrating myself. Here's how I handle it these days:

First, I peruse my various rulebooks and magazines for illustrations of the monsters I want to use.

Then, I select the illustrations I like and edit them with photo-editing software, cropping them to the right size and removing any surrounding text or other details I don't want. (Microsoft photo editor works fine for this, but other software does better.)

Next I paste the edited illustrations into a Microsoft Word document and use the various formatting tools to crop each illustration to the proper size (1" for medium, 2" for large, etc.).

After that I print out the Word document onto sticker-type project paper (available at any office supply store or Wal-Mart).

I stick the sheet of illustration stickers onto a sheet of 3/16" architect's foamboard (also available at any office supply store or Wal-Mart) and cut them apart with an x-acto knife.

The resulting minis are thick enough to be picked up easily, unlike paper counters. They don't have the "drama" of plastic or metal minis, but they're quick, cheap, and versatile. I can make minis of any monster I like, and I can use various different illustrations to differentiate between individuals of the same type. I can also use them over and over without worrying about them getting damaged.

Dungeon #144 never arrived. I thought it was just late, but when #145 got here I realized it probably wasn't coming. Any chance you could fix that? BTW, Savage Tide rocks!

In the old days, Gygax used to write lots of references to "skilled players and DMs," seemingly in every other article that fell from his pen. At the time, I really wondered what a "skilled player" was. I even used to wish there were classes I could take to become the best.

Nowadays, the d20 system highlights perfectly exactly what Mr. Gygax was talking about. Any - and yes, I mean any - class in the d20 system can outshine any other class if the player is truly skilled. In other words, if a player (or DM) takes the time to plan strategies that capitalize on a character's strengths, avoids situations that highlight a character's weaknesses, and recruits effective allies and cohorts, the character can't be beaten. For example, I've seen a single 3rd-level bard defeat a higher-level evil warlord and all his minions in this way. And no, the DM wasn't being a pushover. Similarly, I've seen a high-level fighter taken out by a couple of low-level fighters because he didn't have enough sense to protect himself properly.

It's all in the way you play the game, folks. Play well and win, or play poorly and lose. The more thought you give it, the longer you live.

If you have a copy of Savage Species, you might also want to consider using that. Turn the owlbear in to a character class and have it advance as an NPC. At lower levels it could serve as a PC's animal companion, and at higher levels it could become a cohort. Also, if the owlbear survives long enough it could become considerably more powerful than normal with a carefully crafted monster class.

I prefer to take a slightly different approach. In my games, we decide issues that might become a problem before play begins. For example, if a die rolls off the table or lands cocked, we have a rule that it must be rerolled. Concerning treasure, I have the players (as opposed to the characters) decide beforehand what method they'll use to divide treasure. Nothing bothers me more than a big argument over spoils in the middle of a game. I realize there's not much roleplaying involved in this method, but it sure keeps things moving and nobody gets upset about anything. Additionally, I like to include magic items or other items specifically tailored to each character. If nobody else can use it, nobody else wants it.

Okay, first just let me say that I do NOT want to turn this into a religious debate. With that in mind -

It seems to me the biggest problem with paladins is the way many players perceive their role. They are often characterized as stodgy turn-or-burn types. In other words, players tend to think of them as extremist Christians. But who says paladins in a fantasy world have to be anything like that?

As a student of world religions (and a Christian, by the way), I can tell you there are tons of religious icons out there who support what D&D would define as "lawful" and "good" who in no way resemble the stereotype.

Players who consider "lawful" characters as stodgy simply betray their misunderstanding of personal discipline and belief in a universal order to things. Further, "lawful" alignment in no way suggests a character believes everyone else should be forced to believe as he does.

Similarly, many players' hesitation to play "good" characters suggests they do not understand how one may fight for the good of others while simultaneously being interested in self-improvement. I might also suggest that players consider the wisdom of spending lots of time with those who openly express an interest in indulging their feelings of personal greed, violence, and selfishness.

D&D paladins are supposed to be highly disciplined servants of good deities. If you reinterpret their role as servants of a given god's interests rather than as freaked-out fundamentalists, difficulties with their behavior and abilities tend to disappear.

Okay, I know I ranted a bit, but I've played paladins since 1978 and I'm tired of being judged on my choice of class. I like being lawful good in the game and in real life. Take it or leave it.