Outsider Divine Caster Houserules: How Important are Codes of Conduct?

[Navarion]

I'm currently thinking about a few houserules for my homebrew setting concerning (native) outsiders that have levels in divine classes. The first is the idea that outsiders can take a feat to fuel their own divine magic which takes away the need to serve a god for some classes. However if they fuel their own powers it would also be logical that they can keep them when violating their code of conduct. Now I'm wondering how much of a balance factor the code of a Paladin really is. Most of the abilities of the paladin are defensive, except smite evil, and that only works against evil opponents. I would really like to hear some opinions on that.

The other houserule idea would be that outsiders with that feat can choose the proficiency with the weapon of their celestial ancestor whenever they would get the favored weapon of their deity.

[proftobe]

I think its a neat feat idea, but no they can't create their own code on the fly. If they wanted to take the feat I'd make them come up with a code, especially the paladin. Its very easy to let yourself down especially if an ancestor was something akin to a platonic ideal. In my opinion it would be harder to regain their powers because they can't "atone" themselves. Making it more of an intense roleplaying experience as they battle to redeem themselves in their own eyes so that htye can use their own powers. Sure its meta as hell but its an intresting challenge as well.

[Atarlost]

I think the codes of conduct are stupid to begin with. The Paladin's code tied up with notions of chivalry that are pretty vile under the surface. Any code that uses the word honor enshrines arrogance as a virtue. The Antipaladin's code of conduct is moronic, as any chaotic evil "code" must inevitably be. The Druid's code is pretty vague, making it both the only code that doesn't get ugly and -- frankly -- hardly worth calling a code of conduct in the first place. It's nothing but loophole. After all, humanoids are natural creatures too (except gnomes and the half-outsider races if you take an insular monoplanar view of nature) and their social behaviors and tool use are perforce as natural as the social behaviors of wolves or the tool use of ravens.

The other divine casters (except rangers) have alignment restrictions related to their divinity, but don't have codes of conduct.

[Navarion]

proftobe wrote:

I think its a neat feat idea, but no they can't create their own code on the fly. If they wanted to take the feat I'd make them come up with a code, especially the paladin. Its very easy to let yourself down especially if an ancestor was something akin to a platonic ideal. In my opinion it would be harder to regain their powers because they can't "atone" themselves. Making it more of an intense roleplaying experience as they battle to redeem themselves in their own eyes so that htye can use their own powers. Sure its meta as hell but its an intresting challenge as well.

Yeah, that's the one kind who constantly expects too much from himself. However, there is also the opposite kind who wouldn't realize that they have done something bad when a solar is hunting them down.

From what I can tell the divine caster classes currently look like this:

Cleric: Already has the option to serve a cause so he basically doesn't get any use out of this feat.

Druid: Is restricted to 5 out of 9 alignments and has a pretty loose code.

Paladin: Is restricted to 1 out of 9 alignments and has a very strict code.

Ranger: No restrictions.

Inquisitor: Can serve an ideal.

Oracle: No restrictions.

Somehow I get the feeling the feat was a stupid idea unless it ignores the need to follow the code of conduct. Otherwise it would just be a fluff description.