Paladin Aura of Courage

[Goblin13]

Hi all !
So this question came to me last session when our Paladin got his Aura of Courage. Basically is more a Roleplay question but still ..

" Now that I am immune to fear ( Magical or Otherwise ) how I roleplay it ? I no longer have that kind of emotion in me ? How I relate to events ? No more Fight or Flight, only Fight ? "

Your toughts ?

[DominusMegadeus]

fear effects =/= the natural feeling of terror

Nothing that forces you to be afraid works, but you can still have fears or freeze up when confronted with them if you want to roleplay that way. I get the feeling that Paladins are not supposed to lose chunks of humanity as they progress in level.

[Ms. Pleiades]

^This.

[Goblin13]

Happy to hear that, didn't want to have the Paladin go full Leeeroy Jenkins! on everything because "i'm not supposed to feel threatened or afraid of that !

It was that 'Otherwise' that pointed the paladin to asked the question,
maybe it's related to non magical fear effects like Intimidate and Frightful Presence ?

[Just a Guess]

It is just that no fear effect can force you to run. But you can still decide that the odds are too bad to force a decision right now.

And retreating is not cowardice. It is a matter of "live to fight another day."

[Mysterious Stranger]

Courage is not the utter lack of fear, but rather overcoming your fear and not letting it dictate your actions. I still have paladins role saving throws vs. fear effects, but if they fail they are not affected by the effect. At this point I tell them that they feel the fear, but their god, faith or whatever is appropriate blocks it.

The flight or fight syndrome will still affect the paladin, but now it is under his control. There will be times when the best thing to do is to flee. Retreating vs an unwinnable foe is something a paladin should have no problem with. Sarenrae’s paladin code actually requires this.