Debugging the Paladin Code - Part 2


Prerelease Discussion


(I can't find the original thread)

Well... I finally did it... I did find a no-win situation that can force a Paladin fall in PF2.

Not only does this not require a very difficult circumstance, but it also is really easy to have happen.

Note:
This only effects Paladins of Shelyn - They are the only one I had enough info on to break.

Bonus points:
This one doesn't rely on ANY acts of evil at all. This is a straight Lawful fall.

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Situation:
A Paladin of Shelyn is in a city that has recently elected very strict authoritarian. A decent number of the citizens are protesting the election, even though he was elected legally. One of their methods of protest is to paint images on the inside of the city wall depicting the newly elected leader in embarrassing and compromising positions.

Some of these paintings are quite good.

Angry, the dictator orders the city guard to clean the walls, effectively destroy the paintings, and arrest anyone they see who is trying to protect the images.

Under Shelyn's Anathema the Paladin must protect the works of art.
Under the Paladin Code she can't fight the city guard.

Under the Paladin code she could break her 4th tenet if there was immanent loss of life, there isn't however. The only thing at risk is the paintings.

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This may be the first legitimate no-win situation we have seen for a PF2 Paladin... As a bonus this doesn't involve an evil action at all. Meaning this is a straight lawful fall.

Well Mark, did I succeed at the debug challenge?


The definition of art is even more vague and impossible to pin down than the definition of murder, though as a generally chaotic-leaning person I'd consider the graffiti to be protest art.

This is a good example of a question people came up with pretty early in the blog post: where exactly does the deity's anathema fit with the Paladin code? If it falls before the fourth tenet then the Paladin should work to protect these paintings (or, perhaps more reasonably, work to protect the painters), if it comes after then the Paladin should help to remove them.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I would presume the deity's Anathema is also ranked on the Paladin code, probably below allowing an innocent to come to harm and above respecting authority.


Revan wrote:
I would presume the deity's Anathema is also ranked on the Paladin code, probably below allowing an innocent to come to harm and above respecting authority.

This does assume that both are independent.

The Paladin blog states the fall happens if the code or the anathema are broken. I had to design this off of the concrete info we had.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

The original thread is here. Control + F is your friend. Technology is not your enemy.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:
The original thread is here. Control + F is your friend. Technology is not your enemy.

Sure you say that now! Wait until they end up creating the skynet :P.


Gorbacz wrote:
The original thread is here. Control + F is your friend. Technology is not your enemy.

I'm having to lay down and popped my pain meds after they closed the main pally thread. I can't figure out where the find on page is on this new phone yet. Regardless I'm proud of this one none the less.


HWalsh wrote:

(I can't find the original thread)

Well... I finally did it... I did find a no-win situation that can force a Paladin fall in PF2.

I appreciate your continued thought on this topic wherever it is posted.

I too would like to know, does the Anathema get placed above, below, or get slotted somewhere in the middle of the paladin code?

PS: Hope the meds are helping.

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