Equus's page

Don't think about things in terms of "reality" and "fantasy" or game mechanics. Think about people, motives, and history.

You could hire the band of mercenaries that's from a land that's historically been at war with your land. Because they're cheaper, perhaps, or have better skills. But do you *really* want to do it? It's not so much a matter of outright betrayal; there are issues of reliability, conflict with other elements of your native forces, morale and discipline issues involving not only the mercenaries but your own native forces, etc. etc.

It's rarely a question of straightforward economics when it comes to war.

That was my point.

I'm afraid you missed *my* point though. For your convenience, I have reproduced the key section below.

"But in Pathfinder, it's not so much a question of *if* animating dead is evil or not, or whether it *should* be considered evil or not. Animating dead things has the evil descriptor and *is* an evil act by Pathfinder rules. It's not a question of whether or not you agree with the rule, that's just the way it is in the Pathfinder world."

Some players and GMs are not comfortable with other player and GM choices.

Those players and GMs need to realize they cannot dictate others' choices.

Including the choice not to be comfortable with others' choices.

re: the OP:

Regardless of how the OP wants or does not want to be seen, the OP has described certain personal opinions that make me believe the OP already has his/her mind made up and seeks legitimization. To that I say - you don't need to look to anyone else for legitimization; you have the perfect right to your own opinions. If you want to tell others that you're not going to accept exotic races, that's your right. If others are going to complain or criticize that practice, that is their right.

Re: OP:

You can have a lawful good paladin and a neutral evil necromancer in the same party, and they don't have to try to kill each other.

Lawful: Doesn't go around just killing things for personal reasons.
Good: Acts selflessly.
Neutral: Doesn't care about law or chaos. Doesn't mean a player's a homicidal maniac either.
Evil: Acts selfishly. Still doesn't make a player a homicidal maniac.

Re: inherently evil acts:

If you don't understand the difference between killing someone in a battle with a single clean hit, as opposed to pouring honey all over someone and staking them out next to an anthill, then you're probably a sociopath, or at least from a culture that has such incredibly different norms than I guess most posters on this forum to have, that it's not going to be productive trying to establish common ground for discussion.

Suffice it to say some things are "good" and some things are "bad", and that different people and different cultures have different ways of defining what is "evil" (or whether there even is an "evil").

But in Pathfinder, it's not so much a question of *if* animating dead is evil or not, or whether it *should* be considered evil or not. Animating dead things has the evil descriptor and *is* an evil act by Pathfinder rules. It's not a question of whether or not you agree with the rule, that's just the way it is in the Pathfinder world.

As far as boneshatter or fireball or whatever go, again - yes those can be used to cause suffering &c &c, but again, by Pathfinder rules, those spells are not *inherently* evil.