GAH! Didn't countchocula already kill you, fiend?
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Justice can't become an excuse for sadism. I'd say a paladin that walks around with Detect Evil up and slaughters everyone who detects as evil is just another flavor of murder hobo. No, that's being a good paladin. *Detects evil on Gwen Smith* EDIT: And if people just listened to my advice, DrDeth, we wouldn't need these threads. You can bring the holy light of righteousness to the heathen masses, but you can't make them not be heathen masses. All you can do is constantly detect and smite.
A Paladin is sworn first to his vows, his code, and part of that is upholding the truth. So I would say yes, you have to introduce yourself as Sir Paladin [Insert Name], so that everyone knows you're a Paladin and a Knight of the Realm, in full disclosure. Otherwise you'd be lying through omission and that would be grounds to fall. Duh. I will warn you, though, that you're setting yourself up for trouble. Now you have to uphold your code, your deity's code, and the code of the kingdom, and there's bound to be problems at some point, unless you're an exemplary do-gooder like myself, in which case you'll never have an issue. Still, I'd do like I did and take the Absolute Loyalty trait if you can, as it'll let you atone once without a lot of issue. (Again, full disclosure, otherwise I might fall.) In any case, enjoy your status as a vigilant knight of justice and righteousness! Remember the Paladin's motto: To detect and smite!
He should have fallen. Case closed.
...Whew. As for Cleaving, it's semi-useful for taking on large hordes, which is a very paladin-y thing to do, but not that useful. I wouldn't take it, personally. Tally-ho!
Also, SMITE EVIL!
Back, cretin, lest you tempt me! I may only take on Lawful Good Cohorts and Followers!
Look, everybody, if you're "roleplaying" a paladin, you're doing it wrong. There's no playing at being a paladin, you either are or you aren't! For a fine example of paladin-ing, look at myself as the epitome of what paladinhood has to offer. I've shared the ways of law and goodness here on these forums several times already; feel free to look at what I've said and sally forth to wreak justice on the world! As for Third Mind's question... Is it evil to enjoy killing evil? This strikes me as one of those questions meant to trip we paladins up and make us fall, and as such, I'm detecting evil on you as we speak. Until I get a good read, though, I'll say this--if it's evil, it's a paladin's job to smite it. And smite it some more. And keep on smiting it, regardless of odds or survival, until it's so smitten that it's dead and gone on to whatever terrible evil fate awaits it! So, no, it isn't evil to kill evil, nor is it evil to enjoy doing so. You think I'd do this if I didn't like doing it?
BACK TO THE NETHERWORLD WITH YOU, ABOMINATION OF NATURE! *Continues to smite down the undead thread*
384.
*Rides off, singing, "It'd work in an all-paladin campaign..."*
Hm. I would roll a Perception check to see if I can perceive that comment, but the element of randomness in a die roll is too chaotic for a paladin's tastes. Why do you think smite evil grants static bonuses instead of extra dice like so many other abilities?
I feel that I am very qualified to answer these questions; indeed, I may be the most qualified on the boards! Can a Paladin worship science? What is this "science" of which you speak? The only thing I worship is my god! It is everything in life. Serving your god is what makes you a paladin! If a Paladin is under the mistaken belief that he is a god, can he worship himself as a god? Obviously, believing yourself to be a god is not a good thing to do, nor is it very lawful, as you're just making your own rules! And we all know how chaotic that is. Besides, there are no rules covering this, and thus, to do it would be breaking the rules--just ask the people on these forums. At least some of them would agree with me! It is breaking the rules, and as such is an unlawful act, and as such is immediate grounds to fall. If someone -is- a God, like Thor or Zeus, can they be Paladins of themselves? That's a tougher one. Being that they are gods, I can't disagree with what they have to say, unless they're a non-Lawful-Good god, in which case, I DISAGREE. As for a Lawful Good deity, I suppose they could be a paladin. It's when they start casting miracle spells that things get really wonky. If a Paladin's god dies, are they still a Paladin, or just a knight? If you want to be "just a knight," then you should be a cavalier, or a fighter, neither of which has the holy smiting power and sheer honor and drive for JUSTICE that a paladin has. As long as you continue to fight for justice and honor and everything that is good in the world, NO MATTER THE ODDS, you will retain paladin-y-ness! May I fall if I am wrong! (Of course, I took the Absolute Loyalty trait, so I can atone as a last resort. I'm telling you in full disclosure so it can't be construed that I misled you, as that would make me fall.) If a Paladin catches his own god breaking his laws, is a Paladin obligated to smite his own god in the name of his god? Another tricky question! Obviously a paladin would only smite an evildoer, after having detected them as such. And obviously, a paladin's god would never be evil, as we only worship gods of goodness and/or lawfulness, and NEVER evil ones. Of course, if a paladin ever knowingly commits an evil act, he falls... So, does a god do the same? I would say no! Gods follow different rules from we mortals. I might put in a word about my feelings on the matter, but any more and I might fall for impudence, which is always not lawful. ...You're trying to trip me up, aren't you? If a Paladin's mount becomes intelligent or 'awakened', does he have to try and convert his mount? If it doesn't work, does he have to get a new mount? Any paladin worth his aura of justice already has a mount that fully worships his deity. In fact, the mount is a gift from the gods! But, if, in some odd case, the mount did become awakened and turn from the paladin's god, it would depend more on alignment. After all, paladins can travel with lawful good cohorts of any religion! But not overly smarmy ones, or ones who tell too many jokes. The same above, but if the Paladin has an intelligent weapon? I would believe it would be more or less the same case. If a sinner becomes a Paladin, and then goes back in time and encounters himself as a sinner, is he obligated to smite himself? Yes, of course! If he were evil at the time, at least. Look, a paladin needs to be detecting evil, to put it in the vernacular, "all day, erry day." And if his Justice Sense ever pings, he needs to smite instantly, or else it is cowardice and he falls. If it requires smiting himself, then yes, he must do so. However, this could create a paradox, which would break the laws of time, which is unlawful, which would cause the paladin to fall. Hard and fast ruling? DON'T TRAVEL IN TIME, as this is unlawful and causes you to fall. That plate mail is pretty cool, huh? Strictly speaking, it's either plate or mail, not both. But it's actually rather hot under here, especially when you're out under the sun--which is the main place Paladins are allowed to be, really, as going in the dark for any reason other than bringing light to it and smiting the evildoers hiding there is rather sketchy.
You couldn't detect your way out of a paper bag. I could if it were an evil bag! Or if there were someone evil at the end of it! And let me tell you, they would feel my holy wrath! You're cruising for a... uh... you're writing for a smiting, citizen.
Listen, I don't know what you're trying to insimilate, you, you... fiends! The only paladin is a lawful good paladin! Anybody can worship a god or follow their tenets or what-have-you, but only someone dedicated enough to vow that they will give their life over to a distinct way of living and a very strict code and then uphold that code NO MATTER WHAT can be a paladin. There's nothing stopping us paladins from worshiping non-lawful-good gods! You can be just as efficient a holy warrior of a Neutral Good deity, like Sarenrae, or a Lawful Neutral one, like Abadar. It's all about the message you're spreading, not how you spread it. It's like peanut butter. It doesn't matter whether it's chunky, or creamy, or natural or organic, or what the brand name is. We all use the same knife. Metaphorically, of course, as I could never use the same knife that an evil person had touched--too likely to make me fall due to residual evil. Point is, if you want to start messing around with it, just play a fighter/cleric, or a crusader cleric. PALADINS ARE SPECIAL, DON'T TAKE IT AWAY FROM US. People love to hate us anyway!
I am obligated to let you all know that I'm detecting evil on this entire thread. Prepare to be smote if my paladin sense tingles. And as for your question, Lawful Good. There are some who find it amusing to replace "good" with another descriptive term, usually not one that a Lawful Good person would use. It isn't funny. *Settles in and stares at the thread intently, prepared to get up and smite if anything pings*
Ha! I'm in an ongoing lawsuit to prove that smiting can't really be considered battery. It's more like a citizen's proper application of lethal force! Not much headway, but I'm hoping that someday I'll be allowed back into church with my holy fists which are currently considered deadly weapons.
People, people, people! Let's all get serious for a moment. They were evil. EVIL. With a capital... uh... ev. And all the other letters. To define evil:
Now, folks, I can safely say that I hate evil as much as the next guy, and I know how corrupting it can be. After all, what if they were faking being weak prisoners? What if it was really a Demon Lord in disguise? Huh? Huh? Huh? I'm not ashamed to say that I've smote my fair share of children, women, and the helpless because they were evil (and only my share, because any more would be unlawful and break my code). EVIL NEVER RESTS, compatriots, and neither do true paladins when it comes to destroying it. The only thing I see wrong here is that the paladin in question used an elemental to perpetrate the act, rather than charging and doing it himself. That was cowardly and obviously grounds for falling; I will be contacting my friends in high places forthwith to assure that he doesn't keep his fancy paladin powers. Look, when in doubt, remember these three rules. 1) Always detect evil on EVERYTHING and EVERYONE you meet. Never know where evil might be lurking!
419. That dumb paladin put a Mark of Justice on each of us, so we have to help him. 419a. Because I have brought these poor, poor lost souls into the light. The light of JUSTICE, and TRUTH, and DOING THE RIGHT THING NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT HURTS, NO MATTER HOW MUCH GOLD YOU HAVE TO PAY TO RESURRECT YOUR BENEFACTOR AFTER HE TAKES ON A BALOR AT 7TH LEVEL, AND NO MATTER HOW MANY AVOIDABLE BATTLES YOU GET INTO. Also, I resent them referring to me as "dumb." I thought it was a perfectly good idea. COME, MY STEADFAST COMPANIONS!
391. I bonded together with likeminded holy warriors after my... ahem... former party didn't live up to my standards. Really, concerning themselves with tactics and "living to fight another day" when EVIL WAS AFOOT?!?!?! BLASPHEMY! These fine fellows at my side, now, they know how being good works! ...What are you looking at me like that for?
Of this is broken. Why? BECAUSE YOU'RE MIXING COMBAT MANEUVERS WITH BEING A PALADIN! No honorable knight of the Holy Ones would be caught dead trying to rip a foe, let alone disarm him! That's just... just... I am flabbergasted at the dishonor you're bringing yourself! Not to mention that being a paladin is far superior to being a fighter... Try taking more abilities to help with rushing in to fight evil, no matter the risks, no matter the stakes, just SMITE IT all the time. I'd suggest getting that paladin level first, so you can constantly make sure you're not surrounded by villainy! I wish you luck, my friend! STAY VIGILANT!
Obviously, retreat is never an option. After all, that would be cowardly, and not good, and not in keeping with my code. RETREAT JUST ISN'T HOW PALADINS DO THINGS.
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