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Yes, I know that this is usually not allowed. However one of my players was interested in this concept for out Carrion Crown game. After thinking about it I decided if he used the Undead Scourge variant, I would allow it. One of the things I really enjoyed awhile back was the Shelyn Paladin Oath on the blog. I really adore the idea of each deity having their own code for Paladins, it really frees them up role-playing wise to do something different
Anyway I came up with this first draft of a Pharasma Oath, and I was hoping to get some comments and suggestions.
*Death is as sacred as life, and is to be respected.
*To reap another is to take away all they will be in this lifetime. I understand the weight of this and will never kill for its own sake.
*Infants and elderly are at different ends of their journeys, but both can require assistance. If I can help these souls I shall.
*I shall never desecrate the corpses of the fallen. The vessels of others are to be respected. The abominations of the Urgathoa, however must be destroyed.
*Everyone makes their choices in life and it is Pharasma's place to judge. Set aside your predjudices and pride and strive to set aside your own judgement on others. For we all reap what we sow.
*The world has its fate just as people. I shall strive to maintain balance both in the world and in myself.
*I shall never raise the undead, I will never kill a child, I will never eat the blood, body, or bone of my fellow man.
Thanks for your time!
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I really like the oath, it fits Pharasma very well and would work great for a paladin. I wouldn't change the wording of the last one, but have it apply to any sentient race. With the second one it would be interesting to see what happens at the end of a fight and the party wants to coup de grace the fallen enemy. Overall the oath should provide some good role-playing opportunities.
yeah.. the point of the last line is to be that you wont eat any of the intelligent humanoids... still I wasn't exactly sure how to phrase it seeing as how i wasn't wanting to force vegetarianism but there is also the fact that what is and isnt sentient... is strange. anyone who has suggestions on the wording, please feel free to speak up.
also that is very interesting... the idea that you might not be allowed to attack helpless creatures... very intriguing....
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"I will never eat the blood, body, or bone of a thinking being." Is how I'd phrase it.
And I don't think they'd object to killing a helpless foe any more than any other Paladin, they'd just need a good reason for it. I mean, is it a fiend or undead? Coup de grace time. Is it a person and you are less than a mile from the proper authorities? Maybe it's more citizen's arrest time.
Fantastic oath! Change the last one to "thinking/sentient being" and you're good. As far as you friend's character goes, may I recommend an Inquisitor instead? A lot of the same flavor, but it can be for any deity.
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I mean, is it a fiend or undead? Coup de grace time. Is it a person and you are less than a mile from the proper authorities? Maybe it's more citizen's arrest time.
Any non-native outsider 'killed' in the material plane just goes home, so coup de gracing an elemental, fiend or angel, doesn't do anything other than send them back. It's not really killing, so much as disconnecting their cartoon avatar. :)
And I'm cool with the general notion. Pharasma comes across as more lawful than some of the gods that actually have an L in their alignment, and, based on her themes and temperament, 'feels' more Paladin-appropriate than some Golarion gods who *are* eligible, like Abadar and Irori.
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I mean, is it a fiend or undead? Coup de grace time. Is it a person and you are less than a mile from the proper authorities? Maybe it's more citizen's arrest time.
Any non-native outsider 'killed' in the material plane just goes home, so coup de gracing an elemental, fiend or angel, doesn't do anything other than send them back. It's not really killing, so much as disconnecting their cartoon avatar. :)
That is true for summoned outsider, not for those called or that come to Golarion through a gate.
In older versions of D&D the most powerful outsider, when killed, got some form of "reincarnation" with some loss of power. I don't know if that exist in Golarion.
And I'm cool with the general notion. Pharasma comes across as more lawful than some of the gods that actually have an L in their alignment, and, based on her themes and temperament, 'feels' more Paladin-appropriate than some Golarion gods who *are* eligible, like Abadar and Irori.
Abadar is decidedly Lawful, the problem can be on the Good part.
An Inquisitor of Pharasma might be another solution. Just flavor it as a hunter of the undead. I built a character like that recently.
On the other hand, I really like the Oath you wrote up. I've never liked that only LG deities could have Paladins. I feel like any god can have holy champions. I suppose the oath could be applied to an Inquisitor, as well, but it sounds like you have the Pally angle figured out just fine.
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I can think of a few very simple moral dilemmas to send up against such a paladin, in particular letting them deal with child necromancers.
The "one step" rule can be gotten around by houseruling that Pharasma is LN or by houseruling that "two steps" are allowed so long as they don't go anywhere near E or C. That is to say, N deities can also have paladins, but no paladins for LE and CG gods like Asmodeus and Cayden Cailean.
The bigger problem I have here is that while having a paladin out to smite the undeadness out of the undead is a nice idea, both Sarenrae and Iomedae are doing a good job of that, especially Sarenrae, and they're also firmly committed to the "goodness" business too.
Pharasma? She's only lawful insomuch as she believes in and enforces her own laws, and whether these are ancient constants that preceded her or things that she just decided on her own, only Pharasma can say. The rest of the laws? She doesn't care. Abadar's laws about society and the social order, Asmodeus's devil-in-the-details contracts? Whatever. She has no interest in them one way or another because they are ultimately inconsequential.
The other gods, even Zon-Kuthon, are probably profoundly disturbed that when they asked her whether she would stand with them to lock away the rough beast Rovugug, Pharasma either paused, consulted her personal memorandum book, then said, "Yes, I will." Or worse, let something slip like "Oh, of course. He's not supposed to destroy the world yet." As if she would be perfectly fine with him breaking free from his prison and destroying creation, since that's what's written in the fate only she can see.
Moreover, a paladin of Pharasma would only work in a world where there were no moral dilemmas with the undead. Ravening hordes of ghouls out to eat the living? Sure. Smite them all night long and sleep the sleep of the just. Repentant vampire prince who is all that stands against some greater evil befalling the land, maybe some spy in the court of Geb working to avert some doomsday plot?
Pharasma's directive is very clear: No undead. Undead need to die ASAP. If the vampire prince is really that repentant, let him step into the sunlight and come be judged. Greater good for greatest number? Inconsequential. Innocent people dying? Happens every day. Doomsday? Hardly. This plot is the genocide of one or two nations tops. So long as the souls aren't trapped as undead or otherwise, really not a problem.
Iomedae and Sarenrae would have a more nuanced and well good perspective on the situation. Iomedae wouldn't really like the repentant vampire prince, but she'd understand the whole "painful duty" thing, and while she'd want him to defect and then either get resurrected or die a noble death, she'd wait until he'd helped do the whole "avert genocide" thing which is more important than a single tormented soul. Sarenrae would be thinking along the same lines.
Situations like that are why I'd say Pharasma doesn't have paladins. She's not committed to goodness or to any law aside from her own. Nations committing genocide? So long as they're not trapping the souls in Final Blades like Galt, it's really not a problem.
While I agree that a Paladin of Pharasma shouldn't be eating long pig, I think that this is setting the bar really low for something that needs to appear on a Code of Conduct.
Respectful treatment of the bodies of the fallen should probably be assumed to include 'don't eat them.' :)
Normally I wouldn't include a line like this, however as I said I am running Carrion Crown, so I wanted to include the possibility of dhampirs and other such craziness.
Also, and I am really trying to avoid being rude. I realize that the idea of a Paladin of Pharasma is an unconventional one, and yes an Inquisitor is a better idea. However I have already decided that I will allow one at my table, so that really isnt something up for debate. The point of this thread is to discuss the code of conduct of such a paladin. If you wish to disagree with me on points in the oath than I welcome it, however there are plenty of other topics on whether or not deities like Pharasma would have Paladins in their religion, and please post comments of that nature in those threads.
Again I am not trying to be rude, and I apologize if I have come across as such, I am simply trying to be clear in this thread's intent.
Well, part of the point of my post was that the Code of Conduct as you have it written has various insta-fall options set into it. What exactly does a Paladin of Pharasma do about child necromancers? Scold them about raising the dead? What about other children who are actively evil? The whole "child=innocent" thing kind of goes out the window if you're detecting evil from little Suzie because she's a precocious tyke who's managed to make it to being a 1st level cleric of Urgathoa at age twelve.
If you, as GM, are softballing all the situations the paladin runs into, making the moral decision always clear and the solution relatively simple, then you can have whatever Code you want and it doesn't matter because it's never going to be seriously tested. If, however, you plan to actually test your paladin's faith, you will need to put in moral dilemmas.
What exactly does the paladin of Pharasma do when he finds out the nation of Geb is planning a genocide and the best ally they have is a repentant vampire prince? Moreover, how does a lawful and good character square his own utter horror at the prospect of genocide with his patron goddess being utterly unconcerned with the idea?
Also, how does the paladin of Pharasma square the "don't desecrate the dead" business with the old prescription for keeping a victim of a vampire from rising as a vampire, that being cutting off the head, stuffing the mouth with garlic, pounding a stake through the heart, and finally burying it face first in the grave so if it tries to dig it's way out, it will come up in Tian Xia? Is that respectful?
Giving Pharasma a paladin class, is like giving the Grim Reaper cleric a paladin class.
Next, i want Druids gods, to have paladin classes, if the bar for being a paladin is being set so low.
Oh well to each his own.
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There's a line between constructive criticism and accusations of badwrongfun guys.
I'd rule that certain practices to prevent bodies from returning in undeath, especially if done ritually and respectfully, can stay in the clear. I'd play up some of the values dissonance and possible discomfort of such situations a bit, but it should be kept reasonably possible.
A Pharasma with paladins should have such methods for the relevant undead that fit the bill. Probably grim as hell, but hey, Pharasma.
Admission of bias: I have a LN goddess of death in my homebrew with paladins, so I can see the desire for a grim reaper-y paladin that fights for the dead as much as for the living.
"Never consume the blood, bone or flesh of another soul. That is the domain of beasts and abominations."
"Never consume the blood, bone or flesh of another soul. That is the domain of beasts and abominations."
What if it's the blood, bone, or flesh of a dead saint from Tian Xia, brewed into a healing potion in accordance with the strange religious rites they have there (which are lifted directly from real world Tibetan Buddhism)?
"Never consume the blood, bone or flesh of another soul. That is the domain of beasts and abominations."What if it's the blood, bone, or flesh of a dead saint from Tian Xia, brewed into a healing potion in accordance with the strange religious rites they have there (which are lifted directly from real world Tibetan Buddhism)?
What if? Clearly against the code, therefore something such a Paladin cannot do (without needing an atonement afterwards), and the Paladin would have to think long and hard about associating with persons who would do such a thing.
MI
"Never consume the blood, bone or flesh of another soul. That is the domain of beasts and abominations."That is a perfect line, and I thank you for it.
What if it's the blood, bone, or flesh of a dead saint from Tian Xia, brewed into a healing potion in accordance with the strange religious rites they have there (which are lifted directly from real world Tibetan Buddhism)?
What if? Clearly against the code, therefore something such a Paladin cannot do (without needing an atonement afterwards), and the Paladin would have to think long and hard about associating with persons who would do such a thing.
MI
Exactly that.
Well, part of the point of my post was that the Code of Conduct as you have it written has various insta-fall options set into it. What exactly does a Paladin of Pharasma do about child necromancers? Scold them about raising the dead? What about other children who are actively evil? The whole "child=innocent" thing kind of goes out the window if you're detecting evil from little Suzie because she's a precocious tyke who's managed to make it to being a 1st level cleric of Urgathoa at age twelve. [/QUOTE}The idea of such a young child becoming a Cleric of Urgathos seems like a situation clearly made simply to stress that one character, I personally would not see myself ever running such an insane situation. Still in the possibility of it, no I can't see a Paladin... ANY Paladin attacking a 12 year old girl who has become seduced by Urgathoa's cult. I can however universally see all Paladins working to save her from that situation.
What exactly does the paladin of Pharasma do when he finds out the nation of Geb is planning a genocide and the best ally they have is a repentant vampire prince? Moreover, how does a lawful and good character square his own utter horror at the prospect of genocide with his patron goddess being utterly unconcerned with the idea?This is a very interesting scenario. This is actually one of the better examples because I don't have an immediate answer. So in all honesty I like the fact that the code as is conflicts with the scenario because it then falls to the player to think of what their character would do. And in this situation, I would note what I said about maintaining balance. If there are abominations tipping either side of the scale then you go with the side of the lesser evil. If the players wanted to try stopping the genocide on their own I would let them try. If they sided with the vampire, I would let them do that too, I would however give signs to show Pharasma's disapproval of the situation to warn the Paladin that he is skating on thin ice.
Also, how does the paladin of Pharasma square the "don't desecrate the dead" business with the old prescription for keeping a victim of a vampire from rising as a vampire, that being cutting off the head, stuffing the mouth with garlic, pounding a stake through the heart, and finally burying it face first in the grave so if it tries to dig it's way out, it will come up in Tian Xia? Is that respectful?The only time such extremes would be necessary would be if the corpse would rise up as a vampire, in which case it already tainted. Who cares if you set a box on fire if it's already been smashed to bits? There are some basic situations that are could be considered desecration that could be allowed, such as embalming a corpse. Also using Quieting Needles would actually be looked favorably on and not as desecration.
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I think the code is pretty good, and I think it's a great idea for any Paladin to have a written Code to help RP.
Perhaps the Paladin of Pharasma could be used as a bit of a story hook on it's own... The rise of an undead scourge causes Pharasma to commission a champion only when there is great need. This Paladin could then be a singular and rare occurrence within Golarion, and limited to act just during the time of crisis.
This kind of hook could be used with other gods that do not normally have Paladins as well.
Such a rare champion, say in place of the at-will detect evil, could benefit from a constant, innate version of a phylactery of faithfulness. Taking a direct hand also tends to mean taking a bit more of a direct interest. Think of it as a pro-active "conscience".
Despite JJ, my Core Rulebook doesn't say anything about Paladin's alignments/deities restrictions, other than alignment must be LG. So Paladin of Pharasma is within RAW.
Despite JJ, my Core Rulebook doesn't say anything about Paladin's alignments/deities restrictions, other than alignment must be LG. So Paladin of Pharasma is within RAW.
there was an official ruling by in the blog comments for the Paladin of Shelyn post. However at the end of the day it comes down to what you rule at your own table
Paladin/Pharasma stuff...
As a fan of Pharasma, I endorse your decision.
As regards "sentient" races: how about "civilized" races? Or both? "...sentient, civilized races".
And why not be a vegetarian? That might be entertaining: "I shall smite this evil undead in the name of Pharasma! And then I shall have a light salad with a Varisian vinaigrette!"
But maybe that's just me... :)
in all honesty that line, while important, really is best left a bit vague.
Most players will know what I mean by that ruling... however the vagueness allows for some leeway depending on player races and society.
Its more of a DM discretion option of how far you want to take it. It could very well be that certain sects of Paladins choose to be vegetarian.
and finally burying it face first in the grave so if it tries to dig it's way out, it will come up in Tian Xia? = One of the funniest things i've read in a while!!!
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No, no, and dammit, NO.
Pharasma is a neutral god; paladins are lawful good by definition -- you instantly cease being one the moment you're not LG, and worshiping a non-good, non-lawful deity is violation of code.
Your player can be a LN monk with a vegan oath, or a cleric, but he cannot be a paladin.
I shall strive to maintain balance both in the world and in myself.
Paladins are not interesting in "maintain(ing a) balance" between good and evil; they are dedicated to battle against evil.
If, as a player or GM, you negate the concept of what it means to be a paladin by labeling non-paladin creations as paladins because you've given them similar mechanics, they're still not paladins. -- You're just changing the definitions of words.
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No, no, and dammit, NO.
Pharasma is a neutral god; paladins are lawful good by definition -- you instantly cease being one the moment you're not LG, and worshiping a non-good, non-lawful deity is violation of code.
The OP was already well aware that his fun would be considered badwrong in the eyes of some. He's not looking for more confirmation of that, he's looking for help on making it work.
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The OP was already well aware that his fun would be considered badwrong in the eyes of some.
It's not so much that it's "badwrong", but that it alters basic definitions. I.e., words mean things; and "paladin" has a certain meaning.
-- If I have an 8 INT, 18 WIS spellcaster, are they a "wizard" and do they get a "familiar" in this game? Nope.
he's looking for help on making it work.
Create a prestige designation, Undertaker of Pharasma, for devoted monks, priests and necromancers of Pharasma, which includes the Destruction domain. To keep things simple, they continue advancing in their previous classes, get a free +1 For/ +1 Will, acquire Destructive Smite 3+WIS times per day. All levels of monk, necromancer or cleric of Pharasma are counted when determining damage bonus, and the bonus is doubled versus undead. Monks acquire the Destruction domain spells, but no other spellcasting ability. Requirements: five levels of monk, cleric and/or necromancer devoted to Pharasma; 5 ranks Knowledge: Religion; true-neutral or lawful-neutral (monk only) alignment; donate 10% of income to constructing temples of Pharasma.
If the player misuses his destructive abilities to wantonly murder people for the "crime" of eating meat, he should slip to neutral-evil, be rebuked by Pharasma, and expect a visit from real paladins who haul his butt off to jail and then the gallows after a speedy trial.
As noted above, "RAW" there is not a smidge of a word saying that a Paladin is beholden to any religious restrictions.
As noted above, "RAW" there is not a smidge of a word saying that a Paladin is beholden to any religious restrictions.
I believe James Jacobs has given clarifications explaining the "two step" rule with alignments, gods, and paladins. (If someone has a link, this would be useful.)
I think this was part of the retcon on the Paladin of Asmodeus, to make it so that sort of thing couldn't happen by RAW.
Of course, if you like paladins of Asmodeus or Pharasma, you can still have them, but they won't be canon for Golarion.
By my interpretation the RAW states that Paladins have to be LG (agree totally) but specifically states that paladins do NOT have to follow a deity, and many choose to follow a philosophy or code instead.
The choice of a deity, to me, thus means that the Paladin chooses to dedicate himself to the ideals of that deity.
In the Forgotten Realms setting you have Tymora (Goddess of Luck) and Sune (Goddess of Beauty) both of who are Chaotic Good goddesses, and both have orders of Paladins. Tymora supports brave adventurers, and Sune saw how successful Tymora's support of Paladins was and followed suit. Kelemvor, LN god of death, likewise has Paladins. The "focus" of each orders' paladins changes - e.g. Paladins of Kelemvor spend most of their time seeking out and fighting undead (as I'd imagine a Paladin of Pharasma would) whilst Paladins of Sune spend time rescuing damsels in distress, finding lost art and fighting undead (because they're ugly!).
Of course a Paladin of either of those deities would find that there are times that their personal codes clash/chafe with the deity's religious code and/or the acts of their clerics... but this can just make for interesting roleplay.
Hence I'd happily allow a paladin of Pharasma (or any non-evil god) as long as the paladin is LG and understands that his personal belief clashes with that of his deity. In this case I'd probably force my playes to take the Undead Scourge alternate (APG) or take a leaf out of the Ravenloft setting and change Detect Evil to Detect Undead or Detect Chaos (which is what Paladins get in Ravenloft instead of DE, as the powers that be protect and hide evil from paladins). This would reflect that the deity doesn't really care about good or evil, but wants her paladin to seek out and destroy the undead.
In the case of a "Paladin of Asmodeus" - the Advanced Player's Guide gives rules for the "antipaladin" base class (alternate class option for paladins) which is perfect imo. Otherwise a LG Paladin of Asmodius is just daft imo. lol.
Tymora having a Paladin order? I thought it was Selune, although it was a fairly unknown order she shared with one of the dwarven gods.
Anyway, I'd say a paladin of Pharasma is ok if the DM makes an effort to include it. Perhaps it would be an order venerating the deity in a NG aspect, or Pharasma entering a compact between several deities, each sponsoring an order of paladins with a particular premise. Pharasma's paladins would naturally be the undead-hunters. In fact, that could be how paladins started as a separate class in your campaign (rather than being fighter-clerics) - a long time ago, after a terrible disaster, many gods decided to empower mortals whose main purpose would be to hold the forces of evil back, and not be held back between the barriers of the cults.
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Tymora having a Paladin order? I thought it was Selune, although it was a fairly unknown order she shared with one of the dwarven gods.
Sune, IIRC, was the CG goddess who had a Paladin order. And even then, that was an exception to the FR-specific rule that Paladins had to have gods of compatible alignments. In core, a Paladin could worship his own underarm hair, so long as he stayed Lawful and Good, and didn't freak people out too much with his armpit-sniffing ecstatic religious rites...
or Pharasma entering a compact between several deities, each sponsoring an order of paladins with a particular premise.
An 'order' of gods, similar to the Godclaw, but focused on undead hunting, that included Sarenrae, Iomedae and Pharasma, would probably be even more palatable, so the Paladin could consider his 'favorite' god to be Pharasma, but still derive powers from gods who are lawful and / or good.
Or one could just change her alignment. It's not like there's a perfect breakdown, alignment wise. Currently, the big 20 inlude an extra LG and an extra N. Changing Pharasma to LN would just make it an average number of N and one extra LN.
Pharasma is strongly associated with fate and the following of rules, inflexibility and structure. IMO, the only thing that *isn't* lawful about her is her alignment... Arguably, she's more 'lawful' than Irori, whose disciplines are more personal (and thus freedom and independence friendly) and less societal (and heirarchical and inflexible). Irori feels more Buddhist, to me, and less Calvinist or orthodox doctrinaire, more about self-development and enlightenment, less about following a bunch of very old rules that may or may not be relevant to the situation. (Of course Monks must be lawful, and switching the 'god of monks' to a non-lawful alignment would seem wrong!)
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I believe James Jacobs has given clarifications explaining the "two step" rule with alignments, gods, and paladins. (If someone has a link, this would be useful.)I think this was part of the retcon on the Paladin of Asmodeus, to make it so that sort of thing couldn't happen by RAW.
There was indeed such a post, though I do not remember in which thread it was.
And James (or was it Jason) did indeed explain why he most strongly felt that a Paladin could not worship a God more than one step away from LG on either axis (Good-Evil, Law-Chaos), ie NG or LN god OK but LE or CG god no. However :
1) He did not state his position as any part of RAW.
2) He said nothing about worshipping a god who is one step away from LG on both axis (ie, True Neutral).
And to those who delight in finding moral dilemnas for a paladin of Pharasma, know that you can very easily find similar dilemnas for any paladin worshipping a non-LG god. Example : as a paladin of Abadar, you must obey his lawful hierarchy's every order. It just so happens that your immediate superior is LE through and through and delights in giving you orders that while serving the faith go against your Goodness. How do you reconcile this with the code ? (rethorical question, no need to answer)
Yes, I know that this is usually not allowed. However one of my players was interested in this concept for out Carrion Crown game. After thinking about it I decided if he used the Undead Scourge variant, I would allow it. One of the things I really enjoyed awhile back was the Shelyn Paladin Oath on the blog. I really adore the idea of each deity having their own code for Paladins, it really frees them up role-playing wise to do something different
Anyway I came up with this first draft of a Pharasma Oath, and I was hoping to get some comments and suggestions.
*Death is as sacred as life, and is to be respected.
*To reap another is to take away all they will be in this lifetime. I understand the weight of this and will never kill for its own sake.
*Infants and elderly are at different ends of their journeys, but both can require assistance. If I can help these souls I shall.
*I shall never desecrate the corpses of the fallen. The vessels of others are to be respected. The abominations of the Urgathoa, however must be destroyed.
*Everyone makes their choices in life and it is Pharasma's place to judge. Set aside your predjudices and pride and strive to set aside your own judgement on others. For we all reap what we sow.
*The world has its fate just as people. I shall strive to maintain balance both in the world and in myself.
*I shall never raise the undead, I will never kill a child, I will never eat the blood, body, or bone of my fellow man.Thanks for your time!
As someone currently DM'ing Carrion Crown I like this idea and wholeheartedly encourage you to run with it. The tenets of Pharasma even lend themselves somewhat to the idea of an order of Paladins, or at the least a Cavalier variant in her name. An undead scourge paladin would be especially fitting for Pharasma given her thoughts on the subject. Perhaps Mr. Schneider, the guru of all things Ustalav, can weigh in on this?
I think, again, Paladin is simply being used as a phrase of conveinence because it best represents the concept of a divine-powered warrior.
What may make a good substitute would be from the old Golarion Campaign setting, where you trade your domain powers/spells for D10 hit dice and full BAB. Also, with Pharasma, I would make the caveat that you cannot choose to channel negative energy unlike most neutral divine-casters could given her outlook on undead.
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While I agree that a Paladin of Pharasma shouldn't be eating long pig, I think that this is setting the bar really low for something that needs to appear on a Code of Conduct.
Respectful treatment of the bodies of the fallen should probably be assumed to include 'don't eat them.' :)
I believe, though I could be wrong that it is meant in connection with the origins of Ghouls and other cannibalistic undead. Especially when its in the same line as the rule about crating zombies.
And its not a wrong thing to repeat especially important points of doctrine. Lots of RL religions do it.
EDIT: Also, I wanted to lend my support to the notion of Pharasman Paladins. Not many, but honestly if there were such an order it wouldn't shock me to see it larger than Edrasil's paladin order.
Eh I always count Pharasma as LN, she sure as hell acts LN. But anyhow unlike most N gods she has enough Lawful tenancies that your LG paladin could easily fallow her faith without staying from his convictions..
I think of it as an exception to the rule {mostly due to Pharasma having the wrong Al listed in the book)
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Eh I always count Pharasma as LN, she sure as hell acts LN. But anyhow unlike most N gods she has enough Lawful tenancies that your LG paladin could easily fallow her faith without staying from his convictions..
I think of it as an exception to the rule {mostly due to Pharasma having the wrong Al listed in the book)
If you play up here aspects in the court of the dead then she can easily read as lawful.
Its when you examine her as the 'crone' of the three maidens responsible for cutting the life-thread of every living creature and her connections with fate and prophecy that she starts to seem more chaotic. Honestly none of the gods of prophecy have handled the death of Aorden well, and many priests of Pharasma who once focused on divination and such are now outright mad.
Her current alignment of N may have much to do with her essence (or at least large parts of her church) shifting toward CN. Which if true might lead to some good stories.
If this was the case then the existence of a now somewhat troubled order of Pharasmite paladins would be interesting sauce for tasty dish of plot.
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A gust of wind carrying the taste of ash blows through the corridor, setting the previously still brain-craving zombies astir.
Gliding behind the charnel breeze a black-cloaked figure silently pads forward. the glint of dull white porcelain-glazed armor shows once or twice before the undead pay attention to two much more important facts.
The first fact is that the creature's visage was nothing but a stylized blue spiral on a porcelain-glazed mask.
The second fact is that the gleaming silver scythe so casually wielded seems to have little difficulty cleaving through the tops of skulls...
In the wake of silent steps further down the passage, the dying sight of one once more returning to its proper death is the flicking of grue from that curved blade. A brief remembrance before its return to the line ever winding its way through the vastness of the Boneyard.
"How come she never said anything?"
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A gust of wind carrying the taste of ash blows through the corridor, setting the previously still brain-craving zombies astir.
Gliding behind the charnel breeze a black-cloaked figure silently pads forward. the glint of dull white porcelain-glazed armor shows once or twice before the undead pay attention to two much more important facts.
The first fact is that the creature's visage was nothing but a stylized blue spiral on a porcelain-glazed mask.
The second fact is that the gleaming silver scythe so casually wielded seems to have little difficulty cleaving through the tops of skulls...
In the wake of silent steps further down the passage, the dying sight of one once more returning to its proper death is the flicking of grue from that curved blade. A brief remembrance before its return to the line ever winding its way through the vastness of the Boneyard.
"How come she never said anything?"
....dammit....
But seriously man, awesome. :D
Actually have had a character concept along these lines for a long time, though the homebrew Death goddess' symbol was a bit more along the lines of a stylized skull like the one in this movie poster. Minus the lady in the sockets of course.
Yes, I know that this is usually not allowed. However one of my players was interested in this concept for out Carrion Crown game. After thinking about it I decided if he used the Undead Scourge variant, I would allow it. One of the things I really enjoyed awhile back was the Shelyn Paladin Oath on the blog. I really adore the idea of each deity having their own code for Paladins, it really frees them up role-playing wise to do something different
Anyway I came up with this first draft of a Pharasma Oath, and I was hoping to get some comments and suggestions.
*Death is as sacred as life, and is to be respected.
*To reap another is to take away all they will be in this lifetime. I understand the weight of this and will never kill for its own sake.
*Infants and elderly are at different ends of their journeys, but both can require assistance. If I can help these souls I shall.
*I shall never desecrate the corpses of the fallen. The vessels of others are to be respected. The abominations of the Urgathoa, however must be destroyed.
*Everyone makes their choices in life and it is Pharasma's place to judge. Set aside your predjudices and pride and strive to set aside your own judgement on others. For we all reap what we sow.
*The world has its fate just as people. I shall strive to maintain balance both in the world and in myself.
*I shall never raise the undead, I will never kill a child, I will never eat the blood, body, or bone of my fellow man.Thanks for your time!
Nice idea, however the "I shall not desecrate the remains of the fallen" could be troublesome. I think it is entirely justified to chop of the head of a recently deceased if that prevents him to rise as an undead later.
Maybe add, "I will not atempt to postpone the time of my death with magic".
Nice idea, however the "I shall not desecrate the remains of the fallen" could be troublesome. I think it is entirely justified to chop of the head of a recently deceased if that prevents him to rise as an undead later.
That is not desecration. That is preventive measure. You can treat the body with respect after the taint of undead has been cleansed and lay it to rest after that has been done.
*Death is as sacred as life, and is to be respected.
*To reap another is to take away all they will be in this lifetime. I understand the weight of this and will never kill for its own sake.
*Infants and elderly are at different ends of their journeys, but both can require assistance. If I can help these souls I shall.
*I shall never desecrate the corpses of the fallen. The vessels of others are to be respected. The abominations of the Urgathoa, however must be destroyed.
*Everyone makes their choices in life and it is Pharasma's place to judge. Set aside your predjudices and pride and strive to set aside your own judgement on others. For we all reap what we sow.
*The world has its fate just as people. I shall strive to maintain balance both in the world and in myself.
*I shall never raise the undead, I will never kill a child, I will never eat the blood, body, or bone of my fellow man.
Awesome Sauce!