Paladin Sorcerer with paladin code questions

[Golgathar]

I have a sorcerer that uses enchantment and necromancy spells, and I'm debating about dipping two levels into Paladin to get Divine Grace (Charisma Mod to all saves). So my main question is; would using spells to blind people, or control their minds, such as terrible remorse or hold monster, break a Paladin's Code? Even if the person or creature the spells are being cast upon are evil.

And, is animating corpses always considered evil? Or does it depend on what type of creature you animate?

[WarDragon]

The first question is one that you should ask your GM. Some people consider mind control more evil than killing someone, others consider it a merciful way of taking prisoners and winning battles without causing lasting harm. Ultimately, it's the GM's decision in any particular game.

Animate Dead, Create Undead and Create Greater Undead all have the [Evil] descriptor, so yes, using them is always an evil act.

[Tarik Blackhands]

To sort of build off what Wardragon said

If the spell has an [Evil] descriptor it's an evil act. Full stop. A paladin is completely unable to cast those without falling even if you're doing it to save the puppy orphanage.

Other spells are fine even if you look at the nitty gritty and note that burning people alive with fireballs and shattering their skeletons with boneshatter would probably be classed as war crimes if done in the real world. They're still Paladin kosher.

Similarly, most people won't say much if you charm or dominate a monster to turn on its allies or stand down in a fight. However, if you dominate a villain and order him to march down to his house and murder his son in order to exact righteous and ironic vengeance then...yeah, you just did an evil thing there and thus are in need of an Atonement at a minimum.

In summary, avoid [Evil] spells and don't be a jerk. (Also ask your GM about his expectations of the paladin code).

[Golgathar]

Thanks guys. I should also mention that I would like this character to be PFS legal. I don't know if that would change anything or if you would add more to your comments.

[Tarik Blackhands]

Nothing really changes beyond the fact that some home-GMs might let the [Evil] spell thing slide if its for a good reason.

PFS judges are not those people and will enforce you falling for using them.

[TimrehIX]

I would write up a code.

I played a paladin that used poison once. The thinking was that poison was just another weapon no more evil than using a sword. He couldn’t use the poison out of combat but he wouldn’t use a sword out of combat either.

If you have a solid reasonable code to go by that will help you dictate what will break your code and what wont. Think of a cause to fight for. Protecting the innocent, the greater good, honor, bringing magic and wonder into the world, or proving that “White Necromancy” can be a boon to the world and removing the stigma of necromantic spells.

In the heat of combat you can justify a lot. Blinding someone to take them out of the fight could be a merciful way. ESPECIALY if you capture them not kill them and take them to a temple to get healed of the blindness. They could work off the cost by working for the church.

In real life mind control (if it were real) is a bad thing. But as a Paladin you could justify it as just another weapon but have a strict code on when you can use it and what you can make the subject do.

Consider that it is not the spell you use but how you use it.