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DnD/Class Handbooks/Paladins/Call of Duty - Paladin

DnD/Class Handbooks/Paladins/Call of Duty - Paladin

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“help those who need help (provided they<br />

do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends)”<br />

Refusing to help an innocent is<br />

only acceptable if the paladin has prior<br />

obligations that are more critical in the<br />

overall fight against evil. This is a<br />

judgment call that the paladin must<br />

make.<br />

Should he stay and help protect<br />

the village against an impending<br />

attack by ogres that might not come<br />

for a week or more, or continue on his<br />

quest to slay the evil troll lord, thereby<br />

saving many villages? Perhaps a<br />

preemptive strike on the ogres on the<br />

way to the troll lord’s fortress would be<br />

possible. Balancing the needs <strong>of</strong> the<br />

many with the needs <strong>of</strong> the few is<br />

difficult. Ultimately, the paladin must<br />

accept that he cannot help everyone<br />

and must make a choice.<br />

A wise paladin will realize that<br />

when someone asks for help, what<br />

they say they need and what they<br />

really need are not necessarily the<br />

same things. Staying a day to teach<br />

the villagers how to defend against the<br />

ogres might be more helpful to them in<br />

the long run than waiting around and<br />

helping in the actual fight.<br />

The spirit <strong>of</strong> this part <strong>of</strong> the Code<br />

is that the paladin does whatever is<br />

possible to help others. He must go<br />

the extra mile and do beyond what<br />

others would do. Every waking hour<br />

is spent upholding the ideals <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Code, and a paladin should never<br />

deny others aid just because it is<br />

inconvenient or dangerous.<br />

“and punish those that harm or<br />

threaten innocents.”<br />

This section <strong>of</strong> the Code <strong>of</strong><br />

Conduct has great meaning, not<br />

because <strong>of</strong> what it says, but because<br />

<strong>of</strong> what it omits.<br />

There is no mention in the Code<br />

that “evil must be punished”, or that<br />

“evil needs to be slain”. Being evil is<br />

not enough to warrant a paladin’s<br />

attention. A creature must be a threat<br />

to innocents to incur a paladin’s wrath.<br />

<strong><strong>Paladin</strong>s</strong> do not go hunting red dragons or<br />

attacking tribes <strong>of</strong> ogres just because they are<br />

almost always evil, nor do they use their detect evil<br />

ability like a police radar designed to catch<br />

speeders. <strong><strong>Paladin</strong>s</strong> exist to thwart the plans <strong>of</strong> evil<br />

in order to prevent suffering and to deter future<br />

acts <strong>of</strong> evil.<br />

<strong>Call</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Duty</strong> – A <strong>Paladin</strong>’s Sourcebook: Chapter 2: Roleplaying <strong><strong>Paladin</strong>s</strong><br />

Punishing <strong><strong>Paladin</strong>s</strong><br />

You are the DM and one <strong>of</strong><br />

the player characters, a paladin,<br />

has just done something that you<br />

find questionable. Should you<br />

take away his powers? Force<br />

him to seek atonement? Give<br />

him some subtle warnings? Talk<br />

to him out <strong>of</strong> character?<br />

There are many ways to<br />

handle the situation, but always<br />

consider the following: The<br />

paladin isn’t much different from<br />

a lawful good fighter/cleric as far<br />

as role-playing considerations or<br />

abilities. In most campaigns, a<br />

lawful good fighter/cleric almost<br />

never loses his class abilities for<br />

infractions or even highly<br />

questionable actions.<br />

Consider how you would<br />

treat a lawful good fighter/cleric<br />

who committed the same act.<br />

Would you do anything? If not,<br />

then consider giving the paladin a<br />

break. Whoever or whatever in<br />

your campaign granted the<br />

paladin his powers would be<br />

loath to take them away. As long<br />

as the paladin is performing, that<br />

is, effectively protecting the<br />

innocent and fighting evil, a few<br />

minor infractions on the Code <strong>of</strong><br />

Conduct will likely be overlooked<br />

by those powers, and should be<br />

overlooked by you.<br />

The focus <strong>of</strong> the game is on<br />

heroic fantasy, not morals and<br />

ethics in the real world.<br />

<strong><strong>Paladin</strong>s</strong> should be held to a<br />

higher standard than lawful good<br />

fighter/clerics, and as long as the<br />

moral challenges the players face<br />

are fun, it is ok. But try not to be<br />

too strict. Let the paladin get<br />

away with a few mistakes if the<br />

action was “borderline”. No<br />

matter what type <strong>of</strong> ruling you’re<br />

making, it’s generally better for<br />

the campaign to err on the side <strong>of</strong><br />

the players. They only control<br />

one character, and taking away<br />

that character’s powers is an<br />

extreme measure.<br />

Getting back to what this part <strong>of</strong> the Code<br />

does say, the word “punish” is probably the most<br />

ambiguous word in the Code, and<br />

for good reason. <strong><strong>Paladin</strong>s</strong> are<br />

empowered, and indeed required, to<br />

use force to protect and avenge the<br />

innocent. The type <strong>of</strong> force, or<br />

punishment, depends on the threat.<br />

They are the judge, jury and<br />

executioner <strong>of</strong> those who harm or<br />

seek to harm an innocent creature.<br />

Often, lethal force is not required<br />

or advisable. For example, slaying<br />

an evil king who tortures his subjects<br />

might seem like the correct thing to<br />

do, but if it throws the land into a<br />

chaotic civil war where many more<br />

innocents will suffer, another course<br />

<strong>of</strong> action may be advisable.<br />

“Punishment” in this case may be<br />

simply finding a righteous ruler and<br />

imprisoning the current ruler.<br />

The word “innocents” is also<br />

subject to interpretation. A simple<br />

definition <strong>of</strong> an innocent is someone<br />

who is not guilty <strong>of</strong> committing or<br />

planning to commit an evil act. This<br />

includes those <strong>of</strong> neutral alignment<br />

who have not committed evil acts<br />

and do not intend to do so. Some<br />

neutral creatures are certainly not<br />

innocent and have evil inclinations.<br />

Evil creatures are not innocent,<br />

since they have committed acts that<br />

have caused their alignment to shift<br />

to evil, or are simply evil by nature.<br />

In any case, a paladin should<br />

consider a creature to be innocent<br />

until they prove otherwise.<br />

Remember, however, that a<br />

paladin is not restricted from aiding<br />

an evil creature. The most<br />

benevolent paladins have been<br />

known to save villains from fates<br />

that even they did not deserve, and<br />

have even managed to redeem such<br />

souls.<br />

Of course, the most evil<br />

<strong>of</strong>fenders, the types that paladins<br />

seek out with the most vigor, must<br />

be destroyed, and a paladin should not hesitate to<br />

carry out that sentence. Clerics <strong>of</strong> evil deities, evil<br />

outsiders, and undead are examples <strong>of</strong> creatures<br />

who radiate a palpable form <strong>of</strong> evil that must be<br />

banished. Granting mercy to such a foe is<br />

inadvisable, as it is unlikely they will change their<br />

ways.<br />

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