Paladin question

Woody · Post by **Woody** » Wed May 25, 2005 10:04 pm

Hello me good smilin' friends,
I am new to the server and rather new to the RP part of NWN. I have always been facinated about losing yourself in a character you've made.

So, I am putting pen to paper and I am trying to come up with a good back story to my character. Not to give too much away, yet, my character is seeking revenge upon a certain dark foe. His hatred for undead is deeply rooted (he has the scars to prove it) and I was wondering this :

Can a Paladin be driven by revenge ? I don't just mean killing, but making a "wrong" right again. Even, if in the end he may end up killing his adversary ?
Or, should my thoughts be towards a Fighter maybe ?

Would a lawful good (Paladin) be frowned upon for seeking revenge ? Perhaps that'll be a good flaw in my char ?

Anyways, I hope a good RP vet can help me out with this.
I appreciate all comments.

Thanks !

Stormhammer · Post by **Stormhammer** » Wed May 25, 2005 10:12 pm

Ive played a Paladin here for almost a year...and i dont think this is official, but perhaps just the views of myself and some other Gorethar players:

Gorethar is a god of justice, not of revenge. So a paladin would rather seek justice done to some great injustice(this could be through making sure the culprit is brought to justice by being punished by law enforcement,etc for his crimes or any number of ways i suppose), than to blindly seek revenge in blood for something.

Hope that helps a little bit....but as i said, i dont know if thats the stance of the team or not...so for all i know, a revenge lusted paladin could be quite common*shrug*

Lasher · Post by **Lasher** » Wed May 25, 2005 10:22 pm

ok... In looking at the Avlis paladin... The ones from Avlis are a little more fanatical than the 'standard' PnP version. All Avlis paladins worship the god Gorethar - also known as the Battlelord.

From a Gorethite perspective - if you come on undead or fiends - an appropriate response is to smite it. If the creature is by its very nature evil and can be nothing but evil, killing it is acceptable. No reason to be friendly - no need to worry about its feelings. As a popular dwarven paladin once said 'Oi aint a diplomat'

Now as far as justice... if you are thinking of a vigilante type - a Gorethite paladin is completely inappropriate. Now you're paladin can be a fanatic as far as seeing justice served. He could even be smug when justice is served. But it would be against his nature to be vengeful. I think vengance would start sliding to the evil side of things.

Post by **RCon** » Wed May 25, 2005 10:35 pm

You might consider Barbarian instead. Think the original Conan, seeking revenge from boyhood...

Vichan Lyonsen · Post by **Vichan Lyonsen** » Thu May 26, 2005 12:00 am

Hello me good smilin' friends,
I am new to the server and rather new to the RP part of NWN. I have always been facinated about losing yourself in a character you've made.

So, I am putting pen to paper and I am trying to come up with a good back story to my character. Not to give too much away, yet, my character is seeking revenge upon a certain dark foe. His hatred for undead is deeply rooted (he has the scars to prove it) and I was wondering this :

Can a Paladin be driven by revenge ?

DRIVEN? No probably not Driven... that said though, if your foe is a particular undead/demon/devil...then you are not likely to get any raised eyebrows - Followers of Gorethar abhor unlife and the demons/devils of the nether regions anyway...maybe only certain Dagathites would equal that...

I don't just mean killing, but making a "wrong" right again. Even, if in the end he may end up killing his adversary ? Or, should my thoughts be towards a Fighter maybe ?

Hate, mistrust, theft, murder, rape, plunder and destruction are always things that Gorethar will violently oppose. Mercy is to be had and quarter is to be given to those who surrender, however it is acceptable to make sure they are contained in the future.

Would a lawful good (Paladin) be frowned upon for seeking revenge ? Perhaps that'll be a good flaw in my char ?

Seeking? or Desiring? While I could see the possibility of a Paladin torn (desiring revenge over a certain event), by the conflict between that desire and the tenets of his faith. That (played well) could be very interesting. But in the end, your faith would probably win out. The conflict of your desire, something that under your faith you can never have...that could be fun to watch.

Anyways, I hope a good RP vet can help me out with this.
I appreciate all comments.

Check out the world rules section - Orl has written and posted up some good information on the gods - you can also look at the home page (menu bar on the left side of the page - Deities) and read that - theres a lot of information on all the gods - The conflicted Paladin isnt often seen, and I can think of only one Vengeful paladin, but he generally wasnt considered right in the head (the PC that is - not the player - the player was great)

Thanks !

Woody · Post by **Woody** » Thu May 26, 2005 2:49 am

Thank-you all for taking the time to give me your views.
I think I can make this work, but as Vichan said I better read up on Paladin's before I make my char.

I am not looking to make a Paladin specifically (I do however like playing them) , but more to chose a class to fit my back story as to my PC is out in the world (and not at home on the farm

) .

He is to be, however, an undead hunter - fueled by events of his past.

I will read up on Avils more so I can make an educated decision.

Thanks again.

Midknight · Post by **Midknight** » Thu May 26, 2005 3:09 am

He is to be, however, an undead hunter - fueled by events of his past.

I've played this undead hunter concept before, though not on Avlis.

Couple of other classes to consider would be cleric, a cleric of Dagath might fit.
Another is ranger - sure, favored enemy undead is nowhere near as good as being able to smite or turn them, but nonetheless a very competent class and maybe more in the vein of what you're looking for, with the whole revenge thing going.
Alternately, a cleric/ranger would be an interesting combo.... that's the one I ended up using.

Spartan · Post by **Spartan** » Thu May 26, 2005 7:12 pm

Paladin's are awesome. Where most characters may wonder where in the world they fit in, what their purpose in life is, why they exist, a Paladin simply know's.

There is nothing saying your Paladin can't be a fanatic. I always wonder why more arent. Paladin's make great fanatics. If someone doesn't follow the path of his church, they are misguided and need to be shown the way. If they oppose his church, they are an enemy to be convereted or destroyed.

Undead creatures are a bane to everything living. They are unnatural. Your character may believe that the deep sense of revenge he is feeling towards undead is actually feelings of rightiousness. His purpose in life is to destroy undead. He feel's he has been given a quest yadda yadda.

"Why am i so happy after i destroy undead? It's not because i'm getting revenge it's because im doing my gods will and im protecting the world from these creatures"
It's easy for your character to be misguided.

He can spend his whole life (or as much of it as you want) fighting with himself. Fighting, trying to figure out if he is killing undead for the greater good of mankind OR out of revenge. Post stories on it under character journals.

One interestng Paladin i've read about (and mentioned a few times i think) is a "Lode/load? stone paladin".
The paladin was in a church which was all about fighting undead (a common thing in ravenloft).

Unlike normal paladins when this paladin killed a ghoul for example, he would contain the evil spirit of the ghoul inside himself. or inside his soul, whatever. When he killed a ghoul he felt everything the ghoul felt. Pain, rage, hate, hungery to eat flesh. He saw visions of all the humans that the ghoul had killed.
The paladin had to learn to deal with the emotions and visions. He not only destroyed evil, he kept the evil inside of himself. If 1% of adventurers are paladins than 1% of paladins would be lodestone paladins. very special.

That might be an interesting thing for you to attempt. Role play a lodestone paladin. Every undead creature he kills he feels all the hate and pain and rage and vileness of the creature which pushes your chacater on to kill more and more undead leading up to becomming obsessed with it.

Masterchamber · Post by **Masterchamber** » Thu May 26, 2005 8:25 pm

Dont forget the beautiful RP experience when a Paladin falls from grace and becomes a Blackguard... HE HE HE...

Neat to watch those you hang with try and save your soul while you go *raises pinky to corner of mouth* EVIL?

MUWHAHAHAHA

Then you can be as fanatic as a Chaotic Evil person can be..

Open your own Evil petting zoo.

Make meat helmets. Beat children with rakes while they are in burlap bags..

Realistically shave your testistical, Its breath taking....

Woody · Post by **Woody** » Thu May 26, 2005 8:41 pm

Hahah, you peeps are too much !

But seriously, thanks very much for your replies. I believe I have my answer and I think I will be going with a Cleric of Dagath. I have had a guild member approach me and offered to take me under his wing. I look forward to joining the server this weekend with my PC.

Happy gaming everyone !

Spartan · Post by **Spartan** » Thu May 26, 2005 9:16 pm

I've always thought paladins/fallen paladins make horrible black guards.

They are two oppisite ends of a spectrum i find.

if my paladin were to fall from grace he wouldnt go around killing people for fun. He would say fuck the rules, fuck trying to convert people im going to kill everyone who disagree's.

I think there is a huge difference in how someone should approach a fallen paladin and a black guard.

Masterchamber · Post by **Masterchamber** » Thu May 26, 2005 9:28 pm

I think you haven't hung with many Blackguards.. Again it would depend on how you RP it..

ever time I PnP a paladin the group I was with I would end up killing for being evil or end up falling from grace and become a blackguard. Or drop to a hermit true nuetral... What ever turned out to be fun...

Though I never heard or seen of a Blackguard going paladin.. That would be a Butt ton of work..

*Scratches head* could be a hell of a RP thing too...

*Digs out note book to design a new character background*

pincushionman · Post by **pincushionman** » Fri May 27, 2005 1:41 pm

If it's undead hunting you want, nothing wrong with an ordinary fighter either. Mine has no qualms whatsoever going downstairs and beating the snot out of the "fffoul beassstsss."