Character backstory Q - re paladins

[Vermilion]

For my Tethyrian character's backstory, I'd envisaged a scene where my PC's corrupt father is at the mercy of the mob during the Black Days of Eleint: a Tyrran paladin steps in to prevent the lynching and is set upon as a collaborator, allowing my PC to take advantage of the distraction to make a hurried escape.

I have two questions:

1) given the server rules, are we assuming paladins lack their Detect Evil ability throughout the Realms or not?

2) do we mostly agree that a paladin would intercede at the cost of their own safety to save the life of an evil character (in this case, a corrupt tax official who's grown rich off the back of the people's suffering) so that he might face proper justice. My thought on this is yes, it's an indicator of the nobility of spirit a paladin should exhibit. My doubt is that during a time of upheaval and chaos, the paladin must realise that a fair trial is not likely to be had.

What do we think?

[Laughingman]

I think it depends on the paladin. A paladin of hoar for instance might leave the man to the mob or even join in.

[chad878262]

This thread has some amazing discourse with differing opinions that IMO shows just how different Paladins can be. Having the same alignment and code does not somehow make them all cookie cutter characters. They may be cut from the same cloth, with the same shears, but they are molded each in to their own form.

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=56700

[Stonebar]

I think it depends on the paladin. A paladin of hoar for instance might leave the man to the mob or even join in.

No... a paladin's alignment and code will not let him join a lynching I don't care what god he worships.

chad878262's link is fresh and it's a good topic.

[LISA100595]

I would agree with Stonebar on that. For instance, my paladin has had several incidents where she was willing to "die for the cause". There was this one time the Flaming Fist were hanging some prisoners at the FAI. She inquired what the crimes were that they were being put to death for and the one prisoner I can't remember .. was petty theft or something was the reason at first, and she saw that as unjust, so she stepped in and said "I cannot allow this travesty of Justice to happen" and stood in front of the prisoner ready to stand for Justice. There was a huge crowd gathered. There were cheers from some and jeers from others. Thankfully the DM made up a full list of Heinous crimes on the spot and saved my character's life.

[Laughingman]

On the contrary failing to attain vengeance would be against that paladin's dogma. Not all lands have a legal court. Is it situational? Yes. Yet it is completely within the dogma. If the accused was known to be guilty for certain and was either in lawless lands or the accused was simply "untouchable/above the law" I cannot see why this is impossible. Especially if the mob was too weak to exact vengeance or there was a sort of eye for an eye irony in this vengeance.

[Stonebar]

Lynching is a mob rule, Chaotic thing. Not a LG thing. So no.
Avenging and Vengeance are not the same thing, though it's sometimes a fine line. It's more about intent. Righteous vs. emotional/personal thing.
Though If a paladin killed someone in such a case he would hold his own trial, and if guilty, kill him in the most humane manner, also in an orderly way.

[thids]

1) given the server rules, are we assuming paladins lack their Detect Evil ability throughout the Realms or not?

I have used Detect Evil in my character's background, though I used it in one spot, and I did not claim it to be detect evil. I merely described the feeling of looking upon an evil creature. Perhaps this question is best directed to the DM team, I'd suggest sending them a pm.

2) do we mostly agree that a paladin would intercede at the cost of their own safety to save the life of an evil character (in this case, a corrupt tax official who's grown rich off the back of the people's suffering) so that he might face proper justice. My thought on this is yes, it's an indicator of the nobility of spirit a paladin should exhibit. My doubt is that during a time of upheaval and chaos, the paladin must realise that a fair trial is not likely to be had.

Seeing as this was during The Ten Black Days of Eleint, the Tyrran paladin would have most likely be convinced that the rule of law still existed within Tethyr, and stopping a Lynching mob would most definitely be his course of action. If it was later in the interregnum, when it became quite clear that any rule of law in Tethyr is just an illusion, that same paladin would have still tried to stop the mob, then acted as a judge, jury and executioner (last part only if he judged the corrupt of needing an execution).

On the contrary failing to attain vengeance would be against that paladin's dogma. Not all lands have a legal court. Is it situational? Yes. Yet it is completely within the dogma. If the accused was known to be guilty for certain and was either in lawless lands or the accused was simply "untouchable/above the law" I cannot see why this is impossible. Especially if the mob was too weak to exact vengeance or there was a sort of eye for an eye irony in this vengeance.

Paladin of Hoar would definitely not join the mob. He might leave the corrupt to the mob, if it is an appropriate form of justice in his eyes, but even that is very shaky. You need to keep in mind that a paladin of Hoar does not stick to the gods dogma to the letter, that is not his code. His code must revolve around promoting the most lawful and good aspects of Hoars faith. He does not have the same freedom to act as do other followers of The Doombringer.