Alignment Conflict, need help. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alignment Conflict, need help. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Curunir
07-29-07, 03:21 AM I'm playing an Aasimar Knight of Solomnia imported to Kalamar (Using Knight of The Gods in place of Kiri Jolith)

I'm faced with a situation where a life is on the line, and in order to find the individual who is imperiled, we must obtain a map from a person's grave. The very first thing the DM is asking me to do is go rob a grave.

I figure I'm going to have to go in and make sure that this is all we take. My plan is to copy the map and restore it to the tomb. Then I plan on submitting to the local authority for punishment.

Am I going too far? Not far enough? Should I submit to punishment before or after the mission? Should I also name my adventuring companions when I confess to grave robbing? Should I try to obtain permission beforehand?

I'm just trying to keep my honor here and play a decent Lawful Good character. I know that a life being in jeopardy justifies extreme actions, but honor is still important to a knight. I'm not sure if I'm handling this right.
Stormbrand
07-29-07, 10:40 AM I'm playing an Aasimar Knight of Solomnia imported to Kalamar (Using Knight of The Gods in place of Kiri Jolith)

I'm faced with a situation where a life is on the line, and in order to find the individual who is imperiled, we must obtain a map from a person's grave. The very first thing the DM is asking me to do is go rob a grave.

I figure I'm going to have to go in and make sure that this is all we take. My plan is to copy the map and restore it to the tomb. Then I plan on submitting to the local authority for punishment.

Am I going too far? Not far enough? Should I submit to punishment before or after the mission? Should I also name my adventuring companions when I confess to grave robbing? Should I try to obtain permission beforehand?

I'm just trying to keep my honor here and play a decent Lawful Good character. I know that a life being in jeopardy justifies extreme actions, but honor is still important to a knight. I'm not sure if I'm handling this right.

Go through the legitimate authorities. Effectively get authorisation to excavate. Explain the situation and obtain permission beforehand - retrieve the map rather than steal it. An artificial distinction but one important to knights and paladins.

What is the alignment of the dead guy (in the grave)? If Good, then you have a fairly strong case that he will not mind under these circumstances.

What does your church have to say about this? Knight of the Gods is hardly stuck-up, so he will certainly prioritise the life over the tomb. Get their approval if you must act against the government.

Punishment before the mission may actually prevent you from going on the mission. So no to that. Naming your companions makes you a 'problem character' who lands the whole party in trouble. Really the wrong approach to take.
Fithero
07-29-07, 11:05 AM If it were my character, id get the permission of the local authorities, the blessings of the families of the deceased and promise to restore (ie: return the map and get a cleric to bless it again) the grave after all is said and done.

If a life is on the line, i think most people wouldnt mind a grave being disturbed if it were to be restored properly afterwards.

Peace
CrimsonWyvern
07-29-07, 02:25 PM Well, what sort of timeline for saving the life do you have? If you have plenty of time, go ahead and go through the proper authorities and whatever is necessary for you to still feel honorable. However, if the need for the map is very urgent, then I would suggest that you just take it, hurry to save the life with your allies, and then, after the person is no longer in peril, deal with your Lawful side and submit yourself to punishment, apologize to the family, or whatever else you feel is necessary.
Curunir
07-29-07, 08:11 PM This is a hamlet. The local authority is the sheriff. I serve as a sort of deputy under when its needed. None of the family of the deceased man is still alive or present to speak for him. Locating such an individual would likely be a quest unto itself since all the deceased's known relatives have died under mysterious circumstances.

As for time, while there is surely urgency involved, it will take a considerable amount of time (probably a week or more) to reach the last known location of the person who is in danger, and in fact, this individual may well have been captive or dead for a long while already by the time I was first notified (the individual in question was investigating a secret site and would be gone for many weeks at a time, so for the absence to be noticed, would mean that the individual had been gone for a long time.)

In that case, I gather that whatever circumstances prevent the person from returning are either death, imprisonment or slavery (this being Kalamar). If she's dead, none of this matters. If she is a prisoner or a slave and has been for this long, a few more days will hardly make the difference.

I agree that seeking permission first is the best and truest possibility. I'm an associate of the sherriff and he's pretty laid back so I see it as likely that the request would be granted.

If that fails, I'm nowhere near my order (which lies far beyond the mountains in Kalamar.) No others revere the Knight of Gods in this hamlet. Seeking there absolution would be immensely impractical.

I figure it this way. If we have to do this without government consent, I will offer to go into the tomb alone and will tell those present that I intend to submit myself for punishment after the quest. I will then warn them upfront that I will turn in anybody who assists me. Anybody who joins me in the tomb is then forewarned of my intentions and at least I will have offered to commit the crime myself and accept the full burden of punishment.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Curunir 07-29-07, 03:21 AM	I'm playing an Aasimar Knight of Solomnia imported to Kalamar (Using Knight of The Gods in place of Kiri Jolith) I'm faced with a situation where a life is on the line, and in order to find the individual who is imperiled, we must obtain a map from a person's grave. The very first thing the DM is asking me to do is go rob a grave. I figure I'm going to have to go in and make sure that this is all we take. My plan is to copy the map and restore it to the tomb. Then I plan on submitting to the local authority for punishment. Am I going too far? Not far enough? Should I submit to punishment before or after the mission? Should I also name my adventuring companions when I confess to grave robbing? Should I try to obtain permission beforehand? I'm just trying to keep my honor here and play a decent Lawful Good character. I know that a life being in jeopardy justifies extreme actions, but honor is still important to a knight. I'm not sure if I'm handling this right.
Stormbrand 07-29-07, 10:40 AM	I'm playing an Aasimar Knight of Solomnia imported to Kalamar (Using Knight of The Gods in place of Kiri Jolith) I'm faced with a situation where a life is on the line, and in order to find the individual who is imperiled, we must obtain a map from a person's grave. The very first thing the DM is asking me to do is go rob a grave. I figure I'm going to have to go in and make sure that this is all we take. My plan is to copy the map and restore it to the tomb. Then I plan on submitting to the local authority for punishment. Am I going too far? Not far enough? Should I submit to punishment before or after the mission? Should I also name my adventuring companions when I confess to grave robbing? Should I try to obtain permission beforehand? I'm just trying to keep my honor here and play a decent Lawful Good character. I know that a life being in jeopardy justifies extreme actions, but honor is still important to a knight. I'm not sure if I'm handling this right. Go through the legitimate authorities. Effectively get authorisation to excavate. Explain the situation and obtain permission beforehand - retrieve the map rather than steal it. An artificial distinction but one important to knights and paladins. What is the alignment of the dead guy (in the grave)? If Good, then you have a fairly strong case that he will not mind under these circumstances. What does your church have to say about this? Knight of the Gods is hardly stuck-up, so he will certainly prioritise the life over the tomb. Get their approval if you must act against the government. Punishment before the mission may actually prevent you from going on the mission. So no to that. Naming your companions makes you a 'problem character' who lands the whole party in trouble. Really the wrong approach to take.
Fithero 07-29-07, 11:05 AM	If it were my character, id get the permission of the local authorities, the blessings of the families of the deceased and promise to restore (ie: return the map and get a cleric to bless it again) the grave after all is said and done. If a life is on the line, i think most people wouldnt mind a grave being disturbed if it were to be restored properly afterwards. Peace
CrimsonWyvern 07-29-07, 02:25 PM	Well, what sort of timeline for saving the life do you have? If you have plenty of time, go ahead and go through the proper authorities and whatever is necessary for you to still feel honorable. However, if the need for the map is very urgent, then I would suggest that you just take it, hurry to save the life with your allies, and then, after the person is no longer in peril, deal with your Lawful side and submit yourself to punishment, apologize to the family, or whatever else you feel is necessary.
Curunir 07-29-07, 08:11 PM	This is a hamlet. The local authority is the sheriff. I serve as a sort of deputy under when its needed. None of the family of the deceased man is still alive or present to speak for him. Locating such an individual would likely be a quest unto itself since all the deceased's known relatives have died under mysterious circumstances. As for time, while there is surely urgency involved, it will take a considerable amount of time (probably a week or more) to reach the last known location of the person who is in danger, and in fact, this individual may well have been captive or dead for a long while already by the time I was first notified (the individual in question was investigating a secret site and would be gone for many weeks at a time, so for the absence to be noticed, would mean that the individual had been gone for a long time.) In that case, I gather that whatever circumstances prevent the person from returning are either death, imprisonment or slavery (this being Kalamar). If she's dead, none of this matters. If she is a prisoner or a slave and has been for this long, a few more days will hardly make the difference. I agree that seeking permission first is the best and truest possibility. I'm an associate of the sherriff and he's pretty laid back so I see it as likely that the request would be granted. If that fails, I'm nowhere near my order (which lies far beyond the mountains in Kalamar.) No others revere the Knight of Gods in this hamlet. Seeking there absolution would be immensely impractical. I figure it this way. If we have to do this without government consent, I will offer to go into the tomb alone and will tell those present that I intend to submit myself for punishment after the quest. I will then warn them upfront that I will turn in anybody who assists me. Anybody who joins me in the tomb is then forewarned of my intentions and at least I will have offered to commit the crime myself and accept the full burden of punishment.