heironeous judgement call [Archive] - Wizards Community

heironeous judgement call [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
dndlocke
06-11-07, 12:45 AM My dm asked me if i would like to declare the town that im currently in and working for btw as captain of the guard, as tainted with evil and unjust and if i wanted it destroyed. I don't think heironeous would want me to do that. I do know fighting crime and all such is one thing, but wiping out the entire town just because it is tainted with evil? I mean alittle overkill much? I was planning on doing the whole slowly purging evil from it, i mean we have 3 months ingame time to burn, due to recent events and deaths. So I figure to continue my work and such.
AAB
06-11-07, 12:55 AM destroying a town doesn't seem like a very valorous thing to do.
Zousha_Omenohu
06-11-07, 12:59 AM I concur. Heironeous's doctrine includes that while you've got to smite evil, you must do so honorably. Completely destroying the city would put any and all innocents in the town at risk, and Heironeans never put innocents at risk without VERY good reason and exploration of any and all alternatives. Also, Heironeous would probably approve of doing it without destroying the city to set an example. Nuking the city would only prove that the corruption was too great to fight. Cleaning up the corruption the good-old-fashioned way will show that honorable men and women do exist and that they will always win. Also, I personally would find it more satisfying to track down the corruption and eliminate it personally, instead of doing something I may later regret (or immediately regret if I'm playing a paladin). Interestingly enough, I was just playing Neverwinter Nights 2, where you can join the City Watch and effectively crush the gangs that have wormed their way in.
AAB
06-11-07, 01:08 AM Zousha brings up a good point: destroying the city would be tantamount to admitting that the evil was too strong to fight.
Kesuk2k5
06-11-07, 12:13 PM I praise the OP for having the common sense that Arthas didn't.
Doom_Linnorm
06-11-07, 02:08 PM Actually I agreed with Arthas on that, the people already were infected, killing them BEFORE they became a threat was the only way to deal with it.
Mind you, that is the ONLY time I ever agreed with Arthas... man I hate that guy, good thing he's dead (as in not even undead anymore but gone permanently) now thanks to a certain orc warlock/lich king.
(Bet some of you people didn't know Ner'Zuhl was an Orc while he was alive!)
dndlocke
06-11-07, 03:28 PM no idea, what you guys are talkin about, but thanks anyways, i was plannin on just doing it the old fashioned way anywho, but just wanted to make sure the dm was kinda bendin the rules and i didnt have that ability. On top of it, i have a NE rogue in the party who said that he would aid me in eliminating evil, since accordingly i have quite the reputation in this town, and i assume that thieves and such in general will steer clear of me. If anyone is curious, i could go on a rant about exactly what i done lol...
Zousha_Omenohu
06-11-07, 07:16 PM Upon further consideration, your DM's presented options may be feasible, if we knew more of the circumstances (this is not me flip-flopping!). What kind of evil are we talking about? If we're talking about some sort of corruption (kind of like the Wailing Death) that everyone in town has, than a swift death may ease their suffering. However, if what I'm assuming is correct, this isn't about the pure-evil kind of corruption. It's about the criminal kind of corruption, in which case a simple crackdown should solve problems conclusively. There's a big difference between supernatural evil and the evil that men do.
dndlocke
06-13-07, 04:17 PM Its the standard rip you off merchant kinda evil, along with, smugglers, kidnappers, assassins, all the kind, its a relatively small city in a barren desert. But i just wanted to completely conform it to a pure good city. Because im a good guy, and thats what we do.
Zousha_Omenohu
06-13-07, 06:51 PM Well then, just continue with what you've been doing and you'll not only be setting a good example for those uncorrupted, but striking fear into the hearts of those that are. Good luck with your crusade, and may the axe grow great! :fight!:
dndlocke
06-15-07, 04:07 PM *update* I hid in the main bazaar on my horse with a hide check of 21 lol, rolled a 18 +3 dex, so after mods i was pretty well hid, i was behind a stall with some canvas on me, in the back, so i blended in quite well i spose. Two thieves attempted to steal from a food stall. The first one grabbed a roll of cheese and stuck it in his shirt with like a roll of 19, but i seen it with a good spot check, the other guy grabbed an apple right off the cart ate it, then put it in his jacket. The merchant yelled "Thief!" and pointed at the 2nd guy, he bolted the guards chased him down, the 1st thief ran another direction, i came charging out of the stall and called shot to his legs to stop him, I missed actually with a roll of 7 add 5 for base n str add 1 for being on higher ground add 2 for charge that is 15 then -4 for called shot and its 11 he had a 12, sucks too, i had spirited. Either way, after missing and ride by attacking and finishing my charge 10ft in front of him, he put the cheese back, hit the ground and begged for mercy. I dismounted, walked upto him grabbed him by the hair, drew my sword held it to his throat and asked him what exactly he was doing, he said his family was starving i said... show me. He then led me to the slums and showed me his wife and 8 kids, i threw him on the ground in front of them and then tossed 10 sp on the ground and said don't let me catch you stealing again or it'll be alot worse. Then my guards came up shortly after. They asked me why I didn't kill him... it wasn't merciless... !! I asked him sharply did you catch the other thief... he said no... (btw this is in front of 7 other guards) I said hold out your hand... he was reluctant then i chopped off the tip of his index finger and then his middle finger, then since im a paldin i healed em back on for the poor guy.

My next set of orders were to acquire silk that these merchants refused to pay taxes on, and the reason the normal guards would not was because they always had hired mino mercs with them... fyi very good reason not to attack em. Welp, I caught a thief earlier that day and had him steal some of the silk whilst a guard and another PC aided. In the end the PC had -8 hp laying on the ground. The guy i grabbed from earlier died from a crossbow bolt to the head. My horse was at 2hp, i lost 5 guards, and now only have 2 left in the market area, i got 1 cart and 12 additional scrolls of silk. All in all it was a success. I'm now taking applications for new members of the guard that i'm training personally to not die from 1 mino crossbow bayonet swing.
AAB
06-15-07, 05:38 PM um... that's not really paladinly of you. none of it. your character is pretty much a dick.
dndlocke
06-15-07, 05:43 PM He dishonored his superiors by letting the thief escape, justice was averted... so i spose its against my code to let that go unattended, but either way, its all good. Its acceptable in my Dm's deities eyes, so i spose i cant argue.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
dndlocke 06-11-07, 12:45 AM	My dm asked me if i would like to declare the town that im currently in and working for btw as captain of the guard, as tainted with evil and unjust and if i wanted it destroyed. I don't think heironeous would want me to do that. I do know fighting crime and all such is one thing, but wiping out the entire town just because it is tainted with evil? I mean alittle overkill much? I was planning on doing the whole slowly purging evil from it, i mean we have 3 months ingame time to burn, due to recent events and deaths. So I figure to continue my work and such.
AAB 06-11-07, 12:55 AM	destroying a town doesn't seem like a very valorous thing to do.
Zousha_Omenohu 06-11-07, 12:59 AM	I concur. Heironeous's doctrine includes that while you've got to smite evil, you must do so honorably. Completely destroying the city would put any and all innocents in the town at risk, and Heironeans never put innocents at risk without VERY good reason and exploration of any and all alternatives. Also, Heironeous would probably approve of doing it without destroying the city to set an example. Nuking the city would only prove that the corruption was too great to fight. Cleaning up the corruption the good-old-fashioned way will show that honorable men and women do exist and that they will always win. Also, I personally would find it more satisfying to track down the corruption and eliminate it personally, instead of doing something I may later regret (or immediately regret if I'm playing a paladin). Interestingly enough, I was just playing Neverwinter Nights 2, where you can join the City Watch and effectively crush the gangs that have wormed their way in.
AAB 06-11-07, 01:08 AM	Zousha brings up a good point: destroying the city would be tantamount to admitting that the evil was too strong to fight.
Kesuk2k5 06-11-07, 12:13 PM	I praise the OP for having the common sense that Arthas didn't.
Doom_Linnorm 06-11-07, 02:08 PM	Actually I agreed with Arthas on that, the people already were infected, killing them BEFORE they became a threat was the only way to deal with it. Mind you, that is the ONLY time I ever agreed with Arthas... man I hate that guy, good thing he's dead (as in not even undead anymore but gone permanently) now thanks to a certain orc warlock/lich king. (Bet some of you people didn't know Ner'Zuhl was an Orc while he was alive!)
dndlocke 06-11-07, 03:28 PM	no idea, what you guys are talkin about, but thanks anyways, i was plannin on just doing it the old fashioned way anywho, but just wanted to make sure the dm was kinda bendin the rules and i didnt have that ability. On top of it, i have a NE rogue in the party who said that he would aid me in eliminating evil, since accordingly i have quite the reputation in this town, and i assume that thieves and such in general will steer clear of me. If anyone is curious, i could go on a rant about exactly what i done lol...
Zousha_Omenohu 06-11-07, 07:16 PM	Upon further consideration, your DM's presented options may be feasible, if we knew more of the circumstances (this is not me flip-flopping!). What kind of evil are we talking about? If we're talking about some sort of corruption (kind of like the Wailing Death) that everyone in town has, than a swift death may ease their suffering. However, if what I'm assuming is correct, this isn't about the pure-evil kind of corruption. It's about the criminal kind of corruption, in which case a simple crackdown should solve problems conclusively. There's a big difference between supernatural evil and the evil that men do.
dndlocke 06-13-07, 04:17 PM	Its the standard rip you off merchant kinda evil, along with, smugglers, kidnappers, assassins, all the kind, its a relatively small city in a barren desert. But i just wanted to completely conform it to a pure good city. Because im a good guy, and thats what we do.
Zousha_Omenohu 06-13-07, 06:51 PM	Well then, just continue with what you've been doing and you'll not only be setting a good example for those uncorrupted, but striking fear into the hearts of those that are. Good luck with your crusade, and may the axe grow great! :fight!:
dndlocke 06-15-07, 04:07 PM	update I hid in the main bazaar on my horse with a hide check of 21 lol, rolled a 18 +3 dex, so after mods i was pretty well hid, i was behind a stall with some canvas on me, in the back, so i blended in quite well i spose. Two thieves attempted to steal from a food stall. The first one grabbed a roll of cheese and stuck it in his shirt with like a roll of 19, but i seen it with a good spot check, the other guy grabbed an apple right off the cart ate it, then put it in his jacket. The merchant yelled "Thief!" and pointed at the 2nd guy, he bolted the guards chased him down, the 1st thief ran another direction, i came charging out of the stall and called shot to his legs to stop him, I missed actually with a roll of 7 add 5 for base n str add 1 for being on higher ground add 2 for charge that is 15 then -4 for called shot and its 11 he had a 12, sucks too, i had spirited. Either way, after missing and ride by attacking and finishing my charge 10ft in front of him, he put the cheese back, hit the ground and begged for mercy. I dismounted, walked upto him grabbed him by the hair, drew my sword held it to his throat and asked him what exactly he was doing, he said his family was starving i said... show me. He then led me to the slums and showed me his wife and 8 kids, i threw him on the ground in front of them and then tossed 10 sp on the ground and said don't let me catch you stealing again or it'll be alot worse. Then my guards came up shortly after. They asked me why I didn't kill him... it wasn't merciless... !! I asked him sharply did you catch the other thief... he said no... (btw this is in front of 7 other guards) I said hold out your hand... he was reluctant then i chopped off the tip of his index finger and then his middle finger, then since im a paldin i healed em back on for the poor guy. My next set of orders were to acquire silk that these merchants refused to pay taxes on, and the reason the normal guards would not was because they always had hired mino mercs with them... fyi very good reason not to attack em. Welp, I caught a thief earlier that day and had him steal some of the silk whilst a guard and another PC aided. In the end the PC had -8 hp laying on the ground. The guy i grabbed from earlier died from a crossbow bolt to the head. My horse was at 2hp, i lost 5 guards, and now only have 2 left in the market area, i got 1 cart and 12 additional scrolls of silk. All in all it was a success. I'm now taking applications for new members of the guard that i'm training personally to not die from 1 mino crossbow bayonet swing.
AAB 06-15-07, 05:38 PM	um... that's not really paladinly of you. none of it. your character is pretty much a dick.
dndlocke 06-15-07, 05:43 PM	He dishonored his superiors by letting the thief escape, justice was averted... so i spose its against my code to let that go unattended, but either way, its all good. Its acceptable in my Dm's deities eyes, so i spose i cant argue.