Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Batracio Aug 24, 2014 4:30:02	So on another forum I read this:   [Its even better. Paladins are supposed to fight evil(no detect evil spelll), but its completely up to the player to define what their character considers evil. At some point I want to play an anarcho capitalist paladin who has declared a holy crusade on all governments.]   WHEre exactly does it say this ( or implies) in the PHB?
#2 Captain_Kobold Aug 24, 2014 5:29:04	Paladins don't have to be Lawful Good (although the majority are) in 5e. You could technically play a chaotic Evil Paladin, although you'd have real trouble keeping your oath. Every player gets to decide what their character stands against and considers evil.   Having said that, I think that going to the extremes mentioned above would be extremely hard to justify and sustain.
#3 Batracio Aug 24, 2014 6:39:23	Could you have a Paladin just devoted to the ideal of justice and not a particular god?
#4 Captain_Kobold Aug 24, 2014 7:16:38	Batracio wrote:
#5 Thoughts_My_Aim Aug 24, 2014 7:30:34	Batracio wrote:
(Reply to #3) Macv12	What your paladin is devoted to has nothing to do with rules, and everything to do with flavor. The rules don't care what you're devoted to, or why you have your powers. It depends on how the GM defines the Divine power source to work in their universe. If a god's permission is required, then you probably can't be devoted to a mere idea. If "divinity" is a dimension or form of energy or something, then sure.   Supposedly, past editions had stringent requirements on what a paladin could and couldn't do without losing their powers, and this was in order to balance how good they were. Or so I've been told. I've always found it silly that they basically wrote a bunch of flavor text about how Good paladins are, then gave it real in-game consequences. At any rate, it's a pure narrative thing that has nothing to do with how the game runs. It's up to the player and GM how they connect a player's power source to the world.
#7 Danny_Montanny Aug 24, 2014 9:50:06	"Your oath and alignment might be in harmony, or your oath might represent standards of behavior that you have not yet attained."   Nothing in this edition will make you lose your powers. You're as free to act as you will as anyone else. "I strive to uphold Truth and Justice, but I find it hard sometimes. Especially when I've been drinking."
#8 SpedGuy Aug 24, 2014 10:23:08	My favorite character in my dnd history was a Cleric of Waukeen.  When FR was the default setting in this edition, I set out to make a few characters on that theme.  A Paladin dedicated to the Church of Waukeen, dedicated to forcibly collecting debts, breaking up abusive trade cartels, hunting down big-name thieves... Perfectly doable with the new alignment-free paladin system, and easily a Lawful Neutal or True Neutral character.
#9 UnknownMourner Aug 24, 2014 20:52:21	I like just letting the ideals roll in your background determine things.
#10 philipnicholls Aug 24, 2014 22:46:52	This reminds me of a hypothetical scenario we discussed in 4th edition whether a cleric or paladin of the raven queen would heal a dying character thereby stopping their goddess from claiming their soul
#11 Setzer_G Aug 25, 2014 4:49:19	I have a paladin of Kelemvor I'l be using soon, philipnicholls, that has a similiar best. There isn't much of a hard time for me. Remembering that Clerics and Paladins, though blessed by the divine still interperet signs and portents very differently. I always looked at it in the sense of "Kelemvor has made a home ready for you, but you have a few more ways to serve him first" boom heal. Whether to heal or not to heal is almost never a question as far as the party is concerned. I cannot continue converting the dead. I spend a lot of time with people who either share my goals and faith, or will share my goals and faith.    Larger topic:   I like how the fluff is really a suggestion for new players to get the grasp of concept. It's loose enough, and less restrictive enough that I can reskin/retool everything how I want. Want an evil paladin, no game mechanics say otherwise (find an oath and code that fit well and BAM) or your Ancient Oath Paladin to be an Unseelie Champion? Easilly done. I was actually tossing around the concept of a Ancient Oath Paladin/Fey Blade Pact Warlock concept as a Winter Knight concept, ala Dresden style....fluff is just that, story guidelines to help you create what inspires you.