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Cleric RPing

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
drjug
Oct 19, 2008 14:03:35 Well, I have a cleric style I would like to RP. I know this ain't knew but I am seeing what the community thinks.

I will be a CG cleric of . Instead of being a cleric I intend to be more of a inquisitor. My character will be as pure as possible, and will only burn those who have earned it.

So when I am RPing and I burn an innocent NPC (or PC :D ) and my guy TRULY believed it was an evil being would that alter my alignment?

Thanks in advance :D
#2
salla
Oct 19, 2008 14:10:07 No one single act causes alignment shift; however, repeatedly murdering innocent beings would, in fact, change your alignment to evil.
#3
aethergrey
Oct 19, 2008 14:23:06 Depends on how you 'TRULY' believe it, if you just assume people are evil without proper evidence, then you are killing people for you own gratification, and that's not good at all.

The problems with this is that people will sooner or later, unless the other PCs are of similar mind, decide you are another nut job and no longer wish to keep your company.
#4
doomsought
Oct 19, 2008 14:55:46 You are a cleric, you have detect lies.
That is all you need.
#5
legdiwena
Oct 19, 2008 21:55:20 Wouldn't an inquisitor be the extreme example of lawful, not chaotic?
#6
AttilatheNun
Oct 19, 2008 23:24:32 You may be getting connotations out of the word that the OP does not. What I believe the OP means is that he intends to take morality into his own hands. If a person does something evil but legal, he will attempt to punish them. OP, please correct me if I misinterpreted.
#7
Hibiki54
Oct 20, 2008 1:08:54 Try RPing this:

Drow Cleric of Corellon

And do this in a party of 5 with 3 of them being Eladrin.
#8
affabledoomwalker
Oct 20, 2008 9:18:26
You may be getting connotations out of the word that the OP does not. What I believe the OP means is that he intends to take morality into his own hands. If a person does something evil but legal, he will attempt to punish them. OP, please correct me if I misinterpreted.

So, essentially this is another Lawful Stupid Paladin thread? This cleric will surely be the bane of evil merchants across the world.

In all I agree with the sentiments that as a cleric you have access to several things that really take a lot of the guesswork out of questioning someone. Detect lies, Zone of truth, and the Persuade, Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense motive skills - if you want to be an ineffectual buffoon who righteously and triumphantly murders a shopkeep for being selfish, play a Paladin or a LG fighter with a wisdom of 8, and a charisma of 12.
#9
drjug
Oct 20, 2008 18:02:58 Affable...I am not a Pally. In my mind a pally is like a crusader so no need to be rude.

As an inquisitor i would look for a evil not vices.

Legdiwena, i agree that lawful good seems to be a better choice.
#10
affabledoomwalker
Oct 20, 2008 20:10:39
Affable...I am not a Pally. In my mind a pally is like a crusader so no need to be rude.

As an inquisitor i would look for a evil not vices.

Here's the issue, in D&D: your alignment directly correlates to your personality and behavior, which means that the evil shopkeeper who screws little old ladies out of their copper pieces is undeniably evil. So is the personification of a deity's ideals made manifest in flesh (that means clerics/paladins/divine champions/divine seekers) that kills that shopkeeper simply because "He's evil, lol." This has been discussed endlessly on the forums - hence my mentioning the now-legendary meme Lawful Stupid Paladin Thread.

The second part of my post, where I offered you a direct solution to your query (which I'll quote below, for good measure*) really is the answer, though perhaps not in the form you were expecting. Basically, I'm saying that there is *no need* for that sort of issue to arise, if you use the tools available to you from the outset.

The kind of inquisitor you're looking to play falls more in line with a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Sigmarite Witch Hunter - "Clint Eastwood meets the Spanish Inquisition" - people who are not nice, and generally kill without a thought, upgrade them to Warhammer 40,000K and they're virus-bombing planets. That sort of attitude falls in line with the aforementioned Lawful Stupid Paladin syndrome.

*
... as a cleric you have access to several things that really take a lot of the guesswork out of questioning someone. Detect lies, Zone of truth, and the Persuade, Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense motive skills...

As an addendum, it not only takes the guesswork out fo questioning someone, it takes the guesswork out of figuring out alignment as well. Which eliminates both the necessity to pointlessly burn other players/NPCs at the stake, and the necessity to spend hours asking pointed questions prior to deciding to burn someone at the stake.
#11
drjug
Oct 20, 2008 20:34:10 Ah, I see Affable. I thought it was a direct attack on me. I apologize.

Also, our party doesn't strictly adhere to the alignment system. They are more like a broad categorization, that a PC can move around through. Much like 40k Inquisitors do. EX, A radical inquisitor who uses alien means to get a problem done or a puritan who just blunders through and ultimately bombs a planet. Thanks much!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 drjug Oct 19, 2008 14:03:35	Well, I have a cleric style I would like to RP. I know this ain't knew but I am seeing what the community thinks. I will be a CG cleric of . Instead of being a cleric I intend to be more of a inquisitor. My character will be as pure as possible, and will only burn those who have earned it. So when I am RPing and I burn an innocent NPC (or PC :D ) and my guy TRULY believed it was an evil being would that alter my alignment? Thanks in advance :D
#2 salla Oct 19, 2008 14:10:07	No one single act causes alignment shift; however, repeatedly murdering innocent beings would, in fact, change your alignment to evil.
#3 aethergrey Oct 19, 2008 14:23:06	Depends on how you 'TRULY' believe it, if you just assume people are evil without proper evidence, then you are killing people for you own gratification, and that's not good at all. The problems with this is that people will sooner or later, unless the other PCs are of similar mind, decide you are another nut job and no longer wish to keep your company.
#4 doomsought Oct 19, 2008 14:55:46	You are a cleric, you have detect lies. That is all you need.
#5 legdiwena Oct 19, 2008 21:55:20	Wouldn't an inquisitor be the extreme example of lawful, not chaotic?
#6 AttilatheNun Oct 19, 2008 23:24:32	You may be getting connotations out of the word that the OP does not. What I believe the OP means is that he intends to take morality into his own hands. If a person does something evil but legal, he will attempt to punish them. OP, please correct me if I misinterpreted.
#7 Hibiki54 Oct 20, 2008 1:08:54	Try RPing this: Drow Cleric of Corellon And do this in a party of 5 with 3 of them being Eladrin.
#8 affabledoomwalker Oct 20, 2008 9:18:26	You may be getting connotations out of the word that the OP does not. What I believe the OP means is that he intends to take morality into his own hands. If a person does something evil but legal, he will attempt to punish them. OP, please correct me if I misinterpreted. So, essentially this is another Lawful Stupid Paladin thread? This cleric will surely be the bane of evil merchants across the world. In all I agree with the sentiments that as a cleric you have access to several things that really take a lot of the guesswork out of questioning someone. Detect lies, Zone of truth, and the Persuade, Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense motive skills - if you want to be an ineffectual buffoon who righteously and triumphantly murders a shopkeep for being selfish, play a Paladin or a LG fighter with a wisdom of 8, and a charisma of 12.
#9 drjug Oct 20, 2008 18:02:58	Affable...I am not a Pally. In my mind a pally is like a crusader so no need to be rude. As an inquisitor i would look for a evil not vices. Legdiwena, i agree that lawful good seems to be a better choice.
#10 affabledoomwalker Oct 20, 2008 20:10:39	Affable...I am not a Pally. In my mind a pally is like a crusader so no need to be rude. As an inquisitor i would look for a evil not vices. Here's the issue, in D&D: your alignment directly correlates to your personality and behavior, which means that the evil shopkeeper who screws little old ladies out of their copper pieces is undeniably evil. So is the personification of a deity's ideals made manifest in flesh (that means clerics/paladins/divine champions/divine seekers) that kills that shopkeeper simply because "He's evil, lol." This has been discussed endlessly on the forums - hence my mentioning the now-legendary meme Lawful Stupid Paladin Thread. The second part of my post, where I offered you a direct solution to your query (which I'll quote below, for good measure) really is the answer, though perhaps not in the form you were expecting. Basically, I'm saying that there is no need* for that sort of issue to arise, if you use the tools available to you from the outset. The kind of inquisitor you're looking to play falls more in line with a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Sigmarite Witch Hunter - "Clint Eastwood meets the Spanish Inquisition" - people who are not nice, and generally kill without a thought, upgrade them to Warhammer 40,000K and they're virus-bombing planets. That sort of attitude falls in line with the aforementioned Lawful Stupid Paladin syndrome. * ... as a cleric you have access to several things that really take a lot of the guesswork out of questioning someone. Detect lies, Zone of truth, and the Persuade, Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense motive skills... As an addendum, it not only takes the guesswork out fo questioning someone, it takes the guesswork out of figuring out alignment as well. Which eliminates both the necessity to pointlessly burn other players/NPCs at the stake, and the necessity to spend hours asking pointed questions prior to deciding to burn someone at the stake.
#11 drjug Oct 20, 2008 20:34:10	Ah, I see Affable. I thought it was a direct attack on me. I apologize. Also, our party doesn't strictly adhere to the alignment system. They are more like a broad categorization, that a PC can move around through. Much like 40k Inquisitors do. EX, A radical inquisitor who uses alien means to get a problem done or a puritan who just blunders through and ultimately bombs a planet. Thanks much!