hutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison) (05/03/85)
[ holy water to throw at the line vampire ] In article <684@umn-cs.UUCP> goldman@umn-cs.UUCP (Matthew D. Goldman ) writes: >In article <380@ttidcc.UUCP> hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) writes: >>In article <544@udenva.UUCP> ttorgers@udenva.UUCP (Troy Torgerson) writes: >>>*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR ANTI-PALADIN *** >>> >>>Ok, we all know that Paladins are a pain in the *, but what I'd like to >>>know is how do people play their Palidins? (Or DO they play Paladins?) >> >>I was in a campaign a while back where a brand new, level 1 Paladin joined >>a party of high-level PCs... > ...He insisted on ordering milk >>and cookies wherever we went ... >>-- > > >**** FLAME ON **** > >Why do all paladins have to have Christain 'morals' concider the Islamic >Paladin, or any other religious group you care to think of. Just a gripe >of mine, why does everyone insist that Christanity is Lawful Good? To do >so is to ignore the rich history of murder and mayham sponcered by Christanity. >For starters you have the Spanish Inquisition, Programs in Europe, the >events in Europe during WWII - read up the Nazi's were NOT the only ones >killing 'non-desirables' the partisans killed thier share. > >**** FLAME OFF **** It looks like this is going to become the "great repetitious flammage" of the net.frp group. Look, folks, and expecially you, Matt. This group is NOT net.religion and it is NOT net.flame. You don't have to take out your gripes against Christianity, real or imagined, in this group. If you want to discuss the problem of roleplaying a character type which is based on a confused muddle of legends and medieval stories, FINE, go ahead. If you want to roast Christians, go elsewhere. I suggest the Ninth Layer of the Abyss. You'll find the kind you hate THERE. As far as all paladins having "Christain 'morals'" not even the Almighty EGG has been Lawful Stupid enough to claim that this is the case. However, there is a significant base of legend in the Arthurian novels which use the model of Paladin as a Christian Knight, usually a member of a Holy Order. There is ALSO a lot of good stuff in the various stories of Tristan and Isolde, the Poema de Mio Cid, the Song of Roland, aka Orlando Furioso in one retelling, there is Spencer's Faerie Queen, there is an entire body of Arabic storytelling, and there is even the character of Samson from the Jewish scriptures. All these sources have GREAT descriptions of the Paladin, although not all are exactly what you might think of at first. A Paladin (translated Silver Hero) is EXPECTED to be Honorable, Chaste, Pure, Kind to Strangers and Small Children, & cetera ad nauseum. If the only way you can think of these traits is to connect them with Christianity, then it either says something for Christianity (at least, the ideals of Christianity) OR it says something about your own self. >I don't insist, nor encourage my players to play their paladins as Christains. >Life is so much more interesting when the 'Bad Guys' think that they are >on the side of TRUTH, Justice and the {fill in the blank} way. In the end >we all must face the face that there are no TRUTHs, just lots of truths. OF COURSE the "Bad Guys" think they're right. They have to or they would try to stop. Ever read "Crime and Punishment" (or a synopsis, I actually wouldn't suggest really trying to READ that impenetrable verbiage)? If you aren't sure of what you are doing, you are so much less effective at it that you eventually find yourself failing, or being defeated, as if by your own hand. As for the idea that there are no "TRUTHS", prove it. But not here. >Just who is the monster here anyway??? > >-- >------- > Matthew Goldman Hutch@Shark [ Thrice nominated Orc Captain of the Year ]