[Morgeruat]

If you read the Paladin description in the players handbook, 1st or second edition, as you said you have, they cannot have evil henchmen and neutrals are taken only so long as they "behave themselves" their preferable company would be other like-minded charcters, ie lawful good, neutral good is close enough for them to work well together. So he would free Viconia from the mob, but he wouldn't travel with her, but he couldn't kill her unless she did something evil which he had proof of, and then she would be brought to trial, not mob justice, or the paladin's blade as an excuse.

Paladins work on their own personal code of honor, which is usually placed secondary to their churches/government's in the case of a noble, normally the two are in agreement, however when they are not the paladin may be forced to become an expatriot, he forsakes the organization that has become corrupt from his personal beliefs, ie if he was a baron in Amn, and his duties to the state forced him to do something against his vows he would not do them.

If one of societies laws are evil, then they don't follow them, such as in the drow city where worship of Lolth(human spelling, not drowish) is mandated and those who don't are killed, or exiled.

[ 06-19-2002, 11:46 AM: Message edited by: Morgeruat ]