Roleplaying/Alignment Dilemmas

[krunchyfrogg]

Originally posted by Link: Maybe we shouldn't forget that Viconia was in Baldur's Gate 1 as well. The player should therefore know something about Viconia at the least. I think that should be taken into account as well.

...assuming you met her in BGI. I'm playing BGI now, and I still haven't found her!

[Riftmaker]

Krunchy, it doesn't matter what you did or didn't do in BG1. It only matters what BG2 said you did, and BG2 says you met her.

[Dirty Meg]

Originally posted by Cerek: The execution of Viconia. Could a Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral PC justify intervening in an execution which - as far as they know - is being conducted in accordance to the Law? Since both alignments put a heavy emphasis on obeying Law (even if the individual disagrees with a particular law), is there anyway to justify them preventing an execution that may be perfectly legal under Athkala's Law?

You are given a fair explanation of what is going on before you have to make any decision. I doubt that racially motivated lynchings are legal anywhere north of the Dixie line.

[Riftmaker]

Many societies hate Drow and kill them on sight.

[Cerek]

One other point regarding Viconia's execution at the hand of the cleric...

I've noticed that there are THREE "pyres" set up and ready for use at all times in front of the prison. Viconia was tied to the one closest to the prison entrance.

While her execution may or may not be legit, the fact that these three pyres are prepared and ready would seem to suggest that at least the method of execution (ie, a Flamestrike cast by a cleric) is legal in Amn. Which strengthens my earlier argument that the authorities may have authorized local clerics to actually carry out the sentences of execution on prisoners in Amn.

[Riftmaker]

Again....a retort....

An advanced society like Amn would know that Drow have magic resistance.

Why rely on magic to preform executions on magic resistant races? What if the spell is absorbed by the magic resistance? Pretty soon the authorities would become the laughing stock.

It would make MORE sense to execute Drow by a physical means, rather than a magical means.

Also, if the Amnish authorities actually did let clerics execute by Flamestrike, why choose a deity that has no temple in the city? I haven't been looking too hard, but I don't see any temples of Beshaba anywhere...

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Originally posted by Cerek: One other point regarding Viconia's execution at the hand of the cleric... I've noticed that there are THREE "pyres" set up and ready for use at all times in front of the prison. Viconia was tied to the one closest to the prison entrance. While her execution may or may not be legit, the fact that these three pyres are prepared and ready would seem to suggest that at least the method of execution (ie, a Flamestrike cast by a cleric) is legal in Amn. Which strengthens my earlier argument that the authorities may have authorized local clerics to actually carry out the sentences of execution on prisoners in Amn.

Unfortunately, I'm away from my books... But research Beshaba. This is the strongest hint that the execution isn't legit. Anyone living in Faerun would be familiar with Beshaba... and would know right away that Amn does not endorse her in *any* way, shape, or form.

[Mundus]

Surely if there was any doubt at all as to whether the execution is legal, a lawful character would leave viconia burn for fear that the law may allow drow execution, and that freeing her and as a result killing the executioner(s) would be breaking the law that they hold so dear by stopping the execution and unjustly murdering the executioner.
I have another dilemma to add to the mix; surely if the party leader is of a lawful good or lawful neutral alignment, they wouldn't allow a thief in the party, for by doing so the party would be breaking the law by stealing things. this is further complicated when you consider that Imoen is a thief and thus any lawful PC would be faced with the dilemma of whether to oust Imoen who is a life-long friend (no matter how obnoxious she may be [img]smile.gif[/img] ) or keep a thief in the party and risk breaking the law

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Ah, but the Shadow Thieves are endorsed by Amn. Crime in Faerun isn't like crime in our world.

[Riftmaker]

Yeah, but you're only breaking the law if you ACTUALLY steal (who the hell uses PP anyway?).

It isn't so much that Lawful characters fear breaking the law, they wish to find the truth to make sure the law is followed...well, in the Good and Neutral cases anyway. More than likely, you would want to stop the execution so that the proper authorities could conduct an investigation to determine whether the allegations of the cleric are actually true.