Neutral Assassins
Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2016 1:26 pm
Okay, let me start this off by saying that murder is in fact wrong. It is wrong to kill another sentient being. Doubly so is to specialize in killing.
Still, what of those who do so with good intentions. Yes, they are in the wrong, yes they are doing wrong, but are they evil? No.
Is it good to overthrow a tyrant? Yes. Is it wrong to assassinate one? Probably, but the one holding the knife may not know they. They don't understand that it's wrong to kill, they just see the tyrant, and want to help.
It is for this reason, that I say that neutral assassins should be allowed, if it is possible to override the requirement mechanically.
One good explanation I can give, is actually about Tieflings with good in mind. Taken from their page on the Arelith Wiki. http://wiki.arelith.com/Tiefling
"Having a Tiefling who wants to do good isn't as hard as it sounds. The trick is to successfully implement 'the means justify the goal.' A 'good' Tiefling wanting to stop the evil baron who's oppressing the peasants could very well abduct the Baron's daughter and threaten to kill her if the oppression doesn't end."
Just the same, killing said baron himself, is also a negative means of doing good.
"As long as the plus and minus is zero, I think he'd be considered neutral. A good person will not do evil things - even if the end goal is good, while a neutral person may very well do that."
-1 plus 1 equals 0. 0 is negative, and therefore, the Assassin can't be good, but he can be neutral.
An assassin must have good intentions however, to be considered neutral. One wouldn't learn what an assassin does, without the intention to kill.
There is of course, ex assassins. Assassins who give up their trade, realizing how wrong they've been. Such characters maybe neutral or good, but such a change rarely happens over night, and they can no longer take levels in assassin, because they lack the mindset to train and gain experience as one. Yet the skills remain, and they will remain until the character's demise. They may level as a new class, but any time they use their assassin abilities, they will feel the sting of guilt, guilt that will prevent them from ever becoming something so righteous as a paladin, unless they vow to never use the abilities they learned ever again (Which is a ballsy thing to do, since you'll have a few useless assassin levels you can never take back.)
All and all I'm sure you can understand that assassins may be neutral, now it's just a matter of it being possible mechanically
Still, what of those who do so with good intentions. Yes, they are in the wrong, yes they are doing wrong, but are they evil? No.
Is it good to overthrow a tyrant? Yes. Is it wrong to assassinate one? Probably, but the one holding the knife may not know they. They don't understand that it's wrong to kill, they just see the tyrant, and want to help.
It is for this reason, that I say that neutral assassins should be allowed, if it is possible to override the requirement mechanically.
One good explanation I can give, is actually about Tieflings with good in mind. Taken from their page on the Arelith Wiki. http://wiki.arelith.com/Tiefling
"Having a Tiefling who wants to do good isn't as hard as it sounds. The trick is to successfully implement 'the means justify the goal.' A 'good' Tiefling wanting to stop the evil baron who's oppressing the peasants could very well abduct the Baron's daughter and threaten to kill her if the oppression doesn't end."
Just the same, killing said baron himself, is also a negative means of doing good.
"As long as the plus and minus is zero, I think he'd be considered neutral. A good person will not do evil things - even if the end goal is good, while a neutral person may very well do that."
-1 plus 1 equals 0. 0 is negative, and therefore, the Assassin can't be good, but he can be neutral.
An assassin must have good intentions however, to be considered neutral. One wouldn't learn what an assassin does, without the intention to kill.
There is of course, ex assassins. Assassins who give up their trade, realizing how wrong they've been. Such characters maybe neutral or good, but such a change rarely happens over night, and they can no longer take levels in assassin, because they lack the mindset to train and gain experience as one. Yet the skills remain, and they will remain until the character's demise. They may level as a new class, but any time they use their assassin abilities, they will feel the sting of guilt, guilt that will prevent them from ever becoming something so righteous as a paladin, unless they vow to never use the abilities they learned ever again (Which is a ballsy thing to do, since you'll have a few useless assassin levels you can never take back.)
All and all I'm sure you can understand that assassins may be neutral, now it's just a matter of it being possible mechanically