you read the title. when would be destroying the book of exalted deeds be good? could it be in the hands of a villain? could its magic have been corrupted?
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About Me: Godless monster in human form bent on extending their natural life to unnatural extremes /general of the goose horde /Moderator of Vinstreb School for the Gifted /holder of the evil storyteller badge of no honor /king of madness /The FBI/ The Archmage of I CAST...!
Alignment: Lawful Evil
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Gotta remember that evil campaigns are a thing. Destroying the Book of Exalted Deeds would actually be one of the tamer quest goals I've heard of some evil campaigns getting up to.
It depends on what you think good is and what the books relationship to good is.
If there is objective good and the book is the totality of good then destroying it could never be on the whole a good thing. If it is only subjectively good or a small portion of good then its destruction could be justified by a greater good or a different subjective view of good.
To disagree on the definition of good you would need to define the books view on goodness and argue against it. Whereas to justify sacrificing the book you need to come up with a greater good the book could release like something trapped inside or an evil destroying it could vanquish that is greater than the books absence for example it could be in cosmic or magical balance with it's counter part the book of vile darkness and destroying it could require destroying the book of exalted deeds.
perhaps there can only be one 'THE Book' and the players are contracted by celestials (outside of the normal temple channels, perhaps a redirected teleport circle?) to obtain and destroy this book so that the bureaucracy will be forced to replace it. then some things "about human sacrifice and the role of unpaid workers in the construction of temples" might be adjusted. "views have, a-hah... shifted." (but maybe don't clarify which direction things have shifted unless the insight checks are great).
... what they don't mention, regardless of pure motives or not, is that destroying the book is an objectively evil act. then the forces of good will be compelled to hunt them down! additionally, neutral parties might be hostile because this tips the balance of good and evil. chaos factions love it while lawful mostly shrugs since 'balance' isn't a written law. now there might be war as the (lawful) good book binders are in NO hurry. war, that is, unless the party can locate and disappear the book of vile darkness to return balance once again.
...unless that was the plan of asmodeus all along?
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... what they don't mention, regardless of pure motives or not, is that destroying the book is an objectively evil act.
There's no evidence for that being true; it doesn't say so in the lore (and it doesn't matter; if the book can be destroyed the lore is incorrect anyway).
... what they don't mention, regardless of pure motives or not, is that destroying the book is an objectively evil act.
There's no evidence for that being true; it doesn't say so in the lore (and it doesn't matter; if the book can be destroyed the lore is incorrect anyway).
I could definitely see some moral tail about how it's not the book that's good or evil but the actions of those around it ect...
For example the book sits in a temple beset by demons seeking to destroy it and prevent a prophecy while the everyone wait on the book ultimately doing nothing to actually solve problems. So by abandoning the idea of a perfect hero through the destruction of the book they can actually inspire action.
... what they don't mention, regardless of pure motives or not, is that destroying the book is an objectively evil act.
There's no evidence for that being true; it doesn't say so in the lore (and it doesn't matter; if the book can be destroyed the lore is incorrect anyway).
did i forget to do a "ymmv" disclaimer? darn. I'll have to get a "no links? not canon!" forums signature one of these days.
edit - to address the lack of evidence, i'm relying on (canonless?) assumptions and logic: 1.) the good book basically creates good saints. 2.) saints for good increase good and reduce evil. therefore, disabling the good book would be an act of evil equivalent to the function of the number of saints it prevents. that's the easy stuff. i'm more interested in how the scheming celestials get around the fact that ordering the book removed must also be an equally evil act. do they see it as a greater good? have they pre-purchased a big indulgence? does 'chaotic' good come back to bite them? maybe some lawful neutral politics are in order?
you read the title. when would be destroying the book of exalted deeds be good? could it be in the hands of a villain? could its magic have been corrupted?
Pronouns: Any/All
About Me: Godless monster in human form bent on extending their natural life to unnatural extremes /general of the goose horde /Moderator of Vinstreb School for the Gifted /holder of the evil storyteller badge of no honor /king of madness /The FBI/ The Archmage of I CAST...!
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Fun Fact: i gain more power the more you post on my forum threads. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Gotta remember that evil campaigns are a thing. Destroying the Book of Exalted Deeds would actually be one of the tamer quest goals I've heard of some evil campaigns getting up to.
It depends on what you think good is and what the books relationship to good is.
If there is objective good and the book is the totality of good then destroying it could never be on the whole a good thing. If it is only subjectively good or a small portion of good then its destruction could be justified by a greater good or a different subjective view of good.
To disagree on the definition of good you would need to define the books view on goodness and argue against it. Whereas to justify sacrificing the book you need to come up with a greater good the book could release like something trapped inside or an evil destroying it could vanquish that is greater than the books absence for example it could be in cosmic or magical balance with it's counter part the book of vile darkness and destroying it could require destroying the book of exalted deeds.
I could see a Lawful good church insisting that people should only earn their gains. Thus they order it to be destroyed.
When your definition of 'good' differs from the book's.
perhaps there can only be one 'THE Book' and the players are contracted by celestials (outside of the normal temple channels, perhaps a redirected teleport circle?) to obtain and destroy this book so that the bureaucracy will be forced to replace it. then some things "about human sacrifice and the role of unpaid workers in the construction of temples" might be adjusted. "views have, a-hah... shifted." (but maybe don't clarify which direction things have shifted unless the insight checks are great).
... what they don't mention, regardless of pure motives or not, is that destroying the book is an objectively evil act. then the forces of good will be compelled to hunt them down! additionally, neutral parties might be hostile because this tips the balance of good and evil. chaos factions love it while lawful mostly shrugs since 'balance' isn't a written law. now there might be war as the (lawful) good book binders are in NO hurry. war, that is, unless the party can locate and disappear the book of vile darkness to return balance once again.
...unless that was the plan of asmodeus all along?
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
There's no evidence for that being true; it doesn't say so in the lore (and it doesn't matter; if the book can be destroyed the lore is incorrect anyway).
I could definitely see some moral tail about how it's not the book that's good or evil but the actions of those around it ect...
For example the book sits in a temple beset by demons seeking to destroy it and prevent a prophecy while the everyone wait on the book ultimately doing nothing to actually solve problems. So by abandoning the idea of a perfect hero through the destruction of the book they can actually inspire action.
did i forget to do a "ymmv" disclaimer? darn. I'll have to get a "no links? not canon!" forums signature one of these days.
edit - to address the lack of evidence, i'm relying on (canonless?) assumptions and logic: 1.) the good book basically creates good saints. 2.) saints for good increase good and reduce evil. therefore, disabling the good book would be an act of evil equivalent to the function of the number of saints it prevents. that's the easy stuff. i'm more interested in how the scheming celestials get around the fact that ordering the book removed must also be an equally evil act. do they see it as a greater good? have they pre-purchased a big indulgence? does 'chaotic' good come back to bite them? maybe some lawful neutral politics are in order?
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!