more important mission, or if it triggersretaliation from the NPC's companions against innocent bystanders. Time andcircumstances permitting, a paladin may question evil NPCs, follow them, or make inquiries about them. None of these actions violatea paladin's ethos when used in moderation. A paladin walks on shaky ground, however, themoment he begins an association with an evil NPC that could be perceived as friendlyor compliant. Edicts Edicts includecommands, instructions, and traditions the paladin has pledged to obey, usually imposed by the paladin's patron. The paladinmust follow his edicts to the letter; he takes them as seriously as any other element ofhis ethos. A paladin doesn'tchoose which edicts to follow. Rather, he pledges to follow any and all edicts issued by specified sources. The paladin chooseshis sources when he begins his career. Additionally, the DM may make recommendations orrequire specific sources. Edict sources maybe chosen from the list below. Usually, a paladin's background will suggest appropriate choices. For instance, a paladin whoseparents expect him to adhere to their traditions may swear to follow all edicts from hisfather and mother. The DM determinesthe nature of all edicts. He also decides how they apply and when they occur. At the DM's direction, a source may issue a setof edicts at the outset of a paladin's career. Alternately, a source may wait to issueedicts until a particular event occurs (such as the acquisition of a stronghold or adeclaration of war). At any time, a source may issue new edicts, modify old edicts, or suspendstanding edicts. It's possible that a source may never issue an edict. In any case, it's upto the paladin to keep track of his edicts and follow them exactly. Occasionally,edicts from different sources may conflict. For instance, a paladin's church might issue an edict that clashes with an edict fromhis government. In most cases, religious edicts take priority over edicts from othersources. In all cases, a paladin's strictures and core principles have priority overstrictures issued by any social institution. For more about conflicting edicts, seeChapter 8.Religion and Philosophy If the paladinbelongs to an organized religion, the church will probably be the major source of edicts. Church edicts encompass spiritualobligations, behavior restrictions, and service requirements. Philosophies,too, may have their own edicts, imposed by the architects of the philosophy or by the paladin himself. Adeity may also issue edicts to the paladin directly, appearing in a dream or as an avatar.Chapter 8 discusses religious and philosophic edicts in detail.Government A paladin who haspledged fealty to his government must follow its edicts. Some examples: Perform militaryservice. Donate the use ofhis stronghold for any legitimate government purpose (housing soldiers, entertaining government guests, storing supplies,and so on). Pay a one-time taxor fee. Temporarily loan astronghold hireling. Guard a particularitem or person. The paladin assumes complete responsibility for the safety of the item or person. Undertake acavalcade, a long journey for the purpose of escorting dignitaries, delivering messages, or scouting new territory. Represent thegovernment in a jousting match or other contest of skill at a tournament. Appear at a statebanquet or other ceremonial function. Mentor Paladins who haveno ties to