What is it like to play a paladin on RPOL? I've played or DMed 5 games (not counting the game where I know that the paladin is a DM-PC, or the game DMed by someone who played with GG) on RPOL in which there was a paladin. Here's a paraphrased sample of In Character play that I've run into in EVERY ONE OF THOSE GAMES.
Other player A:
Deity X is a god of Domain X, I don't think he'd like one of his paladins doing that.
Funny. You didn't tell me how to play my rogue. Or cleric. Or sorcerer. What gives you the right to tell me how to play my paladin? The dogma of my order is between me and my DM, even when its the same deity as yours. Don't assume that you know more about how I should be playing MY character.
Other Player B:
All goblins are evil, and my character does not believe in leaving them alive, so I go up to the goblin that the paladin captured and tied up, and slit his throat.
If this is you, you need to take a hard and long look in the mirror. The words that I would use to describe you are not usable in this forum. RPGs are collective play and we all deserve to have fun. It is EVERY player's responsibility to allow every other player to enjoy the game. This type of behavior can be a game killer, so KNOCK IT OFF! Give the paladin some room to compromise. There is nothing that says a lawful execution of the irredeemably evil creature is against the paladin code. So let it play out already. Let the DM present the ethical quandaries with NPCs so you don't cause an interparty war or make the paladin's player feel unwelcome. I have no idea why anyone would do this, but I've NEVER seen it at the table, only online. So my guess is that these people are cowardly jerks hiding behind the anonymity of the internet.
DM:
I'm giving you 1 neutrality point for not checking on player x's character. Four more and your alignment changes.
Guess what? Lawful Good is Lawful Good for ALL characters. It doesn't suddenly mean something else because the character is a paladin. The paladin needs to make judgement calls in every situation for the greater good, and will occasional be wrong. If you don't give them the room to be wrong, you sentence the paladin to a lifetime of Atonements, or the unavoidable fall from paladinhood. This DM is no different from Player B, and has no idea how to play a paladin.
Sound familiar? Look people, the paladin is already the hardest character to play well, and does not need other players or DMs making it harder. Paladins are HUMAN (Or elf, dwarf, whatever), not SAINTS. They are not perfect and should not be expected to be played that way. The rules say that a paladin loses his paladinhood for KNOWINGLY committing an evil act, or has an alignment change. They do not say you should be changing the definition of Evil, or looking for reasons to change their alignment. So if you have a paladin in your game, give him the space to play something other than Lawful Stoopid.
Thank you.