this is how i see it: if a pally does the negotiation with the opposing army, he has a better chance of succeeding, because well, he is perceived to be charismatic. however, if negotiations with the opposing army fail, i see the pally going back to his king and reporting to him that he has tried his best but failed to accomplish his job. if the rogue did the negotiating and also fails, most likely he will backstab his opponent.
Yes, though a rogue is hardly going to be selected for the king's negotiations on such a grave matter. A paladin/rogue might be more suited to a smaller community where multi-skilling would be more of a necessity.
applying your "real-life" example of the hackers, well yes, they work for companies to develop anti-hacking processes. but how did they know about their job? obviously, they hacked in the first place, and that wasn't "lawful".
Actually, many companies with said staff advertise or headhunt. They will have performed illegal actions in the past, but this is what shifting allignment is about.
let's take another example, that of robin hood, who stole from the filthy rich to give to the poor. that is very good, but it's hardly lawful.
Absolutely. It's Neutral Good. Robin Hood selectively disobeys the law of the land, but has great generosity.
so bottomline, a rogue may do some things that may be good or lawful, or both lawful good acts, but it's not enough to make him/her a full-time paladin, a class which has strict alignment restrictions. because when things get out of hand, a rogue will most likely follow his own natural instincts, while a pally will consider his devotion to his faith rather than his personal preference in determining the course of his action. all these of course in the name of roleplaying.
You're right on the mixed classes and role-playing. In fact, I just remembered the rule that supports you:
Dungeons & Dragons Core Rule Book v3
Like a member of any other class, a paladin may be a multiclass character, but multiclass paladins face a special restriction. A paladin who gains a level in any class other than paladin may never again raise her paladin level, though she retains all her paladin abilities.
does not have this rule applied to either the paladin or the monk (to whom it also applies). This has caused some seriously unbalanced builds.
