Editing Shelyn (section)

==In-Game==
Over the years, Pathfinder's writers have had a hard time trying to balance Shelyn's tendency towards diplomacy and nonviolence with a typical adventurer's desire to fight evil. The code that her [[Paladins]] are supposed to live by (released in 1E ''Inner Sea Gods'') is that they are NEVER to initiate combat, except for if an innocent is directly in danger, but can defend themselves and their friends. In addition, you must ALWAYS try to redeem a person first instead of attacking first ("I lead by the rose, not by my blade.") if possible. This obviously does not include things like [[undead]] and [[demon]]s. This lead to accusations of Shelyn's church being [[Stupid Good]]. This was a view that the quest designers of [[Kingmaker]] embraced wholeheartedly when designing Valerie's loyalty missions, making Shelynites seem like a bunch of idiotic, misogynistic, possessive incompetents that would have had their powers revoked by their goddess at any decent DM's table. This portrayal of Shelyn has gradually been written out over time and seems to be nowhere in sight by the time [[Pathfinder 2e]]'s ''Lost Omens: Gods and Magic'' came out, so now players are free to kick ass in the name of love, so long as they aren't evil or excessively merciless. 

===Gameplay===
Shelyn is usually seen as one of the stronger choices gameplay-wise in 1E among Good-aligned divine classes. Her [[Clerics]] and [[Inquisitors]] gain a strong martial reach-weapon and several really strong domains, including the much sought-after Luck Domain, so for a goddess that preaches diplomacy, you can make one powerful buffer and frontliner (see Sosiel from [[Wrath of the Righteous]]). And if you don't mind following her code, the Sentinel [[Prestige Class]] is very strong for Shelynite Paladins, with Shelyn's unique blessing, ''Glorious Might'', letting you add [[Rape|DOUBLE]] your Charisma modifier to your Smite Evil's attack and damage rolls. Now that's the Power of Love!