>I can't think of any +1 hit +1 dam bracers that a good aligned
>can get at level 10 other than bracers.

Need the replacement be exactly the same? There are some bracers a first-level character can get that, if I remember correctly, are +2 hit. There are some that are +1str and 5hp. There are some just like charred that are often on the ground in one of the cities.

>The purpose of raising the tarus bracers is not
>to defend the bracers specifically, but to raise the argument
>that there is plenty of "standard" equipment out there that's
>on neutral mobs which good players need.

Let's see. Charred bracers. Elemental mantles and maces. Jewelled broadswords. Black steel gauntlets. Felar chief stuff. (He's a bandit - I could justify popping him.) Forest-colored cloak. Mantle of stars. Umm...cloak w/ patches? I could play a good-aligned character of any class, never use any of those, and not consider myself "heavily disadvantaged". It would only really be annoying if I were a felar.

>I'm making a general point, not on the butler specifically.

But so is he. *In general* it is not the case that neutral = "off limits for goodies".

>Do I like the fact that as a paladin, to make my equipment
>competitive, I have to kill neutrals to do it?

Uhh. What particular equipment does your paladin need *in order to be competitive* that's held by neutral mobs?

>But I please deal with putting on more
>alternatives, or making more mobs evil, before you place this
>burden on people who enjoy good aligned classes.

Here I can agree with you: there are some mobs that should probably be evil that currently aren't.