Alignment

Started by Mr. Cheez-It, October 23, 2005, 10:53:04 PM

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Mr. Cheez-It

Alignment is a tool for developing your character's identity.  It is not a straitjacket for restricting your character.  Each alignment represents a broad range of personality types or personal philosophies, so two lawful good characters can be quite different from each other.  In addition, few people are completely consistent.  A lawful good character may have a greedy streak, occasionally tempting him to take something or hoard something he has even if it's not the lawful or good things to do.  People are also not consistent from day to day.  Good character can lose their tempers, neutral characters can be inspired to perform noble acts, and so on.

Choosing an alignment for your character means starting your intent to play that character a certain way.  If your character acts in a way more appropriate to another alignment, a DM may decide that your character's alignment has changed to match her actions.

The Nine Alignments

Nine distinct alignments define all the combinations of law vs. chaos and good vs. evil.  Each description depicts the typical character of that alignment.  Remember that individuals vary from this norm, and that a given character may act more or less in accord with her alignment from day to day.  Use these descriptions as guidelines, not as scripts.

Lawful Good, “Crusader”:  A lawful good character acts as a god person is expected or required to act.  She combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly.  She tells the truth, keeps her word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice.  A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.  A paladin who fights evil without mercy and who protects the innocent without hesitation, is lawful good.

Neutral Good, “Benefactor”:  A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do.  He is devoted to helping others.  He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them.  A cleric who helps others according to their needs is neutral good.

The common phrase for neutral good is “true good.”

Chaotic Good, “Rebel”:  A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him.  He makes his own way, but he's kind and benevolent.  He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations.  He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do.  He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society.  A ranger who waylays the evil baron's tax collectors is chaotic good.

Lawful Neutral, “Judge”:  A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs her.  Order and organization are paramount to her.  She may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or she may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government.  A monk who follows her discipline without being swayed by the demands of those in need nor temptations of evil is lawful neutral.

Neutral, “Undecided':  A neutral character does what seems to be a good idea.  She doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. choas.  Most neutrality is a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality.  Such a character thinks of good as better than evil.  After all, she would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones.  Still, she is not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way.  A wizard who devotes herself to her art and is bored by the semantics of moral debate it neural.

Some neutral character, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality.  They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes.  They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run.

The common phrase for neural is “true neutral.”

Chaotic Neutral, “Free Spirit”:  A chaotic neutral character follows his whims.  He is an individualist first and last.  He values his own liberty but doesn't strive to protect others' freedom.  He avoids authority, resents restrictions, and challenges traditions.  The chaotic neutral character does not intensionally disrupt organizations as a part of a campaign of anarchy:  To do so, he would have to be motivated either by good (and desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those different from himself suffer).  A bard who wanders the land living by his wits is chaotic neutral.

The common phrase for chaotic neutral is “true chaotic.”

Lawful Evil, “Dominator”:  A lawful evil villain methodically takes what he wants within the limits of his code of conduct without regards to whom it hurts.  He cares about tradition, loyalty, and order, but not about freedom, dignity, or life.  He plays by the rules, but without mercy or compassion.  He is comfortable in a hierarchy and would like to rule, but he is willing to serve.  He condemns others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homelands, or social rank.  He is loath to break laws or promises.  This reluctance is partly because of his nature and partly because he depends on order to protect himself from those who oppose him on moral grounds.  Some lawful evil villains have particular taboos, such as not killing in cold blood (but having underling do it) or not letting children come to harm (if it can be helped).  They imagine that these compunctions put them above unprincipled villains.  The scheming baron who expands his power and exploits his people is lawful evil.

Some lawful evil people are committed to evil with a zeal like that of a crusader committed to good.  Beyond being willing to hurt others for their own ends, they take pleasure in spreading evil as an end unto itself.  They may also see doing evil as part of a duty to an evil deity or master.

Lawful evil is sometimes called “diabolical” because devils are the epitome of lawful evi.

Neutral Evil, “Malefactor”:  A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get way with.  She is out for herself, pure and simple.  She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, of convenience.  She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make her any better or more noble.  On the other hand, she doesn't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has.  The criminal who robs and murders to get what she wants in neutral evil.

Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake.  Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities and secret societies.

The common phrase for neutral evil is “true evil.”

Chaotic Evil, “Destroyer”:  A chaotic evil character does whatever his greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drive him to do.  He is hot-tempered, vicious, and unpredictable.  If simply out for whatever he can get, he is ruthless and brutal.  If he is committed to the spread of evil and chaos he is even worse.  Thankfully, his plans are haphazard, and any groups he joins or forms are poorly organized.  Typically, chaotic evil people can only be made to work together by force, and their leader lasts only as long as he can thwart attempts to topple or assassinate him.  The demented sorcerer pursuing mad schemes of vengeance and havoc is chaotic evil.

Chaotic evil is sometimes call “demonic” because demons are the epitome of chaotic evil.