Alignment reflects how a character relates to the concepts of good and evil, law and chaos. The main purpose of alignment, is to act as a guideline for consistent roleplaying, though it is not set in stone. The alignment of a character can change to match the style in which they are played, if deviation is consistent and serious. All of the nine alignments listed are viable choices for adventurers, though the "evil" variants are more often the domain of villains and monsters.
Possible alignment prefixes:
Lawful - Lawful characters tend to tell the truth, keep their word (when given), respect authority, honor traditions and judge those who fail in their duty. The Lawful side implies that the character is honorable, trustworthy, reliable and obedient to the law but can also be indicative of restricted thinking and a rigid code of behaviors, flexibility in their views and actions can also be a negative side.
Neutral - Neutrality to law and chaos are a blend of the extremes with a respect for authority but do not have a compulsion to obey it or rebel against it. Neutrality in this case means they are honest but can be tempted to lie or deceive others.
Chaotic - Chaotic characters tend to follow their conscious more than the law and resent being told what to do, they like new ideas over old traditions and will keep a promise, if they feel like it. Chaos implies freedom, flexibly and openness to change but they can also be reckless and irresponsible, more tuned into their own wants than the needs of others, and resentful of legitimate authority.
Possible alignment suffixes:
Good - Good is relatively easy to understand; a good character desires to protect the innocent through a respect for life, a concern for others and may often make sacrifices to follow this path.
Neutral - Neutrality to good and evil is often the hardest line to walk as you may have tendencies to both good and evil but the desires that drive it are more based on a lack of commitment to one or the other; for some it means trying to keep a "balanced" view to life and how they live it. A neutral personality bases much of their behavior on personal relationships and reasoning - they will do things that might seem "good" when they defend or help family or friend, but seem "evil" to another if they do not help a stranger in need.
Evil - Evil is a bit more complex, but basically the evil character desires to destroy innocent life, through hurting, oppressing and killing. The reason for this path can be simple lack of compassion for others and killing without qualm or an active pursuit to do harm or kill in service to some evil deity or master.
Possible combination's:
Good
Lawful Good - Characters of this alignment believe that orderly, strong society with a well-organized government can work to make life better for the majority of the people. To ensure the quality of life, laws must be created and obeyed. When people respect the laws and try to help one another, society as a whole prospers. Therefore, lawful good characters strive for those things that will bring the greatest benefit to the most people and cause the least harm. An honest and hardworking serf, a kindly and wise king, or a stern but forthright minister of justice are all examples of lawful good people.
Neutral Good - A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do and is devoted to helping others. These characters believe that a balance of forces is important, but that the concerns of law and chaos do not moderate the need for good. Since the universe is vast and contains many creatures striving for different goals, a determined persuit of good will not upset the balance; it may even maintain it. If fostering good means supporting organized society, then that is what must be done. If good can only come about through the overthrow of existing social order, so be it. Social structure itself has no innate value to them. A Neutral good character might work with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. A baron who violates the orders of his king to destroy something he sees as evil is a good example of a neutral good character.
Chaotic Good - A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. Chaotic good characters are strong individualists marked by a streak of kindness and benevolence. They believe in all the virtues of goodness and right, but they have little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. They have no use for people who "try to push folk around and tell them what to do." Their actions are guided by their own moral compass which, although good, may not always be in perfect agreement with the rest of society. A brave frontiersman forever moving on as settlers follow in his wake is an example of a chaotic good character.
Neutral
Lawful Neutral - 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.
True Neutral - 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. chaos. Most neutral characters exhibit 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.
Chaotic Neutral - 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. A chaotic neutral character does not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign of anarchy. To do so, he would have to be motivated either by good (and a desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those different from himself suffer). A chaotic neutral character may be unpredictable, but his behavior is not totally random. He is not as likely to jump off a bridge as to cross it.
Evil
Lawful Evil - A lawful evil villain methodically takes what he wants within the limits of his code of conduct without regard for 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 is willing to serve. He condemns others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank. He is loath to break laws or promises.
Neutral Evil - A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or 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.
Chaotic Evil - These characters are the bane of all that is good and organized. Chaotic evil characters are motivated by the desire for personal gain and pleasure and does whatever his greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drive him to do. He is hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. They see absolutely nothing wrong with taking whatever they want by whatever means possible. Laws and governments are the tools of weaklings unable to fend for themselves. The strong have the right to take what they want, and the weak are there to be exploited. Bloodthirsty buccaneers and monsters of low intelligence are fine examples of chaotic evil personalities. If he is simply out for whatever he can get, he is ruthless and brutal. Otherwise if he is committed to the spread of evil and chaos, he is even worse.
Tue Feb 17, 2009 8:57 pm