Non-Standard D&D/Pathfinder Alignments Disscusion

[Zen Toombs]

Hmm...Taking a look through those links, I seem to be Gravitating towards Blue/Red. Which may be a problem. I may need to offset this somehow for future outsider concepts.

Eh, that's fine. I'm pretty Naya (Green/White/Red) m'self. Anyways, Magic has a whole mess of concepts you can mine for an RPG. Just take a look at some of the concepts for the sets and of the flavor text of cards, it's pretty awesome.

 

[Zyxx]

To me, alignment systems are only really useful in cases where the forces behind them are actual, tangible forces. In many DnD settings, Good, Evil, Law, and Chaos are not abstract morals: they are physical and spiritual quantities with a definite impact on their surroundings, every bit as much as gravity or magnetism.
In other realms, this isn't the case, so labeling people with alignments is only worthwhile if it helps you creatively.

That said, there's certainly some potential for fun in a setting where non-traditional alignments or personality aspects play a greater role. Perhaps a dictatorial regime could use "detect artsy" for tracking down those troublesome political-lampooning bards. "Smite logic" is a favored spell for the inquisitors in a Dark Ages-inspired land, and the PCs have to figure out why this political/religious group is so afraid of expanding knowledge - is it a general fear that their power and control will be shaken, or are they hiding something specific, a proof that their claim to authority is a lie?

Maybe there's a great war between two groups of powerful beings, one of which is "True Neutral" and believes in cosmic balance between all ethical/moral forces. The other is also "True Neutral" (or unaligned" and believes that these forces do not exist or are irrelevant, and their opposing views of neutrality have lead to a terrible conflict (RL wars have been fought over dumber things.)

 

[HellsingerAngel]

Lots of fun custom alignment stuffs.

I don't think you quite understand how alignments work in D&D. An alignment isn't a be all, end all for a character. It's supposed to act as a moral compass in case a player gets lost. Not sure how your character would react to a given situation? Well, if you're Lawful Good you'll tend to stay within the means of the local laws and generally your actions will help others rather than yourself. Characters will always stray from their given alignment with some decisions. A Lawful Good character might take a larger share of the treasure because they're greedy for gold or a Neutral Evil character might save a village because his lover was born there.

Complete Scoundrel gave the best example of what I'm trying to say: Batman is Lawful Good! A lot of people find this insane, placing him more along the lines of Chaotic or Neutral Good, but do those really fit him? Let's look at Bruce Wayne/Batman, shall we?

-Philanthropist
-Uses corporation to better humanity
-Strict code of never killing anyone, no matter what they've done
-Adheres to the law as best he can
-Fights those who oppress others
-Fights those who cause chaos

Now, Batman has had a pretty checkered past and often times it effects him greatly to the point where he bends his alignment. However, at the end of the day, if Batman is ever led astray and isn't sure what to do, he will tend to stay within the means of the local laws and his actions will help others rather than himself. This is why he's pegged as Lawful Good, because his core beliefs revolve around being a lawful and good person.

Just felt that needed some clarification.

 

[ZexionSephiroth]

Lots of fun custom alignment stuffs.

I don't think you quite understand how alignments work in D&D. An alignment isn't a be all, end all for a character. It's supposed to act as a moral compass in case a player gets lost. Not sure how your character would react to a given situation? Well, if you're Lawful Good you'll tend to stay within the means of the local laws and generally your actions will help others rather than yourself. Characters will always stray from their given alignment with some decisions. A Lawful Good character might take a larger share of the treasure because they're greedy for gold or a Neutral Evil character might save a village because his lover was born there.

Complete Scoundrel gave the best example of what I'm trying to say: Batman is Lawful Good! A lot of people find this insane, placing him more along the lines of Chaotic or Neutral Good, but do those really fit him? Let's look at Bruce Wayne/Batman, shall we?

-Philanthropist
-Uses corporation to better humanity
-Strict code of never killing anyone, no matter what they've done
-Adheres to the law as best he can
-Fights those who oppress others
-Fights those who cause chaos

Now, Batman has had a pretty checkered past and often times it effects him greatly to the point where he bends his alignment. However, at the end of the day, if Batman is ever led astray and isn't sure what to do, he will tend to stay within the means of the local laws and his actions will help others rather than himself. This is why he's pegged as Lawful Good, because his core beliefs revolve around being a lawful and good person.

Just felt that needed some clarification.

As I keep saying, I'm playing with the concept of alignments to see what different views on it could be used to expand the cosmology of a campaign.

...

Also, while I've been saying it less, I thought it would be fun to have a character who's moral guidance wasn't even completely applicable to a standard alignment axis. Such as a character that is Loyal to those they follow, regardless of their lawfulness, chaoticness, Goodness or evilness or even neutrality. To the point where their entire alignment can only be defined as "Loyal".

I'm Really not sure whether I meant that last point as a joke or not. So don't take it as seriously as the first point.