Difference between NE and CE - society [Archive] - Wizards Community

Difference between NE and CE - society [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
BloodSpill
12-23-04, 01:03 PM We've probably all seen the posts here and elsewhere about the difference between neutral evil and chaotic evil. However, I would like some input about the societies of creatures with these alignments.

First and foremost, the most common CE society we hear about in this game is the Faerun underdark drow society. It's bizarre and somehow holds together and works.

Problem 1: Not all CE societies are like the drow. They are different.
Solution: Identify common traits that CE societies possess.

Problem 2: I have no idea which societies are NE.
Solution: Come to the CD boards and post this topic. ;)

So can anyone help me with general traits a NE society would possess?
The only sources for NE societies I've found in books are Neutral Evil churches in Defenders of the Faith and a one line description in the Dungeon Master's Guide under generating towns.
dorkknight23
12-23-04, 06:52 PM Well not to state the obvious too much, but a NE society is halfway between LE and CE, and thusly would have traits that are both lawful and chaotic.

I was under the impression the drow were one such example: a heavily ordered hierarchical system of houses, but a free-for-all of Machiavellian cloak-and-dagger politics to climb said hierarchy.

Another example could be the opposite: a bureaucratic society where said bureaucracy is creating many laws indepedently of each other (partially to aid in their own individual ascensions up the promotional ladder), so many in fact that they begin to contradict one another, and a draconian executive who attempt carries out all the laws, resulting in disorder and upheaval.

But there are more examples, probably.
Ogre Mage
12-24-04, 12:57 AM First and foremost, the most common CE society we hear about in this game is the Faerun underdark drow society. It's bizarre and somehow holds together and works.Actually, in the MM, drow have been realigned as NE, not CE.

In a CE society, open, sudden and unexpected violence would be the norm and would be viewed as normal by the society. People getting randomly butchered or maimed in the streets would be typical. And, as befits a chaotic society, there would freqently be no real reason for it other than random destruction and cruelty.

In a NE society, this sort of open random violence would be less likely and slightly less tolerated. This does not mean the society is at all nicer, but evil actions would be motivated by a more concrete reason. Perhaps the necromancer needs some zombies to do his household chores, or some such thing. There would probably still be a fair amount of random destruction, but in general people would be less brazen about it. There is probably some kind of (extortionistic) hierarchy in a NE society, though far less rigid than a LE society.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
BloodSpill 12-23-04, 01:03 PM	We've probably all seen the posts here and elsewhere about the difference between neutral evil and chaotic evil. However, I would like some input about the societies of creatures with these alignments. First and foremost, the most common CE society we hear about in this game is the Faerun underdark drow society. It's bizarre and somehow holds together and works. Problem 1: Not all CE societies are like the drow. They are different. Solution: Identify common traits that CE societies possess. Problem 2: I have no idea which societies are NE. Solution: Come to the CD boards and post this topic. ;) So can anyone help me with general traits a NE society would possess? The only sources for NE societies I've found in books are Neutral Evil churches in Defenders of the Faith and a one line description in the Dungeon Master's Guide under generating towns.
dorkknight23 12-23-04, 06:52 PM	Well not to state the obvious too much, but a NE society is halfway between LE and CE, and thusly would have traits that are both lawful and chaotic. I was under the impression the drow were one such example: a heavily ordered hierarchical system of houses, but a free-for-all of Machiavellian cloak-and-dagger politics to climb said hierarchy. Another example could be the opposite: a bureaucratic society where said bureaucracy is creating many laws indepedently of each other (partially to aid in their own individual ascensions up the promotional ladder), so many in fact that they begin to contradict one another, and a draconian executive who attempt carries out all the laws, resulting in disorder and upheaval. But there are more examples, probably.
Ogre Mage 12-24-04, 12:57 AM	First and foremost, the most common CE society we hear about in this game is the Faerun underdark drow society. It's bizarre and somehow holds together and works.Actually, in the MM, drow have been realigned as NE, not CE. In a CE society, open, sudden and unexpected violence would be the norm and would be viewed as normal by the society. People getting randomly butchered or maimed in the streets would be typical. And, as befits a chaotic society, there would freqently be no real reason for it other than random destruction and cruelty. In a NE society, this sort of open random violence would be less likely and slightly less tolerated. This does not mean the society is at all nicer, but evil actions would be motivated by a more concrete reason. Perhaps the necromancer needs some zombies to do his household chores, or some such thing. There would probably still be a fair amount of random destruction, but in general people would be less brazen about it. There is probably some kind of (extortionistic) hierarchy in a NE society, though far less rigid than a LE society.