Lawful/Chaotic [Archive] - Wizards Community

Lawful/Chaotic [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Malibu Trojan
05-25-05, 06:25 PM It seems natural that a Good character should directly oppose Evil characters and try to defeat them, but how do Chaotic and Lawful characters interact? It seems people tend to err on the side of Good/Evil when deciding whether two characters might get along or even work together.

Does Lawful/Chaotic represent motives, means, or both?
George L. Cortinez Jr.
05-25-05, 10:02 PM IMO I think that lawful vs chaotic depends on the extent. A lawful character, such as a paladin, would not take very kindly to the party theif costantly robbing party members of thier hard earned loot. However, if the rogue broke into a keep that they knew to be the secret meeting place of a band of humanoid sacrificing BBEG, then he might look the other way. With lawful and chaotic, there is a small gap for cooperation. A lawful netral party member can get allong with almost anyone if they get what's theirs. A LG character will accept any unevil person, with maybe an exception to Chaotic netrals, due to their tendency of doing only what is in their best intrest. A LE character gets allong with anyone willing to follow their orders. As far as C and L intereacting together mostly depends on to what degree.
angelshelper81
05-29-05, 02:30 AM In my rather limited experience, L and C can get along, so long as neither are too fanatical about it.

I'm currently playing a CN Wizard/Ranger. Her best friend in the party is the Paladin, and they get along fine. She does her thing, hordes treasure, whatever. But when the chips are down she generally does do what's in the best interests of the group (at least within the limit of her courage, which isn't much), and he respects that. And the situation is becoming advantageous to him, too. We just discovered that one of the fighters in our party is evil, but the Paladin isn't in a position to kill him because he has the support of a couple other party members. (I don't know how, this happened when I was late getting to the session and I missed it.) My character, being the sneaky one she is, is now waiting for an opportunity to do something to the guy, just on the Paladin's say-so, because she trusts him. She might even kill him in his sleep if she ever actually finds out what kind of threat he is. The Paly can't do that, but I can. :D
Leap
05-29-05, 02:19 PM Chaotic = requires (and give others) lots of leeway as to behaviour.

Lawful = gives themselves (and others) very little leeway as to behaviour.

The chances are that they REALLY would not get on..... A high wis chaotic might tolerate lawfuls, but all others would really get on each others t*ts.
Morka
05-30-05, 09:29 AM I once played a CG rogue, and the party was lead by a LE monk. Strangely, we got along very well. We needed some specific potion? He tells me to find it, he doesn't want to know how. I ended up finding a Wand of Cure Light wounds, crafted by the church of... Cyric (CE god). I used it because I didn't care, he agreed because in the end, it helped the entire party.

IMHO, Robin Hood was LG when he came back from crusades, to find his mannor destroyed. He met with the Sherwood's brigands, who were CG, and they got along very well. Robin Hood put a bit of water in his wine, and agree to steal for their survive; in the same time, he direct them to almost create a town in the woods.
Kohdok
05-30-05, 11:34 AM Lawful people respect order and organization. They can be Zealous at times and want their parties to be organized and ready for anything.

Chaotic people tend to take life at their own pace, often have A.D.D., and tend to want the others to hang loose.

A proper combination of the two makes a good party; one that is both organized and relaxed.
Leap
05-31-05, 05:04 AM Chaotic people often have A.D.D.,

I prefer to think of it as just not being obsessive ;)
Stev Beren
05-31-05, 07:27 AM People, in the end, tend to care more about the moral axis than the Ethical axis. By nature people who share the "Good" label will get along, at least to some degree - because that is what good people DO. THe welfare of others is a direct concern, wether they express it through laws or through 'freedom' = that is still their goal. ANd Evil person. .is looking out for themselves and thmeselves alone. So unless the rest of their outlook matches, there tend to be clashes between evil Characters. FOr example;

Lawful good, Chaotic good - find out about someone being murdered. Both want to bring the murderer to justics because of what he did - the Chaotic may be willing to bend and break rules to get there, but in all they have the same goal in mind.
aleshandre
05-31-05, 01:18 PM I find that there are 2 basic brands of chaotic and they are closely tied to the 2 RL concepts of anarchy. Pure anarchy is the idea that free of external restrictions on behavior that people would naturally act in the best interest of others. A character with this kind of outlook would be able to get along with lawfully aligned characters, because they may see them as honorable for being able to let their true nature shine through despite the external restrictions of religion or law. This would be closer to chaotic good in alignment. Modern anarchy is the concept that unless you are free to do anything you want without concequences is closer to chaotic evil and such a person would never get along with lawfully aligned people of any good/evil alignment. These kind of characters tend to believe in the concept of suvival of the fittest.

Lawful characters likewise have the same kind of dichotomy. Lawful good people would tend to overlook small legal indescretions - especially in regards to a government that is lawful evil aligned, but would see to it that crimes would be punnished. Lawful good characters would be able to get along with chaotic good characters, since they would assume that the tendancy to good would keep them from really committing any grevious crimes against good governments. On the other hand, lawful evil characters would not tolerate any actions taken against them for any reason. As a result, law reigns absolute and there is no mercy. A lawful evil person would not tolerate any chaotic behavior, no matter what the reason that it was taken. These characters would not get along with any chaotic character at all.

Chaotic and Lawful neutral characters would probably get along the best of any on this axis, because their tendancy to think of balance would make it easy for them to overlook indescretions and differences in each-other. They would work well for the common good and as long as they reach the same end, the means would often be overlooked.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Malibu Trojan 05-25-05, 06:25 PM	It seems natural that a Good character should directly oppose Evil characters and try to defeat them, but how do Chaotic and Lawful characters interact? It seems people tend to err on the side of Good/Evil when deciding whether two characters might get along or even work together. Does Lawful/Chaotic represent motives, means, or both?
George L. Cortinez Jr. 05-25-05, 10:02 PM	IMO I think that lawful vs chaotic depends on the extent. A lawful character, such as a paladin, would not take very kindly to the party theif costantly robbing party members of thier hard earned loot. However, if the rogue broke into a keep that they knew to be the secret meeting place of a band of humanoid sacrificing BBEG, then he might look the other way. With lawful and chaotic, there is a small gap for cooperation. A lawful netral party member can get allong with almost anyone if they get what's theirs. A LG character will accept any unevil person, with maybe an exception to Chaotic netrals, due to their tendency of doing only what is in their best intrest. A LE character gets allong with anyone willing to follow their orders. As far as C and L intereacting together mostly depends on to what degree.
angelshelper81 05-29-05, 02:30 AM	In my rather limited experience, L and C can get along, so long as neither are too fanatical about it. I'm currently playing a CN Wizard/Ranger. Her best friend in the party is the Paladin, and they get along fine. She does her thing, hordes treasure, whatever. But when the chips are down she generally does do what's in the best interests of the group (at least within the limit of her courage, which isn't much), and he respects that. And the situation is becoming advantageous to him, too. We just discovered that one of the fighters in our party is evil, but the Paladin isn't in a position to kill him because he has the support of a couple other party members. (I don't know how, this happened when I was late getting to the session and I missed it.) My character, being the sneaky one she is, is now waiting for an opportunity to do something to the guy, just on the Paladin's say-so, because she trusts him. She might even kill him in his sleep if she ever actually finds out what kind of threat he is. The Paly can't do that, but I can. :D
Leap 05-29-05, 02:19 PM	Chaotic = requires (and give others) lots of leeway as to behaviour. Lawful = gives themselves (and others) very little leeway as to behaviour. The chances are that they REALLY would not get on..... A high wis chaotic might tolerate lawfuls, but all others would really get on each others t*ts.
Morka 05-30-05, 09:29 AM	I once played a CG rogue, and the party was lead by a LE monk. Strangely, we got along very well. We needed some specific potion? He tells me to find it, he doesn't want to know how. I ended up finding a Wand of Cure Light wounds, crafted by the church of... Cyric (CE god). I used it because I didn't care, he agreed because in the end, it helped the entire party. IMHO, Robin Hood was LG when he came back from crusades, to find his mannor destroyed. He met with the Sherwood's brigands, who were CG, and they got along very well. Robin Hood put a bit of water in his wine, and agree to steal for their survive; in the same time, he direct them to almost create a town in the woods.
Kohdok 05-30-05, 11:34 AM	Lawful people respect order and organization. They can be Zealous at times and want their parties to be organized and ready for anything. Chaotic people tend to take life at their own pace, often have A.D.D., and tend to want the others to hang loose. A proper combination of the two makes a good party; one that is both organized and relaxed.
Leap 05-31-05, 05:04 AM	Chaotic people often have A.D.D., I prefer to think of it as just not being obsessive ;)
Stev Beren 05-31-05, 07:27 AM	People, in the end, tend to care more about the moral axis than the Ethical axis. By nature people who share the "Good" label will get along, at least to some degree - because that is what good people DO. THe welfare of others is a direct concern, wether they express it through laws or through 'freedom' = that is still their goal. ANd Evil person. .is looking out for themselves and thmeselves alone. So unless the rest of their outlook matches, there tend to be clashes between evil Characters. FOr example; Lawful good, Chaotic good - find out about someone being murdered. Both want to bring the murderer to justics because of what he did - the Chaotic may be willing to bend and break rules to get there, but in all they have the same goal in mind.
aleshandre 05-31-05, 01:18 PM	I find that there are 2 basic brands of chaotic and they are closely tied to the 2 RL concepts of anarchy. Pure anarchy is the idea that free of external restrictions on behavior that people would naturally act in the best interest of others. A character with this kind of outlook would be able to get along with lawfully aligned characters, because they may see them as honorable for being able to let their true nature shine through despite the external restrictions of religion or law. This would be closer to chaotic good in alignment. Modern anarchy is the concept that unless you are free to do anything you want without concequences is closer to chaotic evil and such a person would never get along with lawfully aligned people of any good/evil alignment. These kind of characters tend to believe in the concept of suvival of the fittest. Lawful characters likewise have the same kind of dichotomy. Lawful good people would tend to overlook small legal indescretions - especially in regards to a government that is lawful evil aligned, but would see to it that crimes would be punnished. Lawful good characters would be able to get along with chaotic good characters, since they would assume that the tendancy to good would keep them from really committing any grevious crimes against good governments. On the other hand, lawful evil characters would not tolerate any actions taken against them for any reason. As a result, law reigns absolute and there is no mercy. A lawful evil person would not tolerate any chaotic behavior, no matter what the reason that it was taken. These characters would not get along with any chaotic character at all. Chaotic and Lawful neutral characters would probably get along the best of any on this axis, because their tendancy to think of balance would make it easy for them to overlook indescretions and differences in each-other. They would work well for the common good and as long as they reach the same end, the means would often be overlooked.