Allignment with Power... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Allignment with Power... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Wargamer
09-03-06, 07:45 AM This system uses four "Allignments" as the cornerstone of the Campaign world... they are alligned on two axis: Positive and Negative energy on one axis, and Arcana and Technology on the other.

The two are opposed, and entirely seperate. They correspond to the normal D&D allignment as follows:

Positive = Good.
Negative = Evil.
Technology = Lawful.
Arcana = Chaotic.

Now to explain each of these allignments...

Positive Energy: This is the power of Life and of Light. Regions strong in Positive Energy are filled with lush forests, flowing streams of clean, clear water, healthy fields, and animals aplenty. Positive Energy is also Good-alligned; people and creatures infused with it are instinctively inclined to perform Good deeds, assuming they have the intelligence to do so (ie: Int 6 or above. Anything else is too simple/primitive/stupid to have an allignment). All living things are infused with Positive Energy, if only a small amount.

Negative Energy: The powers of Death and Darkness, Negative Energy is the opposite of Positive. It corrupts and corrodes. Where it seeps through, trees wither and die, the soil becomes ashen and unfertile, water stagnates, animals and people sicken, crops wither. It is inherantly Evil; all things infused with it are driven by instinctive impulses to destroy.

Arcana: Magic in its purest form, Arcana is wild and unpredictable. Only a chosen few can hope to tap it, and even then they only ever use "tame" magic; magic safely locked away in books and scrolls, or drawn from special Guilds where it is safe. Only once a Wizard or Sorceror has truly mastered their arts can they ever hope to touch upon the True Magic.

Despite its power, Arcana is flighting. It touches on people, creating wonderous and fanciful things. Arcana gives to the world music, art, poetry, dance, and all manner of strange things born forth from the mind with no clear purpose or origin. Magic, when imprisoned, loses its potency. As such, Books and Scrolls are used not to bind magic, but to create a gateway through which said Magic can be called upon. Even then, some of the power is lost.

Regions heavy with Arcana are wonderous places. They spark the imagination, ensnare the senses, and leave onlookers overawed. More ofthen than not, bizarre and wonderous things exist within this place; stones that float on nothing, waterfalls that flow backwards, unnatural creatures such as Dragons and all manner of things can show Arcana is at work. Those who use Arcana mimick its trends; cities built on Magic have great floating towers, statues that spin and float, crackling with barely-restrained energies, circles of magic can teleport people from one side of the city to another, and many other creations will be found inside an Arcane City.

Technology: There is an order to the universe. It is not some random collection of forces, of matter and energy and magic, it is uniform, it is purposeful. If one had the tools, you could take the universe apart gear by gear, and learn how it ticks.

When one speaks of Technology, they do not speak of inventions and creations, but of the driving force behind reality, the great and inescapable order. It is believed that the gifts of invention were created by beings outside of reality, beings of order that sought a perfect universe free of dischord and chaos. Free of Magic.

The creation of machines, even machines that run on magic, damages the aura of Arcana. Whilst by no means evil, the power of Technology creates a sort of desolation; a plain and ordered environment. Vast, bare plains are one such example of a Technology-infused land. The other obvious example is a land desolated by industry; stripped of all resources to feed the hungry factories and processing plants.

Cities built upon Technology can be both wonderous and terrible, filled with all manner of inventions that can bring wonder to the onlooker, or horrify them. Those who are aware of the balance between Technology and Arcana will often fuse them both, creating a pleasant and functional place... whereas those that seek the ultimate, unchanging order build vast structures that hiss steam, whirring and clicking with a life of their own.

So, how do these work inside a campaign? Well, what it does primarily is give a very tangible concept of Evil!

For example, a Chaotic-Evil region is almost certainly going to be filled with the Undead, and as such the land will be suitable corrupted. The skies are forever dark as night, the sun blocked by storm clouds. The land is dark, bare, and utterly dead. The cities are vast necropoli, inhabited by the restless dead, and empowered by a mighty Etherfocus; a crackling couldron of power into which the remains of the once-living are cast, their life-force reinvigorating the dead.

On the other hand, a Lawful-Evil region will probably look like something out of a Japanese Anime. It may be a desolate land, or perhaps very much alive... where Clockwork Horrors scuttle around mechanical trees, where little flying machines collect oily pollen from little zinc flowers. Entire cities of Constructs... perhaps a city that is a Construct, and similar innoventions await the explorer.

These regions also exibit a physical change on the land. For example, if a great Undead army begins to advance towards, say, an Elven city, then the Elves would know because the landscape would begin to show signs of taint. The strength of the taint would depend on how strong the local aura is... thus when enemies clash, they are not simply fighting for profit or land, they are fighting to reshape the world!

It is also worth noting that there will, in all areas, exist "Neutral" settlements; regions that either exibit no trait, or exibit only some of the traits of a region.

An example of a "Neutral" Negative region might be a city where the living and the dead coexist equally. Perhaps the living work and play during the day, whilst the dead control the city whilst the living sleep.
Thomar_of_Uointer
09-04-06, 01:42 PM Hey, that's a neat idea! Something like that could give an entire campaign setting a cohesive feel, since we're looking at universal mixes of various elements. But how do you justify Lawful spellcasters?

A neutral location would be pretty much what you find on Earth. Nothing out of the ordinary. Your alignments would define the deviation from that norm.
Lord_Varos
09-04-06, 01:52 PM How does magic interact with Evil or Good areas? Are Good spells cast in Good areas enhanced at all, and are Good spells cast in Evil areas detrimented at all?
How do such zones of alignment shift? Do they even, or have they been in more or less the same spots since the dawn of time? In your example of an undead army invading elves, if the undead were defeated, how long would it take their taint to dissipate? Alternatively, if they won, how long would it take the physical land to adapt to its new alignment? Hours? Days? Years?

Great idea, really. I used sort of a similar idea with corruption of land with invading demons, but nothing this detailed (or thought out, for that matter). It's the sort of variant I could use in a campaign.

P.S. - Post in the correct forum next time.
Wargamer
09-04-06, 04:30 PM Hey, that's a neat idea! Something like that could give an entire campaign setting a cohesive feel, since we're looking at universal mixes of various elements. But how do you justify Lawful spellcasters?
Put simply, they're oddballs.

They could either be Techno-arcanists; using magic to power their inventions, or even full-blown technomancers, whose "magic" is, in fact, the energies of their unholy machines unleashed upon the world. For those who know Warhammer, think the Warplock Engineers of Clan Skyre; they aren't spellcasters, simply people stupid enough to fuse their body with the magical equivalent of an unstable nuclear reactor.

A neutral location would be pretty much what you find on Earth. Nothing out of the ordinary. Your alignments would define the deviation from that norm. Largely so, yes.

How does magic interact with Evil or Good areas? Are Good spells cast in Good areas enhanced at all, and are Good spells cast in Evil areas detrimented at all?
For the purposes of Good and Evil, it depends on how strongly alligned the region has become. For example, if there is only a mildly Evil taint it probably won't make a difference. As it grows stronger, determine the allignment effects as if it were a Plane/Subplane.

How do such zones of alignment shift? Do they even, or have they been in more or less the same spots since the dawn of time?
Positive and Arcana regions occur naturally. Negative and Technology locations do not.

When a region begins to form, the speed and severity depend on the strength of the source. For example, plants wouldn't shrivel up and die if a Necromancer walked past... but as the amount of Negative energy builds, it seeps into the land. The region would be come drier, darker, less fertile... it might take years, if the influx is slow, or it could happen in days if a truly massive source emerged (eg: an Etherfocus, which resonates a massively powerful Negative aura to sustain all Undead within a several mile radius).

In your example of an undead army invading elves, if the undead were defeated, how long would it take their taint to dissipate? Alternatively, if they won, how long would it take the physical land to adapt to its new alignment? Hours? Days? Years?
Again, it depends on how strong the relevant allignment is. Whilst minor changes may be visible within hours, it would take several days for any significant changes to occur.

It is also worth pointing out that, after several days of exposure to a "strong" source, it will start corrupting people as well. To use the Elves vs Undead example again, if the Negative aura was strong enough to defile the Elven land, within a week or so the Elves would begin to suffer changes, both physical and mental, as a result of the Negative aura.

Likewise, however, if the Elven Positive aura was significantly more powerful, the Undead army would crumble more easily, and Necromancers would find it harder to summon fresh warriors.

P.S. - Post in the correct forum next time.
I did; this is House Rules, and this is a House Rule on allignment.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Wargamer 09-03-06, 07:45 AM	This system uses four "Allignments" as the cornerstone of the Campaign world... they are alligned on two axis: Positive and Negative energy on one axis, and Arcana and Technology on the other. The two are opposed, and entirely seperate. They correspond to the normal D&D allignment as follows: Positive = Good. Negative = Evil. Technology = Lawful. Arcana = Chaotic. Now to explain each of these allignments... Positive Energy: This is the power of Life and of Light. Regions strong in Positive Energy are filled with lush forests, flowing streams of clean, clear water, healthy fields, and animals aplenty. Positive Energy is also Good-alligned; people and creatures infused with it are instinctively inclined to perform Good deeds, assuming they have the intelligence to do so (ie: Int 6 or above. Anything else is too simple/primitive/stupid to have an allignment). All living things are infused with Positive Energy, if only a small amount. Negative Energy: The powers of Death and Darkness, Negative Energy is the opposite of Positive. It corrupts and corrodes. Where it seeps through, trees wither and die, the soil becomes ashen and unfertile, water stagnates, animals and people sicken, crops wither. It is inherantly Evil; all things infused with it are driven by instinctive impulses to destroy. Arcana: Magic in its purest form, Arcana is wild and unpredictable. Only a chosen few can hope to tap it, and even then they only ever use "tame" magic; magic safely locked away in books and scrolls, or drawn from special Guilds where it is safe. Only once a Wizard or Sorceror has truly mastered their arts can they ever hope to touch upon the True Magic. Despite its power, Arcana is flighting. It touches on people, creating wonderous and fanciful things. Arcana gives to the world music, art, poetry, dance, and all manner of strange things born forth from the mind with no clear purpose or origin. Magic, when imprisoned, loses its potency. As such, Books and Scrolls are used not to bind magic, but to create a gateway through which said Magic can be called upon. Even then, some of the power is lost. Regions heavy with Arcana are wonderous places. They spark the imagination, ensnare the senses, and leave onlookers overawed. More ofthen than not, bizarre and wonderous things exist within this place; stones that float on nothing, waterfalls that flow backwards, unnatural creatures such as Dragons and all manner of things can show Arcana is at work. Those who use Arcana mimick its trends; cities built on Magic have great floating towers, statues that spin and float, crackling with barely-restrained energies, circles of magic can teleport people from one side of the city to another, and many other creations will be found inside an Arcane City. Technology: There is an order to the universe. It is not some random collection of forces, of matter and energy and magic, it is uniform, it is purposeful. If one had the tools, you could take the universe apart gear by gear, and learn how it ticks. When one speaks of Technology, they do not speak of inventions and creations, but of the driving force behind reality, the great and inescapable order. It is believed that the gifts of invention were created by beings outside of reality, beings of order that sought a perfect universe free of dischord and chaos. Free of Magic. The creation of machines, even machines that run on magic, damages the aura of Arcana. Whilst by no means evil, the power of Technology creates a sort of desolation; a plain and ordered environment. Vast, bare plains are one such example of a Technology-infused land. The other obvious example is a land desolated by industry; stripped of all resources to feed the hungry factories and processing plants. Cities built upon Technology can be both wonderous and terrible, filled with all manner of inventions that can bring wonder to the onlooker, or horrify them. Those who are aware of the balance between Technology and Arcana will often fuse them both, creating a pleasant and functional place... whereas those that seek the ultimate, unchanging order build vast structures that hiss steam, whirring and clicking with a life of their own. So, how do these work inside a campaign? Well, what it does primarily is give a very tangible concept of Evil! For example, a Chaotic-Evil region is almost certainly going to be filled with the Undead, and as such the land will be suitable corrupted. The skies are forever dark as night, the sun blocked by storm clouds. The land is dark, bare, and utterly dead. The cities are vast necropoli, inhabited by the restless dead, and empowered by a mighty Etherfocus; a crackling couldron of power into which the remains of the once-living are cast, their life-force reinvigorating the dead. On the other hand, a Lawful-Evil region will probably look like something out of a Japanese Anime. It may be a desolate land, or perhaps very much alive... where Clockwork Horrors scuttle around mechanical trees, where little flying machines collect oily pollen from little zinc flowers. Entire cities of Constructs... perhaps a city that is a Construct, and similar innoventions await the explorer. These regions also exibit a physical change on the land. For example, if a great Undead army begins to advance towards, say, an Elven city, then the Elves would know because the landscape would begin to show signs of taint. The strength of the taint would depend on how strong the local aura is... thus when enemies clash, they are not simply fighting for profit or land, they are fighting to reshape the world! It is also worth noting that there will, in all areas, exist "Neutral" settlements; regions that either exibit no trait, or exibit only some of the traits of a region. An example of a "Neutral" Negative region might be a city where the living and the dead coexist equally. Perhaps the living work and play during the day, whilst the dead control the city whilst the living sleep.
Thomar_of_Uointer 09-04-06, 01:42 PM	Hey, that's a neat idea! Something like that could give an entire campaign setting a cohesive feel, since we're looking at universal mixes of various elements. But how do you justify Lawful spellcasters? A neutral location would be pretty much what you find on Earth. Nothing out of the ordinary. Your alignments would define the deviation from that norm.
Lord_Varos 09-04-06, 01:52 PM	How does magic interact with Evil or Good areas? Are Good spells cast in Good areas enhanced at all, and are Good spells cast in Evil areas detrimented at all? How do such zones of alignment shift? Do they even, or have they been in more or less the same spots since the dawn of time? In your example of an undead army invading elves, if the undead were defeated, how long would it take their taint to dissipate? Alternatively, if they won, how long would it take the physical land to adapt to its new alignment? Hours? Days? Years? Great idea, really. I used sort of a similar idea with corruption of land with invading demons, but nothing this detailed (or thought out, for that matter). It's the sort of variant I could use in a campaign. P.S. - Post in the correct forum next time.
Wargamer 09-04-06, 04:30 PM	Hey, that's a neat idea! Something like that could give an entire campaign setting a cohesive feel, since we're looking at universal mixes of various elements. But how do you justify Lawful spellcasters? Put simply, they're oddballs. They could either be Techno-arcanists; using magic to power their inventions, or even full-blown technomancers, whose "magic" is, in fact, the energies of their unholy machines unleashed upon the world. For those who know Warhammer, think the Warplock Engineers of Clan Skyre; they aren't spellcasters, simply people stupid enough to fuse their body with the magical equivalent of an unstable nuclear reactor. A neutral location would be pretty much what you find on Earth. Nothing out of the ordinary. Your alignments would define the deviation from that norm. Largely so, yes. How does magic interact with Evil or Good areas? Are Good spells cast in Good areas enhanced at all, and are Good spells cast in Evil areas detrimented at all? For the purposes of Good and Evil, it depends on how strongly alligned the region has become. For example, if there is only a mildly Evil taint it probably won't make a difference. As it grows stronger, determine the allignment effects as if it were a Plane/Subplane. How do such zones of alignment shift? Do they even, or have they been in more or less the same spots since the dawn of time? Positive and Arcana regions occur naturally. Negative and Technology locations do not. When a region begins to form, the speed and severity depend on the strength of the source. For example, plants wouldn't shrivel up and die if a Necromancer walked past... but as the amount of Negative energy builds, it seeps into the land. The region would be come drier, darker, less fertile... it might take years, if the influx is slow, or it could happen in days if a truly massive source emerged (eg: an Etherfocus, which resonates a massively powerful Negative aura to sustain all Undead within a several mile radius). In your example of an undead army invading elves, if the undead were defeated, how long would it take their taint to dissipate? Alternatively, if they won, how long would it take the physical land to adapt to its new alignment? Hours? Days? Years? Again, it depends on how strong the relevant allignment is. Whilst minor changes may be visible within hours, it would take several days for any significant changes to occur. It is also worth pointing out that, after several days of exposure to a "strong" source, it will start corrupting people as well. To use the Elves vs Undead example again, if the Negative aura was strong enough to defile the Elven land, within a week or so the Elves would begin to suffer changes, both physical and mental, as a result of the Negative aura. Likewise, however, if the Elven Positive aura was significantly more powerful, the Undead army would crumble more easily, and Necromancers would find it harder to summon fresh warriors. P.S. - Post in the correct forum next time. I did; this is House Rules, and this is a House Rule on allignment.