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Thomar_of_Uointer 02-05-07, 01:21 PM

Okay, I've just been more and more annoyed by the alignment system. It confuses new players, it straitjackets experienced players, and it makes baby kobolds cry. The original alignment system from D&D use Law-Chaos to represent Good-Evil in a simple mechanic and to allow for Lawful villans. Later editions killed it by tacking Good-Evil onto it, leading to some very interesting and conflicting problems, like "what is Batman's alignment?" and the ability of some alignments to "imply" certain attitudes without actually covering them. Let's make something old new again. Alignment A creature’s general moral and personal attitudes are represented by its alignment: lawful, neutral, or chaotic. Alignment is a simplified represenation of your character's personality specifically used for spell effects and class features like a paladin's smite evil ability. It does not determine how your character acts, instead it is dependent upon your character's identity and outlook. Each alignment represents a broad range of personality types or personal philosophies, so two characters of the same alignment can still be quite different from each other. In addition, few people are completely consistent. Lawful, "Good" Lawful characters believe that others cannot adequately deal with the trials of life, and require the support of others to get through life. They act in the best interests of the group, often making personal sacrifices for the sake of others, and expect others to do the same. Lawful creatures often have a strong respect for sentient life, or believe in a code that dictates their behavior. Neutral, "Undecided" Neutral characters do not have strong leanings towards either law or chaos. Personal relationships mean more to such characters than their morals. They feel guilty when they advantage of others, but lack the commitment to actively protect or help others. Alternately, some neutral characters such as druids believe so strongly in a natural order than they carefully alternate between lawful and chaotic actions in order to maintain it. In any case, a neutral character is defined by performing both lawful and chaotic acts without favoring one over the other. Chaotic, "Evil" Chaotic characters believe that all creatures are perfectly capable of dealing with the trials of life, and anyone who doesn't focus on his own well-being will come up short in the end. They act in their own interests, often at the expense of others, and expect others to do the same. Chaotic creatures often have few problems with ending a life, or resent the pressure and restrictions of strong authority. Being lawful or chaotic can be a conscious choice. For most people, though, alignment is an attitude that one recognizes but does not choose. Animals and other creatures incapable of moral action are neutral rather than law or chaos. Even deadly vipers and tigers that eat people are neutral because they lack the capacity for morally right or wrong behavior. Because alignment represents a mindset, creatures of similar alignments are capable of primitive nonverbal communication. This communication is, at best, empathic, conveying basic emotions like thirst, hunger, fear, fatigue, pain, rage, hatred, uncertainty, curiosity, friendliness, and many other kinds of sensations and moods. Any creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher is automatically fluent (for what it's worth) in Chaotic, Lawful, or Neutral as its alignment dictates. The Speak Language skill may be used as normal to learn either of the other two languages. Alignment-based communication only works between two willing subjects who can study each other, it cannot be used to gain an insight into a character's thoughts or to grant a bonus to Sense Motive checks. "Law" and "chaos" are considered to be technical terms, used only in an extraplanar or divine sense. "Good" and "evil", even "holy" and "unholy", are much more common. Designer's Note: Okay, things get a little unorthodox here. Law-Chaos Alignment And Classes Barbarians can be of any alignment, their wild and reckless strength can be wielded both to destroy and defend. Barbarians rarely enjoy taking orders and following laws, but often follow their own code of superstitions or adages. Bards can be of any nonchaotic alignment, the bard's class features help him to aid others in their endeavors, and leave little room to act in one's own interests. However, the lifestyle most bards engage in is anything but structured. A bard who becomes chaotic cannot progress in levels as a bard, though he retains all his bard abilities. Because there are only three alignments, a cleric's alignment must match his deity's. The devotion required to be a cleric leaves little room for wavering hearts. A lawful cleric turns undead, and a chaotic cleric rebukes them. A neutral cleric can either turn or destroy undead, depending on his diety and his tendancies. A cleric whose alignment changes such that it no longer matches his diety's, or who violates the code of conduct required by his god, loses all his divine spellcasting, the ability to turn or rebuke undead, his aura class feature, and all domain abilities, and cannot continue gaining levels as a cleric of that god until he atones. Druids must be neutral. Druids are guardians of balance and representatives of nature's order. A druid who ceases to revere nature, becomes nonneutral, or teaches the Druidic language to a nondruid loses all spells and druid abilities (including her animal companion, but not including weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She cannot thereafter gain levels as a druid until she atones. Monks can be of any alignment. While a monk is trained through a heavily disciplined training regime (and can follow it if he chooses to), it is usually independent of his moral values. Paladins must be lawful. A paladin emits an aura of law. A paladin can detect chaos as the spell. A paladin can smite evil, affecting undead and outsiders. A paladin may associate with characters regardless of alignment, but cannot associate with fiends. A paladin who ceases to be lawful, who willfully acts in her own best interests at the expense of others, or who grossly violates the code of conduct loses all paladin spells and abilities (including the service of the paladin's mount, but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She may not progress any farther in levels as a paladin. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations. Arcane tricksters can be of any alignment. Although their abilities are a great boon to thieves and illusionists, arcane tricksters can use their powers to entertain, work with allies in combat, and deal with dangerous mechanisms. Assassins can be of any alignment. Discrete killing can be used in both nefarious and noble purposes, depending on who is killed and for what purpose. Blackguards can be of any nonlawful alignment. A blackguard needs to associate with a fiend, be it a devil or demon. Though a subverted paladin may still believe he serves the greater good, love of bloodshed and terror is decidedly chaotic. Law-Chaos Alignment And Spells Animate dead has the [Chaotic] descriptor. Blasphemy is folded into word of chaos. Bless water has the [Lawful] descriptor. Holy water damages undead and chaotic outsiders. Chaos hammer can either sicken for 1d4 rounds (negated on a successful save, cannot be negated by remove disease or heal but remove curse is effective) or slow. Cloak of chaos can either cause 1d6 points of temporary Strength damage (Fortitude negates) or confusion, chosen when the spell is cast. Contagion has no descriptor, it's simple necromancy. Create greater undead has the [Chaotic] descriptor. Create undead has the [Chaotic] descriptor. Curse water has the [Chaotic] descriptor. Unholy water damages lawful outsiders the way holy water damages undead and chaotic outsiders. Desecrate has the [Lawful] descriptor. Death knell has the [Chaotic] descriptor. Deathwatch has no descriptor, it is a simple utility spell that would be better off called "detect life". Desecrate has the chaotic descriptor. Dictum can use either the holy word effect table or its own. Dispel evil is folded into dispel chaos. Dispel good is folded into dispel law. Eyebite has the chaotic descriptor. Hallow has the [Lawful] descriptor. It grants a magic circle against chaos effect. Holy aura is folded into shield of law. Holy smite is folded into order's wrath. Holy word is folded into dictum. Holy sword has the [Lawful] descriptor, makes the target act as a +5 axiomatic weapon, and makes the target emit a magic circle against chaos. Magic circle against evil is folded into magic circle against chaos. Magic circle against good is folded into magic circle against law. Nightmare has the [Chaotic] descriptor, and is disrupted by dispel chaos. Protection from evil is folded into protection from chaos. Protection from good is folded into protection from law. Order's wrath can either blind for one round (negated on a successful save) or or daze, chosen when the spell is cast. Shield of law can either cause permanent blindness (Fortitude negates) or slow, chosen when the spell is cast. Summon monster, as a general rule of thumb, uses the lawful to chaotic axis to determine its alignment descriptor. See Law-Chaos Alignment And Monsters below. Symbol of pain has the [Chaotic] descriptor. Unhallow has the [Chaotic] descriptor. It grants a magic circle against law effect. Unholy aura is folded into cloak of chaos. Unholy blight is folded into chaos hammer. Word of chaos can use either the blasphemy effect table or its own. The Chaos domain uses the evil domain spells that have not been folded in place of its current spells. The Law domain uses the good domain spells that have not been folded in place of its current spells. Law-Chaos Alignment And Monsters Creatures that are Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral can usually be Lawful. Creatures that are Chaotic Evil or Chaotic Neutral can usually be Chaotic. Creatures that are True Neutral can usually be Neutral. Creatures of Chaotic Good, Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, and Neutral Good alignment that are distinguished by the law-chaos component of their alignment, such as dragons, demons, devils, and lycanthropes, should simply use their current law-chaos alignment. If a creature is Neutral Good or Neutral Evil simply because it enjoys helping others or killing others without respect to order or disorder, it is Lawful or Chaotic respectively. If a creature is Chaotic Good or Lawful Evil because it has conflicting tendancies, it is neutral. If a character is Chaotic Good or Lawful Evil so that he can get away with questionable acts in a Good party, he is chaotic. :P A few more notes: Demons delight in slaughter and destruction, the epitome of evilness and chaoticness. Chaotic celestials do similar things, they just kill different kinds of people. Devils are more tricky. Their evilness stems from arrogance, they believe that lesser beings squander their resources and don't deserve to have them, and if you squish a few innocents along the way it's all fine as long as you're acting in the best interest of the mortals (which are YOUR interests because YOU know what's best for them). Archons are sometimes very similar to devils when it comes to being domineering. Oh, you also have to throw out the Great Wheel cosmology if you use this. It might work better with a "sandwich" cosmology, in which the material plane is a barrier between Heaven and Hell. Might want to stat up the spells in full...