Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 earanhart Dec 13, 2009 15:15:46	Got a thought rolling in my head and I am curious if anyone has played something akin to this, and ten for y'alls thoughts on it. Sticking with the core 9 alignments, creatures default constantly to True Neutral. They only maintain an alignment other than TN when they are actively behaving in a manner to merit that alignment. Law/Chaos and Good/Evil spectrums would be separate. Intent and reasoning would have an affect on this system, but only when questioned. (Intent being for the grey areas, when something is borderline, not to reverse directionality.) Outsiders from the spiritual planes only exist so long as they maintain their alignment, when they are no longer whatever alignment they have to be, they cease to exist, and the animating force from them will reform in a few days into a brand new whatever-the-hell-they-are. Gods, Archfiends and equivalent being exempt from this rule either because they not originally from the outer planes, or because their alignment defines the plane, and thus all lesser creatures in the plane, or some other DM crap to perpetuate them. Long plans for the Lawful, ect. Items with alignment do not actually have an alignment (unless sentient) but absorb an aura from their use, and can show this do the various detect spells. (read: Lingering aura) Characters with Alignment requirements will not be punished by being TN, so long as they never fall the opposite direction from their requirements. Alignment derived abilities, however, only function while the character is actively holding the required alignment.  Example: A paladin drinking at the bar is TN. He does not benefit from his Divine grace, but still maintains his base save, so will just as drunk as his fighter brother. Someone in the back corner falls over, a knife in their belly, and the Paladin rushes toward the murderer to protect the rest of the patrons(G) and stop the criminal(L), and he becomes LG, allowing him full use of his paladin powers. Generally speaking, only those abilities that you would lose by violating alignment are alignment tied. Some wiggle room in there for what would be senseless restrictions (samurai comes to mind). Intent of this rule: to encourage players to play their intended alignments, and to prevent the Paladin "I detect evil, I smash evil" mindset, as they can only detect what is actively being evil.
#2 slobo777a Dec 14, 2009 16:27:17	In 3.5, this will lead to analysing moral imperatives of all actions, just so you can determine whether or not a Protection From Evil grants an AC bonus to a monster. I would say this doesn't solve many issues - except perhaps to prevent the players auto-solving murder mysteries using Detect Evil. Mainly it will introduce all the usual debate that can be put to one side for 90% of the adventure into far more places than you'd wish. Is it evil or good to attack that burglar? They were stealing after all, but is killing them summarily justice taken too far - is it lawful because you "are The Law" or chaotic because you have not followed the correct procedures? At what point did you over-step the mark and turn from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil during the encounter . . . ouch my head hurts! It would probably be less work (and less personal stress) to remove alignment altogether - at least as a mechanic. You just need to find some reasonably balanced powers or spells to replace Detect Evil et al.