by Shea C. Reinke
The thrust of light and dark came from conversations on these boards.
Heartfelt Description
LIGHT HEART vs. DARK HEART
Light hearted characters and creatures seek to brighten and enliven the lives of others. Dark hearted characters desire to steal the light from others anyway they can.
"Light Hearted" implies care, concern, and most of all Love. Light hearted characters, more than anything, want to share the joys of life. That sharing can take the form of action, goods, or simply money.
"Dark Hearted" implies hate of one's self and others. The dark hearted care nothing for joy. Instead they breed misery, they use greed and need, and are often blind to the caring joy of the light hearted.
The greatest difference between the dark and light hearted is that the light hearted actions are guided by belief, and faith, in the light. The dark hearted hide what they do from the light and dark hearted equally. No action is right in the mind of the dark hearted; actions succeed or fail, profit or lose, and the dark hearted only have true faith in themselves. The boundaries of morals and faith, guide of life for the light hearted, mean nothing, or worse, to the dark hearted.
The opinion of the self is irrelevant. Many of the lightest hearts live their lives seeing themselves as dark. The dark hearted may fool others, even themselves, in to believing that they have a light heart.
GIVING HEART vs. GREEDY HEART
Giving hearts are helpful and open in life.
Greedy hearts are reserved and care full in life.
“Giving” means that when you can make a difference you do. Why, and in what way can be very different in different characters and in different situations. A giving character is full of energy ready to be used. If every one had a giving heart the world would be a more productive place. Giving hearts usually expect others to be giving as well, sometimes to the point of violating others boundaries.
“Greedy” means that you want more out of everything. Why, and in what way can be very different in different characters and in different situations. A greedy character is always concerned with the most efficient way to do things. If every one had a greedy heart the world would be a more organized place. Greedy hearts usually expect others to be greedy as well, sometimes to the point of catastrophic misunderstanding.
Giving hearts are often considered energetic while greedy hearts lazy. A greedy heart is concerned with propriety, sometimes their own and sometimes another's, over anything else. Giving hearts are more focused on events than results. The details of who exactly did what is secondary to the success of a group. Darkness and Light affect the object of a heart's greed or giving more than anything else.
THE SIMPLE and THE SHADE
Some hearts are simple. An animal is light or dark, not giving or greedy. Those concepts are beyond the mind of an animal. Children and some childish, or crazy, adults are simple as well. Whether light or dark, giving or greedy, they are simple in their thoughts and needs. Many simple hearts will grow and mature, but some will not. A heart that is simply in the light or the darkness acts with emotion at all times. A simple greedy or giving heart cares little for the darkness or the light, only what is right for them at the time.
Some heart's rest in the shade. Partially in the light, and partially in the darkness. Most of those that rest in the shade will one day join the light or become lost in the darkness. Only those that have never lost anything important, never fallen in love, or never seen beyond their own simple horizons can stay in the shade. The light look with longing at the naiveté of those that rest in the shade, and the dark seek to draw them away from the light.
It can be difficult to motivate a simple heart, or one in the shade. Most seek to remain in their protected mentality. Wrapping themselves up in responsibilities or simple consistent desires. In some cases you may want to provoke a simple or shaded heart to become more committed to your heart's desires, but usually only drastic circumstances can redefine a simple or shaded hearts view of the world. Children usually grow into more mature world view, but animals can never have more than a simple heart.
TEN ALIGNMENTS in THREE DESCRIPTIVE CATEGORIES
THE CARING
Caring characters will be direct, refuse to go anywhere they aren't invited, protect their own as best they can, do not desire what belongs to others, prefer passive actions, and want only what is important to them, or what they need.
Light and Giving Heart: Honest and dependable. Ask a light and giving heart for help and they are there for you. Insult, offend, betray, and drive them away and they will always give you another chance. A light and giving heart will save your life after you have tried to take theirs. Light and giving hearts hold people together through hard times, and share their desire to give with others.
It is best to have a light and giving heart because your life is filled with joy, and you can accept that life is complicated and that others must do what they must.
Simply in the Light: Clear of mind and straight forward. Any heart that is simply in the light does worry about strange and elaborate plans. They use their feelings and instincts to determine their course of action. Treat a heart simply in the light with disregard and they will avoid you, but treat them with kindness and the simple heart will shine a light into your life. Hearts simply in the light are usually children and animals of good nature, but some special adults can keep their hearts simply in the light.
It is best to have a heart simply in the light because you life is filled with joy, but not complicated by greed or the desire to give too much of yourself.
Light but Greedy Heart: Idealistic and noble. A heart both light and greedy sees greatness and wonder in the world. Threaten the vision of a light but greedy heart and you will suffer some lose at their hands, if only in their disregard. Allow them to inspire you and you can sometimes fulfill the greatness they see in you. Many common people have light but greedy hearts, their ideals make the world work.
It is best to have a light but greedy heart because you life is filled with joy, and you can accept that you are not required to help everyone, particularly people who are trying to hurt you.
THE CALCULATING
Calculating characters will be reserved, analyze their actions before they make them, pay close attention to what concerns others, prefer controlled actions, and expect to succeed at everything they attempt, particularly if they have no reason to believe they can fail.
Giving in the Shade: Reserved but Kind. A heart giving from the shade is concerned about being drug into situations that don't concern them. Press a heart giving in the shade and they will most likely offer their aid, but they will generally avoid being put into such situations. Hearts giving in the shade are often focused on some particular project so that they have an excuse to avoid obligations.
It is best to be giving in the shade because you are free to act on for your own needs, but you still find time to help out here and there.
Simply Greedy/Giving: Predictably Unpredictable. Only children and those that have lost something of themselves are simply greedy or giving. Animals are not able to think in such complex terms, and most adults are beyond such simple logic. A simply giving heart has no direction but forward, and a simply greedy heart knows no word better than mine. Becoming simply greedy or giving is usually the consequence of some physical shock, childhood trauma, or emerging insanity.
It is best to be simply giving or greedy because you are free to act from your own needs, but definition of those needs can range, and change, wildly.
Greedy in the Shade: Ambitious but Cautious. A heart greedy in the shade is concerned about what they can get out of you. More jealous than malicious a greedy heart in the shade may just be motivated to emulate you, or may desire to take what is yours. Hearts greedy in the shade prefer not to harm others over much, but for some to win some must loose.
It is best to be greedy in the shade because you are free to act for your own needs, but you never loose sight of what is best for you.
THE COLD
Cold characters will use under handed tricks, go anywhere they please, ruthlessly protect what is theirs, are violently jealous of what others have, prefer aggressive actions, and desire the advantage in all situations, the cost to anyone else is unimportant.
Dark but Giving Heart: Concerned and Noble. A dark but giving heart is active and willing to be involved, their motivations, however, will remain obscured. Pry into a dark and giving heart and you will revive more than you bargained for, often at your peril. Usually willing to give you a second chance, a dark but giving heart expects you to underestimate their plans for you. Many commoners have dark but giving hearts, their concern for others makes the world work.
It is best to have a dark but giving heart because your life is your own, and you work well with others.
Simply in the Dark: Lost and Confused. Any heart that is simply in the dark does not worry about strange and elaborate plans. They use their feelings and instincts to determine their course of action. Treat a heart simply in the dark with disregard and they will likely retaliate violently. A simple heart in the darkness does understand kindness, and will often mistake friendly overtures for hostile. Usually only children and animals are simply in the dark, but some special adults are so lost without the light that they cannot think clearly.
It is best to be simply in the dark because your life is your own, but not complicated by greed or the desire to give too much of yourself.
Dark and Greedy Heart: Ruthless and Deceptive. Ask a dark and greedy heart for anything and they will find a way to take advantage of you. Insult, offend, betray, or drive them away even once and they will never forgive you. A dark and greedy heart will hold a grudge for a lifetime, and savors every stolen pleasure of their life as if it were the sole light of their life. Dark and greedy hearts are the motivating force behind most of the greatest chapters of history.
It is best to have a dark and greedy heart because you life is your own, and you are not concerned with anyone else ever.
Conversion
For mechanical purposes the following terms should be read as indicated in any d20 compatible material.
Good = Giving
Evil = Greedy
Lawful = Caring
Chaotic = Cold
Neutral = The Simple and The Shade.
LG = Light and Giving Heart.
NG = Giving in the Shade, or simply giving.
CG = Dark but Giving Heart.
LN = Simply in the Light.
NN = NA, or simply giving/greedy.
CN = Simply in the Dark
LE = Light but Greedy Heart.
NE = Greedy in the Shade, or simply greedy.
CE = Dark and Greedy Heart.
Have you ever thought that the law/chaos and good/evil axis seemed somewhat mechanical? Using heartfelt descriptions you can give a narrative flair to your character sheet. The delineations, the decent and the rise, through the hierarchy of the ten heartfelt alignments is not as prescribed and takes into account simple personal trends of behavior. Instead of contemplating the higher sentiments of your character's self-conception, think of the deeper motivations of your character's heart.
This article was very good, it expanded upon the alignments, further explaining the grey area.
I'll tell you the rest over MSN later
A major downfall of this analysis lies in the definitions of light/dark and good/evil. What we found most disturbing was that there is no room for the state of inherent evil. It is impossible to classify outsiders such as devils as "in the light but greedy" and certainly impossible to describe the eladrin as "dark but giving." I don't think a Holy Liberator or any sort of chaotic good freedom/anti-slavery type will enjoy being labeled as "dark."
I think this would work well as a companion for character creation, but in practice I think most will find this system too restrictive. There are a number of details in the translation from the current D&D alignment system to this system that do not make much sense and need to be addressed.
A dark but giving heart is active and willing to be involved, their motivations, however, will remain obscured. Pry into a dark and giving heart and you will revive more than you bargained for, often at your peril. Usually willing to give you a second chance, a dark but giving heart expects you to underestimate their plans for you.
Further, Greedy implies a concern for the self first, but not necessarily a destructive concern. The greedy man is more concerned with his "rights" than his "responsibilities" and expects others to be as well.
This got me thinking about the divisions a little more -- I would suggest the correlation to the standard alignments be:
Lawful = Giving
Chaos = Greedy
Good = Light/Caring
Evil = Dark/Cold
Neut = Simple/Shade
Thus, Devils would be Dark but Giving: tearing down joy and light willing to work with (and use) others who share their aims. Holy Liberators would be Light but Greedy: unwilling to bind themselves to others and expecting the same, but willing to work for the well being of all.
What I find most interesting is that the descriptions handle to two "flavors" of true neutral and in fact suggest a third axis: level of conscious motivation. "Neutral" is equated with "Simple", which implies an unconscious or instinctive selection of alignment -- animals are the usual example, being neutral not by conscious choice, but by instinct. This is contrasted with "the other Neutral" which is a conscious choice to embrace a position of balance. In the language of this essay, "Dwelling in the Shade" becomes a metaphor for consciously choosing to recognize that dichotomies must exist, that light creates the dark.
By adding this last axis, we literally add a new dimension to the alignment map: Conscious vs. Instinctive. I think, though, that this axis is best thought of as semi-infinite; that is, it begins at zero ("Instinctive") and only increases through positive values ("Chosen" or "Dedicated") to a penultimate level ("Devoted" or "Paragon"). Examples of each level might be: Animals would be instinctive (possibly with Light/Dark and/or Caring/Cold tendencies); most people would have some level between "instinctive" and "chosen"; Clerics and Paladins would be "Dedicated"; strongly aligned creatures like Archons, Devils, Demons and Inevitable would be "Devoted" or "Paragon".
As far as Angels and Demons - my first thought is that they are simple in the light or the dark. I know that takes the L/C contest between many of the celestial/infernals and stuff out but that's part of the idea. Take the L/N/C out. Replace with something else.
I really don't think of this as adding anything to the current alignment issues. This actually takes G vs E and L vs C away. There is no neutral. You are concerned with something. Note: how many "vs. neutral" "or Neutral only" effects are there in play? Not many, so not many I cant think of one off the top of my head.
How about this version of conversion -
when determining special damage
Good = caring
Evil = cold
Lawful = greedy & giving
Chaotic = the simple and the shade
when meeting prerequisites
Good = Giving
Evil = Greedy
Lawful = Light
Chaotic = Dark
Lets see, there are prerequisite prestige class, special damage types, and really the rest is just flavor. Flavor conversions don't need a chart. Deity and cleric alignment issues - Id say most times good = caring, and evil = cruel. When it comes to lawful and chaotic more consideration is needed, but I don't think there is, or should be, a hard rule for that kind of conversion.
Choosing to use HeartFelt Description is something that you should do because it makes more sense to you. If it doesn't, you are probably fine with the normal alignments. More so, if you use a homebrew world, the heartfelt description might be more in-line with your tone or flavor. In that case the issue is more with creation than conversion.
With a homebrew setting ( came up with this wordplay the other day Personal Build System Resource Document = PBSRD ) the solution is as simple as saying that there are simple bane weapons, shade bane, greed bane, etc. The same with other alignment specific phenomena.
O.Y. Paladin - must be caring, Barbarian - must be cruel, Monk - must be calculating.
Have you ever thought that the law/chaos and good/evil axis seemed somewhat mechanical? Using heartfelt descriptions you can give a narrative flair to your character sheet. The delineations, the decent and the rise, through the hierarchy of the ten heartfelt alignments is not as prescribed and takes into account simple personal trends of behavior. Instead of contemplating the higher sentiments of your character's self-conception, think of the deeper motivations of your character's heart.
A nice view on the alignments but I agree that it removes certain things from the current "more mechanical" version. For one, it removes the concept that alignments are more of a "force" (like gravity) that affects the characters within the multiverse (i.e. game) than your version, which places a more central focus on the characters.
Like mentioned, it removes the "inherently" portion by putting the focus into the character and places more character.
A good approach for a "2nd view/opinion" for general PCs, I think. Adaptable easily into a game for the common races, but the "spirit of alignment" (as I believe) is still best conveyed by the more mechanical (and rather omniscient) version that is in the PHB.
I think the main problem with the alignment system as-is, though, is players' understanding of it, as opposed to the system itself. Surprisingly enough, people who play Planescape rarely complain about it. ^.^
It's annoys me to see a player with a Lawful Good character thinking he HAVE to be helpful, trustworthy and good hearted. A lawful good character don't have to be the all-good guy (maybe a Paladin is but please don't fall in the trap that most people fall in, playing a Pal that is nearest to the dumb than the righteous). Why not a LG character can't be greedy, or a big liar (that doesn't mean that you're not lawful, you can be a big liar but that your lies don't have a repercussion on laws like someone who always tell lies to make himself a "bigger" person).
In fact, if alignments were optional, I wouldn't recommend using it. It's too restricting to put a "tag" on a character. Paf, he's like this and not like this. But since it's part of the system (some spells rely on it, magic items, etc) you can't really play without it so use it, but use it well! (And possibly read this post who'll give you guidelines on alignments!)
Not only is a lawful good character not required to behave in any particular way. Many DMs find it a simple practice to modulate their players alignments regularly not only through items but through natural behavioral alignment shift. I have played in a game where we didn't know what our alignment was until the DM hit us with something that cared. He set our alignments based on the way we had played the characters and specifically forbid us from speaking of the alignment of our characters at all.
As far as the cosmological issue – yeah, Planescape really sets the alignments into place in places, locations, very tangible exemplifications of each alignment. I probably developed my awareness of the alignment system best through Planescape material as well. However Heartfelt is, well, I guess it's not entirely intended to be implemented into the default setting. GreyHawk, Forgotten Realms, and Dragon Lance (I'm assuming Eberron as well) have very concrete (and complicated) explanations as to how all that kind of thing works. Outside of those carefully cosmologically designed setting there is a little more room for HeartFelt.
Probably better suited for modern than anything -- the HeartFelt Description would sow into any setting that departs from the intricate celestial wheel setup. Particularly homebrew worlds were the good/evil debate is greyer, and the focus is more on enemy/ally relationship or the hopes and dreams of the player's characters.
Another thing I probably should have brought it up is that these descriptions are intended to be even more fluid than alignment descriptions. I would consider it reasonable for a player that is normally Light and Greedy to declare that they are simply greedy today. Then declare that they are back in the shade the next day, and that they are back in the light the day after that. Acting more like a daily preparation, a daily declaration, of mood.