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4.3 Alignment
- From atop his mighty warhorse Sir Clairence Rightblade surveyed
his troops. Arrayed in full battle garb, his men seemed more than
an even match for his opponent. The drilling had paid off. Sir
Clairence knew each soldier was a well-disciplined fighting machine
capable of forthrightly dispatching his enemies and the enemies
of his king.
- On the other side of the river Lady Ariana Touveir gazed upon
her soldiers, their spears bristled above their heads like the
hairs on the back of an anger badger. A low rumble of many nervous
voices had already begun to crescendo into the battle cry that
would erupt as they charged into combat with her enemies and the
enemies of her king. Each man had trained for countless hours,
preparing for a moment like this when they would face enemies
of the Kingdom of Kent.
- Lord Clairence could almost make out the lithe form of his adversary
on the other side of the river. He wondered why the paladin stood
her ground, when she obviously fought on the wrong side. Had her
King not been the source behind an increased tax on Eirbrony goods?
Had her people not caused hardship to his by depriving them of
the much needed gold they normally gained by selling their products
in the markets of Kent?
- Lady Ariana raised her sword high above her head as she prepared
to issue the order to attack. She could see the glint of the paladin’s
armor on the other side as the noon sun reflected off of it. How
could he fight for such an unjust cause? His people had attempted
to flood the markets of Kent with their surplus goods after an
exceptionally prosperous growing season, while her people had
little luck in the fields. Negotiations had broken down last week
and her king had ordered a special tax on goods imported from
Eirbron. Protests had followed and now this.
- Lord Clairence lifted his lance and prepared to issue the order
to charge. He looked back at his men and bellowed a few words
of encouragement. Then looking toward heaven he asked his god
for blessing, “Erus grant me victory!”
- At the same moment, Lady Ariana, looked toward heaven and asked
her god for his blessing, “Erus grant me victory!” The voices
of her soldiers had grown to a frenzied war cry as they prepared
to charge the enemy. She lowered her sword in command ...
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Philosophy of alignment
- The deepest problem with alignment in the AD&D game is its inability
to address situations like the one above. While the above event
never actually took place in Fälgorna, it could have.
- Taking a conservative approach to the alignment rules, the paladins
in conflict above would be at risk of losing their status as paladins
regardless of their actions. It is certainly not a good act to
engage in mortal combat with another paladin. But, what is the
alternative? If either paladin disobeyed an order from their king,
that act of disobedience would also be a violation of the paladin's
alignment. Disobedience is definitely not lawful, and probably
not good.
- A liberal interpretation of the rules might find a DM deciding
that both paladins were demonstrating Lawful Good behavior. Both
are supporting the will of their king for the betterment of the
people of their kingdom. Yet, if both are acting in a manner consistent
with the ethos of the Lawful Good alignment then why is there
a conflict? The AD&D game’s alignment rules seem to suggest that
there is never conflict between creatures of the same alignment
(at least not those of good alignment). Creatures of like alignments
manage to coexist in quiet harmony with each other — they share
a sort of camaraderie that rises above real moral decision making.
- Paradoxically the simple fact that the two sides are in conflict
nullifies the possibility that both paladins could be acting in
a Lawful and Good manner. The Lawful Good alignment is a polar
extreme. By its very nature, those in opposition to a Lawful Good
act must either be not lawful, not good, or both. So one of the
paladins (or both) must be wrong. Yet, it can be demonstrated
that both are correct and operating within the ethical guidelines
of their chosen alignment.
- Both sides can legitimately claim they are right and arguments
can be made that both are wrong. The fact, that neither can agree
does not make one bear more blame than the other. While AD&D is
pure fantasy, the narrow definition of alignment does more to
weaken the storylines a DM attempts to weave than to strengthen
them. In the real world misunderstandings, human weakness and
imperfection allow the type of situation like the one described
above to occur far too often. The results of these weaknesses
often give birth to drama often lost in Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.
- Most players want, whether they know it or not, a believable experience
when they play the game. Good roleplaying begins when a player
becomes so immersed in the character that he is able to suspend
disbelief of the fantasy world long enough for it and his character
to become real, even if for just moment. This flash of suspended
disbelief can become a memory that forms a basis for a story retold
countless times around the gaming table. This suspension of disbelief
is more easily achieved if the world and its people are believable,
and the world and the people can be more easily believed if they
have more depth than the two-dimensions currently allowed by alignment.
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Alignment and Fälgorna
- The earliest versions of the Dungeons and Dragons game included
a much simpler version of the alignment rules. Characters and
creatures were divided into three major categories: Law, Chaos
and Neutrality. The ensuing years brought more detail to the system,
but also setup a situation where character and creature actions
could become predictable and two-dimensional.
- With the release of AD&D 2nd edition, one would have thought that
the alignment rules would once again be updated, however, they
were not. Second edition alignment rules are almost unchanged
from first edition rules. In addition none of the Player’s Option
books dealt with alignment in significant detail.
- The problem with the alignment system is simple. It too narrowly
defines a character’s morality and does not take into account
the relationship between the character's moral code and the moral
code of the society in which he lives.
- All creatures with an alignment base their conception of good
and evil on the moral code established by the society in which
they live. This is not to say that good and evil are mutable concepts.
Rather, it is to say, an individual's understanding of these concepts
is subjective. An evil creature likely sees its evil actions as
good and vice versa. For example, an ogre would consider murder
and thievery exemplary behaviors or “good” behaviors, while a
Paladian elf would not. (This specific problem with alignment
was dealt with in some detail in the Forgotten Realms supplement,
Giantcraft.)
- The problem defined, how can it be remedied?
- First, alignments in Fälgorna are based on a Lawful Good standard.
This means, Lawful means respecting the established order and
Good means pure and just. A Chaotic Evil character from a Chaotic
Evil society is still free to think of himself and lawful and
good, however, for game purposes he is still chaotic and evil.
- Second, the definition of alignment in Fälgorna is changed. Alignment
for most characters is no longer an imperative, rather it is a
goal. If the character deviates from his given alignment, so be
it. No “real” world person is perfect, so why should a character
be any different? In most cases the penalties for deviating from
one’s alignment will not be levied in terms of experience point
penalties or bolts of divine lightning striking from above, but
rather in the form of societal punishments.
- Imagine the problems caused by the performance of an evil act
such as murder in a basically good society which does not tolerate
such action. On a more practical level, a character who frequently
strays from the moral base of the community will begin to cause
people to mistrust and dislike him. A much more appropriate way
for the DM to reflect alignment deviation is by imposing reaction
penalties with people who know of the deviant behavior. However,
some characters (such as priests and paladins) may experience
more severe penalties for deviations.
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Priests and paladins
- A special problem comes into play with regard to priests, paladins,
rangers and other characters tied to an alignment by a class or
kit restriction. A character who receives powers and spells based
on his alignment risks losing the favor of his deity should he
stray too far from his chosen moral code. These types of characters
should strive to be paragons of the moral code they have chosen.
- However, all is not lost if the character deviates from his professed
alignment. A minor deviation may only result in a chance of spell
failure or the loss of a minor power. However, depending on the
attitude of the deity granting power to a character, a minor alignment
deviation may be all the excuse that is needed to completely strip
a character of his divinely granted powers.
- Penalties for paladins, priests, rangers and similar characters
who deviate from their alignment are at the DM's discretion. However,
these penalties will seldom include the loss of experience points.
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Determining alignment
- Every player character must chose an alignment. Following are
general guidelines to aid the player in selecting an alignment
for his character.
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Good vs. Evil
- The forces of good believe in the sanctity of life, respect for
individual freedom and the right to pursue happiness. Acts of
cruelty, causing another to suffer or oppressing others for personal
gain are not the work of good creatures.
- Evil embraces death, slavery and oppression as legitimate means
for gaining personal power and wealth. It is diametrically opposed
to good and revels in cruelty and causing others to suffer. Selfishness
and pride drive the forces of evil onward.
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Law vs. Chaos
- The philosophy of law is the philosophy the importance of organized
society holding precedence over individual expression and freedom.
Law is the theory that through order comes greater benefit to
all parts of an organization.
- Chaos, on the other hand, describes the philosophy of individualism
and self-expression in highest esteem. Chaos describes a belief
that calls for individual freedom to take precedence over the
needs of a group.
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Alignment divisions
- There are nine basic alignments divisions derived by combining
the elements of Law, Chaos, Neutrality, Good and Evil. In Fälgorna,
the most important of these elements are Good, Evil and Neutrality.
Law and Chaos are merely nuances of the Good, Neutral and Evil
poles.
- A summary of the nine alignments follows:
- Lawful Good — A character of this alignment believes an orderly, just society
with a well-organized government can help to create a better life
for the majority of the people. To ensure the quality of life,
laws must be created and obeyed. When people respect the laws
and try to help one another, society as a whole prospers. Therefore,
a Lawful Good character strives for those things that will bring
the greatest benefit to the most people and cause the least harm.
- An honest and hard-working serf, a kindly and wise king or a stern
but forthright minister of justice are all examples of Lawful
Good people.
- Lawful Neutral — Order and organization are of paramount importance to a character
of this alignment. He believes in a strong, well-ordered government,
whether that government is a tyranny or benevolent democracy.
The benefits of organization and regimentation outweigh any moral
questions raised by their actions.
- An inquisitor determined to ferret out traitors at any cost or
a soldier who never questions his orders are good examples of
Lawful Neutral behavior.
- Lawful Evil — A Lawful Evil character believes in using society and its laws
to his own benefit. Structure and organization elevate those who
deserve to rule as well as provide a clearly defined hierarchy
between master and servant. To this end, the Lawful Evil character
supports laws and societies that protect his own concerns. If
someone is hurt or suffers because of a law that benefits a Lawful
Evil character, too bad.
- A Lawful Evil character obeys laws out of fear of punishment.
He is usually very careful about giving his word, because he may
be forced to honor an unfavorable contract or oath he has made.
Once given, the Lawful Evil character breaks his word only if
he can find a way to do it legally, within the laws of the society.
- An iron-fisted tyrant, the head of a notrious thieves' guild and
a devious, greedy merchant are examples of Lawful Evil beings.
- Neutral Good — A character of this alignment believes a balance of forces is
important, but that the concerns of law and chaos do not moderate
the need for good. Since the universe is vast and contains many
creatures striving for different goals, a determined pursuit of
good will not upset the balance; it may even maintain it.
- If fostering good means supporting organized society, then that
is what must be done. If good can only come about through the
overthrow of the existing social order, so be it. Social structure
itself has no innate value.
- A baron who violates the orders of his king and spares the lives
of rebellious peasants who were deceived by an evil leader is
an example of a Neutral Good character.
- True Neutral — A Character who follows this alignment believes in the ultimate
balance of forces, the natural order of the world, and he refuses
to see actions as either good or evil. Since the majority of people
in the world make judgements, True Neutral characters are extremely
rare. A True Neutral character does his best to avoid siding with
the forces of either good or evil, law or chaos. It is his duty
to see that all of these forces remain in balanced contention.
- A True Neutral character sometimes finds himself forced into rather
peculiar alliances. To a great extent, he is compelled to side
with the underdog in any given situation, sometimes even changing
sides as the previous loser becomes the winner. A True Neutral
druid might join the local barony to put down a tribe of evil
gnolls, only to drop out or switch sides when the gnolls are brought
to the brink of destruction. He would seek to prevent either side
from becoming too powerful. Clearly, there are very few True Neutral
characters in the world.
- Neutral Evil — A character of this alignment is primarily concerned with himself
and his own advancement. He has no particular objection to working
with others, or for that matter, going it on his own. His only
interest is in getting ahead. If there is a quick and easy way
to gain a profit, whether it be legal, questionable or obviously
illegal, he takes advantage of it.
- Although a Neutral Evil character does not have the every-man-for-himself
attitude of a chaotic character, he has no qualms about betraying
his friends and companions for personal gain. He typically bases
his allegiance on power and money, which makes him quite receptive
to bribes.
- An unscrupulous mercenary, a common thief and a double-crossing
informer who betrays people to the authorities to protect and
advance himself are typical examples of Neutral Evil characters.
- Chaotic Good — A character of this alignment is a strong individualist marked
with a streak of kindness and benevolence. He believes in all
the virtues of goodness and right, but has little use for laws
and regulations. The Chaotic Good character has no use for people
who “try to push folk around and tell them what to do.” His every
action is guided by his own moral compass which, although good,
may not always be in perfect agreement with the rest of society.
- A brave frontiersman, forever moving on as settlers follow in
his wake is an example of a Chaotic Good character.
- Chaotic Neutral — For the Chaotic Neutral character, individualism reigns supreme.
The strictures of society are absolutely irrelevant to this character.
Likewise, good and evil have meaning only in relation to the individual
needs of this character. This does not mean the character is unaware
of the strictures of society; it only means he will choose to
serve his own needs if he thinks he can do it without getting
caught.
- For example, a Chaotic Neutral may have no moral objection to
killing a guard rather than paying a fine, but he knows that the
personal consequences he faces by killing the guard are greater
than those he faces by paying the fine. Now, if that same guard
attempted to collect the fine while standing alone at the top
of a stairwell, the Chaotic Neutral character's actions might
be quite different.
- Chaotic Neutral characters in general are notoriously unreliable.
The only thing that can be relied upon when dealing with a Chaotic
Neutral character is that he will always be looking out for Number
One.
- Hardened thieves, lunatics and madmen tend toward Chaotic Neutral
in alignment.
- Chaotic Evil — This character is the bane of all that is good and orderly. A
Chaotic Evil character is motivated by the desire for personal
gain and pleasure. He sees absolutely nothing wrong with taking
whatever he wants by whatever means necessary. Laws and government
are the tools of weaklings unable to fend for themselves. The
strong have the right to take what they want and the weak are
there to be exploited.
- When Chaotic Evil characters band together, they are not motivated
by a desire to cooperate, but rather to oppose powerful enemies.
Such a group can be held together only by a strong leader capable
of bullying his underlings into obedience. Since leadership is
based on raw power, a leader is likely to be replaced at the first
sign of weakness by anyone who can take his position away from
him by any method.
- Bloodthirsty buccaneers and monsters of low intelligence are fine
examples of Chaotic Evil personalties.
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Alignment variations
- The nine basic alignments are further defined by the order of
the words combined to create the alignment. The second word in
the combination is the more important moral compass for the character.
The first word is a modifier to this basic moral persuasion. For
example, a character could be Lawful Good or Good Lawful. The
difference between the two is slight but significant.
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Spells and alignment
- Spells which divine alignment, such as detect evil, know alignment
and others, and spells which provide special protection from creatures
of a specific alignment, such as protection from evil and protection
from evil 10' radius, do not function in the Fälgorna campaign
setting in the same way they do in other Dungeons and Dragons
campaign settings. These spells have little effect on mere mortals.
- Spells which protect against evil or good, never effect mortal
creatures from the same plane as the spellcaster. Likewise, a
spellcaster will not detect evil (or good) in a mortal creature
which is not at the time of casting thinking evil (or good) thoughts
or in the process of committing and evil (or good) act. The know
alignment spell will never reveal the alignment of a mortal creature,
- With regard to creatures native to the outer planes, alignment
detection abilities work normally. These creatures have a strong
ties with areas which embody the very essence of an alignment.
For example, tannari are always Chaotic Evil, this never changes,
their alignment is what makes them what they are.
- Likewise, creatures such as undead who draw energy from another
plane are often steeped in the forces of a certain alignment.
This is why the alignment of undead can always be detected. The
strong negative force they draw from the Negative Material Plane
manifests itself as palatable evil on the prime. Why mummies,
who draw energy from the Positive Material Plane, radiate evil
is a mystery which sages have yet to unravel.
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