Post by SlvrNight on Apr 9, 2011 21:13:29 GMT -5
I was tired of having to go back to the old forum for this.
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Lawful Good - A Lawful Good character believes in the goodness inherent in all beings (unless they're a Knight In Sour Armor), and in a code of conduct, be it a personal one or a set of laws, and that an ideal world comes from promoting this dualism of structure and benevolence. Differing interpretations of 'good' may lead a Lawful Good character to become Lawful Stupid. In most RPGs, it is compulsory for Paladins to be Lawful Good. If they stop being Lawful Good, they lose their powers.
Lawful Neutral - Lawful Neutral characters believe in order above all else. This might be a moral code, or an extremely structured way of life, or obedience to an external ideal such as a code of laws. They will always seek to obey and preserve such a law, even if they themselves admit the law in question is a bad one. While a Lawful Good character may justify breaking his principles by appealing to the greater good or a cosmic Justice that transcends all things, a Lawful Neutral character rarely will since the greater good does not enter into it. Some do, however; monks, for example, tend to be Lawful Neutral and believe in such a Cosmic Order. An important thing to note is that Lawful Neutral characters follow their own personal order and law. So while they may do things which are illegal by the state, they always have their own code, which they follow regardless of whether it would be advantageous to do otherwise.
Lawful Evil - Lawful Evil comes in two flavours. The first is an evil villain who either believes in keeping order at all costs, or that it's much easier to become ruler of the world by exploiting the existing system than by tearing it down and starting anew. If the villain is supreme ruler of their realm, then they are probably either Lawful Evil or The Caligula. This is the canonical alignment of devils in Dungeons and Dragons.
Lawful Stupid - Also known as Lawful Anal or 'Awful Good, these people often call themselves Lawful Good, but seem to completely forget about the "Good" part. Rather, they lean toward such rigid adherence to the law that anybody who breaks any law, anywhere, is the enemy. Even saying an unkind word to someone is an act of pure evil, and the Lawful Stupid can and will act as judge, jury, and executioner. They refuse to hide from even overwhelming threats, and believe that letting evil win in any sort of way (by, say, helping the village to retreat from the advancing dark army) is against their alignment.
Stupid Good - More than a few people have recognized the Fridge Logic in the behavior of the average Lawful Stupid character. After all, smiting someone merely because your magic radar told you he was evil seems more sociopathic than heroic to most. In order to avoid this, however, some people take things too far to the other side; resulting in The Messiah taken to its illogical extreme. In short, the Stupid Good character is "good" to the point of being unable to comprehend that someone else might be bad. As such, he/she's a Friend To All Living Things, unliving things, and eldritch abominations.
Neutral Good - The Character Alignment of sweetness and light. A Neutral Good character will usually comply with laws they agree with, but rebel against those they consider unjust or which conflict with the greater good. Neutral good can be the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. Neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.
True Neutral - True Neutral (also known as Neutral Neutral) is the Character Alignment that takes no side. See the link for multiple ways this can manifest in a character.
Neutral Evil - Sometimes known as the "Asshole Alignment" or "True Evil". Neutral Evil characters are primarily in it for themselves, and will follow or disregard laws only as much as doing so advances their own interests. While they are usually villains, they can also swing to the good guy's side, like the Magnificent Bastard they really are. They may also just happen to be on the Good Guy's Team because it's better for them at the moment.
Stupid Neutral - Some True Neutral people are devoted to the Balance Between Good And Evil - They fight only because the forces of darkness grow too strong. The problem comes when they become ''militantly'' neutral; so devoted to not taking sides that they lash out against both Good and Evil without distinguishing between Friend Or Foe. This usually takes the form of always siding with the underdog; the moment one side gains the upper hand, they'll pull a Face Heel Turn to make sure both sides are 'equal'. This can lead to a very unreliable fellow and a Wild Card whose misguided morals lead his former allies to cut him down despite his protests that he was only following his heart.
Chaotic Good - Chaotic Good characters are rebels and free spirits who believe in doing good, by their own standards. Some don't have a problem with greater systems such as laws as long as they leave them alone; others are anarchists who believe that too much order is bad for everybody, and the betterment of all can only be achieved by actively rejecting any higher instances of power.
Chaotic Neutral - Chaotic Neutral characters do whatever the hell they like and damn the consequences (unless they're too noble or hurtful, watch out for that part!). Some say they're the ultimate free spirits, others that they're just crazy. Either way, there's no telling what they'll decide to do next - their main, and often only, concern is their own freedom. Whose side are they on? It's doubted they even know themselves. Nobody else does. Chaotic Neutrals detest the self righteous, believe in power to the individual—and notably power to themselves as they are interested in their personal gain. However, they do not intentionally harm the innocent, even for their own personal needs. These characters are also useful in any story that involves something that isn't damnably black and white in the outcomes.
Chaotic Evil - If Chaotic Neutral indicates the truly free spirit, Chaotic Evil is the truly evil free spirit. They do whatever they feel like doing, and what they feel like doing is evil. Nowadays, too much emphasis is often put on the Chaotic. It's not hard to see this slip into Chaotic Stupid, resulting in an insane character who does evil things for the sheer hell of it, without the slightest consideration of the consequences for himself.
Chaotic Stupid - There is a subtle distinction between Stupid Evil and Chaotic Stupid. Sure, the Chaotic Stupid character is also likely to Kick The Dog. But he's just as likely to Pet The Dog, Shave The Dog, Paint The Dog Purple, or even Ignore The Dog Entirely To Run Off Chasing Butterflies. In short, the 'true' Chaotic Stupid character is the one who thinks that being Chaotic Neutral means being bat**** insane. And by "insane", we mean more Gogo Dodo than Hannibal Lecter.
Stupid Evil - The logical extreme of the Obviously Evil motif. These are the people who seem to think having an evil alignment means doing nothing but evil every waking moment, even out in broad daylight. Like, say, stabbing a peasant while several high-level town guards are watching for no reason other than you were bored. If the other party members are lucky, this sociopathic behavior will extend solely to the NPCs. If the other party members are lucky, that is. The Stupid Evil character is frequently the type who will betray and murder his teammates on the flimsiest of pretenses (even if he'd gain no advantage in doing so), simply because it's EEEEEEVIL.
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Lawful Good - A Lawful Good character believes in the goodness inherent in all beings (unless they're a Knight In Sour Armor), and in a code of conduct, be it a personal one or a set of laws, and that an ideal world comes from promoting this dualism of structure and benevolence. Differing interpretations of 'good' may lead a Lawful Good character to become Lawful Stupid. In most RPGs, it is compulsory for Paladins to be Lawful Good. If they stop being Lawful Good, they lose their powers.
Lawful Neutral - Lawful Neutral characters believe in order above all else. This might be a moral code, or an extremely structured way of life, or obedience to an external ideal such as a code of laws. They will always seek to obey and preserve such a law, even if they themselves admit the law in question is a bad one. While a Lawful Good character may justify breaking his principles by appealing to the greater good or a cosmic Justice that transcends all things, a Lawful Neutral character rarely will since the greater good does not enter into it. Some do, however; monks, for example, tend to be Lawful Neutral and believe in such a Cosmic Order. An important thing to note is that Lawful Neutral characters follow their own personal order and law. So while they may do things which are illegal by the state, they always have their own code, which they follow regardless of whether it would be advantageous to do otherwise.
Lawful Evil - Lawful Evil comes in two flavours. The first is an evil villain who either believes in keeping order at all costs, or that it's much easier to become ruler of the world by exploiting the existing system than by tearing it down and starting anew. If the villain is supreme ruler of their realm, then they are probably either Lawful Evil or The Caligula. This is the canonical alignment of devils in Dungeons and Dragons.
Lawful Stupid - Also known as Lawful Anal or 'Awful Good, these people often call themselves Lawful Good, but seem to completely forget about the "Good" part. Rather, they lean toward such rigid adherence to the law that anybody who breaks any law, anywhere, is the enemy. Even saying an unkind word to someone is an act of pure evil, and the Lawful Stupid can and will act as judge, jury, and executioner. They refuse to hide from even overwhelming threats, and believe that letting evil win in any sort of way (by, say, helping the village to retreat from the advancing dark army) is against their alignment.
Stupid Good - More than a few people have recognized the Fridge Logic in the behavior of the average Lawful Stupid character. After all, smiting someone merely because your magic radar told you he was evil seems more sociopathic than heroic to most. In order to avoid this, however, some people take things too far to the other side; resulting in The Messiah taken to its illogical extreme. In short, the Stupid Good character is "good" to the point of being unable to comprehend that someone else might be bad. As such, he/she's a Friend To All Living Things, unliving things, and eldritch abominations.
Neutral Good - The Character Alignment of sweetness and light. A Neutral Good character will usually comply with laws they agree with, but rebel against those they consider unjust or which conflict with the greater good. Neutral good can be the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. Neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.
True Neutral - True Neutral (also known as Neutral Neutral) is the Character Alignment that takes no side. See the link for multiple ways this can manifest in a character.
Neutral Evil - Sometimes known as the "Asshole Alignment" or "True Evil". Neutral Evil characters are primarily in it for themselves, and will follow or disregard laws only as much as doing so advances their own interests. While they are usually villains, they can also swing to the good guy's side, like the Magnificent Bastard they really are. They may also just happen to be on the Good Guy's Team because it's better for them at the moment.
Stupid Neutral - Some True Neutral people are devoted to the Balance Between Good And Evil - They fight only because the forces of darkness grow too strong. The problem comes when they become ''militantly'' neutral; so devoted to not taking sides that they lash out against both Good and Evil without distinguishing between Friend Or Foe. This usually takes the form of always siding with the underdog; the moment one side gains the upper hand, they'll pull a Face Heel Turn to make sure both sides are 'equal'. This can lead to a very unreliable fellow and a Wild Card whose misguided morals lead his former allies to cut him down despite his protests that he was only following his heart.
Chaotic Good - Chaotic Good characters are rebels and free spirits who believe in doing good, by their own standards. Some don't have a problem with greater systems such as laws as long as they leave them alone; others are anarchists who believe that too much order is bad for everybody, and the betterment of all can only be achieved by actively rejecting any higher instances of power.
Chaotic Neutral - Chaotic Neutral characters do whatever the hell they like and damn the consequences (unless they're too noble or hurtful, watch out for that part!). Some say they're the ultimate free spirits, others that they're just crazy. Either way, there's no telling what they'll decide to do next - their main, and often only, concern is their own freedom. Whose side are they on? It's doubted they even know themselves. Nobody else does. Chaotic Neutrals detest the self righteous, believe in power to the individual—and notably power to themselves as they are interested in their personal gain. However, they do not intentionally harm the innocent, even for their own personal needs. These characters are also useful in any story that involves something that isn't damnably black and white in the outcomes.
Chaotic Evil - If Chaotic Neutral indicates the truly free spirit, Chaotic Evil is the truly evil free spirit. They do whatever they feel like doing, and what they feel like doing is evil. Nowadays, too much emphasis is often put on the Chaotic. It's not hard to see this slip into Chaotic Stupid, resulting in an insane character who does evil things for the sheer hell of it, without the slightest consideration of the consequences for himself.
Chaotic Stupid - There is a subtle distinction between Stupid Evil and Chaotic Stupid. Sure, the Chaotic Stupid character is also likely to Kick The Dog. But he's just as likely to Pet The Dog, Shave The Dog, Paint The Dog Purple, or even Ignore The Dog Entirely To Run Off Chasing Butterflies. In short, the 'true' Chaotic Stupid character is the one who thinks that being Chaotic Neutral means being bat**** insane. And by "insane", we mean more Gogo Dodo than Hannibal Lecter.
Stupid Evil - The logical extreme of the Obviously Evil motif. These are the people who seem to think having an evil alignment means doing nothing but evil every waking moment, even out in broad daylight. Like, say, stabbing a peasant while several high-level town guards are watching for no reason other than you were bored. If the other party members are lucky, this sociopathic behavior will extend solely to the NPCs. If the other party members are lucky, that is. The Stupid Evil character is frequently the type who will betray and murder his teammates on the flimsiest of pretenses (even if he'd gain no advantage in doing so), simply because it's EEEEEEVIL.