Alignment and Your Place in the D&D Multiverse September 6, 2017Zoltar Mike Merle’s about the<br /> importance of alignment so alignment is<br /> essentially a cosmic shorthand for which<br /> team you’re playing for but it stops<br /> short of being a cosmic force in the<br /> sense of you can cast spells like we<br /> don’t have a spell that’s like no<br /> alignment or we don’t have a rule it<br /> says well you change your alignment<br /> suddenly you know there’s an XP penalty<br /> or something like that we very<br /> specifically in 5th edition tried to<br /> position it more has a role-playing<br /> descriptor in a shorthand for in terms<br /> of the de cosmos there are these certain<br /> and you goes back to playing escape<br /> there are these certain like beliefs can<br /> shape things and so there’s this idea<br /> that a cosmic level there’s this there’s<br /> a tension between law and chaos and good<br /> and evil and teachers pick sides it’s no<br /> different than saying oh well then the<br /> idea is then you pick a side that<br /> reflects how you act and I think there’s<br /> a lot of ways you can approach it right<br /> as a DM you can decide is alignment like<br /> does it describe someone or does it<br /> define someone you can say I’m lawful<br /> good because I act lawful I’m good or<br /> you can say I’ve chosen to be lawful and<br /> good so now I’ve to act lawful and good<br /> and we actually don’t try to answer that<br /> in the game because I think it’s<br /> something to throw that to the players<br /> and Dungeon Master’s and I also think<br /> it’s something that cosmologically you<br /> know on one hand it’s very useful just<br /> to say orcs chaotic evil means you can<br /> beat them up and not feel guilty and I<br /> think in Danny’s history that worked but<br /> now that you have like Game of Thrones<br /> and Lord of the Rings like you know on<br /> TV or movies a lot of our nuanced now<br /> coming into fantasy fantasy used to be<br /> all about those mythic archetypes you<br /> know Loki is the trickster that’s what<br /> he is he’ll always be the trickster if<br /> Loki stop being the trickster he’d stop<br /> being Loki he’d be a different character<br /> but now I think especially with Game of<br /> Thrones people now are more used to her<br /> more more science fiction or modern day<br /> story approach to people like that the<br /> people can change that evil was relative<br /> not absolutely relative but some it is<br /> about point of view and so the way I<br /> thought I see alignment in D&D is<br /> the further you get out to the cosmic<br /> the outer Plains the more alignment is<br /> almost this elemental force that amounts<br /> olestra is a realm of law and good but<br /> law and good isn’t necessarily the<br /> answer to every question that evil has a<br /> place in the cosmos being selfish has a<br /> place in the cosmos and evil might not<br /> be very good for a group in terms of its<br /> prosperity like you know it’s good for<br /> all and good would say everyone should<br /> prosper evil can say the individual<br /> should prosper but in that cosmos as<br /> vast as the cosmos from D&D there’s no<br /> like one right answer like you can amend<br /> the way I like to think it is this like<br /> you’d think ok so why don’t what if<br /> mounts less than just you know the<br /> forces of law and good just conquered<br /> the entire cosmos well there Laughlin<br /> good they’d expect everyone to be lawful<br /> and good so it’s like the katha good<br /> people would be the last ones put into<br /> the prison right and that’s how I think<br /> of it right like any alignment if it<br /> gets out of hand will start doing things<br /> that the opposing alignments would see<br /> as is awful but they’d fight against so<br /> you can imagine that world looks like<br /> now Aaron’s me lawful and good if you<br /> break the law this is where we send you<br /> to perform you the katak good person<br /> would obviously rebellions that like<br /> that’s not your place to tell me how to<br /> act and you would put that kit even<br /> though you’re both good you’ve now put<br /> them in position where they will<br /> probably have to fight you to stop you<br /> from imposing a viewpoint or an<br /> environment that you don’t want or find<br /> repellent it said you’d be the last in<br /> line to rebel but you would eventually<br /> rebel and so it’s about having these<br /> these point of views that are very<br /> strong and specific and then kind of<br /> define the complex and Dungeons &<br /> Dragons law and chaos good and evil and<br /> I think in most campaigns it’s very much<br /> pretty versus evil and the nice thing<br /> with law and chaos is it lets you have<br /> conflict within the party that’s why I<br /> think it’s useful it’s I think it’s a<br /> little bit harder if you don’t have<br /> alignment to get people used to the idea<br /> that it’s okay for your characters to<br /> disagree and to argue that it’s okay for<br /> someone to say you know the characters<br /> role into this town it’s being ruled by<br /> this lawful evil guy he’s kind of a jerk<br /> but he is the rightful ruler you can see<br /> well he’s kind of a jerk but he’s also<br /> like you know he’s he’s forcing people<br /> to serve in the militia and if they<br /> don’t serve he throws them in jail and<br /> if they’re unfit to serve like someone’s<br /> injured he taxes them or he forces them<br /> to work in the weapon shop<br /> well the lawful good guy might say yeah<br /> that’s not that’s not just but this town<br /> is being you know his facing orc attacks<br /> constantly so if they don’t enforce this<br /> iron discipline law the town risks<br /> destruction so the paladin wofully<br /> pallid I might say I don’t agree with<br /> the means but I agree with the end so<br /> like I’m not gonna just go out try to<br /> kill this guy<br /> I might go reason with him I might argue<br /> with him but I’m not gonna fight him or<br /> the cat a good person might say no we<br /> need to lead it an open rebellion like<br /> this is wrong right this guy needs to be<br /> thrown off throwing out its leader and<br /> so therefore right there you got your<br /> ketika ranger and your lawful good<br /> paladin they can have a deep important<br /> disagreement on how to do things without<br /> one being good one being evil I see I<br /> think the thing is it’s when you start<br /> thinking of the alignments as these<br /> elemental forces you start taking to the<br /> absurd extreme so I think that’s one of<br /> the things which we’ve also try to think<br /> about is alignments being a range so the<br /> kid most chaotic neutral thing in the<br /> cosmos which might be a slide is just<br /> like seemingly totally random and insane<br /> but like a human is chaotic neutral is<br /> more your wanderer your person doesn’t<br /> want to be who’s self-centered like<br /> hates about me I take care of myself<br /> first but not to the point of being evil<br /> where I hurt I don’t hurt other people<br /> to get what I want because I’m neutral<br /> I don’t seek out to harm people but if<br /> will but I do put myself first and I’m<br /> chaotic in the sense of like I just I<br /> don’t want to be I don’t want obey rules<br /> on to be left alone you know however<br /> that might think you know I don’t<br /> believe in hierarchies you know that’s<br /> like your classic like you know Conan<br /> you know or your thief right and I think<br /> what’s kind of happened is that those<br /> things got taken to extremes you know<br /> cuz I think in a lot of ways you had<br /> this language and it didn’t necessarily<br /> get it didn’t necessarily get translated<br /> into things that people could really<br /> understand a very concrete way and so<br /> you thought character okay I’m just I’m<br /> unpredictable I’m crazy the second<br /> player’s hand what kind of did that it<br /> had this example of play that one<br /> character of each of the nine alignments<br /> they’re they’re confront they have to<br /> fight a evil fighter with a Gorgon who<br /> is has a peasant captive or something<br /> that what does each character do and<br /> like the character characters like who<br /> what’d he do he ended up just charging<br /> at the gorgon cuz why not write him like<br /> that even as a kid when I read that I’m<br /> like that doesn’t that’s just crazy<br /> that’s not katak neutral right so but<br /> that’s always been something that’s been<br /> kind of interpreted at different times<br /> now that was also we had to remember to<br /> within the context 89 TS I was under a<br /> lot of fire for you know the sort of RPG<br /> scare so you can so not coincidentally<br /> in the description of the alignments oh<br /> the good alignments like clearly these<br /> are the three you play and you can kind<br /> of play lawful neutral – and true<br /> neutral if you really have to but<br /> chaotic neutral the three evil<br /> alignments straight out you don’t play<br /> those and I think today in 2017 with<br /> things like Game of Thrones<br /> you know you could one out you can put<br /> lawfully lawful evil character you know<br /> you can be the Hound right is he lawful<br /> evil he obeys orders and does maybe not<br /> maybe is I mean changed right things<br /> like that but I think people are much<br /> more open to that and much more kind of<br /> like because I’ve always favorite idea<br /> like evil and in terms of lineman says<br /> no I’m self-centered I put myself first<br /> neutral is I you know I put myself first<br /> to the detriment of others neutral being<br /> I put myself first I don’t want to harm<br /> anyone else and good is I put others<br /> before me you know law and chaos being<br /> you know law I believe in hierarchies<br /> and organization and groups and chaos<br /> being I believe in myself and I think<br /> other people should be free to do as<br /> they wish tree Nucci would just be<br /> someone who is it’s like the other the<br /> tepid water of the know of alignments<br /> right they don’t really have any pretty<br /> strong beliefs either way right they’re<br /> just basically I look after myself I<br /> don’t wish harm to others and I just go<br /> with the flow<br /> I always thought about neutral good<br /> being I just go I don’t really care how<br /> we do it I just want to best the most<br /> good for the most people so go back to<br /> early example you know the the<br /> tyrannical Baron let’s say who’s in<br /> force forcing people to join the militia<br /> the neutral good character could go<br /> either way he might say well on balance<br /> people are more miserable now under this<br /> you know rule than they would be if the<br /> orcs were attacking so I think we should<br /> get rid of this you know order or they<br /> might say no unbalance while people are<br /> miserable it’s better that they’re<br /> miserable and toiling away then having<br /> the orcs overrun the city and kill them<br /> all or enslave them all you know they<br /> think it’s not their view of good is<br /> just what’s the what what what path gets<br /> us to the most happiness from<br /> people I kind of think of like law and<br /> chaos as like the the the method how did<br /> what how do how do you do things and<br /> good and evil being what do you do<br /> Share this:TweetWhatsAppTelegramEmail
