Alignment

Description
Alignment is a categorization of ethical and moral perspective of characters. This is usually categorized into four points: Law, Chaos, Good, Evil, and Neutral..

Law, or Order is defined as the belief that everything should follow an order, and that obeying rules is the natural way of life. Law is usually associated with honor, trustworthiness, obedience, and reliablity. However, law is also associated with close-mindedness, reactionary thinking, and lack of adaptability. Lawful characters typically value security and rules over freedom and individuality.

Chaos is the belief that life is random, and that chance and luck rule the world. It typically implies freedom, adaptability, individuality, and flexibiity. On the downside, chaos includes recklessness, petty actions, and irresponsibility. Chaotic characters usually believe that only complete personal freedom allows people to express themselves fully and let society benefit from this potential.

Neutrality is the stance that either law and chaos are both equally important, or that they are equally unimportant. They can be honest, but tempted into lying, or simply not care at all about the ideas of law and chaos. In regards to good and evil, they typically have compunctions against killing, but lack the commitment to make sacrifices to protect themselves or others.

Good involves altruistic motives, and involves respect for life, and concern for sentient beings. Good characters are ususally willing to make sacrifices to help others, often putting themselves at risk.

Evil implies a compulsion to harm, oppress, or kill others. Evil characters have no compassion for others and will kill without qualms if doing so is convenient. Some may act evil out of desire, others may be serving a malevolent entity or master.

Entities that do not fall into these four often qualify as True Neutral, or unaligned, or have a different morality system (see below). This chart shows the most commonly accepted morality system. It is important to remember that neither law nor chaos can be classified as good or evil.

The Nine Alignments
Nine distinct alignments define all the possible combinations of the lawful-chaotic axis with the good-evil axis. Each alignment description below depicts a typical character of that alignment. Remember that individuals vary from this norm, and that a given character may act more or less in accord with his or her alignment from day to day. Use these descriptions as guidelines, not as scripts.

The first six alignments, lawful good through chaotic neutral, are the standard alignments for player characters. The three evil alignments are for monsters and villains.

Lawful Good, "Crusader"
A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. They combine a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. They tell the truth, keeps their word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.

Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion.

Lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

Neutral Good, "Benefactor"
A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. They are devoted to helping others. They work with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them.

Neutral good is 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 when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Chaotic Good, "Rebel"
A chaotic good character acts as their conscience directs them with little regard for what others expect of him. They make their own way, but their kind and benevolent. They believe in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. They hate it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. They follows their own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society.

Chaotic good is the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit.

Chaotic good can be a dangerous alignment when it disrupts the order of society and punishes those who do well for themselves.

Lawful Neutral, "Judge"
A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs them. Order and organization are paramount to them. They may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or they may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government.

Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot.

Lawful neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all freedom, choice, and diversity in society.

Neutral, "Undecided"
A neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. They don't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil-after all, she would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, They are not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way.

Some neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run.

Neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion.

Neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.

Chaotic Neutral, "Free Spirit"
A chaotic neutral character follows their whims. They are an individualist first and last. They value their own liberty but doesn't strive to protect others' freedom. They avoid authority, resent restrictions, and challenge traditions. A chaotic neutral character does not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign of anarchy. To do so, they would have to be motivated either by good (and a desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those different from himself suffer). A chaotic neutral character may be unpredictable, but their behavior is not totally random. They are not as likely to jump off a bridge as to cross it.

Chaotic neutral is the best alignment you can be because it represents true freedom from both society's restrictions and a do-gooder's zeal.

Chaotic neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all authority, harmony, and order in society.

Lawful Evil, "Dominator"
A lawful evil villain methodically takes what they want within the limits of their code of conduct without regard for whom it hurts. They care about tradition, loyalty, and order but not about freedom, dignity, or life. They play by the rules but without mercy or compassion. They are comfortable in a hierarchy and would like to rule, but is willing to serve. They condemn others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank. They are loath to break laws or promises.

This reluctance comes partly from their nature and partly because they depend on order to protect themselves from those who oppose them on moral grounds. Some lawful evil villains have particular taboos, such as not killing in cold blood (but having underlings do it) or not letting children come to harm (if it can be helped). They imagine that these compunctions put them above unprincipled villains.

Some lawful evil people and creatures commit themselves to evil with a zeal like that of a crusader committed to good. Beyond being willing to hurt others for their own ends, they take pleasure in spreading evil as an end unto itself. They may also see doing evil as part of a duty to an evil deity or master.

Lawful evil is sometimes called "diabolical," because devils are the epitome of lawful evil.

Lawful evil creatures consider their alignment to be the best because it combines honor with a dedicated self-interest.

Lawful evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents methodical, intentional, and frequently successful evil.

Neutral Evil, "Malefactor"
A neutral evil villain does whatever they can get away with. They are out for themselves, pure and simple. They shed no tears for those they kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. They have no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make them any better or more noble. On the other hand, they don't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has.

Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies.

Neutral evil beings consider their alignment to be the best because they can advance themselves without regard for others.

Neutral evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.

Chaotic Evil, "Destroyer"
A chaotic evil character does whatever their greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drive him to do. They are hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. If they are simply out for whatever they can get, they are ruthless and brutal. If they are committed to the spread of evil and chaos, they are even worse. Thankfully, their plans are haphazard, and any groups they join or form are poorly organized. Typically, chaotic evil people can be made to work together only by force, and their leader lasts only as long as they can thwart attempts to topple or assassinate them.

Chaotic evil is sometimes called "demonic" because demons are the epitome of chaotic evil.

Chaotic evil beings believe their alignment is the best because it combines self-interest and pure freedom.

Chaotic evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents the destruction not only of beauty and life but also of the order on which beauty and life depend.

Blue and Orange (Undefined) Moralities
Blue and Orange moralities are defined as being completly or sufficiently different from most human systems of morality. For example, a species that defined the act of eating as good and not eating as evil would have a Blue and Orange morality. As most writers are human, blue and orange moralities can be difficult to effectively write, as they imply something totally alien to conventional morality systems most characters have and are used to.

Characters with Known Alignments
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Lawful Good

 * Elizabeth Drake
 * Kiyo Rashin
 * Xavia Valentine
 * Dante Anthony Redgrave

Lawful Neutral

 * Grandfather Clock

Neutral Good

 * Kleon
 * Michael Morell
 * Steven Thompson
 * Dante Anthony Redgrave

True Neutral

 * EQUINOX
 * Free
 * Kronik
 * Roman Pierce

Neutral Evil

 * Siros
 * SOLSTICE
 * Venus

Chaotic Good

 * Aaron Myers
 * Kyarne
 * Maple Kuna
 * Margaret van Helsing
 * Milky Way
 * Minna Yamane
 * Trickster
 * Dante Anthony Redgrave

Chaotic Evil

 * Mars
 * Xarathos