tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post7143392961103738674..comments2023-06-17T02:28:24.456-07:00Comments on A Hero Twice A Month: The path to a better alignment system? (Part I)Medrauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12625405387492836763noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-80974701128915473592008-09-10T10:53:00.000-07:002008-09-10T10:53:00.000-07:00Personally, I'm generally in favor of a system wit...Personally, I'm generally in favor of a system with no alignment. People generally don't act in a consistent manner, and including a system so subjective as "alignment" along with mechanical effects of alignment (various classes, spells and magical items) really us just asking your game to grind to a halt while I argue that I was acting in a lawful good manner, while the DM says that it was really true neutral.<BR/><BR/>However, I do like White Wolf's vices and virtues and the associated humanity system. I wish they'd defined their breaking points a little more broadly, but overall, it's about the best attempt to capture an ethical system mechanically that I've seen.Aaron Petryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10864401995535684633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-676882419505421362008-09-08T22:28:00.000-07:002008-09-08T22:28:00.000-07:00I would like to chime in with the Palladium alignm...I would like to chime in with the Palladium alignments. In that system, each alignment has a sub category with a code of conduct associated with it. I was always pleased when my alignment was not merely "neutral", but was "selfish" or "unprincipled".<BR/><BR/>I would like to speak up for the concept of taint though. I really enjoyed the alignment tracker from 1st ed dragonlance in theory... and I think it would have been great if somewhat simplified to reduce book keeping. Taint serves that purpose admirably. You could also use the stat for morality checks in a way similar to how sanity works in call of cthulu.<BR/><BR/>Just my 2CP.Scaflochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00402492810399682040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-36157662998550456852008-09-07T20:48:00.000-07:002008-09-07T20:48:00.000-07:00Hey there, just a few quick responses:ravyn - I ac...Hey there, just a few quick responses:<BR/><BR/><B>ravyn</B> - I actually never played Exalted, but I will have to check that out. It definitely sounds like something I might want to include. <BR/><BR/>I also heard that Paladium has an interesting system where good is either "scrupuluous" or "principled", neutral is "selfish" or "anarchic, and evil is "unscrupuluous", "miscreant", "diabolic", or "abberant". <BR/><BR/><B>gregor leblaque</B> - Can't fault you for calling me on that one. Yes, in the beginning there were three alignments. I should know that since I was playing when the Basic D&D Red Book was around. <BR/><BR/>I think I started the post with the nine alignments because I only played Basic D&D for a brief time before moving over to 1st Edition AD&D. <BR/><BR/>I also think I have to change my "picture" since it makes me look like I am twelve ;)<BR/><BR/><B>matthew</B> - Ok, I will admit that I was being a bit snarky with my "really good" and "really evil" comments. Your comments on the 4th Edition alignments are more in-line with how they were described in the 4th Ed Player's Handbook. <BR/><BR/>That being said, I was disappointed with with 4th Edition's alignment revamp. It still seems tacked on and has less bearing on the game then ever since there are no longer spells keyed off of alignment they way they were in 3rd Ed. Which is the main purpose of this post. I want the choice of alignment to have a mechanical effect again, hopefully without adding too much paper work.Medrauthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12625405387492836763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-6403980527105262742008-09-07T13:50:00.000-07:002008-09-07T13:50:00.000-07:00I'm not sure where the notion that Lawful Good is ...I'm not sure where the notion that Lawful Good is "good++" comes from. I don't think it's that simple.<BR/><BR/>Just to play Devil's advocate, you could argue that in a reasonably just society, Lawful Good is actually a subset of Good: Good characters have no inherent problems with order as long as it's not corrupt or authoritarian.<BR/><BR/>Put another way, is someone who habitually works within the system inherently better than someone who does so depending on the situation? It comes down to a value judgment, in my opinion. <BR/><BR/>Evil vs. Chaotic Evil is pretty similar. For example, which is worse: unending slavery or indiscriminate slaughter? Whether you think living a miserable life is better than death is another value judgment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-91314379856378273972008-09-07T12:40:00.000-07:002008-09-07T12:40:00.000-07:00I feel compelled to point out that in the really o...I feel compelled to point out that in the <B>really</B> old days there were <B>three</B> alignments: Lawful, Neutral and Chaotic.<BR/><BR/>Ya young "3e is the old days" whippersnapper :)Gregor LeBlaquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14620241814697141868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-27924723604482780492008-09-07T12:24:00.000-07:002008-09-07T12:24:00.000-07:00I'm rather partial to the Virtues system in White ...I'm rather partial to the Virtues system in White Wolf's Exalted; you might want to take some inspiration from that as well. Four Virtues, Compassion (self-explanatory), Conviction (keeping going even when you really don't want to), Temperance (self-control), and Valor (courage, also how firmly one clings to their reputation)--and these actually do tend to govern your roleplay to a certain extent, as there are mechanical penalties for going against them. Overall, I've found that they're good for describing concepts that don't necessarily fit into the alignment system; one of my favorite characters tests as lawful good and came from an original design that was closer to chaotic neutral with evil tendencies, but when I describe her as low-Compassion, high Temperance and Valor, and absurd Conviction, it just works.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com