Line Up

Alignment serves as the moral compass of players and NPCs alike and is a great role playing aid.  

An advancing orc army threatens a village. One way to stop it with little bloodshed is to release a dam and flood the plain they are advancing on. This will destroy the village's crops and make her long term survival difficult. What do you do? Alignment will help you decide how to tackle this problem. Like using a PC's stats to help paint a picture of a character, alignment can provide valuable insight into how he/she might behave in situations you would never face outside of an RPG. 



~ Check out the Alignment Story (From the 2nd edition D&D Player's Handbook) for a good example of alignment in action.

Alignment Test ~  What Color Are You? (Magic) ~

~ Good vs. Evil: According to Magic the Gathering~

GOOD: Alturistic, respect life, and show empathy and concern for the dignity of others. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one" They are self sacrificing if it will serve the greater good.

EVIL: Oppresses others with little or no compassion and kill with no qualms if it is suits their needs. Willing to sacrifice others to see their ends met.

NEUTRAL: reluctant killers who seek to spare the innocent, they are not quite ready to make the big sacrifice to protect and help others but won't turn a deaf ear to injustice either. 

~ Law vs. Chaos ~

LAWFUL: tell the truth, keep oaths, respect the law and tradition and seek to judge those who fall short and bring them into line. (Honorable, trustworthy, obedient, and reliable; but also seen as closed-minded and self righteous) Respect the laws and help others do the same. 

CHAOTIC: Follow your own moral compass even if it is sometimes broken, resent authority, and favor out of the box thinking to solve problems. (Flexible, adaptable and free but is also seen as reckless and irresponsible)

NEUTRAL: tend to respect most of the law but also values individual freedom but not to the point of bucking authority or breaking the big laws that hold society together. Generally honest but will tell the white lie if the need arises.

~ Alignment Types ~

Lawful Good: "The Saint" or "Crusader" ~ Lawful good characters hold their personal honor and reputation to be worth more than personal wealth. She respects the laws of the land but would find it difficult to uphold the law or an oath if it would lead to someone being injured or killed. She respects her elders and those in positions of authority. She helps those in need without seeking personal glory protecting the common weal over the needs of the individual.

• Quote: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one" (Spock)
• Traits: Friendly, righteous, courteous, reliable, honorable, loyal, helpful, dedicated, law abiding, selfless, benevolent, philanthropist, respectful of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" 
• Examples: Superman, Galahad, Percival, Optimus Prime, Captain America, Daredevil, Spock, Samwise Gamgee, Faramir, Queen Amidala, Yoda
• Magic the Gathering: White ~ 
• Pathfinder: Angel, Dragon (Bronze, Silver, & Gold); Paladins, Crusading Cavaliers, Dwarves... 

Lawful Neutral: "The Judge" or "The Disciplined" ~ This character believes in honor, order, tradition often following a personal code of conduct as well. He will enforce strict laws even if they meant a loved one would be turned over to the law. No one is above the law for society to function and thrive. He might be a soldier who follows his orders without question, a judge who follows the word of the law and the judgements of the past, or a disciplined monk. Personal morals come second to what the law dictates. 

• Quote: "You may ask, how did this tradition get started? I'll tell you... I don't know, but it is a tradition [... and] without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as... as... as a fiddler on the roof!"
• Traits: Dedicated, obedient, law abiding, reliable, responsible, truthful, orderly, loyal, rigid, neat, methodical, precise, respectful of authority...
• Examples: Boromir, Judge Dread ("I am the Law"), Picard ("The Prime Directive prohibits me from interfering"), Most Jedi Knights, Stormtroopers (just doing their jobs / following orders), Boba Fett (follows the rule of law to bring rebels to justice), Cornelius Fudge (Minister of Magic), Admiral Helena Cain (Battlestar)... 
• Magic the Gathering: Azorius Senate (Blue/White) ~ Boros (White/Red) Organized guild of warriors ~ Semic Combine (Green/Blue)
• Pathfinder: Shaitan, Dwarves 

Lawful Evil: "The Dictator" or "Fiendish" ~ "Might makes right" and the deserving strong deserve to be first ~ These characters respect the laws that benefit themselves and seek to exploit the ones that don't, but generally don't break those laws. She might be a mercenary who usually respects and obeys her superiors and keeps her word but looks for ways to curry favor or step over others for a promotion. They care little for the rights or freedoms of others, they are out to better their own positions or houses. Tyrants, devils, or mercenaries who will take distasteful jobs are good examples of LE characters.

• Quote: "Xavier is my greatest enemy, and perhaps my only friend... but I have waited all my life for this moment!" (Magneto) 
• "With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy. Luke, you can destroy the Emperor. [...] Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son" (Vader- Empire Strikes Back)

• Traits: Fascist, domineering, selfish, power hungry, cruel, vengeful, proud, callous, hostile, malevolent, plotting, merciless, tyrannical, organized, respectful of those more powerful, megalomaniac
• Examples: Hitler, Stalin, Lex Luthor, Magneto, Megatron, Darth Vader, Dr. Doom; Sauron, Jabba the Hutt, The Sheriff of Nottingham, Wolfram & Hart (Angel), The Mayor (Buffy), Rumplestitskin (Once Upon a Time)
• Magic the Gathering: Orzhou Syndicate (White/Black)
• Pathfinder: Devils, Dragon (Blue & Green), Efreeti, Giant (Cloud), Hobgoblin, Wererat, Medusa... 

Neutral Good: "The Benefactor" ~ "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong." —Frederick Douglass ~ Guided by conscience and very little by laws and traditions; a neutral good character will cooperate with the law but see themselves as their equals. For them, life comes first and they see it as their duty to respect the life of others: neither the individual nor the group is more important.  If doing the right thing requires bending or breaking the law they don't loose sleep over it as a LG player would.

• Quote: "“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.”(Gandalf to Frodo) 
• Traits: Self reliant, kindly, benevolent, helpful, courteous, kind, respectful, loving, merciful, humane, altruistic, respectful...
• Example: Zorro, Spiderman, Gandalf, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, King Author, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Legolas Greenleaf, Elrond, Arwen, Princess Leia, R2-D2, Mace Windu, Wonder Woman, Will Turner, Frodo, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones
• Magic the Gathering: Selesnya Conclave (Green/White)
• Pathfinder: Angel, Giant (Cloud), Pixie, Pseudodragon, Treant, Gnomes

True Neutral:"On the Fence" ~ "Nature's Alignment" ~ She's the farmer who wants to simply feed her family and stay neutral in a civil war; He's Tony Stark, pre-Iron Man willing to sell his weapons to anyone not caring whose hands they end up in. Most mercenaries without an agenda beyond payment are neutral- serving opposing sides of a conflict depending on that year's contract but staying true to that contract. Mostly a neutral character acts without prejudice or compulsion in any situation. A minority seek to balance the alignments and see it as their role to weed out any particular extreme that has taken hold.

• Quote: "Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, princess. I expect to be well paid. I'm in it for the money" (Han Solo- Episode IV)
  
• Traits: Diplomatic, judgmental, enigmatic, aloof, distant, self-reliant, even handed, fair, indifferent, impartial
• Example: Conan, Grey Mouser, C-3PO, Lara Croft, Han Solo at the start of Episode IV, Treebeard (LoR)
• Magic the Gathering: Golgari Swarm (Black/Green) ~ Green
• Pathfinder: Animals (Dire, Wild, or Magical), Elementals, Janni, Giant (Stone), Merfolk, Druids

Neutral Evil: "The Lawbreaker" ~ "True Evil" ~ Selfish and in it for themselves, a NE mercenary would switch sides if made a better offer. He's the trained assassin with no regard for society's laws but who doesn't needlessly kill or a henchman plotting behind a superior's back and who might just sell him out if it suited him. NE characters make allies as it suits their needs, casting them aside when it no longer suits their goal or is inconvenient. They won't hesitate to harm others if it furthers their goals but won't go out of their way to cause carnage if there is no benefit in it. She is not bound by honor or tradition nor is she disorganized and needlessly violent making for a lethal mix.

• Quote: "The old world will burn in the fires of industry. A new order will rise. We will drive the machine of war with the sword and the spear and the iron fist of the orc." (Saruman the White)
• Traits: Selfish, domineering, deceitful, aggressive, callous, self reliant, wicked, cruel, depraved, corrupt, immoral, vicious, destructive, megalomaniac
• Example: Saruman the White, The Warlock Lord, Palpatine, Most Sith Lords, Bane (Dark Knight Rises), Mordrid (King Author) 
• Magic the Gathering: House Dimir (Blue/Black) ~ Black
• Pathfinder: Cyclops, Giant (Cloud), Goblins, Lich, Undead, Tiefling

Chaotic Good: "The Cynic" ~ "Rebel" ~ "The ends justify the means" ~ a CG character wants change for the "greater good" and has a healthy dislike for large (LN) bureaucratic organizations that bog down life with their rules and forms. She values personal freedom for herself and others above all else. Her heart is in the right place, but her methods are far outside the box. Plans tend to be sketched out quickly in the dirt. When all else fails, improvise.

• Quote:

  Inara: You're always breaking the rules, no matter which society you're in! You don't get along with ordinary criminals either, which is why you're constantly getting in trouble!

  Mal: You think following the rules will buy you a nice life, even if the rules make you a slave. (Firefly)

• Traits: Vigilante, free spirit, unpredictable, independent, cheerful, optimistic, easy going, carefree, merciful, respectful of personal freedoms
• Example:  Malccom Reynolds (Firefly), Starbuck (Battlestar Galactica), Robin Hood, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, The Incredible Hulk, Green Arrow, Wolverine, R2-D2, Captain Kirk, Batman, Anakin, Elizabeth Swann
• Magic the Gathering: Gruul Clans (Green/Red)
• Pathfinder: Angel, Dragon (Brass & Copper), Dryad, Djinni, Giant (Storm), Nymph, & Unicorn 

Chaotic Neutral: "The Anarchist" ~ "Free Spirit" ~ They are individualists who follow their hearts shirking rules and tradition. Unlike CG characters they regard their personal freedom above all others. The only reliable thing about them is how unreliable they are. They tend to be selfish when it comes to the goals of the group but expect all others to drop what their doing to help them reach theirs although they go about that in a disorganized and unpredictable way.

• Quote: "I’m dishonest and a dishonest man you can trust to be dishonest. honestly its the honest ones you have to watch out for. Its hard to predict when they’ll do something incredibly… stupid" (Jack Sparrow)  
• Traits: Free Spirit, violent, unpredictable, independent, greedy, inconsistent, unpredictable, selfish, disorderly, self-centered, unfettered, free, egotistical  
• Example: Jack Sparrow, Animal (Muppets), tricksters, Loki, Beetlejuice, The Mask, Q (Star Trek), Faith (start of season 3), Puck (Midsummer Night's Dream)... 
• Magic the Gathering: Izzet League (Blue/Red) ~ Red
• Pathfinder: Marid, Satyrs, primordial gods, wild elves...  

Chaotic Evil: "The Destroyer" ~ These malevolent characters care little for anything but themselves and their desires- rules and others matter little unless they further their needs. They resent others telling them what to do and only follow others out of fear. On the flip side, they don't constantly perform evil acts for the sake of causing chaos but do revel in the suffering of others.

• Quote: "Some men just want to watch the world burn" (The Dark Knight)
• "Introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I'm an agent of chaos" The Joker (The Dark Knight)
• Traits: Aggressive, destructive, violent, deceitful, aggressive, hedonistic, cruel, malicious, uncaring, selfish,  
• Example: Joker, LoR: Balrog, Red Skull (Captain America), Darth Maul, Fenrir Greyback (Harry Potter)... 
• Magic the Gathering: Cult of Rakdos (Black/Red)
• Pathfinder: Bugbear, Chimera, Demons, Dragons (Black, Red, & White), Drow, Giant (Frost, & Hill), Gnoll, Harpy, Hag, Werewolf, Ogre, Orc, Troll, & Vampire