Alignments
are nearly as old as D&D and might be the most contentious topic
associated with them (for people who actually PLAY THE GAME, sit down
Satanism), acting as a constant source of arguments both online and in
real life! There have been a ton of riffs on the idea from video games
to other table top games to D&D homebrew, and a lot of them are
interesting in their own right. There's nothing wrong with those
systems, and indeed, they can often feel more appropriate to a specific
setting than the standard D&D good/evil and law/chaos axis. D&D
is your game to control!
That being said, D&D wouldn't be the same without a lot of its old systems, and playing with these sorts of constraints can lead to fun and interesting gameplay. So, why not riff on the old system and see if we can come up with an interesting mixture of old and new. I call it...
THE MORAL COMPASS
When creating a character using The Moral Compass, you should first determine five things about the character:
Their Oath, corresponding with the Lawful side of the law/chaos axis, should be some sort of self-imposed restriction. Examples include "always follow the law of the land", "never turn down an invitation to duel", or "never disobey an order from a superior officer".
Their Whim, corresponding with the Chaotic side of the law/chaos axis, should be some sort of natural short-term impulse. Examples include "stop and smell the roses", "try to make people happy", or "value shiny objects".
Their Conscience, corresponding with the Good side of the good/evil axis, should be something you consider to be a 'good tendency'. No need to systematize it! Use your best judgement and be honest. Examples include "protect my family", "be as fair as possible", "be merciful to the helpless".
Their Temptation, corresponding with the Evil side of the good/evil axis, should be something you consider to be an 'evil tendency'. Like above, use your best judgement! Examples include "torturing people is OK when they deserve it", "all elves are bastards", and "stealing isn't wrong".
Their Goal, corresponding with general neutrality, should be a rational medium-term or long-term objective. Examples include "become rich", "sire a family", and "avenge my father's death".
When you've determined all 5 for a character, choose 2 of them (or just their Goal) as the character's focus, which determines their alignment, as well as their character's behavior. All five are important to the character, but one or two are the most important!
HOW IT'S DIFFERENT
So, how is this different from just choosing an alignment on the chart?
Well, first of all, it helps contextualize the morality in terms of in-game behavior. So, your elf isn't Lawful Evil because you wanted to play an evil character but one that isn't THAT evil, she's evil because she's a loyal soldier who swore an Oath to defend the forests of elvenkind, but is evil because she has a Temptation to use lethal violence against those she suspects of disloyalty. Is this something only this system could develop? Hell no! People come up with this stuff all the time without any systematic help. What this system does is synergize in-game behavior with mechanics. It provides real meaning to the words 'Lawful' and 'Evil'.
Second of all, it allows for more natural alignment transitions (especially if they are magically compelled). So, a goblin-slaying paladin wouldn't suddenly become a goblin-lover if they switched from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil, they'd just be a goblin-killing a-hole.
Third of all, it creates characters that feel flawed or redeemable. Maybe that murderous thug has a soft spot for his fellow thugs? Maybe that otherwise decent paladin is highly distrustful of halfings? This doesn't mean the thug is secretly good or the paladin is secretly evil-- they are just three dimensional characters simply by filling out the five categories.
Finally, it puts to bed the idea of thinking in grandiose terms of the struggle of the forces of Good versus the forces of Evil, at least for humanoids. It's possible that two traditional Lawful Good paladins could fight each-other, if they both had something they were defending. Similarly, it would make the cooperation of good and evil characters a lot more plausible-- they simply are pursuing similar goals and can each use all the help they can get.
FUN THINGS TO DO WITH THIS MECHANIC
So, now that you have it, what can you do with it?
Inherently Evil Creatures like Fiends or some Undead can lack Consciences (and their Whim/Oath if they are Devils or Demons respectively). This could lead to creatures that feel truly heartless-- creating a distinction between everyday evil (bandits, raiders) and Ultimate Evil. You can do similar stuff with creatures of pure Good, Law, or Chaos-- they are elementally aligned with a certain alignment. This can lead to cosmic entities that literally can't comprehend certain types of behavior, like a demon that is confused by a paladin's nobility, while a mortal criminal may think it to be simple naivete.
Fun With Alignment-Switching was something I mentioned before, but it bears repeating. Now, players that have their alignment switched no longer have to feel like their character has been eroded. It can similarly provide inspiration to players who want to change alignments mid-game. Magic items that impose an alignment shift voluntarily can provide new roleplaying opportunities for players, giving them a chance to explore elements of their characters that were mostly left ignored.
Fewer Alignment Based Arguments are less of a fun thing and more a bad thing to be avoided. Here, Chaotic Neutral actually corresponds to behaviors the player has to write down beforehand instead of acting as a catch-all for being allow to act like a random number generator. Similarly, evil characters can be tolerated if they have temptations that don't cross the wrong lines (those lines are up to you).
TL;DR Assign actual character traits to each point of the alignment compass (as well as the center), and it will enable more natural character play and less arguments about the exact definition of Chaotic Neutral!
Hopefully this helps inspire some DMs. I'm sure you guys have opinions about this (LOTS of opinions). Feel free to comment below (just don't be a tool)!
I made some other posts like this here, here, and here!
That being said, D&D wouldn't be the same without a lot of its old systems, and playing with these sorts of constraints can lead to fun and interesting gameplay. So, why not riff on the old system and see if we can come up with an interesting mixture of old and new. I call it...
THE MORAL COMPASS
When creating a character using The Moral Compass, you should first determine five things about the character:
Their Oath, corresponding with the Lawful side of the law/chaos axis, should be some sort of self-imposed restriction. Examples include "always follow the law of the land", "never turn down an invitation to duel", or "never disobey an order from a superior officer".
Their Whim, corresponding with the Chaotic side of the law/chaos axis, should be some sort of natural short-term impulse. Examples include "stop and smell the roses", "try to make people happy", or "value shiny objects".
Their Conscience, corresponding with the Good side of the good/evil axis, should be something you consider to be a 'good tendency'. No need to systematize it! Use your best judgement and be honest. Examples include "protect my family", "be as fair as possible", "be merciful to the helpless".
Their Temptation, corresponding with the Evil side of the good/evil axis, should be something you consider to be an 'evil tendency'. Like above, use your best judgement! Examples include "torturing people is OK when they deserve it", "all elves are bastards", and "stealing isn't wrong".
Their Goal, corresponding with general neutrality, should be a rational medium-term or long-term objective. Examples include "become rich", "sire a family", and "avenge my father's death".
When you've determined all 5 for a character, choose 2 of them (or just their Goal) as the character's focus, which determines their alignment, as well as their character's behavior. All five are important to the character, but one or two are the most important!
HOW IT'S DIFFERENT
So, how is this different from just choosing an alignment on the chart?
Well, first of all, it helps contextualize the morality in terms of in-game behavior. So, your elf isn't Lawful Evil because you wanted to play an evil character but one that isn't THAT evil, she's evil because she's a loyal soldier who swore an Oath to defend the forests of elvenkind, but is evil because she has a Temptation to use lethal violence against those she suspects of disloyalty. Is this something only this system could develop? Hell no! People come up with this stuff all the time without any systematic help. What this system does is synergize in-game behavior with mechanics. It provides real meaning to the words 'Lawful' and 'Evil'.
Second of all, it allows for more natural alignment transitions (especially if they are magically compelled). So, a goblin-slaying paladin wouldn't suddenly become a goblin-lover if they switched from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil, they'd just be a goblin-killing a-hole.
Third of all, it creates characters that feel flawed or redeemable. Maybe that murderous thug has a soft spot for his fellow thugs? Maybe that otherwise decent paladin is highly distrustful of halfings? This doesn't mean the thug is secretly good or the paladin is secretly evil-- they are just three dimensional characters simply by filling out the five categories.
Finally, it puts to bed the idea of thinking in grandiose terms of the struggle of the forces of Good versus the forces of Evil, at least for humanoids. It's possible that two traditional Lawful Good paladins could fight each-other, if they both had something they were defending. Similarly, it would make the cooperation of good and evil characters a lot more plausible-- they simply are pursuing similar goals and can each use all the help they can get.
FUN THINGS TO DO WITH THIS MECHANIC
So, now that you have it, what can you do with it?
Inherently Evil Creatures like Fiends or some Undead can lack Consciences (and their Whim/Oath if they are Devils or Demons respectively). This could lead to creatures that feel truly heartless-- creating a distinction between everyday evil (bandits, raiders) and Ultimate Evil. You can do similar stuff with creatures of pure Good, Law, or Chaos-- they are elementally aligned with a certain alignment. This can lead to cosmic entities that literally can't comprehend certain types of behavior, like a demon that is confused by a paladin's nobility, while a mortal criminal may think it to be simple naivete.
Fun With Alignment-Switching was something I mentioned before, but it bears repeating. Now, players that have their alignment switched no longer have to feel like their character has been eroded. It can similarly provide inspiration to players who want to change alignments mid-game. Magic items that impose an alignment shift voluntarily can provide new roleplaying opportunities for players, giving them a chance to explore elements of their characters that were mostly left ignored.
Fewer Alignment Based Arguments are less of a fun thing and more a bad thing to be avoided. Here, Chaotic Neutral actually corresponds to behaviors the player has to write down beforehand instead of acting as a catch-all for being allow to act like a random number generator. Similarly, evil characters can be tolerated if they have temptations that don't cross the wrong lines (those lines are up to you).
TL;DR Assign actual character traits to each point of the alignment compass (as well as the center), and it will enable more natural character play and less arguments about the exact definition of Chaotic Neutral!
Hopefully this helps inspire some DMs. I'm sure you guys have opinions about this (LOTS of opinions). Feel free to comment below (just don't be a tool)!
I made some other posts like this here, here, and here!
(Originally published here on August 23, 2018)
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