Shifting Alignment

Due to the ambiguous nature of Alignment in Eberron, I can see alignments shifting on characters a bit easier than normal. So, I propose this adjustment to the current system.

Every even level (2, 4, 6, 8, etc), a character may elect to shift their Alignment one step (Good to Neutral, Neutral to Chaotic, etc Lawful Good to Neutral is 2 steps). The alignment has any and all immediate consequences it might normally have. Paladins loose their special abilities, Bards and Monks can no longer gain levels in that class, etc.

Since there are a few reasons to want to change your alignment regularly, this does serve to allow such combos, but because it's every other level, and only one step, it is not an easy step from, say, a Paladin to a Blackguard.

I don't see a lot of abuse of this, the biggest benefactor is a Bard/Paladin with the Devoted Performer feat, which is hardly an optimal combo.

I don't see a problem with that... On all my characters I ever play in all games, only Rinaldo have shifted his alignement once, from Chaotic Good to Neutral Good, to reflect how I roleplay him. But for the Paladin/Blackguard example, I must tell it might be a good idea.

One question: would any alignement shift during adventure being affected by that rule one step shift? I mean, if someone want to do teh Paladin/Blackguard, he might ask a DM to make him an adventure where his faith would be put to challenge and might end with a greater shift (not talking about magical items forced shift).

I would have thought you can change your alignment at will simply by acting like the new alignment. I'm a bit perplexed that you cannot. Are you telling me if I have my Paladin vagrantly flout authority and murder innocents that she becomes Neutral Good and stays there for the next two levels, then Chaotic Good for the two after that, Chaotic Neutral for the next two, and finally Chaotic Evil eight levels later, even though she's doing all these things right away?

Seapkingas a non-judge, the way I do alingment changes when I DM is to speak with the player and dicsuss how the alignment in his character sheet doesn't describe accurately how his character acts, and then suggest a change; not because he's "violated his alignment", but because the new one would be an accurate portrayal of it, and without following any rules for it, just what we think it's appropiate character wise.

Now, given the nature of open campaings this is less doable. But I still don't think any hard rules about them would be appropiate; first because many times it'd lead to absurd situations, like Rystil pointed out, second because in my experience people tend to play their character quite consistently and there's no real need for a rule; third, if a character wants to change his character's alignment is his business - maybe a epiphanic change from CE to LG is what he wants of feels appropiate, and fourth, if a DM thinks an alignment change is in order and the player doesn't, the issue can be discussed in the General thread or a separate proposal thread, where the case can be examined by itself. Those instances (where there's disagreement between the player's current DM and the DM) are rare and varied enough to be ruled ad-hoc.

I'd personally allow players to change alignment at will really, as RA says. I for one changed Bloodtalon's alignment already to fit more with how the character has evolved both in game and in my head.

I'm talking about outside of RP, but if it's pretty much an at will thing, then I'm all good with that and we don't need the proposal.