Advice on how to play Lawful Good not Lawful Stupid needed

[Dremen]

I'm playing a LG character in an upcoming campaign. I usually play CG. Anyway what are some ways that you would play LG without being LS. No he is not a Pali-boring. But a monk. I also thought it would be a good topic and maybe revive some intrest in LG characters.

Any examples of dos and don'ts appreciated. let your creative writing skills free...

-D

 

[Kilmore]

Okay, a large number of the great heroes would be considered Lawful Good.

Superman is the prime example, with his Truth, Justice, and the American way thing.

Batman is another example, in my opinion. Even though he operates in the shadows, it is because it is there that evil and corruption is found. Batman also has a strong personal code and a strong sense of justice and order.

If the character is not yet as capable as a superhero and the challenges he faces great, he may or may not have the courage to face them. But he will still have his feelings about what is right and good, and if the opportunity arises, he will act on them.

That said, the LG character is the most likely to take action for reasons of alignment, as acting in the behalf of good and law are more tangible goals than acting for the sake of chaos, neutrality, or evil.

Just have your character act in a way that you feel is moral and just, and you'll do fine.

 

[2WS-Steve]

I like the Batman model too since he's definitely not lawful stupid.

Dirty Harry might work well as a darker model too. For a lighter model Jack Ryan from the Tom Clancy books works well. When Harrison Ford plays him in one of the movies he has this great retort to someone complaining about his black and white worldview...

"Not black and white, right and wrong!"

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I like the Batman model too since he's definitely not lawful stupid.

Dirty Harry might work well as a darker model too.

For a fantasy campaign these might work, but in general I don't think vigilantism is an appropriate model for lawful good behavior. Both Batman and Dirty Harry suffer from "Judge, Jury, Executioner" syndrome, and that just doesn't fly for Lawful Good.

Wulf

 

[Dremen]

Which is more important Lawful or Good? Personally I see the GOOD as more important than LAW. Am I right? wrong? on drugs?

-d

 

[BOZ]

here's the way i play lawful good. most people (at least half, i'd say) tend to think of themselves as lawful, and good. if you do your best to follow the law, organize things to the best of your ability, and try to schedule events in your life and stuff like that, then you're probably lawful. if you generally care about other people, and do your best to help rather than hurt in most situations, then you're probably good. if this is the case, then your character would probably do the same thing as you would in that situation, if you had the same abilities.

make sense?

 

[Dremen]

Herein lies the problem. Lets you have a choice between following the law and doing good. What would the LG person do? (Lets say for the sake of argument that the law is not evil or bad, but neutral in regards to good and evil).

?
-D

 

[Wolfspirit]

It depends on your thoughts really, pick one that's more important to you.

In my opinion, a LG character is one that understands that most laws are there for a reason; that society would be at a detriment without laws. On the other hand, if the good that can be done outweighs the law, then he will break the law. For instance, if an evil man runs into a house and is about to sacrifice a virgin to open a portal to the infernal lands, yeah, he'll break into the house. But he wouldn't break into the house for fun, money, or whatnot

A LG character might have had some military training, or some reason for having a lawfull bent. He's seen how order and organization are important, and wants to follow that.

Oh, and to answer your last question, if he followed the law more than good, then he'd probably be lawfull stupid

 

[Maerdwyn]

Oh, and to answer your last question, if he followed the law more than good, then he'd probably be lawfull stupid

Not necessarily, but if he did so consistently, he'd probably shift to lawful neutral

 

[Umbran]

Anyway what are some ways that you would play LG without being LS.

Well, there's one simple way - note that even under the law, one does not necessarily need to immediately act upon what one knows.

Similarly note that under teh law, there is usually more than one action one can take.

The noble knight discovers that one of his peers has made a pact with an infernal power. The noble knight may call him out onto the field for a trial by combat that instant. The law allows and even condones it. But it probably doesn't say he must do that and only that, or that it must be done the instant the noble knight learns the news....

Lawful does not mean "without thought or discretion". That's the big mistake I tend to see - that lawful characters have no actual choices - if the law is broken they feel they don't have any alternatives in dealing with it.