D&D (2024) D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024)

[SteveC]

Chaos/Law though I think has largely lost relevance and cultural cachet. I mean, I hate that no-one reads Moorcock anymore, but... they don't. They haven't for 20+ years. Ironically the one place keeping the flame alive for them seems to be MCDM, but maybe D&D should just cede that territory. Or not - they are part of the default cosmology, but maybe they should be refocused on as cosmological principles, not alignment components.

This is such a good point. I doubt that even 10% of the player base knows about the Law/Chaos conflict these days. I have to say that the best alignment rules in D&D were in 4E where most everyone is ... unaligned. It's a strange holdover from long ago that could have a lot of importance, but only if it was really explained and made to matter. But I do not expect that to happen. Alignment is sort of that vestige from days gone by. It's important to me, but I'm in that 10% who knows about Law and Chaos. I have no idea why the game chooses to cater to me in this one instance.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I have to say that the best alignment rules in D&D were in 4E where most everyone is ... unaligned. It's a strange holdover from long ago that could have a lot of importance, but only if it was really explained and made to matter.

I'd agree. 4E going to a weird 5-point alignment system was pretty dumb (one of the few outright bad design decisions in 4E imho - others being more a matter of taste), but the idea that most people were unaligned and it was a choice to pursue a specific alignment gave a new energy to the alignment system that was really definitely a good thing, and just made D&D make a lot more sense.

5E dropping unaligned as a possible alignment for intelligent beings, let alone the default alignment was also one of the few outright bad design decisions there, a wild baby thrown out with bathwater overreaction.

 

[aco175]

I would be in favor of a few general alignments and some examples from literature and movies. Of course, on this site we have had some of this and cannot agree if Darth Vader is evil, let alone which evil.

 

[Oofta]

I would be in favor of a few general alignments and some examples from literature and movies. Of course, on this site we have had some of this and cannot agree if Darth Vader is evil, let alone which evil.

I think the 3.x definition of alignment was the best one so far. But the vast majority of people understand the basic concepts. Admittedly someone from ancient Rome would probably have different ideas but I'm not playing D&D with anyone from ancient Rome so I don't care.

Beyond that, alignment is just one descriptor of many, a shorthand for when I don't need to put much thought into a monster or NPC and potentially a starting point for those I do expect to have a bigger role in the game. Hopefully the new books will put more thought into it and give us better descriptions.

 

[SteveC]

I'd agree. 4E going to a weird 5-point alignment system was pretty dumb (one of the few outright bad design decisions in 4E imho - others being more a matter of taste), but the idea that most people were unaligned and it was a choice to pursue a specific alignment gave a new energy to the alignment system that was really definitely a good thing, and just made D&D make a lot more sense.

I think the name were the problem. The basic idea is that alignment runs like this:
supernatural evil -->evil -->unaligned (most people)-->good-->supernatural good

... and I think that's a good one. It has a lot of connection to fiction I like. In Dresden Files you have supernatural characters on either side who have really lost their free will. You have people trying to do the right thing, or looking out for themselves first and foremost. Most everyone is just trying to get by. And then you have a character like Dresden who tries to reach even those characters at the extreme ends and say they still can make choices. It makes for a great story, and doesn't have the "there are nine different approaches to every moral decision." Now I think the names they used were a really bad idea.

But what we have in 5E isn't doing anything for the stories I want to tell in 2024.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I love the sound of a thread getting derailed in the morning...

 

[mamba]

Red is a color. No comparison.

agreed, I can see these a faction codenames, but as alignment that is meaningless

 

[mamba]

MTG is under WOTC and they blatantly copy MTG settings.
They should convert MTG Alignment too.

please don't....

 

[Minigiant]

please don't....

Might as well.

If they keep converting MTG poorly to D&D, they might as well convert the only universal aspect to all those setting.

Or print a whole new setting in the DMG.

But what I really want is Wrestling Alignment.

"Mr Lich. I'm the tower of power, too sweet to be sour. I'm funky like a monkey. Sky's the limit and space is the place!. Oooh Yeah" Save vs Promo.

 

[Yaarel]

We know Chapter 2 of the DMG will have DM specific rules, and there is no obvious spot in the outline for variants as a batch.

Where do we know DM specific rules? What is an example of a DM specific rule?