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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7742743" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>I think that <em>unaligned</em> correlates fairly closely to <em>neutral</em> in the OD&D and B/X system.</p><p></p><p>But in AD&D (at least 1st ed), <em>true neutral</em> is something a bit different (DMG p 23; pHB p 33):</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px">Absolute, or true, neutral creatures view everything which exists as an integral, necessary part or function of the entire cosmos. Each thing exists as a part of the whole, one as a check or balance to the other, with life necessary for death, happiness for suffering, good for evil, order far chaos, and vice versa. Nothing must ever become predominant or out of balance. Within this naturalistic ethos, humankind serves a role also, just as all other creatures do. They may be more or less important, but the neutral does not concern himself or herself with these considerations except where it is positively determined that the balance is threatened.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">The "true" neutral looks upon all other alignments as facets of the system of things. Thus, each aspect - evil and good, chaos and law</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">- of things must be retained in balance to maintain the status quo; for things as they are cannot be improved upon except temporarily, and even then but superficially. Nature will prevail and keep things as they were meant to be, provided the "wheel" surrounding the hub of nature does not become unbalanced due to the work of unnatural forces - such as human and other intelligent creatures interfering with what is meant to be.</p><p></p><p>So true neutral, in AD&D, is a "naturalistic ethos" which holds that all is as it is meant to be, with each facet of life contributing to that overall balance - provided that humans and their ilk don't disturb the balance through their attempts to change things (which cannot have any long-lasting effect).</p><p></p><p>This is <em>not </em>unaligned, but more like the outlook of some realworld philosophies and religions - stoicism, for instance - and also some political movements - eg Burkean conservatism.</p><p></p><p>The Han Solo-type scoundrel, who in 4e is unaligned and in OD&D or B/X is neutral, in AD&D I think is chaotic neutral: they prioritise their own self-realisation over other-regarding moral obligations.</p><p></p><p>EDIT: I see [MENTION=996]Tony Vargas[/MENTION] made a similar point to this upthread.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 7742743, member: 42582"] I think that [I]unaligned[/I] correlates fairly closely to [I]neutral[/I] in the OD&D and B/X system. But in AD&D (at least 1st ed), [i]true neutral[/I] is something a bit different (DMG p 23; pHB p 33): [indent]Absolute, or true, neutral creatures view everything which exists as an integral, necessary part or function of the entire cosmos. Each thing exists as a part of the whole, one as a check or balance to the other, with life necessary for death, happiness for suffering, good for evil, order far chaos, and vice versa. Nothing must ever become predominant or out of balance. Within this naturalistic ethos, humankind serves a role also, just as all other creatures do. They may be more or less important, but the neutral does not concern himself or herself with these considerations except where it is positively determined that the balance is threatened. The "true" neutral looks upon all other alignments as facets of the system of things. Thus, each aspect - evil and good, chaos and law - of things must be retained in balance to maintain the status quo; for things as they are cannot be improved upon except temporarily, and even then but superficially. Nature will prevail and keep things as they were meant to be, provided the "wheel" surrounding the hub of nature does not become unbalanced due to the work of unnatural forces - such as human and other intelligent creatures interfering with what is meant to be.[/indent] So true neutral, in AD&D, is a "naturalistic ethos" which holds that all is as it is meant to be, with each facet of life contributing to that overall balance - provided that humans and their ilk don't disturb the balance through their attempts to change things (which cannot have any long-lasting effect). This is [I]not [/I]unaligned, but more like the outlook of some realworld philosophies and religions - stoicism, for instance - and also some political movements - eg Burkean conservatism. The Han Solo-type scoundrel, who in 4e is unaligned and in OD&D or B/X is neutral, in AD&D I think is chaotic neutral: they prioritise their own self-realisation over other-regarding moral obligations. EDIT: I see [MENTION=996]Tony Vargas[/MENTION] made a similar point to this upthread. [/QUOTE]
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