great alignment debate, redux

[gernboken]

so i'm playing a chaotic neutral bard in the freeport setting (yar!). we just made it to level 6 but only 3 months of game time have gone by so we're all still very young. the human female fighter is 6th level, and she's only 16. the DM told us the characters (who really have no reason to asociate with each other now that the adventure has wrapped) to write up a history of what our pc's do for the next 3 years. he's doing this to give us an opportunity for character development, and i suppose, to get our chronological ages more in line with our abilities.

none of the characters in the party are good, we're all true neutral or chaotic neutral, and one of the players keeps passing notes to the DM so he may actually be evil for all i know. a few of the characters, mine in particular, have been slowly slipping toward evil. we ARE pirates but still... i've never played an evil character and i don't really like it.

i've decided to write an alignment change into my history. i can always just PLAY the character differently and i intend to. I'm doing the alignment change as sort of a reminder to myself to not kill people i don't need to, to not torture old crewmates just because its faster than interrogating them, that sort of thing.

but i'm having trouble reconciling what i'd like to do with the character with the alignment change. he IS a pirate after all. so i guess my two questions are:

1. how do you think a chaotic good pirate would act?

2. what do you think the key differences are between a Chaotic Good PC and a Chaotic Neutral PC?

the pc's previous history gives him a good reason to hate both merchants and the legitimate navy, so engaging in piracy against who he sees as evil bastards isn't a problem. but the way he does it, and the way he's been treating everyone else up until now is. I suppose i could just give him a loose moral code against killing without justification and against torture. and i imagine a good justification for killing could be "i tried to plunder your boat and you attacked me, so now i'm justified in killing you".

anyway what do you all think?

 

[diaglo]

go true neutral.

doing things with a purpose instead of completely at a whim like CN.

 

[ken-ichi]

The main difference between a good and neutral character is that a good character actively promotes helping others and valueing life, while a neutral character is more indifferent. He thinks life is valuable, but his life is probably more valuable than others. Helping others is nice and done now and then, but usually when the risks and costs for doing so do not outweight the benefits for being so helpful. A neutral character is often more of a selfcentered person, but still respects those around him.
Well a chaotic good pirate would be somewhat like Robin Hood in the stories. Raiding the wealthy ships to do good with the money like giving to the poor. A good pirate would definitely prefer to not kill people on those ships that he raids and would probably finish the fight by knocking the opponent out unless you were attacking an evil group that would just continue doing evil.

Based on what you said here "I'm doing the alignment change as sort of a reminder to myself to not kill people i don't need to, to not torture old crewmates just because its faster than interrogating them, that sort of thing.", I would say you were probably evil or very near evil in alignment, killing people that you don't need to and torturing people because it is more convienient point towards evil. However you character has recognized his deeds and is actively trying to stop his evil actions and seems to be heading to Chaotic Nuetral.
Chaotic Nuetral seems like a nice fit for a pirate who wants to stick it to the fat merchants and the unscrupulous navy, but still has a decent set of morals.

 

[gernboken]

doing things with a purpose instead of completely at a whim like CN.

a fair idea actually, and one i hadn't considered. he does have a good reason to go after his prey as a target, considering his past history. and being true neutral would really force me to consider his actions. plus the swing away from chaos and closer to law would reflect some of the things that happened in game. i like it.

 

[Rev. Jesse]

1. how do you think a chaotic good pirate would act?

In a Mel Brooks musical.

2. what do you think the key differences are between a Chaotic Good PC and a Chaotic Neutral PC?

Both would liberate slaves, but the CG one would also always provide some measure of assistance to the liberated.

Both would join terrorist cells to combat autocratic governments, but the CG would see the liberation of the races as the natural means to unfetter the peoples of the world from their selfish attitudes, whereas the CN character is concerned only about the destruction of the establishment, and does not consider the esstential nature of man to be good.

Neither would fully support large-government action of any sort, although the CG character might turn a blind eye to aid-relief work provided it came with no strings attached.

Both value and would rather work with individuals over organizations. The CG character implicitly trusts most people (particularly those who are independent and do not act with some arbitary authority) whereas the CN character is different to most people prior to interaction.

Hope this helps!

-Jesse

 

[LostSoul]

Since you're a Fighter, alignment doesn't really matter. Write up your background how you want, play your character how you want, it'll sort itself out in the end.

 

[diaglo]

Since you're a Fighter, alignment doesn't really matter. Write up your background how you want, play your character how you want, it'll sort itself out in the end.

he's a bard.

they do have some alignment restrictions.

i think he is worried about group harmony. the why would these guys roam together kind.

 

[Odhanan]

1. how do you think a chaotic good pirate would act?

Think of a pirate Robin Hood. An outlaw who doesn't care for law and order if it's in the way of justice. You care for other people. You don't care for rules. You could also be a kind of "punisher" in the sense in the name of good, the end justifies the means (this kind of character would have the wellness of other people as his first priority though- the 'end justifies the means' statement could quickly lead your character to a chaotic evil alignment).

2. what do you think the key differences are between a Chaotic Good PC and a Chaotic Neutral PC?

A Chaotic Neutral PC is an anarchist at heart. It is either a madman or someone that doesn't care at all about what other people do, think or have to live through. This character is as likely to go with good characters in search of excitement as he is likely to band with evil characters. It might be a character who truly believes in Anarchy, in change, and thus stirs the forces of good and evil to create this change. Or it can be someone that is just shifting his interests constantly and do not consciously "know" what anarchy is.

 

[jdrakeh]

1. how do you think a chaotic good pirate would act?

Much like Captain Jack Sparrow did in The Pirates of the Carribean movie, I imagine (as much as I hate to say that).

 

[gernboken]

Since you're a Fighter, alignment doesn't really matter.

actually i'm a bard. i'm finally at the point where i can start taking levels in the freeport pirate prestige class which is a fighter type, but he is a bard. so i gotta stay partially neutral.