D&D 5E How do you measure, and enforce, alignment?

[Fractal Rabbit]

By and large I don't I don't enforce alignment other my no evil PC policy. Alignment is just one more descriptor amongst many that help define a character.

Where I use it is in determining how NPCs and monsters respond, how they see the world. This is based on the psychology 101 class from long ago. The theory is that everyone views the world through frameworks and preconceptions. Two people can look at exactly the same situation and have vastly different opinions on what is going on. One person may see a beggar on the street and have empathy for someone down on their luck while another may see someone who is lazy or unwilling to work. Yet another person would see someone that could be abducted and killed and no one would notice.

As another example, a lawful person may look at how a kingdom is being ruled and see a tyranny where title, not worth determines a person's value. Another may look at the same kingdom and see an organized structure that works for the people by giving them a sense of tradition and a proper place.

There's a lot of leeway in this concept, they are just general guidelines. There may often be conflict - a Chaotic Good character may not like the tight control a king has over his kingdom, but may realize that the option is worse. A Lawful Evil person may work to throw a kingdom into chaos so that in the long term a new regime may rise from the ashes.

In addition, people aren't always 100% consistent. Personal experience may soften the heart of a chaotic evil serial killer for very specific individuals. A lawful good paladin may have a blind spot and not realize the harm they are doing to innocents.

This.

Do I enforce Alignment? That thought had never entered my head until I spoke with someone (read, argued vociferously) with someone at a con years ago. And I still don't consider it.

Alignment is my tool to help me figure out how deities, monsters and NPCs (i.e. The World) will interact with the PCs.

-Does a paladin behave in a way that will cause him/her to lose their powers?

-Does a party act like Murder Hoboes?

-How does a dragon respond to people skulking around the horde?

I will almost never tell someone the way I interpret their alignment. The exception being paladins and clerics, and that just as a possible warning, and that consequences may be imminent.

Otherwise, play your character how you see fit. The consequences are yours.

 

[DeanP]

Alignment in my game is important, because it's part of what helps define the persona. It's the ethical and philosophical underpinnings of the character in a game in which the standards are: gods are real, angels and demons exist, and there's an afterlife for the souls in the standard D&D cosmos. I don't punish players for changes in alignment, but have (after seeing the character play out for a while) ruled that their alignment differs from what they noted on their character sheet. There's no mechanical punishment or reward for it, instead I hope its one of the tools the players use to help define and explore the character's persona. Mechanical consequences could come about if those shifts in alignment were caused by character actions that broke an oath, or code, etc. or other in-game RP experience, but the magnitude of the consequence is based on what occurred in the course of play, and not based on the change of alignment. In a world where the gods were nonexistent or ambiguous, I still find alignment useful as helping define character's persona. Ethical choices are a component of what brings a character to life.

 

[Shiroiken]

If a character isn't a divine spellcaster (Cleric, Druid, Paladin, or Ranger), I really don't care. I might occasionally use a magical effect that depends on alignment (such as a holy area in an evil realm that causes Fear in evil creatures, allowing a safe place to rest).

Divine casters have to stay near the ethos of their patron deity (paladin must exactly follow) or risk losing divine favor (i.e. abilities and spells). I always provide a warning from the deity before any sanctions are enforced (usually via. a dream or vision), and I allow the possibility of atonement (with appropriate quest/sacrifice).

 

[ccs]

I don't make it a big issue or pay particular attention to it for the most part. I guess I use moral relativity of the culture and era I live in now to model what is "good" and "evil". I generally do not allow evil PCs though unless I know and trust the player very well. IME, most times when a player wants to play an evil PC, it's just an excuse for them as a player to act like a selfish jerk.

So what you're saying is that you don't bother with it as long as the player chooses Good/Neutral....

And what happens if the player chooses Good/Neutral & then plays as a selfish jerk? You don't have to be evil to be an ass you know.

 

[cbwjm]

Isn't selfish jerk neutral evil?

 

[Sunseeker]

In short, alignments are enforced in my games via reactions to player actions. The reaction of the deity (who may not always be looking), the reaction of their fellow party members and the reaction of NPCs (guards, townsfolk, courts, etc...). If a player says they are lawful good, but neither upholds the law nor does good deeds will not be perceived as lawful good. This will deprive them of certain avenues of conflict resolution (though it may open others), availability of certain quests and the loss (or gain) or favor from NPCs of note. Your actions will also affect now NPCs interact with your fellow party members. People who want "dirty deeds, done for cheap" may not approach the party thief who pals around with a paladin for fear that the thief will just turn in the criminal and not do the job.

I can't control what the players do, what they think of their actions or how their characters rationalize actions that may not fit with their alignment. All I can do is control how others respond to their actions. When it comes to deities I go by what it says in their book that they support as to if the players action falls into alignment with them. There's always fudge room and most deities are more concerned with the "big picture" and "deeds of great note" than every minor action you may take.

 

[MechaPilot]

Generally, I don't use alignment for PCs. I have the players write up and give me lists of goals, motivations, etc. and that tells me a lot more about the PCs than alignment would.

That said, alignment can be a handy shorthand for roleplaying NPCs. Of course, when I create NPCs I also give them motivations too. Next to their alignment, I'll insert symbols like "$," a small b&w circle, a blackened teardrop, etc. (representing wealth, power, and vengeance, respectively, as goals/motives).

 

[Ratskinner]

As various alignment "meme" images might suggest, I just don't find alignment specific enough to attempt "enforcement".

However, I do like mechanics which incentivize behavior, but they generally work best for far more specific motivations and behavior than alignment describe. See the "Sweet 20 experience system." on line.

 

[Raith5]

Alignment is not a big issue at my 5e table (but then again I havent seen alignment as being important since 2e). It is not used by the DM to rule on behavior. I have no idea what alignment my fellow PCs are - they all play as kinda Neutral Good. Race, Class, region and Bonds are more important determinate in shaping play.

 

[transtemporal]

I take a PCs alignment when they first create their character as an aspirational thing. Over time the character's actions really determine whether they are that alignment or not but I don't usually ask PCs to change their alignment unless they do something pretty significantly contrary to their professed alignment. I don't disallow any alignment, with the caveat that evil characters can't be cartoony evil.