Basic Human Fighter (or whatever) is in a local store sees an obviously poor man steal something.
How would each of the alignment's react in your opinion?
LG
NG
CG
LN
TN
CN
LE
NE
CE
I think this reveals an important issue - alignment vs. personality and goals.
Looking at LG for example, two different but equally LG personalities might for example, both decide to confront the guy stealing, but one would just offer to pay for his goods, feeling he couldn't afford them but did need them, whereas the other might ask him to put them back to avoid a crime being fully committed (in most conceptions of theft - not all, I think the laws of some US states actually differ from what's more typical worldwide here, but that's a separate discussion - if you don't demonstrate an "intent to permanently deprive" it's not really theft), and hell a third, especially one who was kindly, but stupid and thoughtless, and inconsiderate of consequences, might just make a fuss and get the guy arrested before he realized that this wasn't really terribly decent of him - hopefully he would then attempt to help the guy out with the consequences of that.
Likewise with LE - A particularly snotty-nosed and forthright individual who enjoys the persecution and punishment of others will immediately kick up a fuss and try and maximize the crime in the eyes of the law and maximize the problem to cause a thrill for himself. But another LE person might simply ignore the crime as not something he had any duty to interact with - this is the duty of the shopkeeper(s), their security (if any) and of the city guard. A third LE person, who is deeply selfish and perhaps cruel, but pays heavy lip-service to "civic virtue" might well report the individual, but not in the dramatic way the first did. I can even imagine an LE person who in fact is initially
de facto as helpful as the kindest LG person - i.e. buying the goods for the person, not reporting them, but who makes it very clear to that person that they now owe them - perhaps not financially but in a broader sense - or one who doesn't even do that, but is trying to buy the adoration of this person, so that they can use that adoration in a future scheme.
There's also a huge difference for a lot of the alignments depending on whether the goods being taken were:
A) Something someone might need to live - food, medicine, a blanket, shoes, etc.
B) Something less vital but more than just a luxury - like an educational book, or a tool for a trade.
C) Something that was a complete luxury - though this sometimes would open the question as to whether it's being taken to be resold and then the money used for something else - and thoughtless and reactionary characters, however good their intentions, will not necessarily think this one though.
Also the age of the person stealing - children will typically be treated differently to healthy adults, as will the elderly, quite likely.
And I think we're assuming the PC is acting purely on the superficial appearance of the situation - i.e. he doesn't know this person, but assumes them to be poor because of their attire, appearance and manner in which others are treating them. Because if that's not the case, that adds complexity too.
