Mapping Buffy the Vampire Slayer to DnD Alignment

[BookBarbarian]

I think Ethan Rayne would disagree on your perception of 'Ripper's' alignment.

The Mayor, though a villain, seems to also have some shades of gray. He has a loving father-daughter relationship with Faith and is very well mannered. I think both characters (and most other characters in Buffy) defy the generic alignment system of D&D.

Many evil people can love others. For example some serial killers had families that would never have guessed that their husband/father was living a double life. A single loving relationship does not tip the scales a way back to neutral when compared to orchestrating dozens/hundreds of murders and willingness to commit as many as is necessary to achieve one's goal.

The Mayor's relationship with Faith is meant to make this very evil character relatable and compelling. And it did that very well.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My house rule is caothic alignment means to be attuned to Nature or primal forces, or breaking rules by people with difference allegiance (religion, tribe, race, country, clan, guild.). I allow spells hurt enemies with same alignment but different allegiance, for example drow cleric vs orc shaman. I also allow characters with opposite aligment and allegiance. For example a evil character with good allegiance would be a zealot and a chaotic one with law allegiance may be a sherrif who breaks rule too many times.

The groups need rules to survive. A too anarchist group couldn't face a serious menace like in the teleserie "the walking dead".

 

[lluewhyn]

That really depends on the vampire. According to Buffy-lore, vampires are actually (lesser) demons who posses the soulless bodies of humans.

I thought that there's not actual demons, just a animation that was caused by a singular demon right before the demons were kicked out of the world? Kind of like the curse of Lycanthropy. All of these corpses are being reanimated by the magic/essence of the original demon, but filtered through the basic personality of the corpse itself.

That's why the vampires are "soulless", even though it's been established that demons have souls, because they're really just like more powerful zombies that function at a higher level because they have the memories and basic personality of the person whose body was turned, even though it's the same base drive ultimately pushing their actions through demonic necromancy. Also, a reason for why demons tend to universally dislike vampires, because they're more mockery of demons than real demons.

My $.02 on it anyway. Not like the show was ever 100% consistent.

 

[Imaculata]

I thought that there's not actual demons, just a animation that was caused by a singular demon right before the demons were kicked out of the world? Kind of like the curse of Lycanthropy. All of these corpses are being reanimated by the magic/essence of the original demon, but filtered through the basic personality of the corpse itself.

I think the show may be a bit inconsistent in that matter. I'm currently rewatching season 2 with a friend (who has never watched Buffy before), and in one of the episodes in season 2 it comes up. I believe it's either Buffy herself or Angel, who explains that vampirism is basically like a demon taking your dead body hostage, and twisting what remains of your personality into a cruel form. I think it may have been the episode "Lie to Me".

 

[Stalker0]

Generally to me most humans are neutral or unaligned, they have the flexibility to be what they need to be depending on circumstances.

The way I've always played alignment is that its a need or compulsion. If you are evil aligned....evil is what you do. You just can't help yourself, you will try to act good to fool others for a while but you can't help yourself, at some point you have to kick that puppy. Similar to a serial killer that feels compelled to kill.

 

[5ekyu]

The more interesting question about alignment is..
Should a single decision ever change your alignment?

No.

It might cause agencies, individuals etc to kick you to the curb, declare you outlaw etc but your alignment is FMG IMO a crude measure of your conduct overall.

One singular act does not change that.

 

[5ekyu]

Depends on the decision.

If your LG paladin decidec to murder whole orphanage he goes directly to CE.

If he has had enough of evil cultist and "red tape" of laws and codes for dealing with them and just storms the secret shrine, he might get only to CN.

If he steals for being hungry, I would not change the alignment right away.

Really?

So if a CE killer saves an orphanage from destruction, they jump to LG too?

 

[5ekyu]

I think Ethan Rayne would disagree on your perception of 'Ripper's' alignment.

The Mayor, though a villain, seems to also have some shades of gray. He has a loving father-daughter relationship with Faith and is very well mannered. I think both characters (and most other characters in Buffy) defy the generic alignment system of D&D.



That really depends on the vampire. According to Buffy-lore, vampires are actually (lesser) demons who posses the soulless bodies of humans. Not all vampires are chaotic in their actions. Some are quite methotical and lawful. In season 1 several vampires are loyal to the Master for example.

And remember when Buffy attacked a cop and lied to all her friends about Angel being back alive?

I think Ben would also disagree with Giles LG badge.

 

[Horwath]

Really?

So if a CE killer saves an orphanage from destruction, they jump to LG too?

not quite, you need lots of good deeds to right a wrong one.

 

[5ekyu]

not quite, you need lots of good deeds to right a wrong one.

Really? So, one really bad deed can throw one from LG to CE but there's what, a headwind going the other way?

Interesting.

When I see morality charted in games- old school alignment grid axis or even the VtM Humanity chart it has tended to be either shown as opposites but equals - shifts either way much the same- or center-biased (almost bell curved) where the farther from the middle the harder it was to go further extreme. Once you are comfy at saving/eating orphans you have to go bigger (not just save/eat more) like curing/causing a genocidal plague.

But either way, they tended to still be reachable the same ways - not so much flowing one way with a strong current making one extreme more attainable.