Chaosmancer
Legend
It is all we need with regard to how it will act in a moral sense. That's the context in which this discussion is taking place, so that's why we are saying that it's all you need. We don't need blurbs like, "Enjoys watching kids boil in oil." or "It will defend clergy with its life." We know the game circumstances surrounding the encounter. Those don't involve the moral decisions the NPC will make. All we do then is plug in alignment and go.
I knew I should have waited to post that last bit until I got to the new page.
"In a moral sense" is a pretty strange thing, when most NPCs aren't interacting with players in a moral sense.
If I need a shopkeeper, I don't need to know their alignment. I generally don't make shopkeepers greedy enough to cheat the players, because that ends up with them feeling like I am trying to cheat them. I have done it on occasion, but I rarely do.
What I really need is a personality. Bubbly, Gruff, Master Craftsman, overworked, ect ect ect. Those are much more helpful in roleplaying them than deciding if they are Chaotic Neutral or Lawful Good. Because that stuff doesn't tell me that Shava is a joyful alchemist who is always eager to see new things.