Replacing Alignment with Character Arcs and Values

[Clint_L]

I quite like your initial character arc prompts. I would just encourage the players to choose one as a starting place but then see what that looks like as their adventures change and mold the character.

Think of Luke Skywalker - he starts out wanting to become a Jedi, like his father. But then he finds out that his father is Darth freaking Vader! So that really complicates things! Ironically, he doesn't wind up becoming a Jedi like his father; in fact, his whole heroic struggle is resisting becoming a Jedi like his father, so that he can finally become a Jedi like his father should have been. That's a heroic journey.

Edit: So I suggest the best way to encourage a heroic arc is to mess with their initial end goal! Add a serious complication, and let the player decide what to do with it. For example, revenge: "your goal is completed when you enact that revenge on the creature that wronged you." Okay, so as DM, I might make use that knowledge to add in-game reveals that make realizing the goal less black and white. Maybe the character learns that the creature that wronged them had good reasons, from their perspective (c.f. The Last of Us Part 2). Or maybe they learn that the creature that wronged them has grown and changed. Or maybe they have done terrible things but also good things. Or maybe they have innocent dependents. What if the heroic arc winds up actually being that the character chooses not to take revenge when they have the opportunity? How awesome would that be?

Throwing complications like that at the player will allow them to create the heroic arc...or maybe it becomes a villainous arc. Or something in the middle. But I bet it'll be way more satisfying as a game experience than something plotted out in advance.

 

[pemerton]

This blog by Jesse Burneko seems relevant: The Culture of Outcome

The discussion is a bit critical of the arc-type approach, but identifies some important technical considerations that it gives rise to, and offers some suggestions for design solutions.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Not complex. I’m just overly wordy lol. Tell me to write a 500 word essay for a class and I struggle. Catch me writing about something I like and it needs to be cut down to about 1/4 of what I wrote

If anything, we need MORE Gygaxain prose around here; not less.

 

[Sacrosanct]

If anything, we need MORE Gygaxain prose around here; not less.

The milieu of your game world is important, and will be described herein.

 

[MGibster]

Retain player agency, avoid punitive actions for players who stray, and give additional bonuses for those who get back on track. I'd like to find a way to emulate the Heroic Journey, where heroes hit a valley where they are challenged and have a moment of weakness, but if they come out, they are stronger for it.

I think maybe you encountered a bit more negativity at the beginning of this thread than you should have. I'm going to tell you what I like about this idea and I'm going to switch gears and tell you what I think the pitfalls are.

What I like most about this is that it's a decent way to get players engaged with the game. It also gives the DM a good idea of what player characters want to do. i.e. A DM will know to give opportunties for friendships to be developed/tested, to bring justice where necessary, to have an opportunity to survive a harrowing situation, etc., etc., etc.

I do see some potential difficulties though. The biggest problem for me is that the player sets a path for their character prior to the game even starting making it more difficult for them to make changes in response to the events of the campaign. (This was my biggest problem with prestige classes in 3rd edition. ) i.e. I'm on a courageous arc, but because of in game events I might become more interested in building a friendship with some NPCs. I might think twice about spending time doing that if I'm on a courageous path.

Also, you list order as good or evil which makes sense. But why is anarchy good only? It should also be good or evil.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I do see some potential difficulties though. The biggest problem for me is that the player sets a path for their character prior to the game even starting making it more difficult for them to make changes in response to the events of the campaign. (This was my biggest problem with prestige classes in 3rd edition. ) i.e. I'm on a courageous arc, but because of in game events I might become more interested in building a friendship with some NPCs. I might think twice about spending time doing that if I'm on a courageous path.

Also, you list order as good or evil which makes sense. But why is anarchy good only? It should also be good or evil.

Pitfalls noted, and if you see my revision, I think you'll find I agree