Align this character.

[Trench]

Funny, the children thing makes me think "lawful." He has a plan - a very long-term one at that - and is working to bring it to fruition. If he were just in it to "have fun" then that might be more chaotic or neutral.

Bingo.

 

[Will]

I dunno if I really consider that a Lawful-level plan.

I mean, if I go around killing people because I want fear and respect, am I lawful? Not really... it's just some wacky idea I got in my head.

 

[Merkuri]

It's a weird plan when you stop to think about it, though...

Whether the plan makes sense or not isn't really relevant. Planning (especially long-term planning) is a quality of lawful people.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Whether the plan makes sense or not isn't really relevant. Planning (especially long-term planning) is a quality of lawful people.

I disagree. Lawful people may possibly be more prone to long term planning and are likely to make more detailed plans, but there is nothing in the RAW descriptions of law and chaos that indicated to me that planning itself is a lawful act. A "long term plan" which happens to consist entirely of short term pleasurable activities and may or may not include any real idea of how to make the plan work in the end doesn't point to lawful to me, personally.

 

[Klaus]

He may have a way of calling on his scions to form an army later on, through blood-is-thicker bounds (note the Gengis Khan mention).

As for "loyalty to friends", it was already explained above.

Think of alignment as a picture. If you only have one light source, your picture is "flat". But add a tenous backlighting, and the image "pops up" as tridimensional. With alignment it's the same. If you have an Evil character with only Evil traits, it becomes pastiche. Add in a Good trait or two, and the character becomes interesting and tridimensional.

 

[Arkhandus]

So, what's the verdict? I've heard every alignment offered up as an answer, so I'm eager to see what the bright minds of EN World have to say.

-TRRW

Lawful Evil, bordering on Lawful Neutral. But with good intentions! Not that good intentions have much to do with how evil someone really is for their actual actions.

I think he may be bipolar or suffering from multiple personality syndrome, though, and just not realizing it. The character, I mean. Players can run some rather odd, anachronistic characters.....

 

[Arkhandus]

I disagree. Lawful people may possibly be more prone to long term planning and are likely to make more detailed plans, but there is nothing in the RAW descriptions of law and chaos that indicated to me that planning itself is a lawful act.

The guy is Lawful mainly because of his personal code and consistent behavior, anyway, not from any kind of plans he may have.

He fits kind of well into the Lawful Evil description given in the 3.0 PHB.

 

[Tarek]

Conan had a strong personal code. Conan was not lawful; he routinely ignored the laws of the lands he was in.

Again, I have to put this out there: A personal code of ethics and conduct does not necessarily mean that the person is Lawful.

 

[Merkuri]

Again, I have to put this out there: A personal code of ethics and conduct does not necessarily mean that the person is Lawful.

I disagree. I think a personal code of ethics and conduct is exactly what makes one Lawful, or at least it is more Lawful than obeying the laws of the country you are in. After all, would you expect a paladin to obey the laws of an evil nation, things that included mandatory whipping of servants if they didn't bow when you walked past?

I like to think of the different alignments as summations of a person's character. They're very internal things. They often come out in the character's behavior, but it's possible to hold back and act against your alignment. Kinda like how alcoholics can choose not to drink, but they'll always be alcoholics on the inside.

 

[Nifft]

- He would never harm a child or defenseless person. neutral
- He wants to save the world from a tyrannical and thoroughly evil organization. very mildly chaotic
- He'll give the shirt off his back to a stranger if that would help them. good
- Staunchly loyal to his friends. chaotic -- lawful would be loyalty to an organization
- Won't keep rewards from quests, preferring to give it back to the town or to another worthy cause. good
- Uses torture as his primary questioning technique for prisoners. evil
- Has, on several occasions, beaten someone to death with their own limbs. (This was their punishment for a crime, most likely hurting children or the defenseless.) awesome -- killing bad guys is neither good nor evil
- A fervent believer in eugenics, he has sterilized many useless or stupid people along his travels. chaotic -- values individuals rather than organizations
- Seduces women in every town he comes across, hoping to sire an army along the way (ala Ghengis Khan). chaotic -- seeks to create a series of individuals rather than an organization

So:
Good +2
Evil +1
Lawful +0
Chaotic +3.1
Awesome +1

Verdict: Chaotic Neutral with Good and Awesome tendencies

Cheers, -- N