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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 1841866" data-attributes="member: 20323">ditch alignment, use reputationStormborn and Rafael, it sounds like you're going to be in a game where the usual black/white morality of fantasy won't apply. My suggestion, in this case, is to adopt a reputation system instead of alignment, and possibly incorporate personality feats (a free download for the dynasties & demagogues book is available at Atlas games website which contains a description of personality feats). Alignment is meant to mimic the character's internal compass, and personality feats do a much better job of this. Reputations provide insight into a character's morality, but are not his morality, and neither do they confine him to code of conduct. Instead, there are consequences for every action. A paladin may lose reputation by thievery or gain it by defending a temple (perhaps the term "paladin" itself is a reputation). Reputation is the outside world looking at the character and making some kind of judgement. Here's how reputations work...REPUTATIONS- Reputations are qualified by (the reputation) (a numberical modifier) (who the reputation applies to) (description). Now, reputation is a double edged sword because while you get bonuses to social rolls with some people, you have penalties with others (as described in the reputation itself)- Example: Rain maker (4) among the Ngozo tribe. The character is known for calling rain and controlling the weather for the Ngozo chief; this reputation is directly related to his loyalty to the Ngozo. Other local tribes may have heard of him, but he doesn't get any modifier with them. The enemies of the Ngozo consider the character a prime target to hold for ransom, or to weaken the Ngozo before a raid; their enemies believe in his powers.Thus, if he wanted to win the favor of the chief, he could promise an abundance of rain for crops that year, gaining +4 Diplomacy. Alternately, if he threatens a local warlord living in the floodplains with a disastrous monsoon, he would get +4 Intimidate. Now, if the rain maker needs to travel disguised through enemy territory, and comes across a group of enemy scouts who have heard stories of how this rain maker looks, he would get -4 Disguise. When he is taken as prisoner back to their camp, the enemy chief has heard of his abilities. In exchange for his life, the enemy chief demands he cause a terrible storm to strike the Ngozo lands. The character refuses, and right before he is killed, his allies rescue him! When the chief of the Ngozo hears of the character's loyalty, he is greatly impressed! The character's reputation as Rain maker increases to (+6) among the Ngozo.GAINING REPUTATION- Whenever you give out experience, or whenever you (DM) are trying to manage or find information (you know when the players just start talking amongst themselves), tell them to ponder how their character's reputations have changed. A decent rule is to allow each character 2 reputation points per level after first; in a sense everyone is neutral at first level. Alternately, if everyone's willing to do more prep work, you could assign 8 points of reputation to each character at the beginning of the game. Reputations have the same maximum value as class skills (i.e. 4 at 1st, 5 at 2nd, etc).-Buying reputation (variant): Players spend experience to "purchase" reputations, at a cost of 100 exp per point of reputation; the maximum values remain the same. These reputations must reflect in game actions, or fit in with the character's overall personality and archetype.-Encouraging role-play (variant): Only those experience points gained through the use of the character's personality feat can be used to buy reputation (As above). Thus, a character's force of personality is needed to fuel a reputation as are his actions.</blockquote>

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