Alignment Contriversy

[Klaus]

All right, hypothetical situation you might encounter in DnD. Your party is up against a Cult who's aim is to destroy the world so their dark god can eat every soul on the planet and damn them for eternity. You capture one of these cultists but you have no idea where the evil ritual is taking place, not even a clue. The ritual's going down soon, you could have a matter of hours before everything you know and cherish is sucked into a place worse than Hell.

Assuming that you don't have some sort of Mind Probe spell, do you torture the cultist for the whereabouts of their headquarters?

If you want a more realistic situation that posits why a good person might torture someone else, watch the original Dirty Harry.

Sure thing, torture away. Just change that "G" in the alignment section to a "N" and be done with it. Later on, as you repent, atone and angst, you can go back to being a "G".

As for the OP's character, his strict adherence to "honorable" behaviour (no ambushes or guerilla, strict punishment for the guilty, etc) earns him a "L". If he treats others fairly and without undue violence (smite the evildoer, but don't torture him after he's aprehended), then a "G" might be in order.

Just remember, "LG" doesn't mean "Paladin".

 

[prospero63]

I've never been a big fan of "alignment" defining the character. Rather, I tend to prefer letting folks actions dictate what their alignment is. Play the character for a while, and the alignment he/she really is will show itself...

 

[rawgt3]

Well for one He would'nt provoke cops he would just think it. e.g. PC is walking down the road and is in a hurry when he comes upon a traffic jam. A sign says "stay on the road".He looks around, no cops so he gets off the road and runs passes the crowd. However, if breaking the law would be more trouble than its worth, then he would reluctanty remain on the road and maybe latter ask a cop about it and try to fix it. Secondly, he would'nt rip the face off of an unsuspecting bad-doer . He follows the 3 strike method. 1) notify the guilty one of his crime and try to persuade him to change. 2) Warn the guilty of the long-term and short-term consiquences of their behavior. 3) challenge the evil-doer to a nonlethal fight.

 

[Herobizkit]

TMy PC belives in two things primarily: chivalry and harmony with nature. He tries to like as honorably as he can and fight the
fair fight -- Which to him includes various "dishonorable acts" if necessary.

Chivalry is a personal code of how one conducts oneself on the battlefield. As a ranger, you're neither required or expected to give quarter when asked, fight other opponents fairly, or give just treatment to prisoners. It's a GOOD thing that you're trying to act honorably, but given that you're not willing to do it all the time suggests that you have a more CHAOTIC view on the hows and whys of what you do.

Lawful people follow the rules all the time. Neutral people follow the rules when it is in the best interest of the self. Chaotic people don't follow the rules. The fact that you break your own rules suggests a Chaotic alignment.

Combine this with his helpful, benevolent attitude toward others and nature (Nature itself being a generally Neutral to Chaotic entity), I'd call him Chaotic Good and be happy with is.

FWIW, almost every ranger I've ever seen played is CG.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I played a quite fun Neutral Evil ranger, was essentially a highwayman

 

[frankthedm]

Chaotic Good: Laws don't serve the people, they serve the people in power. Law inhibits the ability to do good by placing restrictions on when, how and where doing the right thing is appropriate. Doing the right thing should always be appropriate, no matter the circumstance. Of course, one must be intelligent and cunning in promoting good because evil is insidious. Evil can use and abuse the Law to its own benefit. The only true way to fight evil is to ignore the Law and terminate it by whatever means necessary. Once identified, evil can thus be swiftly destroyed without relying on the courts and legalities that evil flaunts so effectively.

Much better said than the PHB.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Actually that reminds me of Natural Law = Chaotic Good vs. Positive Law = Lawful Good.

If any of you have taken a Law course you will know what I am talking about.

 

[Orius]

drum roll please....

POST #2000!

Well, I answered the quizes correctly dave and alignment does matter cause we have alot of organizations in the game. My PC's church is ehlonna but he also likes the church of heironieus,
guards of the green and disiples of legend (all in CC)but he does'nt want conflicting loyalties or some of their xtremist veiws. The GM belives strongly that I should be NG ,but he is also very prejudiced: LG= insensitive and stupid CG= "I wont obey you out of spite". I've tried persuading him to be more open minded but to little effect.

Off the top of my head, you said you're playing a ranger, and I'm guessing you're using 3e rules. If it is 3e, alignment really doesn't make a big deal. Pre-3e, rangers had to be good, but if you're playing 3e, you don't hav eto worry.

However, your DM sounds like a potential rule-stomper. If he doesn't make a big deal about alignment in game then don't worry. OTOH, if he's the type that likes to say, "That's against your alignment!!!11!!1!", then it might make a difference.

 

[Maldor]

All right, hypothetical situation you might encounter in DnD. Your party is up against a Cult who's aim is to destroy the world so their dark god can eat every soul on the planet and damn them for eternity. You capture one of these cultists but you have no idea where the evil ritual is taking place, not even a clue. The ritual's going down soon, you could have a matter of hours before everything you know and cherish is sucked into a place worse than Hell.

Assuming that you don't have some sort of Mind Probe spell, do you torture the cultist for the whereabouts of their headquarters?

why bother the guy is a mimber of a sucide cult who about the drunk the world in the grape kool-aid he's not going to tell you at least not the truth

If you want a more realistic situation that posits why a good person might torture someone else, watch the original Dirty Harry.

Torture is evil even when done for good reasons and good person might be able to bring themself to torture someone but they should feel very remorseful and repentant it is a pretty big evil to beyond most evil spells so they should pray hard

 

[Ipissimus]

Sure thing, torture away. Just change that "G" in the alignment section to a "N" and be done with it. Later on, as you repent, atone and angst, you can go back to being a "G".

why bother the guy is a mimber of a sucide cult who about the drunk the world in the grape kool-aid he's not going to tell you at least not the truth

Torture is evil even when done for good reasons and good person might be able to bring themself to torture someone but they should feel very remorseful and repentant it is a pretty big evil to beyond most evil spells so they should pray hard

As to Maldor's first point, I'll grant that it may not work. But then, it might. If you had a choice between a chance and no chance at all, I personally think you'd have to be crazy yourself not to take the chance.

As for the rest, I agree, torture is evil. But then again, so is killing things and taking their stuff. If killing doesn't violate a character's alignment, why would torture? Particularly if your motivations are pure? Does the ends justify the means? No. But why seek justification? Yes, placed in that position, a good person would regret the necessity for the torture but sometimes you face situations where you have no choice and being squeamish will doom others.

When good men do nothing, it is evil enough. Sometimes, that means you have to do things you don't like.

Much better said than the PHB.

Thank you.