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An Ontology of D&D Alignment
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<blockquote data-quote="Big J Money" data-source="post: 7866201" data-attributes="member: 70533"><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>X. Facades</strong></span></p><p>Characters also needn’t be aware of how alignment works in the setting. If we say that a given Alignment System is a description of how alignment works in a DM’s campaign setting, then a Facade is how any given character thinks alignment works in the world around them.</p><p></p><p>Characters may be unaware of alignment and unaware that they are so. They may know alignment is significant, but realize they are unaware of exactly what is good vs bad, or lawful vs neutral sometimes. Or they may possess their own moral code; one that is untrue, or only partially true, but be convinced they are right. An NPC could be an omniscient deity that knows all these secrets; or, is posing as one and has convinced a PC of its lies.</p><p></p><p>“Facades” is plural because a DM can place different facades upon various individuals or groups in the setting. She may use an opaque alignment system and place a facade on the PCs (this may warrant two alignments -- revealed/believed and hidden/actual). Or make the alignment system fully transparent and allow the players to make up their own facades for their PCs, if they wish.</p><p></p><p>A facade is also in two parts:</p><p></p><p>Firstly, it is the meta-knowledge a character has about the nature of alignment. This ranges from 100% ignorance about the ways of the cosmos, to holding strong personal views about the nature of morality and order; whether correct or incorrect. A character may believe that evil is absolute (and be right or wrong about that), that law is subjective, be undecided on what they believe about anything, or choose not to have any opinion at all.</p><p></p><p>Secondly, a facade is the actual moral or ethical principles that the character espouses. A creature belives that X is the way they wish to live. X may be good, evil, lawful, chaotic or neutral. A creature may also mis-identify. They may believe X is the way they wish to live, and that X is good; while in actuality, X is neutral or evil.</p><p></p><p>Facades are optional. If there are none, it generally is because your objective alignment system is known and understood by the general populace. If alignment is fully subjective, in a sense everything is a facade; but nothing matters.</p><p></p><p>N.B.1: The most immediately significant facade for the DM to create is the status quo. This is what the PCs will rub up against on a regular basis, and perhaps will determine their own outlook.</p><p></p><p>N.B.2: Imagine a mythically chaotic evil creature with the facade that it is lawful good. Or that it believes it knows the nature of the cosmos, but incorrectly believes that nature to be pure subjectivity.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Big J Money, post: 7866201, member: 70533"] [SIZE=5][B]X. Facades[/B][/SIZE] Characters also needn’t be aware of how alignment works in the setting. If we say that a given Alignment System is a description of how alignment works in a DM’s campaign setting, then a Facade is how any given character thinks alignment works in the world around them. Characters may be unaware of alignment and unaware that they are so. They may know alignment is significant, but realize they are unaware of exactly what is good vs bad, or lawful vs neutral sometimes. Or they may possess their own moral code; one that is untrue, or only partially true, but be convinced they are right. An NPC could be an omniscient deity that knows all these secrets; or, is posing as one and has convinced a PC of its lies. “Facades” is plural because a DM can place different facades upon various individuals or groups in the setting. She may use an opaque alignment system and place a facade on the PCs (this may warrant two alignments -- revealed/believed and hidden/actual). Or make the alignment system fully transparent and allow the players to make up their own facades for their PCs, if they wish. A facade is also in two parts: Firstly, it is the meta-knowledge a character has about the nature of alignment. This ranges from 100% ignorance about the ways of the cosmos, to holding strong personal views about the nature of morality and order; whether correct or incorrect. A character may believe that evil is absolute (and be right or wrong about that), that law is subjective, be undecided on what they believe about anything, or choose not to have any opinion at all. Secondly, a facade is the actual moral or ethical principles that the character espouses. A creature belives that X is the way they wish to live. X may be good, evil, lawful, chaotic or neutral. A creature may also mis-identify. They may believe X is the way they wish to live, and that X is good; while in actuality, X is neutral or evil. Facades are optional. If there are none, it generally is because your objective alignment system is known and understood by the general populace. If alignment is fully subjective, in a sense everything is a facade; but nothing matters. N.B.1: The most immediately significant facade for the DM to create is the status quo. This is what the PCs will rub up against on a regular basis, and perhaps will determine their own outlook. N.B.2: Imagine a mythically chaotic evil creature with the facade that it is lawful good. Or that it believes it knows the nature of the cosmos, but incorrectly believes that nature to be pure subjectivity. [/QUOTE]
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