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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 5234826" data-attributes="member: 22779">Just to expand on this point for a second.Game world morality is not based on any sort of cultural belief system.&nbsp; Game world morality is a physical reality.&nbsp; Good just isn't some sort of philosophy, it has just as much real existence as gravity or electricity.&nbsp; It's 100% objective.The game world morality has decided that a particular set of actions is always evil.&nbsp; Spells make the best example of this.&nbsp; Animate Dead, no matter what you actually use the spell for, is an evil act.&nbsp; Always.&nbsp; I could animate skeletons to save orphans from a burning building, and I've still commited an evil act (note the evil act is the spell, not saving the orphans).Now, they, the game designers, have decided that assassin=murder.&nbsp; Murder=evil.&nbsp; Therefore, assassin=evil.&nbsp; A sniper, in your example, isn't an assassin because he's not evil.&nbsp; I know that's a pretty facile example, but, trying to apply any sort of depth to D&amp;D morality is a morass that you will never dig your way out of.Also note, that just because a character is evil, does not make him incapable of performing good acts, or even being a hero.&nbsp; It's simply the way the universe describes that particular character.&nbsp; The sniper could be an assassin (and therefore evil) yet be a pretty nice guy, good with his kids, pays his taxes on time.&nbsp; He just belongs to a class which defines him as evil.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 5234826, member: 22779"] Just to expand on this point for a second. Game world morality is not based on any sort of cultural belief system. Game world morality is a physical reality. Good just isn't some sort of philosophy, it has just as much real existence as gravity or electricity. It's 100% objective. The game world morality has decided that a particular set of actions is always evil. Spells make the best example of this. Animate Dead, no matter what you actually use the spell for, is an evil act. Always. I could animate skeletons to save orphans from a burning building, and I've still commited an evil act (note the evil act is the spell, not saving the orphans). Now, they, the game designers, have decided that assassin=murder. Murder=evil. Therefore, assassin=evil. A sniper, in your example, isn't an assassin because he's not evil. I know that's a pretty facile example, but, trying to apply any sort of depth to D&D morality is a morass that you will never dig your way out of. Also note, that just because a character is evil, does not make him incapable of performing good acts, or even being a hero. It's simply the way the universe describes that particular character. The sniper could be an assassin (and therefore evil) yet be a pretty nice guy, good with his kids, pays his taxes on time. He just belongs to a class which defines him as evil. [/QUOTE]

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