Beyond Alignment #2: Knowledge of the Gods

[Warden]

Law is more than just a hierarchal grouping of society, religion, and organization; it is the very fabric of realism that holds existence together. From the impact of an earthworm in the ground to the actions of powerful gods in their planar domains, the realm of cause and reaction reaches beyond the scope of many mortals...but some seek to claim that knowledge and use it to empower themselves beyond mortality.

The second installment of Beyond Alignment delves into a section of Chapter Four: Law for the upcoming Campaign Options: Alignment. To read this offering, go to http://www.emeraldpress.net/alignment.html and please feel free to post your comments here or on our own message boards.

 

[PlotDevice]

Law, Defining, Meaning

I think this is obfiscating rather than enlightening.

The base premise is that lawful characters are either servile to order or questing for definitions. The article goes on to explain the latter case, indicating that at heart a lawful character is searching for meaning.

Inversion argument: The argument here implies that Chaos is without meaning. To be more specific; someone on "the path of law" that is spoken of is seeking a meaning for existance, which infers that the opposing alignment is not. For this reason, I hesitate to attribute the existential question to an alignment.

It seems to me that this article blurs the line between structure and meaning. They are different concepts, and should not, IMHO, be so simplistically identified with eachother.

I am certain that, given the assumption of the alignment system's existance, chaotics would have existential angst as much as neutrals or lawfuls.

Just my 2c.

 

[Yair]

I think this is obfiscating rather than enlightening.

The base premise is that lawful characters are either servile to order or questing for definitions. The article goes on to explain the latter case, indicating that at heart a lawful character is searching for meaning.

Inversion argument: The argument here implies that Chaos is without meaning. To be more specific; someone on "the path of law" that is spoken of is seeking a meaning for existance, which infers that the opposing alignment is not. For this reason, I hesitate to attribute the existential question to an alignment.

It seems to me that this article blurs the line between structure and meaning. They are different concepts, and should not, IMHO, be so simplistically identified with eachother.

I am certain that, given the assumption of the alignment system's existance, chaotics would have existential angst as much as neutrals or lawfuls.

Just my 2c.

While I agree the two questions are not linked, remember that this is only an option. If it invokes a deeper or more excited play from any player or DM, then it serves its purpose in my mind.

I personally find the idea intriguing. It is truly an "adult" product, and not in the BoVD sense. That sounds promising.

 

[Warden]

I am certain that, given the assumption of the alignment system's existance, chaotics would have existential angst as much as neutrals or lawfuls.

Just my 2c.

If anything, lawful and netural characters could have MORE angst over exitential laws because their nature make them consider and attempt to understand their surroundings. Lawful characters seek to gain knowledge in order to adapt and gain from it (be they good or evil) while neutral characters look for the empty space in the line to join in and maintain it all. Failure by either side to do so is the greatest cause for this. Chaotic characters, from my translation, really do not care too much and could be some of the most relaxed individuals with regards to the fate of worlds. The universe is what it is, so be it. "It doesn't control me." Chaos is a greater alignment for individuals, so unless it directly involves the person, they may have a tendency not to care.

On the flip side, too, they could be even more destructive about it, cursing all life for being there. Possibly a chaos-evil combination, I really haven't worked that out yet.

Each of the chapters is this book tackle the different aspects of the alignment system seperately, and remain disassociated with each other in most regards. For example, the trick to writing Good was to seperate it from Evil, which is commonly the general means to determining good behaviour was by abstaining from evil actions. Therefore, if you find topics, discussions, or sentences, that do not balance it off with other alignments, it is quite possible to find a variant theme in another chapter (once the book is published, that is). The goal was to present each alignment's traits and discussions on their own for those only interested in reading on one particular aspect and these topics were taken directly from those chapters.