D&D General Discworld alignments

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Where other men think about Rome every day, I think about Discworld, which I suspect is healthier all around.

Anyway, while I was driving, I was thinking about alignments and Discworld. I didn't back the latest Discworld RPG, but I don't think alignment is part of it. That said, the Colour of Magic especially wears its RPG roots on its sleeve, so I like to think Sir Terry, were he with us, would gladly play along here:

Lawful Good: Carrot Ironfoundersson, Samuel Vimes
Neutral Good: Esmerelda Weatherwax, Igor, Tiffany Aching
Chaotic Good: Gytha Ogg
Lawful Neutral: Mr. Slant, Mustrum Ridcully (wizards are very keen on tradition, order and predictability, especially regarding mealtimes), golems
Neutral: Havelock Vetinari (he talks a good game about society's rules, but constantly works to subvert them), Death, Rincewind
Chaotic Neutral: Cohen the Barbarian, Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, Moist von Lipwig, Nobby Nobbs, Nac Mac Feegle
Lawful Evil: Auditors of Reality
Neutral Evil: Reacher Gilt, Mr. Tulip
Chaotic Evil: Elves, Mr. Teatime

 

[Necropolitan]

Vetinari is Lawful Neutral.

He acts to preserve his vision of order and doesn't even break his own laws since as Patrician he has the legal precedent of Quia ego sic dico when it comes to things like what happened with Moist Von Lipwig.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Vetinari is Lawful Neutral.

He acts to preserve his vision of order and doesn't even break his own laws since as Patrician he has the legal precedent of Quia ego sic dico when it comes to things like what happened with Moist Von Lipwig.

I dunno. I feel like Lawful Neutral would be about adherence to the rules, not "I'll make up new rules."

 

[CreamCloud0]

Discworld alignments feel like they're actually set on the axis's of trope/genre savvy<->trope/genre unaware VS plays to them<->defies them

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Discworld alignments feel like they're actually set on the axis's of trope/genre savvy<->trope/genre unaware VS plays to them<->defies them

That's definitely true for some characters. That doesn't stop Granny Weatherwax from following a strong moral code, though.

 

[Necropolitan]

I dunno. I feel like Lawful Neutral would be about adherence to the rules, not "I'll make up new rules."

Vetinari is focused on order. He only bends or breaks the rules when it serves to protect or strengthen his vision of order.

When he identifies a useful but chaotic element (like Moist) he seeks to make it so they either want to support his vision or it's in their best interests to do so.

He doesn't try to dam rivers, he focuses on redirecting them where he wants them to go.

 

[Bohandas]

I think Death is Lawful. He doesn't like a lot of the rules but he seems intrinsically unable to actually break them

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think Death is Lawful. He doesn't like a lot of the rules but he seems intrinsically unable to actually break them

Yeah, I thought about him possibly being Lawful Neutral. I could even see an argument that he's Lawful Good.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Where other men think about Rome every day, I think about Discworld, which I suspect is healthier all around.

Also, Roman emperor alignments: They're all Lawful Neutral except for all the ones who are Lawful Evil and the handful who are Chaotic Evil.

 

[MGibster]

Where other men think about Rome every day, I think about Discworld, which I suspect is healthier all around.

It's healthier so long as you don't drink the water flowing through the Ankh. Though, to be honest, the water doesn't so much flow as it oozes.

Anyway, while I was driving, I was thinking about alignments and Discworld. I didn't back the latest Discworld RPG, but I don't think alignment is part of it. That said, the Colour of Magic especially wears its RPG roots on its sleeve, so I like to think Sir Terry, were he with us, would gladly play along here:

While I kind of like alignment, it kind of breaks down when you take it out of context of the game it was originally designed for. That said, it's always fun to take a mallet, forcing those square pegs into round holes.

Neutral Good: Esmerelda Weatherwax, Igor, Tiffany Aching

I'd agree with this. A NG person will try to help someone according to their needs. In one book, Magrat tells some villagers "invisible monsters" are getting into their well water because they dug it too close to the latrines and ignore her advice to boil it before drinking. Granny comes along and tells them the well water needs to be boiled otherwise it'll attract trolls and they take her advice.

Neutral: Havelock Vetinari

I've got to put Havelock in the LN category. A LN person "acts in accordance with law, tradition, or personal code." I think Havelock gets quite a bit of satisfaction from seeing Ankh-Morpork run efficiently and while he's willing to use some underhanded methods he's not a fan of wonton destruction. I'd even argue he might be LN but his glaring character flaw is a tendency towards good. I'd also place Death in the Lawful Neutral pile as well. He follows either his own code or the immutable laws of the universe. He makes it a point to show up to ever king and witches death after all.

Lawful Good: Carrot Ironfoundersson, Samuel Vimes

Carrot is definitely LG. Vimes....eh.....I think he might lean more towards Chaotic Good.