D&D 5E Do you find alignment useful in any way?

[BookTenTiger]

I've played 2e, 3e, 4e, and 5e, and I've never found it to be too useful. I usually stop caring about alignment about three sessions into a campaign.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I find it useful for understanding characters outside D&D

Redirect Notice

 

[Mistwell]

I find it useful for understanding characters outside D&D

Redirect Notice

Yeah that's the branding issue I raised in another thread. It's one of the things people recognize, in a positive way, about the game even if they've never played the game. It's so iconic it crossed over into general usage.

 

[Sithlord]

I like holy weapons and adventures that are about good overcoming evil. So yes. I also enjoy modrons and inevitables.

 

[Aldarc]

Specifically in a Moorcockian game I'm ok with Law and Chaos, as is does a lot more work than alignment in D&D generally.

THIS

 

[Fenris-77]

THIS

If alignment in D&D did the same work I'd probably consider using it, but it's more like an atrophied limb as things stand.

 

[Gadget]

I don't find alignment terribly useful in regard to characters, and many NPCs, but there is a use with regard to monster types (i.e. undead, fiends, celestials, etc) and certain types of mechanics (hallow, Protection from..., and certain items, like only a pure in heart can wield the holy avenger). I've never been a big fan of the 9-alignment system and the way it had been used by some as a straitjacket, but I do like the idea of certain powers being holy/good and unholy/evil, and these powers being uniquely affected in a mechanical way.

I'm not entirely happy with the with the way 5e implemented the Protection From..., Detect..., Dispel..., Divine/Holy Word type spells, though I do understand and generally approve of the need to divorce alignment from the mechanics.

 

[Marc Radle]

I am a big fan of Alignment and honestly hate this trend toward trying to do away with it.

 

[TrueAlphaGamer]

Yes. It helps give a framework for how a character might act, and is one of the things that makes D&D unique. I think one of my first interactions with the concepts of D&D was through all those alignment chart memes of characters from pop culture, which I could recognize and understand even before I knew anything about the game.

Also, it helps tell things apart at a glance. If they weren't labeled as lawful good, I would probably expect a blink dog or a flumph to be an adversary to the players if I was just leafing through the Monster Manual.

 

[Nikosandros]

No. As I posted elsewhere, alignement as present in 5e does nothing for me. I like alignement in AD&D.