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

[FrozenNorth]

Which alignment? Basic, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th?

 

[FrozenNorth]

I find that it's three biggest usages are a) internet memes, B) causing disputes over what each alignment "actually" means, and C) causing internet drama.

Well, some people like drama.

 

[Li Shenron]

Necessary no, useful yes.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Yes, specifically when dealing with characters who receive their powers from Divine/Infernal/Nature (Good/Evil/Neutral) sources. You go against the teachings and beliefs of your deity and ignore the warnings? Then goodbye powers until you atone in some way. For Law and Chaos, I am much more fluid because I do not want those Absolutes in my games, and rather treat them as tendencies.

 

[Shadowedeyes]

For grand cosmological forces, maybe? But for the most part, no not really. I especially dislike it as a way to describe individuals and as a class "limiter."

 

[Maxperson]

When I posted the first time I forgot about new players. When I have a new player who is feeling overwhelmed by the game and/or is having a hard time coming up with a personality, I will refer them to alignment as an aid to their roleplay. It simplifies that portion and lets them ease into the game better. That's another good use for alignment.

 

[cbwjm]

I find it useful as a general descriptor for how a character will act. Someone lawful is unlikely to break the law to help the PCs, for instance. I can combine this with other descriptors to help role-play an NPC.

 

[payn]

I don't even think it's that useful. It's not too hard to draw up a character sketch where in different parts of that character's life they exhibit pretty different alignments in D&D terms. People (even fictional ones) are complex, and I don't find the broad strokes of the alignment system all that useful in explaining behaviour in any kind of useful way. YMMV of course.

Alignments can and do shift, at least for core book folk.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

It's shorthand. Actually pretty useful for new DMs (how would they know a Flumph is typically good?), but for veteran D&D DMs, more of a hindrance for their own plans, and they can decide the motivations of monsters/NPCs themselves.

 

[Fenris-77]

Alignments can and do shift, at least for core book folk.

Yeah yeah, I get that, for sure. What I'm talking about is different parts of one character's life exhibiting different alignments at the same time and on a continual basis.