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

[Crimson Longinus]

These questions might be why you have trouble seeing the use in alignment.

Indeed. Actually thinking about it causes that as the bloody thing is completely incoherent.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

For monsters, Instinct, Moves and Tags do pretty much the same thing as alignment does, but with more clarity.

Barbed Devil's instinct: To rend flesh and spill blood and move Kill indiscriminately or Vampire's Instinct: To manipulate and moves Charm someone, Feed on their blood and Retreat to plan again give me much more than any alignment ever could.

Yes, those sound far more useful!

 

[Malmuria]

As they are in 5E, no. Alignment description specifically in 5E is so vague I can fit pretty much any character into any cell in the matrix with next to zero mental gymnastics.

Other than 5E, I think Dungeon World found the best way ever to handle alignments. Each class has a list of available alignments, each with a clear call to action. So, Fighter has:

• Good: Defend those weaker than you.
• Neutral: Defeat a worthy opponent.
• Evil: Kill a defenseless or surrendered enemy.

For monsters, Instinct, Moves and Tags do pretty much the same thing as alignment does, but with more clarity.

Barbed Devil's instinct: To rend flesh and spill blood and move Kill indiscriminately or Vampire's Instinct: To manipulate and moves Charm someone, Feed on their blood and Retreat to plan again give me much more than any alignment ever could.

I never actually read the dungeon world monster section! Just went and looked at it now. This is genius actually

Sprite Horde, Tiny, Stealthy, Magical, Devious, Intelligent Dagger (w[2d4] damage) 3 HP 0 Armor Hand
Special Qualities: Wings, Fey Magic
I’d classify them elementals, except that “being annoying” isn’t an element. Instinct: To play tricks

• Play a trick to expose someone’s true nature • Confuse their senses
• Craft an illusion

 

[Micah Sweet]

I still think the biggest issue is, they removed alignment, which while not without its flaws is a useful guidepost to a fair number of people, and replaced it with...nothing. The fact that they don't appear to have a better idea on deck leads me to think that this is a business and political decision, not a creative one. I can understand those reasons, but I'll never respect them.

 

[Maxperson]

Indeed. Actually thinking about it causes that as the bloody thing is completely incoherent.

Apparently only to third of us.

 

[Oofta]

I still think the biggest issue is, they removed alignment, which while not without its flaws is a useful guidepost to a fair number of people, and replaced it with...nothing. The fact that they don't appear to have a better idea on deck leads me to think that this is a business and political decision, not a creative one. I can understand those reasons, but I'll never respect them.

While I disagree (because it's just a default), I understand why labeling entire species with a label could be considered problematic. Individuals? WTF?

I agree, it feels like a knee jerk reaction from on high by people with no understanding of how the game works.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Apparently only to third of us.

Ok. So people who like alignment, answer this: does being lawful mean that you respect laws, traditions and societal rules in general, that you have some sort of personal code, that you're tactical and organised thinker, or something else? Because all these are different things.

Conversely does being chaotic mean that you're impulsive and reckless, that you don't believe in value of laws and traditions or something else?

 

[transmission89]

Ok. So people who like alignment, answer this: does being lawful mean that you respect laws, traditions and societal rules in general, that you have some sort of personal code, or that you're tactical and organised thinker or something else? Because all these are differnt things.

Conversely does being chaotic mean that you're impulsive and reckless, or that you don't believe in value of laws and traditions or something else?

Depends if you’re using nine or three point alignment....

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Depends if you’re using nine or three point alignment....

The current one. So nine.

 

[Oofta]

Ok. So people who like alignment, answer this: does being lawful mean that you respect laws, traditions and societal rules in general, that you have some sort of personal code, that you're tactical and organised thinker, or something else? Because all these are differnt things.

Conversely does being chaotic mean that you're impulsive and reckless, that you don't believe in value of laws and traditions or something else?

Only people who don't like alignment keep insisting that a lawful person must follow the laws of the land. It's dumb.

Of course a LG person isn't going to suddenly support rape because they step across a border where it is legal. A LE mafia boss isn't going to obey the law when eliminating enemies.

Same with chaotic. Chaotic doesn't mean insane, although of course someone insane could be chaotic. Or depending on their particular variation be lawful or in between.

As the PHB states: "[alignment] broadly describes its moral and personal attitudes. Alignment is a combination of two factors: one identifies morality (good, evil, or neutral), and the other describes attitudes toward society and order (lawful, chaotic, or neutral). "