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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shadowslayer" data-source="post: 2645226" data-attributes="member: 8400">I'd suggest rethinking the role alignment plays in your game.  I don't know your players and how they work, so I'll just tell you what I do.First, you have to determine for yourself what each alignment entails and write it all down.  Avoid making it cut and dried as far as actions go. For example, say something like a person who is Lawful Good will have an aversion to tomb robbing. Don't say a Lawful Good won't tomb rob...because thats relative to the reasoning behind it.  (Are you going down there just to to grab loot, or are you going down there because you need the Sword of Whoopass to destroy a particular baddie, and its currently buried with Good King Ralphie the 8th? he LG guy may hate having to go down there, but I haven't prevented him from doing it)So you have a list of philosophies for each alignment...they value this, they're averse to that etc. Give every player a copy.  Then let the players play their roles according to that. The rub is this...the players don't decide what alignment they are....I do, based on the guidelines I've laid out. (and their alignments are not kept secret from them)  If a player has been acting evil, fine, protection from evil spells will work against him, paladins will be able to detect him, and good aligned weapons will hurt him. Easy enough.When it comes to Paladins and PRCs that are supposed to be held to a higher standard of alignment, they may need a code or philosophy nailed down for them in the form of rules for their particular order. A paladin of Heironus will have a strict code, but may be slightly different from a paladin of St Cuthbert. They'll both be extreme LG but the phiolsophies behind them may be slightly different.So, I hope this helps. This way, you've given them the outline and the means of designating alignments, and now there's nothing for you to enforce.EDIT- In going back to your post I realize this may not be what you're actually asking. As for as your campaign story goes, how's this: Don't write one. Create a few initial adventures/options for them to bite at, then base the remainder on reactions to their actions. If they're treasure hunters, than base a larger scale scenario around that...maybe an ongoing battle with rival treasure hunters, then a point where both groups are after the same thing, then the reason and history behind the thing they're both after. etc etc But make it up as the campaign progresses. Its a way of keeping it fresh for you the DM too.(Ive always been foozled by DMs that had the entire metaplot, bad guy, overarching storylines, NPC allies and monster encounters drawn up before anyone's even sat down to roll up characters. I usually feel like I'm just being taken along on a tour. Just my opinion. The DMs I always enjoyed playing under were the ones that didn't plan too far ahead.)Its a "gaming truth" that if a player doesn't want to be heroic, then he won't enjoy being required to play heroic...no matter how you justify it. So you may as well come up with stuff they WILL like. Do it a little at a time.Hope this better answers your question.</blockquote>

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