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I hate Chaotic Neutral
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<blockquote data-quote="Cavalorn" data-source="post: 2492848" data-attributes="member: 15377"><p>CN is often problematic because it's unclear whether the person is supposed to have a Chaos-based ideology or an idiosyncratic value system. That is, do they value Chaos as an abstract principle (in the same way that a lawful character might honour Law in the abstract) or do they use chaos as a license to do as they like, without sliding too far into the realms of evil or good.</p><p></p><p>In the former case, the character would be obliged to support the <em>cause</em> of chaos. He'd have a moral obligation to sabotage, upset or undermine instances of entrenched Law. That gives the DM a handle - something that the character is interested in and obliged to, other than his own whims.</p><p></p><p>Case in point (spoiler for Planescape the computer game):</p><p></p><p>[sblock]Ravel Puzzlewell tries to free the Lady of Pain from the 'cage' of Sigil, because she cannot abide imprisonment. That's chaotic.[/sblock]</p><p></p><p>When a character with a CN alignment is just covering his own freedom to do as he pleases, I'd say the forefeit would be the loss of implicit freedoms that other people enjoy without pausing to think about it. Characters take it for granted that they can use a city or town's resources, but the truth is that there's an unspoken agreement between merchant and client that the latter is of 'good character'. To the rest of the world, CN equals the Seal of Untrustworthiness. A bartender wouldn't want chaotics staying in his rooms, a shop wouldn't want chaotics browsing it, even a patron would be hesitant about paying chaotics in advance for a mission. For all any of them know, the CN character could just 'change his mind'.</p><p></p><p>So, there are two strategies there. Either present the player with affronts against the Chaos that he values as a principle, or present him with the price of being chaotically aligned in a system that has an implicit regard for law.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cavalorn, post: 2492848, member: 15377"] CN is often problematic because it's unclear whether the person is supposed to have a Chaos-based ideology or an idiosyncratic value system. That is, do they value Chaos as an abstract principle (in the same way that a lawful character might honour Law in the abstract) or do they use chaos as a license to do as they like, without sliding too far into the realms of evil or good. In the former case, the character would be obliged to support the [i]cause[/i] of chaos. He'd have a moral obligation to sabotage, upset or undermine instances of entrenched Law. That gives the DM a handle - something that the character is interested in and obliged to, other than his own whims. Case in point (spoiler for Planescape the computer game): [sblock]Ravel Puzzlewell tries to free the Lady of Pain from the 'cage' of Sigil, because she cannot abide imprisonment. That's chaotic.[/sblock] When a character with a CN alignment is just covering his own freedom to do as he pleases, I'd say the forefeit would be the loss of implicit freedoms that other people enjoy without pausing to think about it. Characters take it for granted that they can use a city or town's resources, but the truth is that there's an unspoken agreement between merchant and client that the latter is of 'good character'. To the rest of the world, CN equals the Seal of Untrustworthiness. A bartender wouldn't want chaotics staying in his rooms, a shop wouldn't want chaotics browsing it, even a patron would be hesitant about paying chaotics in advance for a mission. For all any of them know, the CN character could just 'change his mind'. So, there are two strategies there. Either present the player with affronts against the Chaos that he values as a principle, or present him with the price of being chaotically aligned in a system that has an implicit regard for law. [/QUOTE]
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