Is this NPC still Evil?

[ReeboKesh]

Hey guys just need some advice regarding an NPC in my upcoming game.

Basically 10 years prior to the PCs meeting him he was a NE Rogue who stole a Holy Artifact from a major church. He intended to ransom the item back to the church but fear took hold of him and he went on the run with the Holy Artifact instead.

Eventually he settled himself in a remote village and started to work the life of an honest man, starting his own legitimate business. During those 10 years he has been an upstanding citizen and done much for the community. He has wanted to return the Holy Artifact but fears getting caught in the process and being executed for his past crime.

So my question is - Do you think this Rogue is still Evil, if so why?
If not, what alignment would he be now?

Thanks in advance
Reebo

 

[Chris Knapp]

My opinion is that your alignment is what you are, not what you were.

That said, trying to pidgeon-hole complex characters into one of 9 alignments (in 3E, 5 in 4E) makes for some interesting results, especially when dealing with game mechanics such as typed damage that effects the good/evil or law/chaos axis. Would the victimized church's paladin's holy avenger still affect the NPC as if he were evil? Does the offended god still see him as evil? Or does your campaign world accept that evil and good are merely social constructs and not the D&Dism of quantifiable values measured on some meta-scale?

 

[Aeson]

To the church and the paladin he may be a villian but I don't think his alignment would be evil after all that time. Were his acts for the community acts of atonement? What will happen when (I assume the party is after the artifact) when the party attempts to recover it?

 

[LostSoul]

No, because it'll be more interesting that way.

 

[Starfox]

Actually, I'm not convinced he was evil even back in the days. Mere theft can be just chaotic, especially for a lone thief against a monolithic organization.

 

[ReeboKesh]

Guys you pretty much confirmed my thoughts that he wouldn't be evil after all this time, just scared. As LostSoul put it, should make for an interesting NPC.
Thanks
Reebo

 

[amerigoV]

I always view it that you are neutral unless you consistently exhibit extreme behavior of another alignment (ie, I view all other alignments as extremes). Its just like getting a grade in class. You only get an A if all your work are As. You might be able to slip in a B on a couple of small quizzes, that is it. But, you can get a C a whole bunch of ways: all C's, alternating As and Fs, alternating Bs and Ds, etc.

Your boy is C material...I mean nuetral.

 

[Dausuul]

Hey guys just need some advice regarding an NPC in my upcoming game.

Basically 10 years prior to the PCs meeting him he was a NE Rogue who stole a Holy Artifact from a major church. He intended to ransom the item back to the church but fear took hold of him and he went on the run with the Holy Artifact instead.

Eventually he settled himself in a remote village and started to work the life of an honest man, starting his own legitimate business. During those 10 years he has been an upstanding citizen and done much for the community. He has wanted to return the Holy Artifact but fears getting caught in the process and being executed for his past crime.

So my question is - Do you think this Rogue is still Evil, if so why?
If not, what alignment would he be now?

Thanks in advance
Reebo

I say no. He's either True Neutral or Neutral Good, depending on his primary motivation for being an upstanding citizen and doing much for the community (genuine repentance and wish to help others = Good, wish to make sure nobody digs into his past and uncovers his misdeeds = Neutral).

Based on his involvement in the community, he would be Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral, but the fact that he's still holding onto the artifact disqualifies him for Lawful alignment.

Caveat, however: If the artifact's loss has had serious ramifications for the church - e.g., people suffering and dying who otherwise would not have done - and he knows this is happening, then I don't think he can qualify for Good alignment even if he has genuinely Good motivations. Under those circumstances, a truly Good character would return the artifact even at risk of punishment.

(If I were running the campaign, I'd probably have the church create a fake to hide the loss of the real artifact. Then the villains hit the church and steal the fake. The rogue has heard about this and is now living in terror, because he knows that the moment the villains discover their mistake, they'll be on his trail... at some point he might get a chance for redemption by sacrificing himself to delay the villains while the PCs escape with the artifact.)

 

[vagabundo]

Not evil any more, just a tired old man. Evil is a young man's game.

 

[Haltherrion]

So my question is - Do you think this Rogue is still Evil, if so why?
If not, what alignment would he be now?

I tend to define evil as selfishness: do you act without regard to others. There can be minor evil and major evil and maybe EVIL for a demon who has dwelled in the Abyss for millenia.

As for your thief, most likely I would peg him as at least neutral if not good. I would only keep him evil if his current life is all a facade, part of his attempt to hide and he would quickly go back to thieving given the chance.