Not another take on alignment

[AngelTears]

There are many ways in which alignment can be handled alignment can be understood to be absolutes. There is good and there is evil. Evil will try to reign and good must continuously vanquish it.

This is something that I often thought about when I have read abut alignment in D&D supplements. I can agree in the confines that the world itself is a world that involves absolutes such as this, but the logic in itself is too simplistic.

Here are a few questions I would like to have answered:

Should alignment be an absolute?

Should your arch foe be evil through and through or should he show characteristics that make him human after all?

Should allies and enemies show moral ambiguity?

What kind of effect does alignment have on the nature of the story?

What is the role of alignment in game play?

What is the form and function of alignment in D&D?

Is alignment flexible enough to be able to incorporate other themes?

What is the advantage of having an alignment?

What is the disadvantage of having an alignment?

What is the purpose alignment serves within the game? Can it serve many purposes?

How strictly should characters and creatures be categorized by alignment?

Are there any other thoughts of alignment that should be explored in more detail?

 

[UltimaGabe]

Alignments are never absolutes. Good characters can hate, and Evil characters can love. It's all really in the eye of the beholder, unfortunately.

I'm a very lawful person. I'd prefer for there to be strict, exact definitions on what alignments are and aren't- but, unfortunately, none can exist.

 

[mikebr99]

Now you see that EVIL will alway triumph... because good is DUMB!




Mike

 

[Hypersmurf]

Moved to General Discussion

-Hyp.
(Moderator)

 

[Zappo]

Should alignment be an absolute? That depends on what you mean with "alignment". On one hand, Good, Evil, Law and Chaos are real, tangible forces in the D&D world, not unlike gravity or electromagnetism. They are definitely absolute in this sense - heck, they are even measurable to a point, what's more absolute than that?

On the other hand, a character's alignment is a different topic entirely. You must understand that alignment doesn't dictate character personality; it's the other way around. Unlike, say, WoD games, there is no D&D mechanic dictating character behaviour. The behaviour will dictate alignment, but after that a character's alignment is nothing more than a mechanic telling you whether a holy sword deals extra damage or not; in this sense, asking whether it's absolute doesn't make too much sense. Are hit points absolute?