Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silveras" data-source="post: 1566563" data-attributes="member: 6271">I am not going to argue with you. The name "Lawful" is misleading. It actually has little or nothing to do with "law" (in the legal sense). However, there are very few one-word summations for "reliant upon authority" as a personality trait. Lawful characters seek guidance on their moral actions, referring to a hierarchy of "authorities" for that guidance. They look to local tradition, they look to local law, they look to regional/cultural tradition and law (which over-rides local tradition and law), they look to religious writings (which over-rides traditions and laws), and so on. Faced with the question "Is it right to kill these young Goblins before they grow into a menace ?" the Lawful character would "consult the authorities". 1. What does my holy text say ? Is the answer there ? Yes ? Good. I do that. 2. What does my local spiritual guide say ? Does my local Cleric say I should not do this, or that I should ? Is there a clear answer there ? Yes ? Good. 3. What does the local law say about it ? Are Goblins afforded the protections humans are, or is a bounty offered for their ears like they were animals ? Is there a clear answer there ? Yes ? Good. 4. What has been the traditional response ?5. What do I think I should do. It is that tendency, to want guidance and external confirmation, that "Detect Law" actually picks up. Chaotic characters, on the other hand, approach things without recourse to "authority"They would go through the reverse process. 1. What do I think I should do ?2. What does local tradition say ? 3. What does local law say ?4. What does my spiritual guide say ?5. What does my holy text say ?Lawfulness, in some ways, can also be viewed as "socially integrated" or "group-oriented". The Lawful character makes efforts to "fit in" much more than the Chaotic character. The Lawful character is inclined to join a Guild or professional organization; the Chaotic is inclined NOT to.</blockquote>

Verification