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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emirikol" data-source="post: 3481072" data-attributes="member: 10638">Tirade On Alignment By Jay <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Overall to address your questions, I don't see it as an issue at all to just tell your players that you're not using alignment from a game mechanic standpoint.  You don't need to remove any spells, gods, domains or abilities.   Just don't make a big deal out of it anymore.  Remove what doesn't matter.  Your players will help point out issues that need to be addressed (I'll list them below):In answer to your specific questions:PROTECTION FROM SPECIFIC ALIGNMENT:  I don't think that protection is strong enough to justify raising it to 2nd level, but I've not tested it by attacking my friends and good opponents <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  +2deflection ac/+2 saves/immune to charm stuff/can't be touched by summoned creatures. 1min/level.  <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/protectionFromevil.htm" target="_blank">http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/protectionFromevil.htm</a>HOLY SMITE STUFF:  Is it an enemy of you?  Well, then I guess you get to smite it then.   <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/HOLYSMITE.htm" target="_blank">http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/HOLYSMITE.htm</a>   There's no mechanic from smiting your friends if you don't want..there's just GUILT after doing it! As for CLERIC domains such as good/evi/chaos/law just leave them.  Do your gods exist or is magic just magic just magic?  Does it REALLY matter what alignment your god is because he is working in his domains rather than trying to balance some artificial system?   Can a demon-god of disease meddle in a lovers quarrel with no underlying interest in causing the spread of disease? (i.e. are your gods human or are they robots who are constrained?).  Without ALIGNMENT, piety becomes a role-playing issue..not just a way to get spells (which doesn't seem like "piety" in that case..unless it's a god with the GUILT and JUMP-THROUGH-HOOPS domain <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> PALADINS:  Does it REALLY matter if a Paladin is good in YOUR campaign?  How would it be game breaking if he was a downright mean bastard?  Would he become TOO POWERFUL? DRUIDS:  Does it matter if a druid is chaotic evil or lawful good if magic is magic?  Can a person be raised as a druid and learn to hate nature and wish it ill and want to burn down every dang tree and murder and kill pixies and treants ..if magic is just magic?DO GOD'S GRANT SPELLS?  Nope, not in my world.  Magic is magic.  Clerics, rangers, druids, and paladins just cast a little differently.  Whoopdeeedoooo.  No game mechanic change.  No broken system of power escalation.  Just words that allow your campaign to be different without having to have a 64 page house rulebook explaining and justifying things..plus, Robert E Howard always noted "the gods don't exist..but demons do..and that's probably where magic comes from."  It's relevant to our campaign, maybe not to yours.Alignment and "gods granting spells" are intricately linked.  Lose both concepts and you can have a non-alignment type game and not have this "gods-interfering-and-granting-permission-for-your-spells-if-you-ask-pretty-please" mentality <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I did the same for Psionics.  Psionics is magic.  You don't need to have a different "knowledge" skillset.  You don't need 18 differen't dispels/detect spells.  Magic is magic.  One problem that this solved actually was that Psionists are no longer running around in platemail casting "spells" equal to that of wizards..who can't wear armor without the penalty <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />It seems so cute having 4+ categories of magic (divine, arcane, psionic, bard, etc.), but it's not necessary.  It doesn't matter if you leave it or if you remove it..that's an indicator that maybe it's just for D&D-FLAVOR.  I'm trying to remove some D&D-flavor.  Not because I hate and detest D&D, but because I'm attempting to offer a game thats different.These issues will not get your players upset either.  In fact, they will get you talking about the game again in ways that haven't probably happened since your first days of gaming...jh..</blockquote>

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