Outsiders and Alignment

[Anubis]

What would happen if a Celestial, Demon, or Devil (or any other alignment-specific outsider) changed to a different alignment?

In all of D&D, these alignments are the ONLY ones that truly ARE SET IN STONE.

So if you stick a Helm of Opposite Alignment on a Balor and it works, or on a Solar and it works, what would happen? They can't change alignments, yet the item (or whatever) forces an alignment change.

So would a Balor *poof* change into a Solar? Would you have a Lawful Good Balor? Would it kill them? What's the answer?

 

[Maximillian]

A DM is always within rights to make a monster whatever alignment they choose. By the book, it doesn't really say they CAN'T change to an opposite alignment, just that they don't. I think that would be a DM adjudication.

 

[cerberus2112]

I think that there are rare exceptions where even an outsider can change alignment. What I want to know is, if a Balor became lawful good, would he keep the Chaotic and Evil descriptors of his type? Would he then show up as evil in a detect evil spell, even though he isn't?

 

[Desdinova]

I think that there are rare exceptions where even an outsider can change alignment. What I want to know is, if a Balor became lawful good, would he keep the Chaotic and Evil descriptors of his type? Would he then show up as evil in a detect evil spell, even though he isn't?

Yes. This is actually addressed in Savage Species. Even if that Balor turned into a Paladin (and just imagine what the rest of the family would think about THAT), he would still have the Chaotic and Evil tags on him. It just kinda follows him because that's part of the "race".
So he would get it coming and going. If it does extra damage to good or evil or lawful or chaotic, he qualifies.

There are ways to get rid of that, and that also is discussed in SS. Involves some spells/rituals.