Raise Dead and Alignment Question

[Aluvial]

I have a question about choosing to Raise a party member.

If alignment was the only factor, which alignments would choose to raise a group member, which would think about it, and which would not care, or just plain wouldn't do it?

Essentially is care for life put you on the Good -- Evil axis, or is there something about raising a party member make you obligated on the Lawful -- Chaotic axis?

Some might think that each individual would have their own reasons. Fine, but this quesiton is taking JUST ALIGNMENT into consideration.

Opinions?

Aluvial

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Some might think that each individual would have their own reasons. Fine, but this quesiton is taking JUST ALIGNMENT into consideration.

If you're divorcing character motivation from the equation, then it's all about flavor text, and you can spin that however you like it. Raising the dead might be considered a Good act, for restoring life. Or it could just as easily be spun into an Evil act, for perverting the sanctity of life. The alignment of the act of raising the dead itself, devoid of the person casting it, is entirely up to the DM.

Speaking as a DM, I assign no alignment to the act itself. It can be used for good, to raise one who's life was cut unfairly short, or to raise a good and kindly person, or it can be used to continue the bloody reign of an evil warlord.

 

[Aluvial]

If you're divorcing character motivation from the equation, then it's all about flavor text, and you can spin that however you like it. Raising the dead might be considered a Good act, for restoring life. Or it could just as easily be spun into an Evil act, for perverting the sanctity of life. The alignment of the act of raising the dead itself, devoid of the person casting it, is entirely up to the DM.

Speaking as a DM, I assign no alignment to the act itself. It can be used for good, to raise one who's life was cut unfairly short, or to raise a good and kindly person, or it can be used to continue the bloody reign of an evil warlord.

I definitely agree with you, but this question is morphed from a specific problem I having with some new players. Anyhow, if there were a race of completely logical constructs, and they had various alignments (their logic based on alignment only), what would these constructs do. I have 9 of them, each gets a vote about the dead character. I'm using this as an example of what each alignment "would" do.

Anyhow, that's the thing. I think that the Good to Evil axis is the important one to consider first.

I think that Goods are going to vote to Raise. Neutrals might do either, they might even switch back and forth based on the Law -- Chaos axis. Evils are going to vote no.

If you consider the other axis, Law -- Chaos and Neutral, then LN's would proably respect the tradition of Raising your fellows. They would think, "what would I want if it were me?"
True Neutrals would again, either tend towards Law for the same reason, or switch back and forth for the balance. Chaotic-neutrals would not care for tradition and therefore might not care if they were raised or not. I would say they would vote no.

This is just basic reasoning for me... I would love to hear what anyone else would say.

You really have to take this problem right down to JUST alignment. Other factors shouldn't apply for this conversation.

Aluvial

 

[Whisper72]

Well... I think one of the problems is that the definition of Good and Evil and Law and Chaos largely depends upon what is considered good or evil or what is considered lawfule _in your gameworld_.

A while back there was some interesting debate on how taking resurrection, especially when coupled with longevity type magic, to its logical conclusion would mean all manner of difficulty, especially on the side of inheritance and succession among nobles etc. Some ppl put forth that in their worlds, resurrection was against the law, and because it in essence could lead to a lot of problems, was mainly seen as a _bad thing_ (maybe not completely evil).

When it is _the law_ that resurrection is prohibited, then it is clear that the three lawful alignments are all against. Since it is also considered bad (that's pretty much why it was outlawed), then the good folks would also be against. That would leave CE to be for, as it creates more chaos, and prolly make CN also for, as it promotes chaos.
TN wouldn't care either way, unless TN is somehow 'druidic' in its tenets, and then, they may see resurrection as being tinkering with the natural order of things, and therefore, they would also be against.

On the other hand, if the law allows resurrection, it may completely depend upon who is being resurrected. Then the alignment and deeds/exploits of the person about whom the choice must be made will mean the deciding factor....

The problem with alignment is that is is _by definition_ a subjective thing. Without some more moral guidelines about how 'things are done' in your campaign world, it becomes impossible to say something definitive about this issue...

 

[shilsen]

Even if you take just alignment into account, you can have multiple answers, because two people can have the same alignment and quite different personalities. So every alignment could have a reasonable (by its own standards, of course) justification for either raising or not raising a party member.

In short, you can't take just alignment into consideration, because alignment itself is composed of and mediated by multiple factors.

 

[Starglim]

Raise dead has no alignment descriptor. But you knew that.

I don't think it is an act that suggests reverence for life or otherwise, since raising the dead neither preserves a life nor creates new life. It suggests care for the individual and, relatively, disregard for the cycle of life and the destiny that brought that individual to die. Thus, it is to some extent incompatible with pure Law or ultimate Evil.

To me Lawful Neutral and Neutral Evil are the alignments least likely to use raise dead. None of the other alignments would have a particular problem with it, nor would they see raising the dead as universally the right thing to do.

 

[WayneLigon]

If alignment was the only factor, which alignments would choose to raise a group member, which would think about it, and which would not care, or just plain wouldn't do it?

Any of them would choose to Raise someone. I can't see the alignment only having any affect on that decision.

 

[interwyrm]

The ones that I see least likely to use raise dead are the chaotic alignments.

Chaotic good: Their spirit has been freed.
Chaotic neutral: Eh? Flip a coin.
Chaotic evil: They were weak and perished as a result. Let them rot.