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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7066284" data-attributes="member: 42582">[MENTION=48965]Imaro[/MENTION]: I think it's enough if I resond to this: "there is nothing in the descriptions of the good alignments that necessitate killing as a last resort."And this: "I also don't see how Killing in more-or-less consensual situations is somehow more 'good' than fighting dirty."From the AD&D PHB (p 33):[K]indness, and good deeds are disdained [by the chaotic evil]. Life has no value. . . . [C]reatures of [chaotic good] alignment . . . place value on life and the welfare of each individual. . . . [L]ife, beauty, truth, freedom and the like are held as valueless [by the lawful evil], or at least scorned. . . . [T]ruth is of highest value [to those who are lawful good], and life and beauty of great importance. [C]reatures of neutral good . . . [seek] the most beneficial conditions for living things in general and intelligent creatures in particular.From the AD&D DMG (p 23):Basically stated, the tenets of good are human rights, or in the case of AD&D, creature rights. Each creature is entitled to life, relative freedom, and the prospect of happiness.From the 3.5 SRD:"Good" implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. . . . "Evil" implies hurting, oppressing, and killing others.From the 4e PHB (pp 19-20):Protecting the weak from those who would dominate or kill them is just the right thing to do. If you’re a good character, you believe it is right to aid and protect those in need. . . . Good and evil represent fundamentally different viewpoints . . . Lawful good characters believe just as strongly as good ones do in the value of life . . . Evil characters . . .  don’t care whether laws hurt other people.Fron the 5e Basic PDF (p 34):Lawful good (LG) creatures can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society. . . . Neutral good (NG) folk do the best they can to help others according to their needs. . . . Chaotic good (CG) creatures act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect. . . . Lawful evil (LE) creatures methodically take what they want, within the limits of a code of tradition, loyalty, or order. . . . Neutral evil (NE) is the alignment of those who do whatever they can get away with, without compassion or qualms. . . . Chaotic evil (CE) creatures act with arbitrary violence, spurred by their greed, hatred, or bloodlust. Good values life, and more generally has regard for others; whereas evil doesn't. That has been a constant across editions. It's why those who are good will tend to kill only as a last resort (either in self-defence, defence of others or perhaps as punishment) or perhaps in "consensual" situations.In AD&D good also values truth. And hence does not use deception. 3E changes this - the SRD says that "Lawful characters tell the truth . . . 'Law' implies honour". But 3E maintains the connection between goodnes and treating others with dignity. Consensual violence respects the dignity of the other party; "dirty" fighting does not. "Dirty" fighting is a form of donig whatever one can get away with; it is not honouring the requirements of conscience, or treating others with the respect and dignity that they are due.</blockquote>

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