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Message: <blockquote data-quote="payn" data-source="post: 8693145" data-attributes="member: 90374">As GM, alignment is a two letter short hand for the general goal and methods that a character will employ. This helps both planning out an adventure ahead of time, and also assists with improvisation on the spot. For example, if an NPC is benevolent or unkind, willing to kill easily or not.As a player, alignment serves as a guide to personal identity for my characters. You can align strongly to an alignment and play to it from the start, or allow it to form organically through play. The flexibility is available if you want it, but also the challenge of playing to type.For everyone, alignment has tangible effects on the setting and gameplay. Gods, magic, planar beings, and items can come into gameplay in interesting ways. Cosmic matters can be a focus, a development, or nothing at all depending on desire of group. The last part, for everyone, is game specific. I am still a 3E/PF1 player, but on occasion play 5E. The tangible part through magic and items is very limited in 5E by design. In 3E/PF1, there are spells and magic items that will be more or less effective against matching or cross alignment during game play.For characters, alignment helps inform how the character will likely act. Examples; Join an old established order (law), become part of a rebellion (chaos), perhaps neither or both (neutral). Will the character kill only as a last resort when all options have been exhausted (good), or do they see murder as perfectly expedient way to solve problems (evil). The real heart of the game, for me of course, are the moments when your alignment is tested to the limit and the character acts out of type. These dramatic moments and their conclusions are why I play the game. (I fully note that some past mechanics (pally) have made a mockery out of this process and do not support such heavy handed rules execution)  [spoiler=From 5E]A typical creature in the game world has an alignment, which broadly describes its moral and personal attitudes. Alignment is a combination of two factors: one identifies morality (good, evil, or neutral), and the other describes attitudes toward society and order (lawful, chaotic, or neutral). Thus, nine distinct alignments define the possible combinations. These brief summaries of the nine alignments describe the typical behavior of a creature with that alignment. Individuals might vary significantly from that typical behavior, and few people are perfectly and consistently faithful to the precepts of their alignment.[/spoiler][spoiler=From 3E]A creature’s general moral and personal attitudes are represented by its <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm#alignment" target="_blank">alignment</a>: lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil.<a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm#alignment" target="_blank">Alignment</a> is a tool for developing your character’s identity. It is not a straitjacket for restricting your character. Each alignment represents a broad range of personality types or personal philosophies, so two characters of the same alignment can still be quite different from each other. In addition, few people are completely consistent.<h4>Anarchic</h4>An anarchic weapon is chaotically aligned and infused with the power of chaos. It makes the weapon chaos-aligned and thus bypasses the corresponding <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#damageReduction" target="_blank">damage reduction</a>. It deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against all of lawful <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm#alignment" target="_blank">alignment</a>. It bestows one <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels" target="_blank">negative level</a> on any lawful creature attempting to wield it. The negative level remains as long as the weapon is in hand and disappears when the weapon is no longer wielded. This negative level never results in actual <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#levelLoss" target="_blank">level loss</a>, but it cannot be overcome in any way (including <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/restoration.htm" target="_blank">restoration</a> spells) while the weapon is wielded. Bows, crossbows, and slings so crafted bestow the chaotic power upon their ammunition.Moderate evocation [chaotic]; CL 7th; <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#craftMagicArmsAndArmor" target="_blank">Craft Magic Arms and Armor</a>, <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/chaosHammer.htm" target="_blank">chaos hammer</a>, creator must be chaotic; Price +2 bonus.<h4>Axiomatic</h4>An axiomatic weapon is lawfully aligned and infused with the power of law. It makes the weapon law-aligned and thus bypasses the corresponding <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#damageReduction" target="_blank">damage reduction</a>. It deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against all of chaotic <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm#alignment" target="_blank">alignment</a>. It bestows one <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels" target="_blank">negative level</a> on any chaotic creature attempting to wield it. The negative level remains as long as the weapon is in hand and disappears when the weapon is no longer wielded. This negative level never results in actual <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#levelLoss" target="_blank">level loss</a>, but it cannot be overcome in any way (including <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/restoration.htm" target="_blank">restoration</a> spells) while the weapon is wielded. Bows, crossbows, and slings so crafted bestow the lawful power upon their ammunition.Moderate evocation [lawful]; CL 7th; <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#craftMagicArmsAndArmor" target="_blank">Craft Magic Arms and Armor</a>, <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/ordersWrath.htm" target="_blank">order’s wrath</a>, creator must be lawful; Price +2 bonus.<h4>Holy</h4>A holy weapon is imbued with holy power. This power makes the weapon good-aligned and thus bypasses the corresponding <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#damageReduction" target="_blank">damage reduction</a>. It deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against all of evil <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm#alignment" target="_blank">alignment</a>. It bestows one <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels" target="_blank">negative level</a> on any evil creature attempting to wield it. The negative level remains as long as the weapon is in hand and disappears when the weapon is no longer wielded. This negative level never results in actual <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#levelLoss" target="_blank">level loss</a>, but it cannot be overcome in any way (including <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/restoration.htm" target="_blank">restoration</a> spells) while the weapon is wielded. Bows, crossbows, and slings so crafted bestow the holy power upon their ammunition.Moderate evocation [good]; CL 7th; <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#craftMagicArmsAndArmor" target="_blank">Craft Magic Arms and Armor</a>, <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holySmite.htm" target="_blank">holy smite</a>, creator must be good; Price +2 bonus.<h4>Unholy</h4>An unholy weapon is imbued with unholy power. This power makes the weapon evil-aligned and thus bypasses the corresponding <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#damageReduction" target="_blank">damage reduction</a>. It deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against all of good <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/description.htm#alignment" target="_blank">alignment</a>. It bestows one <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels" target="_blank">negative level</a> on any good creature attempting to wield it. The negative level remains as long as the weapon is in hand and disappears when the weapon is no longer wielded. This negative level never results in actual <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#levelLoss" target="_blank">level loss</a>, but it cannot be overcome in any way (including <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/restoration.htm" target="_blank">restoration</a> spells) while the weapon is wielded. Bows, crossbows, and slings so crafted bestow the unholy power upon their ammunition.Moderate evocation [evil]; CL 7th; <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#craftMagicArmsAndArmor" target="_blank">Craft Magic Arms and Armor</a>, <a href="https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/unholyBlight.htm" target="_blank">unholy blight</a>, creator must be evil; Price +2 bonus.[/spoiler]</blockquote>

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