D&D 5E RIP alignment

[grimslade]

I kind of like the vestigial nature of alignment in 5E. It became a descriptor, shorthand for general behavior, not a straight jacket. It wasn't elemental for monsters or NPCs unless they were from the outer planes. 9 slots were never a tight description anyways. I don't miss Detect Alignment or Protection from Alignment spells. That was too restrictive but general descriptions were a boon to a stat block.

 

[MGibster]

Alignment has been vestigial for decades. Shrug.

You're right. I like alignment. Not because I believe it's an accurate way to model morality but because I think it's interesting to make good/evil/whatever palpable forces in a fantasy game. But when you say it's been vestigial for a while you ain't just whistlin' Dixie. And while I've been missing alignment for a long while now, I accept its passing without bitterness.

 

[MGibster]

But seriously, if we're going to be rid of alignment and ASI then please, at the very least, publish a 5.5 version of D&D. I really, really hate for my core books to have rules that are no longer supported in new material.

 

[darjr]

Folks, it was dropped from monster stat blocks.

sheesh.

 

[JEB]

Folks, it was dropped from monster stat blocks.

sheesh.

And NPC stat blocks. It'll also be absent from future character race writeups, per the UA. I don't think that leaves any other place for alignment to appear in official D&D content going forward, though feel free to correct me if you can think of one.

I think it's pretty reasonable to conclude that they're phasing it out.

 

[MGibster]

I was running a Living Greyhawk many, many years ago and one of the players had a paladin who would literally use Detect Evil on every NPC the party encountered. I ended up pausing the game to ask the player to refrain from doing that on the grounds that it was annoying me.

 

[Charlaquin]

And NPC stat blocks. It'll also be absent from future character race writeups, per the UA. I don't think that leaves any other place for alignment to appear in official D&D content going forward, though feel free to correct me if you can think of one.

I think it's pretty reasonable to conclude that they're phasing it out.

I imagine even in 6e it will still be a thing. It’ll just be one more detail you can write on your character sheet if you feel like it, just like hair color, eye color, etc.

 

[Dausuul]

I don't think it's going away entirely. 5E has committed firmly to the Great Wheel, more's the pity, and alignment is pretty integral to the Wheel.

I think it will remain as a trait of individuals and an organizing principle for the Outer Planes.

 

[JEB]

I imagine even in 6e it will still be a thing. It’ll just be one more detail you can write on your character sheet if you feel like it, just like hair color, eye color, etc.

Possibly. But if they think it's too troublesome to have alignment on monsters, and in PC race writeups, and even for unique NPCs, I imagine they'd prefer to just leave it out entirely.

 

[darjr]

Hey, lets panic over a simple stat in a game. And then speculate wildly to confirm our panic. Yea that'll work.