Rolling for Alignments..Rain-man players have a conniption!

[Emirikol]

What would happen if players had to ROLL for their alignment?

Ever see those players who always seem to play the same character (themself) and have never been forced to think outside the box? Would they have a conniption and suddenly turn into rainman?

What would happen?

Thoughts?

Anyway's, here's the chart:
RANDOM ALIGNMENT DETERMINATION
Roll twice and choose the preferred
1 LG - Strict
2 LG - Loose
3 LN – Strict
4 LN - Loose
5 NG – Strict
6 NG - Loose
7 N – Strict
8 N – Loose
9 CG - Strict
10 CG - Loose
11 CN - Strict
12 CN – Loose

Strict means the PC will stay close to the alignment. Loose means the PC has a tendency to drift to the next closest alignments (one step each) a small amount of the time.

• Class alignment restrictions may be exempt with the DM’s permission.
• Additional traits from the PHBII are encouraged.

Would your players/fellow players have a COW if you did this?

jh

 

[delericho]

I wouldn't do something like this. I would play in a short game where the DM wanted to do this, but I would be unlikely to play in a campaign like this, unless the group as a whole happened to roll a very fortuitious set of alignments.

 

[Crothian]

THis would be fun for a one shot.

 

[Emirikol]

I wouldn't do something like this. I would play in a short game where the DM wanted to do this, but I would be unlikely to play in a campaign like this, unless the group as a whole happened to roll a very fortuitious set of alignments.

What is considered a "fortuitous" set of alignments?

jh

 

[Kaodi]

The natural combination of any party should be a lawful good cleric, a chaotic good fighter, a lawful evil wizard and a chaotic evil rogue. I mean, it would give a whole new meaning to interparty conflict!

 

[Drowbane]

I doubt I would do this, but if I did, all 9 alignments would be on the chart.

Otherwise, whats the point?

 

[Sejs]

Would they have a conniption and suddenly turn into rainman?

Uh, rainman? Dustin Hoffman, not wearing my underwear, Wapner's on in fi..fiv..five minutes - that Rainman?

I think there's an analogy here that I'm just not picking up on.

Would your players/fellow players have a COW if you did this?

Not a cow exactly, but I doubt they'd like it. It represents a removal of choice. No, you can't play the character you wanted, you have to play this instead because that's what the dice came up as.

It's about on par with rolling randomly for your race or class.

Like Crothian said, it could be fun for a one-shot. On a longer term basis I have a hard time seeing many players being open to that sort of thing unless they're very open minded.

 

[Umbran]

Would your players/fellow players have a COW if you did this?

For a one-shot or short series, no. My players are used to playing in one-shot games where there's a bit of pre-scripting involved.

For a campaign, though, unless I rework entirely what alignment really means, such an initial assignment would be worthless. I'd have to introduce a mechanism for enforcement ("you can't do that, because you are of X alignment."). And honestly, I don't want to do that in my campaigns. I far prefer alignment to be the result of actions, not the cause of them.

There's lots better ways to deal with a player who always runs the same type of character, IMHO.

 

[Emirikol]

How about not banning evil alignments, but instead giving more ability score points (point buy) for NON-evil alignments or for taking an alignment different from your last character?

jh




Here's a dumb idea for forcing players to move to a humanocentric-lower magic party makeup (of course, less choice means NOT campaign length adventure):

ROlling for Race class and alignment points. 2d3+2 (4-8 points). Leftover points can be added to ability score point buy.

Major Campaign Alignments for PC's:
Lawful alignment: 1 point
Neutral alignment: 2 points
Chaotic alignment: 3 points
Lesser Alignment
Good alignment: 1 point
True Neutral alignment: 1 point
Evil alignment: 3 points

Race:
Human: 1 point
Non-human: 2 points

Class:
Fighter, Rogue, Barbarian or Ranger: 1 point
Cleric, Wizard or Sorcerer: 2 points
Psion or other wierdo class: 3 points
Paladin: 4 points



jh


..

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Uh, rainman? Dustin Hoffman, not wearing my underwear, Wapner's on in fi..fiv..five minutes - that Rainman?

I think there's an analogy here that I'm just not picking up on.

I think it's that he's saying players would turn into agitated men with advanced autism. :\