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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Trolls" data-source="post: 5799083" data-attributes="member: 60798">[MENTION=6685059]LurkAway[/MENTION]That's a good point, and I think it's very likely to be either the core reason, or one of a set of reasons, behind most people's arguments for race, class and alignment restrictions.A game like D&D does have a baseline assumption. Its something Monte seems to like bringing up: a shared history and language that almost all D&D gamers can enjoy. And in a lot of ways those shared assumptions deserve to be encouraged. These are the things that should form the basis of flavour text in the game, but they should never be presented as the only way to play, even in the core rules. D&D is a game that's fundamentally about allowing your own imagination (or the shared imagination of the game group) to be the driving force. So restrictions should always be left to the gaming group, not the game designers.I want to try out an example of alignment restrictions that falls outside character classes, and see if those in favour of class alignment restrictions still would agree with them.You open your Monster Manual to the 'Orcs' page. You start reading about a corrupted race that worships a dark god and makes constant war against the civilised races of the world. You learn that they're savages, and that informs some of their stats. Glancing over their stat block, you see they have abilities like rages, and dirty fighting techniques. Great, a clear picture has been presented, full of history and with some good ideas to kick off a new-DM.But maybe you prefer a more modern portrayal of orcs found in sources like Eberron or Warcraft, which portray them as noble, misunderstood savages rather than inherently evil demon-like beings. Unfortunately, the stat block clearly says "Orcs must be chaotic evil", so you have to throw out your ideas and stick to the LotR-style orcs or use a different race, even though you like the savage abilities in the orc stat block.Is that really the way you'd like the game to be presented? Isn't it better to have in that write up "orcs are often chaotic evil" instead? Or even not mention alignment at all and let the DM decide?---Once again, from my perspective:Suggestions & hints = GreatRestrictions & limits = Bad</blockquote>

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