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Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 5034725" data-attributes="member: 3192">Players do not know what will cause Alignment shifts in the same way they do not know what will cause HP loss.  But shouldn't Players know where their Alignment stands at all times?  I know some clerical spells and a few other means offer the determination of current Alignment for both PCs and other things in the world, but a PC Alignment shift to Chaotic (or Evil in AD&D) has the same effect as many other resources brought to zero. It means starting the game over again at level 1, zero XP.  Unlike certain other "game over" effects where Players do not track an on hand resource, like in disease, suffocation, and starvation, there is no effect described by the Referee over time to the Player.  At least in cases like poison a Saving Throw allows a chance for a decision to not be a game ending one.  Certain major Alignment shifts do make sense to me for immediately causing a game ending result.  For instance, an attack to kill an ally, someone of the same alignment, will cause an immediate shift to the enemy alignment.  This makes sense because of the nature of the D&D game world.  But I am thinking of incorporating a Saving Throw to complete such an action.  It would require a roll failure, something a Player can always elect, to carry through the action and result in the PC becoming an enemy-aligned NPC.  A successful save would still allow for the player to continue the attempt without, but with a warning described by the DM as the PCs God.  Well, a God or the form of some other kind of warning.  Alignment shifts happen all the time, but usually on a small scale. That does make Player tracking a chore, but I have never heard of any description of these shifts to the Players.  A description allows for recognition by the player of the underlying rules, while Saving Throws offer a certain indulgence to poor decisions.  A "game over" effect without any warning, previous description, or a save does not seem to me to be either perceivable or playable.Please keep any discussion to how you use the Alignment Scale.</blockquote>

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