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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 8919371" data-attributes="member: 22779">Conceptually, the idea of alignment in the game isn't necessarily a bad thing.&nbsp; Is your character (or this NPC or whatever) a good guy or a bad guy?&nbsp; It's a bit lacking in nuance perhaps, but, it's not bad on the face of it.The problem comes when the rubber meets the road though.&nbsp; Because ask three people whether something is good or not and you'll get 4 different answers.&nbsp; And then the endless arguments start.&nbsp; I can't think of another element in the game that has caused more flaming rows at the table than alignment.&nbsp; Not because people are being unreasonable or asshats or anything like that (although that's one aspect too) but simply because trying to neatly categorize morality is something that thousands and thousands of years of some really smart people haven't been able to do and expecting five sixteen year olds hopped up on caffeine and cheetos to figure it out is ... well... let's just say that's not going to happen.So, we wind up with this very Gordian knot of rules where people can get VERY emotionally invested in the discussion (as is the case in any discussion about morality anywhere, any time) and the game comes to a grinding, crashing halt.&nbsp; 5e has largely avoided this by simply removing any mechanical element to alignment.&nbsp; Which, IMO, is probably all for the best.&nbsp; You can think that my paladin isn't good all you like, fair enough.&nbsp; But, at the end of the day, it&nbsp; doesn't matter because, well, Mr. DM, what are you going to do about it?&nbsp; It gets swept past and largely ignored.I cannot imagine going back to playing in a game where alignment matters.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 8919371, member: 22779"] Conceptually, the idea of alignment in the game isn't necessarily a bad thing. Is your character (or this NPC or whatever) a good guy or a bad guy? It's a bit lacking in nuance perhaps, but, it's not bad on the face of it. The problem comes when the rubber meets the road though. Because ask three people whether something is good or not and you'll get 4 different answers. And then the endless arguments start. I can't think of another element in the game that has caused more flaming rows at the table than alignment. Not because people are being unreasonable or asshats or anything like that (although that's one aspect too) but simply because trying to neatly categorize morality is something that thousands and thousands of years of some really smart people haven't been able to do and expecting five sixteen year olds hopped up on caffeine and cheetos to figure it out is ... well... let's just say that's not going to happen. So, we wind up with this very Gordian knot of rules where people can get VERY emotionally invested in the discussion (as is the case in any discussion about morality anywhere, any time) and the game comes to a grinding, crashing halt. 5e has largely avoided this by simply removing any mechanical element to alignment. Which, IMO, is probably all for the best. You can think that my paladin isn't good all you like, fair enough. But, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter because, well, Mr. DM, what are you going to do about it? It gets swept past and largely ignored. I cannot imagine going back to playing in a game where alignment matters. [/QUOTE]

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