The Batman Thread
- Thread starter Chimera
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Negative Zero
First Post
i think Bats is more NG than LG personally.
~NegZ
~NegZ
VorpalBunny
Explorer
Negative Zero said:
Definitely NG with chaotic tendencies. The fact that he is a vigilante precludes lawful alignment IMO.
Moe Ronalds
First Post
I've always seen bats as a LG, mostly because he's always seemed very loyal, and he's got the whole "must not kill" vow thing going for him.
Note: I am not a comic book geek. If you are a comic book geek, feel free to tell me my opinion is full of crap.
Note: I am not a comic book geek. If you are a comic book geek, feel free to tell me my opinion is full of crap.
Ah, the old Batty alignment thread. 
Going against the prevailing law of society does not preclude lawful alignment (IMHI - in my humble interpretation). Bats may be a vigilante, but he also has a fairly strict code of his own. His mission statement is that he has to go outside the law, because the villians operate where the law cannot reach them. If you changed the laws to take care of the problem, Bats would be able to retire.
Going against the prevailing law of society does not preclude lawful alignment (IMHI - in my humble interpretation). Bats may be a vigilante, but he also has a fairly strict code of his own. His mission statement is that he has to go outside the law, because the villians operate where the law cannot reach them. If you changed the laws to take care of the problem, Bats would be able to retire.
Well, it all depends upon which incarnation you use...
The original Batman was probably LG, since everybody liked him except the bad guys -- he was just wearing the cape and cowl because he didn't want to go through police training.
Then you've got the Dark Avenger phase, where he's probably LN -- he's tormented and dark and obsessed with keeping the law, and he's not afraid to get things messy.
The "Batman" TV show had him as LG -- and goofy.
The current Batman (from my spotty perusal of the comics) would be, in my opinion, NG -- not as unyielding as the LN guy, but facing enough modern moral ambiguity to force him to move away from law as a perfect ideal. In the original comics, law WAS a perfect ideal, but modern society's a bit too cynical for that.
The original Batman was probably LG, since everybody liked him except the bad guys -- he was just wearing the cape and cowl because he didn't want to go through police training.
Then you've got the Dark Avenger phase, where he's probably LN -- he's tormented and dark and obsessed with keeping the law, and he's not afraid to get things messy.
The "Batman" TV show had him as LG -- and goofy.
The current Batman (from my spotty perusal of the comics) would be, in my opinion, NG -- not as unyielding as the LN guy, but facing enough modern moral ambiguity to force him to move away from law as a perfect ideal. In the original comics, law WAS a perfect ideal, but modern society's a bit too cynical for that.
Valiantheart
First Post
Batman would be an Epic d20 Modern character.
Strong 5/Fast 3/Martial Artist 10/Investigator 8
Str 20 Dex 18 Con 16 Wis 16 Int 18 Cha 14
Alignment - NG with Lawful tendencies
That would be my guess.
Strong 5/Fast 3/Martial Artist 10/Investigator 8
Str 20 Dex 18 Con 16 Wis 16 Int 18 Cha 14
Alignment - NG with Lawful tendencies
That would be my guess.
Last edited:
Mercule
Adventurer
Okay alignment is a can of worms. Here's my take:
Having a personal code and being Chaotic are not mutually exclusive. I've got this old Dragon with a 6-8 page article discussing 1E Barbarians (also chaotic) and their deep set codes of honor. The short of it is that Chaotics can be just as honor-bound as Lawfuls. Their honor is just a bit more personal.
I've also seen Chaotics to be _more_ inclined toward a code against killing. Each _individual_ matters to them more than to a Lawful (the big-picture folks), so they are more inclined to seek rehabilitation. Of course, Bats' reasons are more Lawful (loss of control, not descending to their level) than simple pacifism.
I guess I'd chalk him up to NG. I have a real hard time saying that someone who, by definition of being a vigilante, regularly goes around a basically Good police force is Lawful. At the same time, he has a fair bit of respect for the law and works with Gordon a fair bit.
He'd like to see the law work, really. He's just too pragmatic (and self-righteous) to believe that it will. So he does what he has to to get the job done.
In other words, if the "System" works, he'll use it. It ignoring, or even weakening the System works, he'll do that, too. He shows no allegience to either established order or to tearing it down. Almost a textbook definition of NG, so far as I can tell.
Having a personal code and being Chaotic are not mutually exclusive. I've got this old Dragon with a 6-8 page article discussing 1E Barbarians (also chaotic) and their deep set codes of honor. The short of it is that Chaotics can be just as honor-bound as Lawfuls. Their honor is just a bit more personal.
I've also seen Chaotics to be _more_ inclined toward a code against killing. Each _individual_ matters to them more than to a Lawful (the big-picture folks), so they are more inclined to seek rehabilitation. Of course, Bats' reasons are more Lawful (loss of control, not descending to their level) than simple pacifism.
I guess I'd chalk him up to NG. I have a real hard time saying that someone who, by definition of being a vigilante, regularly goes around a basically Good police force is Lawful. At the same time, he has a fair bit of respect for the law and works with Gordon a fair bit.
He'd like to see the law work, really. He's just too pragmatic (and self-righteous) to believe that it will. So he does what he has to to get the job done.
In other words, if the "System" works, he'll use it. It ignoring, or even weakening the System works, he'll do that, too. He shows no allegience to either established order or to tearing it down. Almost a textbook definition of NG, so far as I can tell.
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