D&D General The History of Alignment: Why D&D Has the Nine-Point Alignment System 4 UR Memes

In effect, Gygax did what Gygax often did- he created rules and a superstructure around yet another part of the game
First, love the delve into History Snarf.
Now, how many folks actually used all these minor mini-game systems? I know we tended to ignore them.
Between this and the training bonuses/penalties for roleplaying your alignment (DMG 86), alignment had massive mechanical functions throughout the game, in addition to the uses and restrictions for spells and magic items.
Except for magic and magic items, which we used, did anyone actually use these mini-games? Specifically the bonuses and penalties for "playing your alignment"? Again, we didn't. Just like we didn't give fireballs a 300-yard radius when outdoors.
BIFTs on the other hand are specific statements with no bearing in any common understanding. Its a series of 4 sentences of particular characteristics that somehow make up an entire personality (which is not something I have been able to boil down any of my RPG characters to). In practice, nobody could recall the BIFTs of anybody else in any but the most simplistic of terms. PC1 has anger issues, PC2 likes books, etc.. The GM has to recall them all, or as I experienced just ignore them. I didnt find them particularly useful as a game aid or as a role playing guide. YMMV.
But see, for us, I would rather know that a PC has anger issues than they are Chaotic Good. Anger issues gives me a lot more go on with role playing than a generic CG label ever has.
4e detoured into a five point alignment after 1e-3e nine point.
Wasn't that only for PCs? NPCs still had the 9+unaligned possibilities right?
 

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But see, for us, I would rather know that a PC has anger issues than they are Chaotic Good. Anger issues gives me a lot more go on with role playing than a generic CG label ever has.
okay but why not both? people will say 'oh BITF is better than alignment' but they describe different things, a cleric with the following (out the air) traits:
B: my church may always call on me for my aid
I: more knowledge and education will always better a person
T: if i don't have a goal to focus on i get restless
F: i'll always take the more risky option even if there's only a small benefit to doing it
will be very different as a lawful neutral character than as a chaotic good or neutral evil one.
 

And approximately ALL OF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE LINKS I PROVIDE!!!
If'n you ain't the granddaddy of all liars.
The little creatures of nature, they don't know that they're ugly.
That's very funny, a fly marrying a bumblebee.

I TOLD YOU ID SHOOT! BUT YOU DIDNT BELIEVE ME! WHY DIDNT YOU BELIEVE ME!!!! JUST FOLLOW THE LINKS!
Hey, I read some of the words in your OP, you want me to spend more time following links and reading some of those words too? The nads on this one! ;)
Nirvana of absolute (neutral) lawfuls.
SMELLS LIKE SOMEONE FOUND A NEW CULTURE!
I thought it smelled like Teen Spirit?
okay but why not both? people will say 'oh BITF is better than alignment' but they describe different things, a cleric with the following (out the air) traits:

will be very different as a lawful neutral character than as a chaotic good or neutral evil one.
Sure. More info is better, to some degree. I mean can you imagine what the character description of one of Snarf's character's must be like? You would need a session 0.5 just so everyone could have enough time to read it!

They are all shorthand methods for trying to flesh out a PC, at least to me. We've almost never used them to define mechanical benefits because they are all terribly flawed. Useful to a degree, but flawed and lacking nuances.
 


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