In case anyone cares, this is the way I handle it (quoted from the Character Creation chapter of my homebrew ruleset, which is a short version of stuff about alignment that exists elsewhere in the materials):
Choose an Alignment
Alignment indicates a creature’s place in the metaphysical order. In a world where magic is real and the gods peer down upon the world of mortals, one’s standing in the cosmic firmament matters. Alignment has two components, an ethical alignment and a cosmic alignment.
Cosmic Alignment
Your cosmic alignment determines how magic and divine power interacts with you. It can be measured by magic and can influence how some spells affect you.
Since the dawn of the universe, the cosmos has struggled between Chaos and Law. Pure Chaos reduces the cosmos to a meaningless blur, but overwhelming Law locks all of reality into a frozen state. The tension between those two extremes, and their endless conflict, produces the cosmos as we know it.
There are three cosmic alignments.
- Lawful. You are attuned to order and predictability. You expect the universe to bend to laws and seek that from society and others. You build or rely upon institutions, organizations, and external standards to guide you and provide justice. In cosmic terms, Law is represented by the Celestial Gods, Almathea, Byrrhus, Myraxus, Nyra, and Zenithos, plus their various servants and allies. Alternately, the fallen Celestials inhabiting the Stem of Hell can stand for Law.
- Chaotic. You seek freedom and liberty above all else, reflecting the primal nature of the cosmos. You are an individualist, preferring to rely on yourself. You act as you see fit based on your internal reasoning, rather than rely on external forces to guide you. In cosmic terms, Chaos is associated with the Primal Gods, Cyrene, Elyssion, Lyssara, Undine, and Vynorax, along with demonic fiends of the Abyss and the capricous fey spirits who live in the fractured pocket planes of the Feywild.
- Neutral. You move between the two extremes, finding utility in individual freedom and in institutions that provide order. You adopt both to suit your needs and in search of "Universal Balance." Cosmic neutrality, often referred to as "muscular neutrality," seeks to maintain this balance siding with Chaos or Law (or neither) in various wars between extra-planar beings. It is represented by the gods, Glim, Jurto, and Orostos, their servants and allies, and various Elemental Beings.
Cosmic alignment is always capitalized as a way to indicate its primacy in the cosmic layout of the setting, but also to ensure it is not confused with common and non-cosmic references to law or chaos, or more importantly to make the use of "neutral" clear when it comes ethics (see below).
:
Ethical Alignment
Your ethical alignment reflects how you treat others and think of them in relation to yourself. Unlike your cosmic alignment, your ethical alignment is unknowable. No amount of magic, not even the power of the gods, can determine your ethical alignment. Only upon death, when your soul ascends to the divine realm, does your ethical alignment become apparent.
There are three ethical alignments.
- Good. You place the needs of others before your own and seek to use your skills and talents to aid them.
- Evil. You place your needs first, even if it means you sometimes need to hurt others to get what you want. Heck, a lot of the time you like hurting people.
- Neutral. You shift between good and evil. You help others when you can, but you are willing to put yourself first if you must do so to survive. Personal connections matter to you much more than a collective good.
The Nine Alignments
The two components of alignment combine to produce nine different options.
- Lawful good (LG). You believe in helping others and seek to build long-lasting institutions that create just laws that push others on to this path. In the face of an ethical dilemma, you rely on the rules you have been taught to guide you.
- Neutral good (NG). You care about the good of others and use whatever tools are available to achieve that good. In the face of an ethical dilemma, you measure which act ultimately produces the most benefit to the world regardless of the means.
- Chaotic good (CG). You believe in the common good, but you think that rules are too rigid to help. Instead, you use your common sense and internal moral compass to guide you. In the face of an ethical dilemma, you rely on your inner judgment and personal experience to make a decision.
- Neutral (N). If you are neutral in both components, you care nothing for superstition, cosmic questions, or philosophy. You act as the situation demands to preserve yourself and those people and things you personally care about.
- Lawful neutral (LN). As long as order is maintained, the world is on a right and proper path. Without rules, the world is a dangerous place. You care little for ethics. In the face of a dilemma, you let the rules guide you. If there are no rules, you rely on an authority you serve (or have) to guide you.
- Chaotic Neutral (CN). You rely on you internal compass to guide you, and you heed its whims without question. You crave freedom. Responsibility, expectations, and demands all wear you down. In the face an ethical dilemma, you do whatever is most pleasing to you.
- Lawful Evil (LE). Systems exist to serve you. You study rules and laws to find ways to exploit them to your own benefit and the detriment of others. You crave power and seek to use institutions to gain it. In the face of an ethical dilemma, you find a way to apply the rules that benefit you the most.
- Neutral Evil (NE). You look out for yourself before giving any thought to others. Your personal good is the only outcome that matters, and you use whatever tools are handy to preserve yourself. In the face of an ethical dilemma, you find a way to make the most profit from it.
- Chaotic Evil (CE). You seek personal strength to ensure your prosperity above all others. Life is a competitive game, and there can be only one winner. In the face of an ethical dilemma, you seek to weaken others while strengthening yourself.
Alignment is not proscriptive. In other words, choosing an alignment does not limit how your character acts, rather it broadly describes how your character generally acts and serves as a guide for their motives and behavior. It is possible for almost anyone to do something out of character with their alignment but keep their alignment designation. However, repeated or egregious violations of alignment can lead to a change, as a different category simply better describes the character's outlook and behavior. In addition, when characters become involved in cosmic matters (either intentionally or unintentionally) their professed Cosmic Alignment, regardless of their actual behavior can influence the attention they may garner from others, especially cosmic beings. Lastly, the effects of some spells depend on whether your cosmic alignment is Lawful or Chaotic, or
non-Lawful or
non-Chaotic, meaning that Neutral creatures can suffer (or benefit) for their non-allegiance.
Two classes in particular have special relationships with alignments: clerics and paladins.
Clerics. The 13 Gods require a profession of allegiance from their faithful followers when it comes to Cosmic Alignment. Furthermore, specific churches may have codes of conduct and expressions of faith that require adherence to remain in good standing with the church.
A church of Zenithos with a lawful good bent, might look very different than one dedicated to a syncretic manifestation of Zenithos focused on freedom and the fiery nature of the sun and thus a chaotic neutral outlook, and might have very different expectations of pious behavior.
Paladins. While paladins are not required to belong to a church or be of the same Cosmic Alignment as a god, they nevertheless swear their oath by a god. As such, many find church membership an efficient and honorable way to adhere to the holy vow they have made. The tenets of the vow itself may also preclude certain alignments, tying that outlook to their standing as a paladin. Nevertheless, it is possible for a paladin to violate the standards of their oath without acting out of alignment (and vice-versa).
