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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EzekielRaiden" data-source="post: 6752224" data-attributes="member: 6790260">This is a good point. Currently, it's a situation of "succumbing to temptation because the consequences seem remote."The character has only just realized that this sort of thing is possible. Up to this point, he has been handing over the contraband goods/criminals' property, presumably without even thinking about it, which is an example of a Lawful tendency. Coupled with a job working for the city watch, specifically hunting down criminals and bringing them to justice, this reflects another trend toward Lawful. Pretending to be someone you aren't is a touch Chaotic, but as this talent is specifically part of his task, it sort of comes out in the wash. However, it sounds like the character really enjoys having minimal supervision and "a lot of leeway," which is something of a Chaotic tendency. Given some of the other statements, it sounds like the character is just sort of an "average joe" most of the time, following along with the rules without complaint and possibly with enthusiasm, so I'll chalk that up as another wash. Thus, overall, it sounds like on the L/N/C spectrum, the character was moderately Lawful. Clarifying questions include:1) Does the character take contracts, oaths, and promises very seriously, or does he take a really laid-back approach? ("both" is a valid answer)2) How does the character view and make use of his leisure time?Now, however, the character is being tempted by an act which is clearly and distinctly Chaotic (disobeying known rules against appropriating goods, legitimate or not, from suspected/convicted criminals). This act may or may not be Evil--I'll touch on that more later. Mr. Changeling Policeman knows that what he's doing is criminal behavior, but willingly engages in it anyway, assuming he won't get caught. As the good Cap'n said, how your character deals with the long-term consequences will be decisive here. Eventually, he is very likely to be caught. If he humbly submits to judgment, seeks to reform his ways, etc. then I'd say he has remained Lawful and learned a painful lesson in the unexpected difficulties of having a position of authority. If he does go along with the punishment, but does everything he can to lighten the burden and/or bring others to his way of thinking, I'd call that a Neutral approach: he's not overtly fighting the law, but he's certainly not accepting the "right" of an external authority to decide his fate either. If he commits further unlawful acts in order to prevent punishment, then he's clearly transitioned to Chaotic and will probably go through a period of internal conflict between his old nature and his new one.On the Good/Evil axis, it's a lot more difficult to say. Does the character "enjoy" putting murderers in prison because they broke the law, or because they hurt people? The former is a more Lawful-primary answer (e.g.: I wouldn't enjoy it as much if the killing were legally justified, but still immoral), while the latter is a Good-primary answer (e.g.: I wouldn't enjoy it as much if I found out it was morally justified, but still illegal). Beyond that, we don't really know anything specific about the character's perspective on helping or hurting others, so we kinda have to default to a Neutral stance unless more information is provided. Taking stolen goods, knowing that it was likely another was hurt by their loss, is a mildly Evil act (callous disregard for the welfare of others in the face of being able to improve your own welfare). Stealing the legitimately-owned goods of a murderer is probably also mildly Evil, though to a lesser extent (I'd almost call it Neutral, actually).So, overall, the character appears to have started off LN (though really it should be L? because we don't have enough info), and is being tempted to do Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Evil things. He is currently behaving as though he is "above the law" (e.g. "the law applies to other people, not to me, because I have Authority aka power over others"). He may still believe he respects the law, but breaking it because it is beneficial to him while claiming to uphold it (and punish those who, presumably, also broke the law because it was beneficial to them) shows a form of true hypocrisy. That is, he probably does still sincerely believe in upholding the law--but he is intentionally failing to do so. If he starts to tell lies and destroy evidence of his illegal seizure of goods, he will fairly completely cement his Chaotic side and slowly layer in more Evil; if he goes so far as to kill somebody to keep the secret, I'd call him Chaotic Evil. It's hard to call "murdered an upstanding, innocent person to avoid being punished for knowingly committing a crime" anything else.To say it briefly:Change-a-Cop is being a hypocrite, and might be halfway through an alignment flip. "Epiphany or bust" at this point.</blockquote>

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