What alignment is Baltar?

[sckeener]

I have to agree with you here. He's evil, probably all the way over into CE. He just hasn't admitted it to himself.

nah...Chaotic for sure...

I think he's Choatic Good with neutral tendencies.

I think the plot line will be full explained when they reveal that he was the proto-human cylon, the 1st generation.

 

[ForceUser]

I think Baltar is neutral evil, with that caveat that he is a complete coward and apt to do all sorts of decent-seeming things to keep himself out of trouble. But if he could get away with it scot-free, he'd do anything he could. I think NE fits best because it represents the most selfish alignment, and Baltar is the epitome of selfishness.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

nah...Chaotic for sure...

I think he's Choatic Good with neutral tendencies.

A Chaotic Good person

Spoiler

turns off the Cylon detector and gives Cylons the bomb

? If he's brainwashed, that's his motivation, but it doesn't make his actions not evil.

 

[Delta]

In a situation such as hearing that there is a bomb that is about to blow up lots of children, he'd be horrified.. An evil character just simply wouldn't care or posibly even find it entertaining or amusing and then cover it up because he wanted to see it happen.

Indeed: in the pilot, bombs go off destroying his entire civilization (due to his negligence), and his first reaction is to call his lawyer and try to escape punishment.

If you watch the DVD with commentary, the creators go on at great length on how they feel that reaction is key to all of Baltar's character.

 

[Glyfair]

...he thought he was Chaotic Neutral (the I Can Do Anything I Want alignment).

I haven't seen the series (in fact, I'm just getting ready to start from the beginning). From what I know about it, I agree with the "slipping into evil" crowd.

However, this definition of Chaotic Neutral is the reason I hate when I see someone trying to be chaotic neutral. CN isn't "I can do anything I want." There is a large chance someone putting this alignment down just doesn't want to be tied to the alignment system, and is trying to justify anything.

CN has it's own agendas. Characters alignments should be judge based on what they do, what they believe, and why they do it. If you want to organize the orcs into a strict society to follow your whims, you're lawful, for example.

"Self-interest" is actually part of the evil definition (neutral evil, IIRC). If you are willing to commit evil acts to promote your own personal agenda, that's an evil act. If someone does that alot or believes in doing so, they are definitely evil or very close to it.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I don't really think Gaius can be pegged into one of the nine alignments, but I'll make the case that he is in fact true neutral. He has not made a committment to one side or the other. He will one day do something honorable, and another callous, which sounds like chaotic, but he seems to like and is willing to use the organizational structure of the human government to meet his own needs. His own self interest is always in the forefront of his thinking, but he is too much of a coward to really be evil. He is easily swayed from one side to other, based upon who he thinks might win or gain him the best advantage. His morals are purely circumstantial.

 

[Glyfair]

His own self interest is always in the forefront of his thinking, but he is too much of a coward to really be evil

Does he meet this standard?

A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple.

 

[wingsandsword]

I'd say he's Chaotic Neutral at the beginning of the show. Selfish, undisciplined and unprincipled, no real code of conduct other than to enjoy his fame and make money, a big dose of pride about his accomplishments and intellect, not malicious or even very spiteful, he is a scared and petty man who has been tricked and manipulated into aiding the fall of the Human homeworlds.

By the end of the second season, I'd say he's slid down to Chaotic Evil. As people pointed out

Spoiler

he visibly crossed the line when he handed a nuclear weapon over to the Cylons, he knew that would likely kill thousands or tens of thousands and might well mean the extinction of humanity

, although what lead him to do that was what really pushed him over the line

Spoiler

when Roslin was on her deathbed, and Baltar read her final letter to him, which contained constructive criticism and an honest but harsh appraisal of him as a person, which Baltar took very personally and was deeply offended by, so he felt betrayed by humanity and went from being manipulated, into actively supporting the Cylons

.

As for levels and ability scores (using d20 Modern/Future):

Human Male Smart Hero 3/Field Scientist 5/Personality 3
Occupation: Celebrity (Permanent Class Skills: Diplomacy, Perform (acting)
Str: 10 Dex: 11 Con: 13 Int: 20 Wis: 8 (at most) Cha: 16

 

[sckeener]

A Chaotic Good person

Spoiler

turns off the Cylon detector and gives Cylons the bomb

? If he's brainwashed, that's his motivation, but it doesn't make his actions not evil.

Neither action actually hurts someone. Just because you give a sword away does not make you evil.....the act had more lawful vs chaotic morals than good vs evil. He is not resposible for how that sword was used....giving the sword away was an unlawful act...not an evil one.

and again...not using

Spoiler

detect evil

when you were supposed to is a chaotic act...not an evil act...

in fact you could say he was acting good at that moment...worried about what would happen to the cylon if he had used the

Spoiler

cylon detector

...respect for sentient life is a good act....all he did was prove he was choatic.

 

[sckeener]

I don't really think Gaius can be pegged into one of the nine alignments,

Most humans can't be pegged...gaming sterotypes can't be used in real life...

which is why BattleStar Galatica is a great show....we can't pegged it.