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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Azlan" data-source="post: 1110298" data-attributes="member: 2340">After playing D&D for many years, I'm beginning to see that the concept and the game rules for alignments hinders more than it does facilitate three-dimensional roleplaying  and true-to-life game worlds. Simply put, alignments are too stereotypical and two-dimensional to portray the realities and intricacies of sentient beings with free wills.Now, I realize that alignments are an integral part of the D&D game system, and that many spells and class abilities/restrictions depend on them. But, still, I think it may be possible to do away with alignments while still maintaining the functions that they serve. Besides, the purpose of this post is not so much to debate whether alignments in D&D should or should not be done away with, as it is to discuss alternatives.So, my question is: What alternatives are there for alignments; alternatives that will work well with D&D?One alternative, of course, is to simply create and use a detailed description of each character's ethical, principled, and/or moral make-up; all this, as part of the character's background material; and for the players and the DM to simply "roleplay" it. But I want something more than that. I think just using descriptions is too open-ended and subjective, which is difficult for a DM to manage and arbitrate. Besides, how would you integrate such descriptions with game rules such as class alignment restrictions, or with special abilities such as Detect Evil, or with spells such as Protection from Good/Evil?Myself, I am currently working on a system that I call "Virtues & Vices". (Note, this will NOT be an advantages/disadvantages system, whereby a player can stack up a bunch of flaws or what not's in order to make his character more powerful.) Using my system, player characters and NPCs will be described as per the following examples...- - - - - - - -Typical Dwarf Fighter. Aura: +20 (Light Gray).Virtues: Careful +5, Investigative +10, Law-Abiding +10, Responsible +10, Reverent +10, Serving +5. (Number of virtues: 6. Total virtues modifiers: +50.)Vices: Alcoholic -5, Carousing -5, Greedy -5, Prejudiced -10, Stubborn -5. (Number of vices: 5. Total vices modifiers: -30.)- - - - - - - -Typical Halfling Rogue. Aura: +0 (Gray).Virtues: Charitable +5, Cheerful +10, Easygoing +5, Examining +5, Liberal +10, Sociable +5. (Number of virtues: 6. Total virtues modifiers: +40.)Vices: Anarchistic -10, Compulsive Gambler -10, Delinquent -5, Lazy -5, Spendthrift -5, Untrustworthy -5. (Number of vices: 6. Total vices modifiers: -40.)- - - - - - - -Typical Half-Orc Barbarian. Aura: -20 (Dark Gray).Virtues: Gallant +5, Reverent +10, Trusting +10, Unbiased +5. (Number of virtues: 4. Total virtues modifiers: +30.)Vices: Anarchistic -5, Bloodthirsty -10, Bully -5, Impulsive -5, Lascivious -5, Reckless -5, Vengeful -10, Wasteful -5. (Number of vices: 8. Total vices modifiers: -50.)- - - - - - - -But before I fully present the first draft of my alternative to alignments (which I will do so in the House Rules section), I first want to discuss what other (or similar) alternatives there might be, and I want to discuss the  ramifications and complications there might be in using such alternatives. (Besides, my "Virtues & Vices" rules are still very much a work in progress.)</blockquote>

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