What is the alignment for this deity?

[Wombat]

Young Learner, see beyond alignment you must. Alignments lead to frustration, frustration leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to snapped pens, thrown dice, and squashed miniatures.

Place the alignment rules aside you must and accept that players and societies work better without them

Well, at least they have in my games -- I leave the actual choice that way to others

I mean, alignment is Zeus, really?

 

[Hand of Evil]

True Neutral.

Following a cycle does not Lawfulness make; a cycle can involve taking the status quo, tearing it down, and rebuilding a new one in its place. An essentially neutral act, in my mind, and one that nature seems to follow, to a degree.

After all, a cycle is all about change - a chaotic act, but it follows a pattern - a lawful one. As such, they cancel each other out, for an ethically neutral standpoint. The cycles aren't necessarily all in sync, either - be they the lunar calendar vs. the rotation of the planet around the sun (not quite a fantasy example per se, but still applicable), or the differences between the cycles in a mountainous region, a tropical one, or on the coastline. Natures cycles tend to be roughly regimented, as well, even without interference of people, or what have you. A volcano explodes, and winters grow longer from all the dust in the sky.

An utter lack of cycles, everything being maintained the same, would be a bit more in-line with lawfulness, whereas unpredictable change would make for a more chaotic bent. Reliable change seems more an aspect of ethical neutrality.


Morally, life and death, the taking of one life for the benefit of another, who in turn offers their remains up to the other, and so, seems a good candidate for neutrality as well. I don't believe most folk are going to argue with that.

Just like with most nature deities, True Neutrality seems to be the most appropriate alignment.

Very good points.

 

[Ukyo the undead]

True neutral with good tendencies, but not enough to change the the aligment to good.

 

[Umbran]

I'm not sure we have enough information to answer the question. Alignment is a long-term average of behavior. So, I'd want to see a bit more of the deity's doctrines and behaviors in myths before I tried to peg an alignment.

Nature gods are fairly traditionally Neutral. The natural forces animals, and plants they represent don't make moral judgements.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

Nature gods are fairly traditionally Neutral. The natural forces animals, and plants they represent don't make moral judgements.

That's very debatable when it comes to animals in RL (many animals are more likely to sacrifice themselves to benefit the group than most humans, which is pushing LG from the D&D perspective. But this has more to do with my ongoing argument with the alignment system than the issue at hand). From the D&D perspective, you're absolutely right. I would say TN or NG, since he appears to have a doctrine of helpfulness and compassion, but I agree that more info would help clarify the issue.

 

[Olive]

I mean, alignment is Zeus, really?

ALIGNMENT IS ZEUS!!!! YES!!! Now I see the light!

 

[jmucchiello]

I mean, [what] alignment is Zeus, really?

Most greek gods should be CN because they tend to be selfish, self-indulgent types. Some may have good or evil tendencies but by and large CN is accurate for many of them.

 

[MatthewJHanon]

Most greek gods should be CN because they tend to be selfish, self-indulgent types. Some may have good or evil tendencies but by and large CN is accurate for many of them.

CN was my first instinct too, but then I thought about stuff how he is the head honcho among the Olympians, and he makes sure everybody knows about it. Especially those upstart humans.

I think the best way to resolve it is that if left to himself he is CN, but he expects others to be Lawful. Greek gods did not want their worshipers to emulate them, which is a lot different from the standard DnD assumption of things. I wounder what a campaign where gods acted like that would be like.

(Shameless plug) By they way I've started writing a column that talks about this sort of thing at rpgpost.com.

Oh, and Promethius (CG) has got our back.

 

[Olive]

I think the best way to resolve it is that if left to himself he is CN, but he expects others to be Lawful. Greek gods did not want their worshipers to emulate them, which is a lot different from the standard DnD assumption of things. I wounder what a campaign where gods acted like that would be like.

No he doesn't, he just expects them to let him rule. Do you think that Orc chieftans are chaotic or lawful? Rule by force of arms and strength alone is not inherently lawful.

 

[MatthewJHanon]

No he doesn't, he just expects them to let him rule. Do you think that Orc chieftans are chaotic or lawful? Rule by force of arms and strength alone is not inherently lawful.

I'm not saying that he himself is lawful, just that he also is in the position of enforcing the law. I think that an orc cheiften, even a chaotic one, would love it if the his subjects were obidient, loyal, and respectful of athority, because he is the athority.

And while rule by force alone in not inherently lawful, I think that those who rule are more likely to be lawful then the gereral populace.