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<blockquote data-quote="Mallus" data-source="post: 5423831" data-attributes="member: 3887">Alignment is one of those tools in the D&amp;D toolbox I never had much use for. I prefer to create my characters personalities, motivations, and belief systems outside the kind of abstract, semi-formalized framework that alignment represents. It's not that I find alignment to be an impediment to creating interesting characters, just unnecessary. I currently play a paladin in 4e. He considers himself &quot;Good&quot;, though most of the inhabitants of the setting, and for that matter, at least one of the our DM's, probably consider him &quot;Evil&quot;. C'est la guerre. Either way, he's an amusing piece of work, and, at least by the traditionally low standards of a D&amp;D campaign, he's a good fictional character. Which is what I'm after when playing RPGs: creating good fictional characters that I use to overcome in-game challenges and beat up imaginary monsters (or heroes). Alignment systems don't help me do this. Though I understand for other people, they do, and that's cool.Another thing I dislike about alignment systems is they ask players to figure out their characters moral outlook before they play them. I like to develop my PC's 'alignment' as I play, as my character interacts with the game environment. Sure, I have some inkling about who they are and what they believe at the start, but inevitably that changes over the course of the campaign, and I can't for the life of me see the benefit of discouraging what amounts to character development (not that the more recent incarnations of the game do this, but AD&amp;D did, at least by the RAW. For example, an evil AD&amp;D PC would lose XP by playing our their redemption).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mallus, post: 5423831, member: 3887"] Alignment is one of those tools in the D&D toolbox I never had much use for. I prefer to create my characters personalities, motivations, and belief systems outside the kind of abstract, semi-formalized framework that alignment represents. It's not that I find alignment to be an impediment to creating interesting characters, just unnecessary. I currently play a paladin in 4e. He considers himself "Good", though most of the inhabitants of the setting, and for that matter, at least one of the our DM's, probably consider him "Evil". C'est la guerre. Either way, he's an amusing piece of work, and, at least by the traditionally low standards of a D&D campaign, he's a good fictional character. Which is what I'm after when playing RPGs: creating good fictional characters that I use to overcome in-game challenges and beat up imaginary monsters (or heroes). Alignment systems don't help me do this. Though I understand for other people, they do, and that's cool. Another thing I dislike about alignment systems is they ask players to figure out their characters moral outlook [i]before[/i] they play them. I like to develop my PC's 'alignment' as I play, as my character interacts with the game environment. Sure, I have some inkling about who they are and what they believe at the start, but inevitably that changes over the course of the campaign, and I can't for the life of me see the benefit of discouraging what amounts to character development (not that the more recent incarnations of the game do this, but AD&D did, at least by the RAW. For example, an evil AD&D PC would [i]lose[/i] XP by playing our their redemption). [/QUOTE]

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