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<blockquote data-quote="Rev. Jesse" data-source="post: 2660012" data-attributes="member: 27673">I have a few issues w/ providing bonuses exclusively for alignments.&nbsp; The first is that a movement bonus is greatly overpowered compared w/ the other items. This is easily resolved by switching up the bonuses, as another party had already noted.&nbsp;&nbsp; Another is that, as already pointed out; neutrals get screwed with this set up.&nbsp; Plus, the bonuses cited are easily duplicated or simulated by the feats Dodge, Weapon Focus, Power Attack, and Dash so any fighter could customize herself to be different from any other.My final problem with this system, also answering why it is wrong to make alignment matter, is that alignment is intended to be primarily a role-playing tool.&nbsp; Obviously this has changed a bit in 3rd Edition w/ the addition of alignment based DRs and spells like Chaos Hammer, but giving characters bonuses “just because” based on their alignment makes it more of a power gaming tool than a role-playing one.&nbsp; On top of that, goodness is supposed to be its own reward.&nbsp; Evil guys get bonuses because they lie, cheat, and put venom on their blades, and neutral characters don’t suffer the problems of others, but the good guys have to play by the book, fight the good fight, and help out others.&nbsp; It’s not easy being good, and that’s part of the point.&nbsp; D &amp; D is mechanically intended to be a game about heroics.As for alignment tracking/changing, I’m surprised no one mentioned the 1st edition Dragonlance book (DL Adventures, I think), which had a mechanic to track alignment changes.&nbsp; Basically, you took two lines of 30 segments each, w/ +6 to +15 being good on one and chaotic on another and -6 to -15 being evil on the first and lawful on the second.&nbsp; Absolute values 0 to 5 would be neutral.&nbsp; As you committed good or evil acts, you moved up and down the scale.&nbsp; It had a weight modifier so a moderately evil act would make a pure hearted soul move more quickly to the left than a neutral would (but the neutral would still be closer to being evil after the adjustment).&nbsp; This is interestingly mirrored in video games like Fable and Knights of the Old Republic.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Rev. Jesse, post: 2660012, member: 27673"] I have a few issues w/ providing bonuses exclusively for alignments. The first is that a movement bonus is greatly overpowered compared w/ the other items. This is easily resolved by switching up the bonuses, as another party had already noted. Another is that, as already pointed out; neutrals get screwed with this set up. Plus, the bonuses cited are easily duplicated or simulated by the feats Dodge, Weapon Focus, Power Attack, and Dash so any fighter could customize herself to be different from any other. My final problem with this system, also answering why it is wrong to make alignment matter, is that alignment is intended to be primarily a role-playing tool. Obviously this has changed a bit in 3rd Edition w/ the addition of alignment based DRs and spells like Chaos Hammer, but giving characters bonuses “just because” based on their alignment makes it more of a power gaming tool than a role-playing one. On top of that, [I]goodness is supposed to be its own reward[/I]. Evil guys get bonuses because they lie, cheat, and put venom on their blades, and neutral characters don’t suffer the problems of others, but the good guys have to play by the book, fight the good fight, and help out others. It’s not easy being good, and that’s part of the point. D & D is mechanically intended to be a game about heroics. As for alignment tracking/changing, I’m surprised no one mentioned the 1st edition Dragonlance book (DL Adventures, I think), which had a mechanic to track alignment changes. Basically, you took two lines of 30 segments each, w/ +6 to +15 being good on one and chaotic on another and -6 to -15 being evil on the first and lawful on the second. Absolute values 0 to 5 would be neutral. As you committed good or evil acts, you moved up and down the scale. It had a weight modifier so a moderately evil act would make a pure hearted soul move more quickly to the left than a neutral would (but the neutral would still be closer to being evil after the adjustment). This is interestingly mirrored in video games like Fable and Knights of the Old Republic. [/QUOTE]

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