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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 7979264" data-attributes="member: 16814">Just to pimp my interpretation again, as it resolves the recent 'discovery of unjustness' issue:Lawful:  venerates, adheres, defines self by an external code, religion, structureChaotic:  rejects down external codesGood:  sacrifices self for othersEvil: sacrifices others for selfSo, why do I use this simplified method?  Because it works and solves some of the larger issues with alignment and D&D.  By sticking lawful as just following one external code, it solves the issue of expecting a lawful person to be respectful and follow any set of laws or codes that exist, which is incoherent.  It solves the issue recently discussed of a lawful good person that discovers that how their code is being actually applied in their society is unjust -- they can either determine that it's the application that's unjust and continue to follow their code, but strive to see it applied justly or find a new code; either way they maintain their lawful alignment.  Or, they could decide to reject all codes and just do what they think is just and move to chaotic.  Or, they could decide that the code works okay, but should be ignored when it causes unjust outcomes and slide into neutral.  It seems clear that all of this is good, so append that as you will.It also addresses that the source material, outside of paladins, provides no codes to follow at all.  A lawful priest of Tyr, for instance, has no more guidance given on tenets, roles, structure, duties, taboos, or strictures than a chaotic priest of Selune (keeping on the same G/E axis).  There's nothing in the source material that identifies what codes a priest of Tyr follows or what is expected of a priest of Selune.  This is all left up to the GM, which leads to very garbles and unclear play.  Using the above, though, I can ask the player what the code is that their character follows as a lawful person (much like identifying the oath of a paladin), and I can also ask how a chaotic character rejects having a formal code.  This is a simple step and gives that character a strong theme. This also allows for lawful characters to be in dispute with either codes that are not theirs or with laws that are not theirs.  So long as they're following an external code faithfully, it can be in dispute with other codes.  This still works with the outer planes, as it doesn't break continuity to think that physical embodiments of lawfulness would likely group themselves according to a similar code.</blockquote>

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