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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WayOfTheFourElements" data-source="post: 7979944" data-attributes="member: 6904757">I've been reading these discussions and have changed my views on alignment in light of them. I've decided to separate alignment from the fundamental competing forces of the cosmos (Law and Chaos, Good and Evil).AlignmentThe four philosophical forces of Law and Chaos, Good and Evil direct the fate of the cosmos. Unlike real-world ethics, they are as real and tangible area gravity. A character’s alignment defines his or her general outlook and place in that cosmic battle. Choose Lawful Good, Chaotic Good, Neutral, Lawful Evil, or Chaotic Evil for your character. Each alignment is described below.Lawful Good, “Truth, Justice, and Cooperation”: Adherents believe that only through law and order can the benefits of good be brought to the greatest number. When things are in proper order, the whole system works smoothly. If a title is honorable, the person holding the title should be given the respect the title deserves.Chaotic Good, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”: Chaotic Good characters believe that only true personal freedom can bring happiness and prosperity to all. They see hierarchy as a barrier to personal fulfillment. If the old order needs to be replaced so that people can be free to pursue their own goals, so be it. The ends never justify the means.Neutral, “Cosmic Balance”: The Neutral alignment promotes “cosmic balance.” Its adherents believe that neither Law nor Chaos, Good nor Evil should be allowed to become too powerful. Many exhort that the state of nature is the true embodiment of cosmic balance.Lawful Evil, “Might Makes Right”: Lawful Evil characters believe in hierarchy and that the powerful deserve to rule over the weak – sometimes for the greater good, other times for personal power. Individuals have no inherent value, if they threaten the established order. The ends always justify the means.Chaotic Evil, “Trust a Dishonest Man to be Dishonest”: Adherents are entirely self-centered. They care nothing for others and will do anything to ensure their own freedom and wellbeing. Individuals have no inherent value, except as tools of personal pleasure. The worst Chaotic Evil characters may kill or cause pain  simply because they enjoy it.Cosmic ForcesUnlike alignment, which overlays humanistic principles over the intersection of Law, Chaos, Good, and Evil the forces themselves are inhuman and unknowable.Law: The force of Law pushes the cosmos towards a state of perpetual clockwork in which everything happens according to a grand plan. Free will is nullified and automation overtakes consciousness.Chaos: The force of Chaos propels the cosmos towards a state unpredictable variability. Random and senseless creation and destruction reigns supreme.Good: The force of Good strives to establish a cosmos free of death and suffering. The concept of empathy is strongly aligned with the Good, though it will stop at nothing establish a utopian reality.Evil: Evil is the least understood of the four philosophical forces. It sees no difference between living creatures, decaying flesh, and lifeless matter, though what end evil desires to push the cosmos towards remains a mystery.</blockquote>

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