This board has already discussed what makes heroes and villains, as well as alternatives to Good and Evil. But this morning, I was trying to help someone settle on which alignment their character would fall under, and I ended up finding this solid article that narrows it down in a concise (but not necessarily constricting) verbiage. It breaks down the differences between Good and Evil, Lawful and Chaotic, then elaborates on nine alignments. I definitely suggest brushing up on the article itself for a fresh perspective, but here's a quick rundown via some excerpts:
Easydamus wrote:
Good vs. Evil
Good characters and creatures protect innocent life. Evil characters and creatures debase or destroy innocent life, whether for fun or profit.
[Neutral characters can be swung to do either, circumstantially]
Law vs. Chaos
Lawful characters tell the truth, keep their word, respect authority, honor tradition, and judge those who fall short of their duties. Chaotic characters follow their consciences, resent being told what to do, favor new ideas over tradition, and do what they promise if they feel like it.
[This is where True Neutral comes into play, which are characters "without prejudice or compulsion. They either disregard any commitment to good, evil, law and chaos, or believe a balance is needed between these forces in the world". There's more about them in the article's sidebar.]
The Nine Alignments
Nine distinct alignments define all the possible combinations of the lawful-chaotic axis with the good-evil axis. Each alignment description below depicts a typical character of that alignment. Remember that individuals vary from this norm, and that a given character may act more or less in accord with his or her alignment from day to day. Use these descriptions as guidelines, not as scripts.
Good characters and creatures protect innocent life. Evil characters and creatures debase or destroy innocent life, whether for fun or profit.
[Neutral characters can be swung to do either, circumstantially]
Law vs. Chaos
Lawful characters tell the truth, keep their word, respect authority, honor tradition, and judge those who fall short of their duties. Chaotic characters follow their consciences, resent being told what to do, favor new ideas over tradition, and do what they promise if they feel like it.
[This is where True Neutral comes into play, which are characters "without prejudice or compulsion. They either disregard any commitment to good, evil, law and chaos, or believe a balance is needed between these forces in the world". There's more about them in the article's sidebar.]
The Nine Alignments
Nine distinct alignments define all the possible combinations of the lawful-chaotic axis with the good-evil axis. Each alignment description below depicts a typical character of that alignment. Remember that individuals vary from this norm, and that a given character may act more or less in accord with his or her alignment from day to day. Use these descriptions as guidelines, not as scripts.
- Lawful Good, "Crusader"
- Neutral Good, "Benefactor"
- Chaotic Good, "Rebel"
- Lawful Neutral, "Judge"
- Neutral, "Undecided"
- Chaotic Neutral, "Free Spirit"
- Lawful Evil, "Dominator"
- Neutral Evil, "Malefactor"
- Chaotic Evil, "Destroyer"
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