You're Playing Funny...
better get your alignment checked

I think the kinds of transgressions (sins, if you will) one can commit can be divided into crimes against property and crimes against life. "Property" is not only things one can hold in your hand, but ideas, concepts, and creeds. "People" includes not only your own species, but sentient life, and, to a lesser extent, non-sentient life.

Chaotic acts are crimes against property, meaning mostly that you don't pay attention to any rules you don't want to (meaning you can have chaotic priests and psionicists, but they're all self-motivated). It doesn't matter if you work within the rules for a time, because that's what you want to do for now. Flexibility is important, and you aren't one to get tied down by rules. In this system, neutrality means that you tend to follow the rules, but will go outside them if there isn't a lawful way of doing what you feel needs to be done. Lawful means that you respect other people's property. Sometimes you slip, but you the property of others as being just as important as your own, and respect it as much as you can.

Evil acts are crimes against people. Its not so much not caring, though that will lead to evil eventually, but rather an active lack of caring... you shut yourself off from the pain that you cause, maybe revel in it. It's not as important as what you want. Neutrality in this system is the realization that others are important, and you don't go out of your way to hurt them (you might even be sorry when you do)... but are willing to hurt them if there isn't an alternative. Good means that you try not to hurt people, and will be sorry if you have to. Even goblins are important to a good character. This doesn't mean good won't kill, but it does mean that other methods are preferable.

Now, how does this translate into a bi-axial alignment system? Well, I'll give examples of each alignment, along with what I think makes them that way. If you want to argue with my examples, e-mail me directly instead of throwing them up here

Lawful Good is best exemplified by Sturm from Dragonlance. While he wouldn't hesitate to kill to save his life or that of his friends, he preferred not to, and he kept true to a system of honor throughout all of his life, and even when it imperiled him, he tried to help people and uphold the law.

Neutral Good is the alignment of Martin Luther King, Jr. He acted first and foremost towards the well-being of people. He stayed within the law where he could, but was willing to break it to support the good.

Chaotic Good is the Robin Hood alignment. He flagrantly ignored the rights of others towards property, and broke many rules of his faith. But he acted to help people, and was a good person.

Lawful Neutral is the alignment of the bureaucrat . He follows the concepts laid before him, and isn't actively malign.... just a bit indifferent to the pain he causes.

True Neutral can be thought of as the man-on-the-street... he respects the property of others where he can, but will overstep it if it serves his goals. He isn't necessarily out to hurt anyone, but his goals are important enough that he will if he has to.

Chaotic Neutral is the quintessential mugger. He doesn't give a damn about your property rights, and he'll hurt you if he has to, but he'd much rather just get your stuff and let you go.

Lawful Evil is like a cruel dictator. He uses the rules and property to inflict harm on any who oppose him, and doesn't give a second thought to the pain he causes.

Neutral evil is a murderer or a rapist. He doesn't care about your money, your faith, or any concepts that you carry around. He's out to cause pain and damage to people, and doesn't care that he does.

Chaotic Evil is sort of like the gangster archetype. He breaks the rules and ignores others rights to property, and goes out and hurts people in order to fulfill his wants and needs... damn the cost and full speed ahead, so to speak.


That's a basic look at how I see the alignment system... Remember, before you reply that property includes both the physical meaning of the word and the laws and concepts associated with it.

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