A Lengthy (and Pointless) Diatribe on Alignment

What is Alignment For?

Alignment is essentially an optional rule at this point in the game's history. However, it can still prove a useful tool for players and Dungeon Masters alike, depending on the types of adventures and campaigns they go on:

• Alignment as a Decision-Making Tool: The fun of Dungeons & Dragons comes from interesting choices, and their impacts. Of course, humans in real life make decisions based on traits and values that are instilled by our parents, our society, our brain chemistry, our life events, etc. Fictional characters can never hope to receive the same amount of fleshing-out as real people, so alignment exists to provide a very loose framework for characters to make unexpected decisions without relying on an incredibly deep understanding on the part of their players.

• Alignment as a Personality Trait: The most recent version of alignment ascribes it to a character’s personal outlook on morality, and another personality trait meant to inform their role-playing decisions. Alignment can be useful in role-play heavy campaigns, and for some players, may be as important as race or class.

• Alignment as a Cosmic Allegiance: Earlier editions of the game -- particularly the ones with the three-alignment system: “Lawful”, “Neutral”, and “Chaotic” -- treated alignment as a stake in the war between the forces of Law (the good guys) and Chaos (the bad guys). In campaigns that emphasize planar adventures, alignment is a major distinction to draw in terms of where the characters stand on the cosmic front as creatures, magic, and even entire Planes of Existence may react differently to characters of different alignments. Chaotic Good characters stand against the tyranny of Lawful Evil devils that rule the Nine Hells, while a Lawful Neutral character finds himself opposed to the chaotic-aligned fey.

• Alignment as a Religious Function: In most any world of Dungeons & Dragons, the gods are very real, and have a tangible impact on reality. They are also inexorably associated with character alignment. Clerics, paladins, and druids in any campaign could benefit from truly understanding the alignment of their gods, and campaigns that focus on the connection between gods and men can use alignment to detail these relationships.

What does Alignment Mean?

The Players’ Handbook (of any edition of D&D) attempts to describe each alignment as a unique moral philosophy, but this method seems largely ineffective. The definitions of “Law”, “Good”, “Evil” and “Chaos” tend to shift between each entry, and after all, there are far more than nine opinions on ethics. The following section seeks to break down the five alignment types in reference to a character's self-interest.

• Good characters behave according to the needs of others. Examples of Good ideals include charity, redemption, responsibility, beauty, human decency, and sacrifice.

• Evil characters behave by sacrificing the needs of other for their personal gain. Examples of Evil ideals include greed, power, retribution, and strength.

• Lawful characters act based on principles, and believe in moral absolutes. Examples of Lawful ideals include honor, fairness, duty, community, and tradition.

• Chaotic characters act based on results, and do not believe in moral absolutes. Examples of Chaotic ideals include freedom, change, creativity, and independence.

• Neutral characters, in terms of good-and-evil, behave according to their own needs. In terms of law-and-chaos, they behave according to consequences (what will happen if I do the thing?). Examples of Neutral ideals include friendship, family, success, logic, or self-improvement.

The Nine Alignments (with Archetypes)

Therefore, the nine alignments can be best expressed in the following ways. Additionally, a few "archetypes" within each alignment have been included, along with examples of these types of characters in fiction. This is purely academic (in the D&D sense), and just provides players something to think about if they decide to use their alignment to inform their character's behavior.

Lawful Good (LG) characters sacrifice self-interest in order to help other people, while following their principles. Lawful Good characters do the right thing, not for selfish reasons or even because of necessity. They do it simply because it is the right thing to do. Unfortunately, the world is rarely so clean-cut -- principles usually fight with necessity, and law is not always good. The point of a Lawful Good character is to play someone forced to navigate these moral dilemmas: Lawful Good characters almost never have an easy answer. Particularly Lawful Good concepts are honor, duty, respect, fairness, and virtue.

• "The Crusader" sacrifices everything they can for the greater good, laying down their life in the name of the his fellow man, with chivalrous intent and courage in the face of adversity. No matter what, they are beholden to the highest possible ideals. This is the most classical depiction of Lawful Good, including examples like Superman (DC Comics) and Don Quixote (Don Quixote).

• "The Good-Cop" believes in enforcing reciprocity; they are motivated by justice and fairness, and a desire to punish wrongdoers. Examples of this archetype include Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird) and Agent Dana Scully (The X-Files).

• "Mr. Smith" believes social organization exists to serve the good of mankind. They maintain a resolute faith-in-the-system mentality that gives them a desire to reform it, rather than do away with it altogether. They are very often members of "the system" themselves; most good-aligned authority figures are variations on this archetype. While it is named for Jefferson Smith (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), other examples include Leslie Knope (Parks & Recreation) and Sgt. Nicolas Angel (Hot Fuzz).

Neutral Good (NG) characters promote and protect the well-being of others above all else. They see it as their responsibility to maximize the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. What separates them from being truly utilitarian is that they don't care about their own personal gain when making these decisions. Concepts associated with the "Neutral Good" alignment are charity, humaneness, kindness, and trust.

• "Somebody" is so-named, because "somebody’s got to do it." These are average, everyday people who believe that there is evil and suffering in the world, and have made a conscious personal choice to do good things instead, for the sake of their fellow man. Examples include Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), and Ray Stantz (Ghostbusters).

• "The Redemptive Soul" has taken it upon himself to do good things after some great revelation; the classic example is that he was once bad, but has been redeemed (e.g. Jean Valjean, Les Miserables). He values forgiveness and believes in the inherent goodness of humanity. A similar example would be someone who is not necessarily evil, but realizes they have a certain responsibility to do good things, due to some great turn of fate in their favor (e.g. Spiderman, Marvel Comics).

• "The Philanthropist" does not set out to do good. He has other goals in mind, but has a fundamentally good heart and a irresistible urge to help those in need. Indiana Jones never set out to dismantle the Third Reich -- he just thinks things belong in museums -- but he can't help himself from stopping the Nazis in The Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Philanthropist has a tendency towards the True Neutral alignment; when nobody's in trouble, he sticks to himself and does what he wants.

Chaotic Good (CG) characters see doing the right thing as both more important than their own desires or following any kind of set of self-imposed rules. They would be more than willing to lie, cheat, or steal if they believed no one would get hurt, and it would help others in the long run. Concepts for Chaotic Good characters would be freedom, happiness, liberation, generosity, or equality.

• "The Cynic", it is safe to assume, was once Lawful Good, but has since lost respect for his lofty ideals. He is still undoubtedly good, and he would certainly like to be Lawful, but feels it is too difficult to be both. Those with a particularly strong desire to try anyway may have an alignment tendency towards Neutral Good, or even Lawful Good.

• "The Free-Spirit" is an imperfect figure who ultimately just wants to share their goodness with the world, regardless of what anyone else has to say about it. They don't have a desire to rebel, but fail to abide by any code of conduct because they've never had to, or they are simply ignorant of them (e.g. Michael Scott, The Office, or Phillip J. Fry, Futurama).

• "The Rebel" aids the powerless by fighting the powerful, and help those who can't help themselves. Their primary values are charity and freedom, and cannot stand tyranny or abuse of power. Famous examples include Robin Hood, Harry Potter (the Harry Potter series), and Prometheus of Greek mythology.

• "The Vigilante" is similar to the Good Cop (see: Lawful Good), in that their main concern is justice. But these characters see following someone else's version of the rules as restricting their ultimate goal -- fighting evil. Examples of this archetype include Batman (DC Comics), Agent Fox Mulder (The X-Files) and most of the characters Arnold Schwarzenegger played in the 80s.

Lawful Neutral (LN) characters follow their own self-interest, but do so while avoiding causing harm to anyone, or violating their principles. Lawful Neutral characters differ from Lawful Good or Lawful Evil characters because they do not follow ‘the rules’ for a specific purpose -- following the rules is the purpose. Lawful Neutral concepts might include loyalty, order, community, contracts, or tradition.

• "The Loyalist” is devoted to a cause greater than himself, such as a religious institution, a political organization or a cultural group (family, noble house, nation, army, etc.), or even a single patron or master. He may have his own needs and wants, but they are secondary to the interests of those he represents. Examples include Judge Dredd (Dredd franchise), James Bond (James Bond franchise), or C3PO (Star Wars).

• "The Knight-Errant" lacks a sense of propriety or idealism compared to other Lawful Neutral characters. His wants are as simple and self-interested as anyone (money, fame, power, etc.), but he is Lawful because he conducts himself with a code of behavior far stricter than other mercenary-types (e.g. Mike Ehrmantraut, Breaking Bad). His primary value is mutual respect; he always keeps his word, but expects to be paid for doing so.

• "The Ronin” adheres to a code of personal honor or responsibility. His ideals may or may not have anything to do with the society of which he is apart; in fact, his personal standards may cause him to reject society altogether (e.g. Ron Swanson, Parks & Recreation). He works to achieve his own goals, but he believes that he may achieve a truly fulfilling life by following his code to the letter, and understands every aspect of it in great detail; its strengths and weaknesses, its exceptions and its rules. Unlike the Knight-Errant above, his goals are usually non-material; he wants mastery over an art-form, enlightenment, revenge (e.g. The Punisher, Marvel Comics, etc.).

True Neutral (TN), or Unaligned, characters simply try to do as they please while making as little an impact as possible. True Neutral characters are practical thinkers and team players that can be persuaded to side with almost anyone, as they are tolerant of almost any worldview. Concepts associated with the True Neutral alignment are harmony, impartiality, practicality, cosmic balance, or moderation.

• "The Bystander", perhaps the most common True Neutral character, just wants to make it through each day, and tries to get what he wants, while making as little trouble for himself as possible. Most regular people, and most True Neutral characters, fall into this category; an example from fiction would be John McClane, (the Die Hard franchise), Professor Slughorn (the Harry Potter series), or Winston Zeddemore (Ghostbusters).

• "The Explorer" is far too concerned with acquiring knowledge to be concerned with ethical questions. He wishes to learn and know, and the best way to do so is by approaching every decision with pure reason in mind. He thinks ethics are irrational and fears ideological conerns will cloud his sense of logic, and is purposefully neutral as a result. The quintessential example of this archetype is Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters).

• "The Philosopher" is purposefully neutral for whatever reason (cosmic balance, personal moderation, etc.). He may see most aspects of existence as far beyond the scope of moral and ethical questions, instead reacting as best he can to life with his instincts or reason, such as The Dude from The Big Lebowski, Treebeard from The Lord of the Rings, or Death from the Discworld series. They are a force of cohesion, cooperation, and moderation amid conflicting groups.

• "The Protector", like all of us, must choose between their ideals and their friends. For them, this choice is easy. Their lack of appreciation for ideology means that their highest priority tends to be the bonds they form with other people, to whom they are extremely committed (this might even be their reason for adventuring). Characters like Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings) and Han Solo (Star Wars) represent this archetype.

Chaotic Neutral (CN) characters are some of the most poorly understood; objectively according to the guidelines above, they would rather get what they want than have to adhere to commitments, rules, and regulations, but don’t actively hurt others to get ahead. Chaotic Neutral concepts include individuality, independence, spontaneity, or hedonism.

• "The Artist" is chiefly concerned with self-expression, and similar to other neutral-aligned characters who want to develop on a personal level. Their name implies a desire to make art, but a character of this archetype could instead wish to master a craft or skill, such as magic, combat, philosophy, or a set of tools. Regardless, the Artist sees any implication of authority or what "should" be done as an affront to their self-mastery. Examples include Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad) and Calvin (Calvin & Hobbes).

• "The Individualist" is dedicated entirely to the concept of radical freedom. He holds a firm belief that a person should be allowed to do whatever they want, so long as they aren’t keeping someone else from doing whatever they want (e.g. Howard Roark, The Fountainhead). Certain characters of this archetype cannot stand the idea of some external force controlling anyone’s behavior, and often fight for others’ rights to do as they please.

• "The Mercenary" believes the ideals of Lawfulness are a burden. However, he is mostly concerned because of their power to restrict the pursuit of his own personal ambitions. Unlike the Individualist above, this character has no real desire to step in on anyone else’s behalf, unless he has a very good reason (giving them a True Neutral alignment-tendency). Examples of this archetype include Conan the Barbarian (from the works of Robert E. Howard), Captain Jack Sparrow (the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise), and Peter Venkman (Ghostbusters).

• "The Work-in-Progress" would like to take some kind of stand towards their ideals, but for some reason, they seem to be unable to. They are too selfish to be Good, but not so ruthless as to be Evil, and certainly they lack the self-control to be Lawful. So here they are. They are flawed people, separated by other Chaotic Neutral characters by a desire to change or improve. Examples include Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) and Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place).

Lawful Evil (LE) characters have no trouble hurting others in the pursuit of their desires, as long as they also follow a strict code of conduct; for example, a Lawful Evil character might kill someone to further their goals, but would avoid doubling back on any agreements they made, while another would exploit loopholes in the law, rather than break it, to commit evil acts. Of all evil alignments, this character is the least likely to realize he is evil, since he is so devoted to his ideals and principles (which he may believe make him good). Concepts for Lawful Evil characters are tyranny, power, obedience, punishment, and calculation.

• "The Black Knight" shows that there is indeed "honor among thieves." There is no doubt that this character is evil, but is beholden to an extremely strict code of ideals. He may be a rationally-minded villain who simply strives to always keep his word (e.g. Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs), or his actions are limited by some force beyond his control (e.g. The Riddler, DC Comics). In a fantasy world, magic or supernatural servitude is always a possibility to generate characters like this.

• "The Dragon" is defined by his unwavering loyalty to an evil master; however, unlike the Loyalist (see: Lawful Neutral), the Dragon readily commits evil acts in the name of his servitude. He may be a normal individual corrupted by an evil master, such as Darth Vader of Star Wars fame, or someone whose unflinching loyalty blinds him to the needs of others. At his worst, Dwight Schrute, from The Office, embodies this archetype.

• "The Tyrant" is the quintessential Lawful Evil character, who abuses their power to create order, or unity, or some other public good. They make sure to keep the trains running on time, but at the cost of human lives. Examples include the Galactic Empire (Star Wars), Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter), or Havelock Vetinari (The Discworld series).

• "The Zealot" is so fanatically devoted to a particular cause (such as a religious organization, a sense of moral absolutism, or even the laws of man) that human decency becomes completely secondary (e.g. Javert, Les Miserables). Their cause may not be evil at all; the Zealot may wish to end famine by killing half the population, or want to interpret the law of the King as best as possible, even if the King is a senile old lunatic. Another example of this would be Thanos, from Marvel Comics.

Neutral Evil (NE) characters see the concerns of others as far beneath the pursuit of achieving their personal goals. The ultimate pragmatists, they place no emphasis on following or breaking any set of rules; they do whatever is best for them at the current moment, whether others suffer or not. Concepts associated with the Neutral Evil alignment include desire, viciousness, treachery, vice, or desperation.

• "The Cutthroat" has taken the idea of rational self-interest to its logical extreme. He is power-hungry and extremely calculating, with a ruthless sense of logic and a belief that the ends always justify the means. Examples from fiction include the Emperor (Star Wars) and Voldemort (the Harry Potter series).

• "The Desperate Man", it seems, has exhausted every possible avenue to get what he wants, and decided the only way to do so is by taking it from others. He likely understands the gravity of his actions, and takes little pleasure in them, knowing they’re wrong, but with a firm belief that it’s the only chance he has (e.g. Walter White, Breaking Bad).

• "The Madman" has a single-minded obsession with completing a stated goal, which in itself is not evil or even particularly selfish. The character is instead evil, because of the extreme lengths he is willing to for his goal, although it may or may not be worth it (or even necessary). The most common motivation in media is the pursuit of science or knowledge; e.g. Dr. Frankenstein (Frankenstein).

Chaotic Evil (CE) characters are concerned entirely with their own immediate personal gratification, because they believe in and value nothing else. Kindness and honor are completely pointless, and a Chaotic Evil character holds them in contempt, unless of course, they help him achieve his goals. Particularly Chaotic Evil concepts would be cruelty, anger, savagery, and disorder.

• "The Cruel Teacher" violates every aspect of established morality in order to show the world their inherent weakness. They usually are fully aware of the terrible effect of their actions, but understand how important that is to the point they are trying to prove. Some might take great joy in this (e.g. The Joker, DC Comics), while others view it as a sober responsibility (Ozymandias, Watchmen).

• "The Despot" believes that by being stronger, smarter, or more powerful than others, he is entitled to what they are not. He has utter contempt for those he views as less-than, and takes whatever he can from them (e.g. the Thenardiers, Les Miserables). Joffrey (Game of Thrones) is a very literal example. Most characters of this alignment must be very intelligent or very powerful -- the ones who aren't are very dead.

• "The Destroyer" is driven by a single, nearly-mindless pursuit to -- as his name implies -- destroy. He may very well take a sadistic pleasure in doing so, believing everyone deserves to suffer, or he may be a completely mindless agent of chaos (e.g. Jason Voorhees, the Friday the 13th franchise). Regardless, has no goal to be achieved after the fact; he causes carnage, bloodshed, and mayhem for the mere sake of it.

Alignment and Ability Scores

A character’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores may inform their decisions as much as their alignment. For example, a Lawful Neutral character with a Wisdom score of 6 or 7 blindly trusts authority and follows tradition, while a True Neutral character with an equally low Charisma is passive and easily swayed, and a Chaotic Good character with a low Intelligence score is defiant and uncooperative for no real reason. Characters with higher scores develop increasingly detailed moral philosophies, with well-reasoned justifications for their alignment-based decisions, even for seemingly reprehensible or irrational alignments like Neutral Evil or Chaotic Neutral, respectively.

In terms of ability scores, it’s also very important to remember that an 8 in Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma doesn’t make your character a moron or a lunatic; more accurately, it places them on the low-end of the human average. A character with 8 Intelligence has a -1 modifier to Intelligence rolls, making him only 5% less likely to succeed on an Intelligence-based roll on a twenty-sided die than someone of average intellect (with a +0 modifier). In other words, you almost definitely know somebody in real-life with 8 Wisdom (you may very well be somebody with 8 Wisdom). So, assume that your characters, regardless of alignment, are about as rational in their decision-making as you are.