Do you play your Alignment or does it play you?

Velvet Embrace · Post by **Velvet Embrace** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:40 pm

DISCLAIMER!!! This is NOT for discussion on wether you think D&D Alignment is set up right or not, nor if you like the Avlis system on ALignment changes or not. That horse has been beat to death. I'm simply trying to see how the average Avlis player thinks about Alignment and her/his character.

By the choice "My characters Alignment dictates my characters actions.", I mean that you think about wether your character is Lawful, or Good, or Netral, etc before you act/RP. For Example: A Lawful Good character would never lie or steal intentionally. So this choice means a player will play the character to ensure thier Alignment.

By "I let my characters actions decide what my Alignment is.", I mean that you act as you the player wish, and change your actions/RP to match your Alignment. For Example: A character who does a bit of thievery from house to house will turn quickly Chaotic. If you started with a Nuetral or Lawful character, then your actions/RP will change drastically to meet your new Alignment. This choice means a player will play thier character to match whatever Alignment they have at the time.

The last "I don't pay attention to my ALignment at all." May sound like the second choice, but is actually leaning more toward those who don't like the D&D alignment system. This is for players who have decided who, and what thier characters are during and/or before creation. If the characters Alignment changes during gameplay, the player continues to play the character as they intended. Reguardless of what the characters actual Alignment is.

WrathOG777 · Post by **WrathOG777** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:07 pm

I try to play my character with a complete disregaurd for how that will effect my alignment.

But...

Since Avlis has greater diety philosophies I use that. Those give your character a great IC religious path to follow. That leads you to that dieties alignment.

So...

By me completely ignoreing alignment, Baal becomes CE, because he is a Malekite.

CPU · Post by **CPU** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:22 pm

Both.

Usually my character's reactions are all pretty reflexive for me. He generally doesn't do anything unless he percieves some sort of direct benefit from it. He doesn't care about the big issues and only cares about others as they relate to him and his needs.

When I do have a question about how to act, I think about his alignment (NE) and get my answer there.

Anyamaur · Post by **Anyamaur** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 4:38 pm

hhm...
I think some of anya's actions are pretty much in tune with her alignment,
but she has to stop helping so many people, damnit!

loki70 · Post by **loki70** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 7:23 pm

Anyamaur wrote:hhm...
I think some of anya's actions are pretty much in tune with her alignment,
but she has to stop helping so many people, damnit!

Hear, hear! My char started out all nice and balanced, could have been the long lost son of Toran, well, except for the elf thing. Now, because he helps everyone with the slightest sob story, going into dungeons, handing out heal kits, giving advice and lessons, giving away his old stuff to anyone who wants it (you would not believe how fast free stuff goes on Avlis) he has officially made himself a goody-two shoes. *sighs*

Basically through quests he alignment shifted, so I started playing his new alignment. If it ever shifts again (please, no, not again) I will play him accordingly. That is the point of RP in some cases. You use the paper to guide your characters actions. Your wants and needs should be secondary (outside of the simple mechanics of the game)

Melakin Skywieder · Post by **Melakin Skywieder** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:04 pm

I try to let the events and other PC's guide most of my characters save if I have a specific idea.

My main started off as CN as a result but the actions of many almost from the very beginning turned him to the side of good. Had he ever made the meeting with the Ravens it might have turned out very different....

But he never did

RazorJTR · Post by **RazorJTR** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:12 pm

I think I play Elina the way she is meant to be..

I cheat/I make promises, I love/I hate, I steal/I give, I kill/I heal, and..

I do it all randomly!!

I try to stay neutral and I can't stand being set into a small box where I have to do something in a certain way.

I "think" Elina's alignment plays me - as in CN..

Sometimes I talk to people and explodes in rage or plain happiness - I really can't be fully trusted into do something special.

On the other hand if it can strengthen Elina and or her make reach goals I can do things just the way you like it..

There's only one person that REALLY matters - and that's me

Mistcaller · Post by **Mistcaller** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:33 pm

For my main PC there were many times that she wanted to behave in a chaotic way, but since she has a lawful alignment I struggled as player to adhere to it. Of course, there were few times I didnt succeed.

Glantry · Post by **Glantry** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:48 pm

My main character is LG, and I let the alignment play him. although, my gut feeling would be to become a Malekite most of the time.

Anyamaur · Post by **Anyamaur** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:47 pm

I think if a DM spots a character doing something totally out of their alignment (and they are high level; all the more they should know to stay within their alignment)
then they should shift it.

Psyco · Post by **Psyco** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:50 pm

Thats what is great about TN. you feel like a situation requires a little chaos, then its all good, the next one may be more lawfull.

My character plays around philosphies, relationships and greater goals. Alignment is really a secondary consideration, but as i said, thats partially because TN does not mean "fence sitter" but instead allows you to go in whatever direction is best suited to the situation, it all balances out in teh end.

Psyco · Post by **Psyco** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:53 pm

Anyamaur wrote:I think if a DM spots a character doing something totally out of their alignment (and they are high level; all the more they should know to stay within their alignment)
then they should shift it.

without knowing the bigger picture, how do you know its out of alignment?

Would you consider a reaver catching a thief and turning them over to the law enforcers to be lawfull? would you give a lawfull hit for it?

Now what if the reaver had made a deal with the thief earlier, they hand them over watch them get charged and then prove their innocence, so as to discredit the law. Is it still a lawfull action?

Anyamaur · Post by **Anyamaur** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:02 pm

Psyco wrote:
Anyamaur wrote:I think if a DM spots a character doing something totally out of their alignment (and they are high level; all the more they should know to stay within their alignment)
then they should shift it.
without knowing the bigger picture, how do you know its out of alignment?

Would you consider a reaver catching a thief and turning them over to the law enforcers to be lawfull? would you give a lawfull hit for it?

Now what if the reaver had made a deal with the thief earlier, they hand them over watch them get charged and then prove their innocence, so as to discredit the law. Is it still a lawfull action?

ummm...

grabs the free pie and runs away

no lol, but i'm just saying, something totally drastic like if a malekite healed someone dead on the road...AND walked away without dragging him along to sacrafice, AND without stabbing him or pisening or- those things malekites do..

Velvet Embrace · Post by **Velvet Embrace** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:10 pm

*grabs her post from the highjackers and spanks them all before returning her post to it's proper course*

Tis about how you play your character and how your chracters alignment affects your play or viceversa.

Emprod · Post by **Emprod** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 11:15 pm

I don't think about my alignment before I take an action, I think about what my PC would do.

I might consider those actions as a whole at the end of the day/week/month and assess that I'm on the right track still, and if they're not, reassess goals.

Aerill · Post by **Aerill** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 12:59 am

Emprod wrote:I don't think about my alignment before I take an action, I think about what my PC would do.

I might consider those actions as a whole at the end of the day/week/month and assess that I'm on the right track still, and if they're not, reassess goals.

I would say it is the same for me. I do not let the alignment dictate my characacter's behaviour. That's what different character traits and perks I've tried to give them do.

Malathyre · Post by **Malathyre** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 1:03 am

I honestly have no idea how to play any alignment. I try my damnedest to play a character.

Katika · Post by **Katika** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:30 am

My character's alignment is part of her overall personallity and her attitude towards people and situations.....the personality dictates what I will do in a given situation, although I must admit to initially finding it hard (ooc curiosity) not to peek in boxes in shops with my Paladin, but now she never even thinks about it at all, actually she's only just started picking loot up off defeated foes a couple of levels ago (9th) because people kept telling her to

Rhissaerk Jalesh · Post by **Rhissaerk Jalesh** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 6:52 am

Rhissaerk has a personality, I understand his personality, what motivates him, why he does the things he does, his view on life, and so on. Sometimes he suprises me though.

But alignment is never a consideration of mine, and likely never will be. I don't really care what it is, although I do sometimes ponder it when bored.

Starslayer_D · Post by **Starslayer_D** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:20 am

Voted #1, but aligment gets modified by RP over time. (not whats on the sheet, but what's in my head)

Ben DeVeny · Post by **Ben DeVeny** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:26 am

My characters actions are controlled by his lifes philosophy. The things he puts his hands to are defined by his spiritual convictions.

His personal reactions to people are very largely defined by the situation, who and what. Shen is very passionate, sentimental, (moody), proud and at times plain grouchy and indignant in his old age, but still quite predictable. He is very "cause oriented" and pretty stubborn. When he is right, he is fucking RIGHT and it takes a lot to talk him down. (Silent Water, the monk could write books on the subject, bless her heart)

So to answer if the alignment defines my actions, or whether I chose the alignment to fit my actions, I would have to say neither. Its a chicken and the egg thing, and it doesnt matter who came first. They are both quite homogenous and I find it easy to play LN with the mindset Shen has.

I feel that if you chose the alignment well, it WILL fit they way you RP the figure, and you wont be able to distinguish which one defines the other.

-Shen

Velvet Embrace · Post by **Velvet Embrace** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:44 am

Shen,

That has to be the most elegant disertation of how to play alignment that I have ever seen.

The poll is reflecting that mindset as well. People are split between choice #1 and #2 probably simply because of how they view alignment. #3 is comming in about half of either of the other two, either showing people who wish to pick both, niether, or are unsure.

I'd like to thank all who posted, and voted. I hope many will come and continue to view, post and vote, gaining insight in how to play alignments and what it means to other people.

Reading the responses showed me a few things I had not thought of before.

Velvet