Editing Alignment (section)

=== Lawful Neutral ===
{{Topquote|Justice is not blind, for I am her eyes|Vhailor ''Planescape Torment''}}

Think Paladins without the morality. Lawful Neutral characters are essentially the law-made-manifest. They uncompromisingly enforce the law down to the letter and do not give any unofficial leeway regardless of the circumstances. Stole some food to feed your starving family? One year, isocubes. Stole a car to save the lives of hundreds? '''Five years.''' Robbed the bank to buy a cure for your dying sister? '''TWENTY YEARS!''' And code thirty six thirteen, the first degree murder of a street judge...  Death.  Court's adjourned.

If they aren't actively enforcing the law, they are instead following it to the letter and will insist to other people to do the same. The reasoning varies, but it usually boils down to them respecting and upholding order, which the law represents. Upholding order isn't always simple or easy, sometimes you have to make the hard call and have morality take a back seat a few times for the bigger picture (what the "bigger picture" actually is will vary from character from character of course).

At best they're obstructive bureaucrats who will get through almost anything by ruthlessly exploiting every legal avenue and loophole they can find (They probably legally ruined a few lives along the way, but the law's the law, not their problem.). At worst they're insufferable [[Rules Lawyer]]s given the license of roleplay, and will bitch even more about the rules than the lawful goods. They're going to turn on you the second you jaywalk across the street to stop a mugger, so as soon as you get out of town leave them in a shallow grave. Beware even harder of [[Lawful Stupid]].

That being said there are settings where they're justified.  Judge Dredd, the Adeptus Arbites, ... Chicago on a weekend... Whatever it may say about human nature, it's pretty easy to worldbuild a scenario where hardnosed lawgivers are literally the only thing keeping a city from resembling [[Commorragh]]. On non-grimdark settings though they could end up being the actual villains of the story in the absence of an outright BBEG

Another, also somewhat common, archetype are literal machines or inhuman aliens who are instead ruled by cold logic and numbers, and are downright unable to think in terms of morality and emotions, or even comprehend them, because it is just not part of their nature, and are only ever able to make decisions based on what's a more efficient use of available resources. You'll rarely be able to reason with these, so might as well whack'em and toss their metal bodies into a rubbish pile

Example(s): An uncompromising judge who dispenses justice as their codex demands, for better or worse.   The [[Modron|Modrons]] from Planescape for the "unfeeling machines" archetype.

Iconic Character(s): Good old [[Judge Dredd]]. Or Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory when he isn't scheming (Lawful Evil) or being Lawful Good to his friends. 

Expected Personality: The first half of the neutral jerkass duo, who wants to stop people from having fun.