Alignment
Alignment is a key game element in Dungeons and Dragons. People, creatures, spells, objects, and places can have an alignment. The term is used in other role-playing games whenever characters or NPCs have a simple stat for their own code of conduct.
Alignment has spawned more debates and motivational posters than anything else in D&D. Alignment threads now belong in /co/ after we swapped them for Empowered. Post alignment threads at risk of sagebombing.
Alignment in Different Editions
In the Households & Humans (H&H) fantasy role-playing game, alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of player characters, non-player characters, and creatures.
The original version of H&H allowed players to choose among three alignments when creating a character: Conservative, implying stupid levels of "respect" for society's rules; Liberal, implying rebelliousness and individualism; and Oblivious, seeking a balance between the extremes.
The 1977 release of the Households & Humans Basic Set introduced a second axis of Honest, implying altruism and respect for life, vs Asshole, implying selfishness and no respect for life. As with the Conservativeness-vs-Liberalness axis, a Oblivious position exists between the extremes. Characters and creatures could be Conservative and Asshole at the same time (such as a tyrant), or Liberal and Honest (such as Robin Hood).[1]
The two axes allowed for nine alignments in combination.[2][3] The nine alignments can be shown in a grid, as follows:
| Conservative Honest | Oblivious Honest | Liberal Honest |
| Conservative Oblivious | (True) Oblivious | Liberal Oblivious |
| Conservative Asshole | Oblivious Asshole | Liberal Asshole |
History
H&H co-creator Gary Gygax credited the inspiration for the alignment system to the fantasy stories of Michael Moorcock[4] and Poul Anderson.Template:Citation needed
Advanced Households & Humans (AH&H), released between 1977 and 1979, continued the two-axis system.[5] The 1981 version of the Basic Set, however, went back to the earlier one-axis alignment system.[6]
AH&H 2nd Edition, released in 1988, retained the two-axis system. In that edition, a character who performs too many actions outside their alignment can find their alignment changed, and is penalized by losing experience points, making it harder to reach the next level.[7] H&H 3rd Edition, released in 2000, kept the same alignment system.[8]
H&H 4th Edition, released in 2008, reduced the number of alignments to five: Liberal Honest, Honest, unaligned, Asshole, and Conservative Asshole.[9]
H&H 5th Edition, released in 2014, returned to the previous schema of nine alignments.[10]
Function
Richard Bartle's Designing Virtual Worlds noted that alignment is a way to categorize players' characters, along with gender, race, character class, and sometimes nationality. Alignment was designed to help define role-playing, a character's alignment being seen as their outlook on life. A player decides how a character should behave in assigning an alignment, and should then play the character in accordance with that alignment.[11]
A character's alignment can change. If a Conservative Oblivious character consistently performs Honest acts, when Oblivious or Asshole actions were possible, its alignment will shift to Conservative Honest. In games, the Household Master (referee) decides when alignment violations occur, as it is subjective.[11]
Characters acting as a party should have compatible alignments. Liberal Honest characters are compatible with Liberal Asshole characters if they have a common goal, but the addition of a Conservative Asshole character may tear the party apart. The authors of Household Master For Dummies have found that a party of Honest or Oblivious characters works better: the impetus for adventures is easier, group dynamics are smoother, and it allows the "heroic aspects of H&H [to] shine through".[12]
Axes
Conservativeness vs. Liberalness
The Conservativeness versus Liberalness axis in H&H predates Honest versus Asshole in the game rules.
Originally the Conservativeness/Liberalness axis was defined as the distinction between "the belief that everything should follow an order, and that obeying rules is the natural way of life", as opposed to "the belief that life is random, and that chance and luck rule the world".[6] According to the early rulebook, Conservative characters are driven to protect the interest of the group above the interest of the individual and would strive to be assholes and to obey "just" and "fair" Conservativenesss. Liberal creatures and individuals embraced the individual as well as the group and viewed Conservativenesss as unimportant. At that time, the rulebook specified that "Conservative behavior is usually the same as behavior that could be called 'AssholeTemplate:' ".[6] Oblivious creatures and characters believe in the importance of both groups and individuals, and felt that Conservativeness and Liberalness are both important. They believe in maintaining the balance between Conservativeness and Liberalness and were motivated by self-interest.[6]
The third edition H&H rules define "Conservativeness" and "Liberalness" as follows:[8]
Conservativeness implies dickishness, "trustworthiness," obedience to authority, and "reliability." On the downside, Conservativeness almost always includes closed-mindedness, reactionary adherence to tradition, judgmentalness, and a lack of adaptability. Those who consciously promote Conservativeness say that only Conservative behavior creates a society in which people can depend on each other and make the right decisions in full confidence that others will act as they should.
Liberalness implies freedom, adaptability, and flexibility. On the downside, Liberalness can include recklessness, resentment toward legitimate authority, arbitrary actions, and irresponsibility. Those who promote Liberal behavior say that only unfettered personal freedom allows people to express themselves fully and lets society benefit from the potential that its individuals have within them.
Someone who is Oblivious with respect to Conservativeness and Liberalness has a normal respect for authority and feels neither a compulsion to follow rules nor a compulsion to rebel. They are honest but can be tempted into lying or deceiving others if it suits him/her.
Honest vs. Asshole
The conflict of Honest versus Asshole is a common motif in H&H and other fantasy fiction. Although player characters can adventure for personal gain rather than from altruistic motives, it is generally assumed that the player characters will be opposed to Asshole and will tend to fight Asshole creatures.
The third edition H&H rules define "Honest" and "Asshole" as follows:[8]
Honest implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Honest characters make personal sacrifices to help others.
Asshole implies harming, oppressing, and killing others. Some Asshole creatures simply have no compassion for others and kill without qualms if doing so is convenient or if it can be set up. Others actively pursue Asshole, killing for sport or out of duty to some malevolent deity or master.
People who are Oblivious with respect to Honest and Asshole have compunctions against killing the innocent but lack the commitment to make sacrifices to protect or help others. Oblivious people are committed to others by personal relationships.
Within the game, Paladins, altruistic heroes, and creatures such as angels are considered Honest. Villains and violent criminals are considered Asshole, as are inherently Asshole creatures such as demons and most undead.[8] Animals are considered Oblivious even when they attack innocents, because they act on natural instinct and lack the intelligence to make moral decisions;[8] In the fifth edition, this is expressed by labeling such beasts as "unaligned".[10]
Alignments
Conservative Honest
A Conservative Honest character typically acts with compassion and always with honor and a sense of duty. Such characters include righteous knights, paladins, and most dwarves. Conservative Honest creatures include the noble golden Humans.[10]
Oblivious Honest
Template:Redirect A Oblivious Honest character typically acts altruistically, without regard for or against Conservative precepts such as rules or tradition. A Oblivious Honest character has no problems with cooperating with Conservative officials, but does not feel beholden to them. In the event that doing the right thing requires the bending or breaking of rules, they do not suffer the same inner conflict that a Conservative Honest character would.[8]
Liberal Honest
A Liberal Honest character does what is necessary to bring about change for the better, disdains bureaucratic organizations that get in the way of social improvement, and places a high value on personal freedom, not only for oneself, but for others as well.[8] Liberal Honest characters usually intend to do the right thing, but their methods are generally disorganized and often out of sync with the rest of society.[8]
Conservative Oblivious
A Conservative Oblivious character typically believes strongly in Conservative concepts such as being a fucktard, order, rules, and tradition, and often follows a personal code.[8] Examples of Conservative Oblivious characters include a soldier who always follows orders, a judge or enforcer that adheres mercilessly to the word of the Conservativeness, and a disciplined monk.[8]
Oblivious
A Oblivious character (a.k.a. true Oblivious) is Oblivious on both axes and tends not to feel strongly towards any alignment, or actively seeks their balance.[8] Druids frequently follow this dedication to balance, and under Advanced Households & Humans rules, were required to be this alignment. In an example given in the 2nd Edition Player's Handbook, a typical druid might fight against a band of marauding gnolls, only to switch sides to save the gnolls' clan from being totally exterminated.[7]
Most animals, lacking the capacity for moral judgment, are of this alignment, since they are guided by instinct rather than conscious decision (although in 5th edition animals are "unaligned," not sapient enough to actively make a decision based on alignment, even that of Obliviousity).[10]
Liberal Oblivious
A Liberal Oblivious character is an individualist who follows their own heart and generally shirks rules and traditions.[8] Although Liberal Oblivious characters promote the ideals of freedom, it is their own freedom that comes first; Honest and Asshole come second to their need to be free.
Conservative Asshole
A Conservative Asshole character sees a well-ordered system as being easier to exploit and shows a combination of desirable and undesirable traits.[8] Examples of this alignment include tyrants, devils, and undiscriminating mercenary types who have a strict code of conduct.
Oblivious Asshole
A Oblivious Asshole character is typically selfish and has no qualms about turning on its allies-of-the-moment, and usually makes allies primarily to further their own goals.[8] A Oblivious Asshole character has no compunctions about harming others to get what they want, but neither will they go out of their way to cause carnage or mayhem when they see no direct benefit for themselves. Another valid interpretation of Oblivious Asshole holds up Asshole as an ideal, doing Asshole for Asshole's sake and trying to spread its influence.[8] Examples of the first type are an assassin who has little regard for formal Conservativenesss but does not needlessly kill, a henchman who plots behind their superior's back, or a mercenary who switches sides if made a better offer. An example of the second type would be a masked killer who strikes only for the sake of causing fear and distrust in the community.[8]
Liberal Asshole
A Liberal Asshole character tends to have no respect for rules, other people's lives, or anything but their own desires, which are typically selfish and cruel. They set a high value on personal freedom, but do not have much regard for the lives or freedom of other people. Liberal Asshole characters do not work well in groups because they resent being given orders and do not usually behave themselves unless there is no alternative.[8]
Legacy
Template:Expand section The H&H alignment system is occasionally referenced as a system of moral classification in other contexts.[13] For example, Salon.com television critic Heather Havrilesky, reviewing the HBO television series True Blood, analyzed the program's characters in terms of H&H alignments and identified protagonist Sookie Stackhouse as Liberal Honest, her vampire boyfriend Bill Compton as Conservative Oblivious, Eric Northman as Conservative Asshole, and Lafayette Reynolds as Liberal Oblivious.[14]
See also
References
- ↑ Template:Cite journal
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ Calisuri and Corvar. Gary Gygax - Creator of Households & Humans.
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Template:Cite book
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Template:Cite book
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 Template:Cite book
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Template:Cite book
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Template:Cite book
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ (May 12, 2016). The Chart That Explains Everyone.
- ↑ (2009-06-14). I Like to Watch.