👼🏻 Alignment

👩🏻‍⚖️ Alignment is one of the most debated and misunderstood aspects of Dungeons & Dragons. It's a tool that helps players and Dungeon Masters understand character motivations, but it can also be a philosophical nightmare. Let's break it down and make sense of this complex topic!

👩🏼‍⚖️ Alignment Dimensions

D&D alignment is built on two independent dimensions that shape a character's moral and ethical compass:

1. Law vs. Chaos
   • This describes how a character approaches rules and structure.
2. Good vs. Evil
   • This describes how a character's actions impact others.

These dimensions work together to determine alignment, but remember: They're guidelines, not absolute definitions.

Lawful	Neutral	Chaotic
They Follow a Code	They Consider Benefits	They Follow their Feelings

• 🔵 $\color{#00A1F1}Lawful$ characters are dedicated to following a set of principles or codes.

• 🟢 $\color{#7CBB00}Neutral$ characters weigh options pragmatically, often based on outcomes or benefits.

• 🟠 $\color{#FFBB00}Chaotic$ characters prioritize their personal freedom and emotions.

Evil vs. Neutral vs. Good

Evil	Neutral	Good
Prioritizes Self	Prioritizes Tribe	Prioritizes All

• 💜 $\color{violet}Evil$ characters put their own needs and desires above everyone else.
• ❤️ $\color{#ED1C16}Neutral$ characters care about their group or "tribe" (family, team, guild, etc.) but don't sacrifice much for outsiders.
• 💛 $\color{gold}Good$ characters care about everyone and aim for the greatest good.

👩🏽‍⚖️ Tribe can be any ingroup the character belongs to, such as Family, City, Team, Party, or Guild..., while All stands for the "greater good".

👩🏾‍⚖️ Alignment and Morality: Choices Matter

👩🏾‍⚖️ The main point of morality in D&D is the choices characters make as they weigh one consequence over another. The main point of morality in D&D is the choices characters make as they weigh one consequence over another.

But don't let this descriptors lead your character. You may have an 'Evil' character who decides to feed a puppy in the rain out of empathy, or a 'Good' character who perpetuates a harmful hierarchy because it benefits them. Usually these actions may be self justified as part of their views: "This puppy will grow to be a fearsome lackey', or 'The king will bring order to this region!" .

This is why even characters like Paladins can sometimes end up as villains. After all, a Lawful Good knight could fight for a system (like a monarchy) that is deeply unfair and oppressive to the common folk.

🧑🏿‍⚖️ Morality and Consequences

👩🏿‍⚖️ Characters' alignments are tied to how they perceive the consequences of their actions. Here’s a useful table to help think about how a character might weigh consequences for themselves, their tribe, or everyone. Read as "The Goal it wants is going to be X to them, but also Y to their Tribe", "It's going to be X for the tribe, and Y to everybody else". "It will bring this X benefit to the tribe, but also this Y different benefit."

Bad \ Good	Good To Self	Good to Tribe	Good to All
Bad To Self	x	Lawful Good	Any Good
Bad To Tribe	Chaotic Evil	x	Chaotic Good
Bad To All	Any Evil	Lawful Evil	x

🧑🏻‍⚖️ It's important to remember that morality is based on perceived consequences. Actions carry moral weight only when the consequences are understood or foreseen by the character. Unknown or unintended outcomes don't typically weigh towards one's morality.
🧑🏻‍⚖️ Also, some people will follow a risky situation for themselves because it can bring a great benefit. To live is to risk.

Archetypes of Alignment

Understanding alignment becomes easier when you look at famous characters:

👨🏻‍🎤 Chaotic Good Archetypes

• Han Solo (Star Wars)
• Batman (DC Comics)
• Robin Hood (English Folklore)
• Toph (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
• Anarchism
• Captain America (Marvel)
• V for Vendetta
• Zorro (Zorro)
• Arya Stark (Game of Thrones)
• Doctor Who (Doctor Who)
• Malcolm Reynolds (Firefly)

• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!

🧑🏼‍🌾 Neutral Good Archetypes

• Captain Kirk (Star Trek)
• Captain Marvel (Marvel)
• Socialism
• Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings)
• Mulan (Disney)
• Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter)
• John Connor (Terminator 2)
• Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)

• I'm doing what's right, and the rules should serve the greater good.

👮🏻 Lawful Good Archetypes

• Superman (DC Comics)
• Communism
• Robocop I
• Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
• Ned Stark (Game of Thrones)
• Green Lantern
• Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
• Optimus Prime (Transformers)
• Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek)
• Joan of Arc (Historical Figure)

• Rules are meant to protect people, and I must follow them.

🧗🏼 Chaotic Neutral Archetypes

• Republicanism
• Libertarianism
• Ryandism
• Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)
• Deadpool (Marvel)
• Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones)
• Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty)
• Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher)
• Loki (Norse Mythology)

• Freedom is more important than good and evil; morality without freedom is hollow.

👨🏻‍💼 True Neutral Archetypes

• Ecologism
• Lara Croft
• The Oracle (Matrix)
• Dr. Strange (Marvel)
• Professor X (Marvel)

• Balance is the goal; Find an equilibrium.

👨🏻‍⚖️ Lawful Neutral

• Beurocracy
• Sherlock Holmes
• Javert (Les Misérables)
• The Men in Black
• Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones)
• Judge Dredd (Judge Dredd)
• Spock (Star Trek)

• Order and law are paramount, even over personal morality.

🧑🏻‍🔬 Chaotic Evil Archetypes

• The Joker (DC Comics)
• Capitalism
• Bellatrix Lestrange (Harry Potter)
• Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones)
• Carnage (Marvel)
• Ramsay Bolton (Game of Thrones)

• I should take care of myself and what I want first.

🥷🏼 Neutral Evil Archetypes

• Monarchy
• Magneto (Marvel)
• Voldemort (Harry Potter)
• Petyr Baelish (Game of Thrones)
• Light Yagami (Death Note)
• Bender (Futurama)

• We will build our own society, with power concentrated among those who deserve it. With hookers and booze.

🤴🏼 Lawful Evil Archetypes

• Darth Vader (Star Wars)
• The Emperor (Star Wars)
• Lex Luthor (DC Comics)
• Fascism
• Dolores Umbridge
• Stalin (Historical Figure)
• Big Brother (1984)
• Thanos (Marvel)
• Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones)
• Loki (Marvel)
• Genghis Khan (Historical Figure)

• Power is the rule. My power.

Alignment is complex, and that’s part of the fun. Characters don’t always act consistently, and moral grey areas can lead to some of the most compelling storytelling in your game. The key is to use alignment as a guide, not as a constraint. Encourage your players to think deeply about their characters’ choices and enjoy the nuance that comes with playing in shades of grey.