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ALIGNMENT



I copy&pasted the stuff below straight from the Dungeon Crawl Classics rulebook PDF. Maybe use these Alignment definitions rather than the 5th edition definitions? 🤔🤔🤔



In the beginning, there was the Void, where the Old Ones

dreamed. In their dreams were Law and Chaos, inherent

forces of unity and entropy. Through endless opposition

these forces of unity and entropy elected champions who

became gods, who in turn formed planes of existence that

reflected their principles. On one such plane resides your

trivial existence, tiny next to the vastness of Aéreth, even

tinier next to the vastness of the cosmos. But you are con-

nected back to the greater universe and the endless strug-

gle by a fundamental choice: do you back the forces of Law

or the forces of Chaos?



Alignment is a choice of values. In its simplest form it de-

termines behavior. In higher forms it determines allegiance

to a cosmic force. Characters choose an alignment at 0 level,

and this choice determines their options for the rest of their

lives.



Alignment functions on many levels, but there are two

primary extremes: lawful and chaotic, with the balance of

neutrality between. A character chooses one of these three

alignments at 0 level.



LAWFUL characters believe fundamentally in unity and pri-

oritize the values of mankind: order, authority, loyalty, and

charity. They support organized institutions and “do what

is right.” They have a moral conscience that points them

toward the appropriate action. Fundamentally, lawful char-

acters choose the path of mankind over the path of super-

natural dominance. At higher levels, lawful characters find

themselves interacting with celestials, angels, demi-gods,

and powerful Lords of Law. In mundane life, there are

many shades of lawful behavior, and not all lawful charac-

ters agree on the same course of action at any time; though

they invariably unite when mankind is threatened by out-

side forces.


CHAOTIC characters believe fundamentally in entropy and

seek constantly to undermine or rule those around them.

They are willing to disrupt the natural order of things – in-

cluding established governments, guilds, and relationships

– if they see a material benefit in doing so. They are open to

agreements with supernatural powers, even if such agree-

ments risk the primacy of man by allowing strange beings

into the material plane. Fundamentally, chaotic characters

choose the path of greatest personal power and success

over any greater principle. At higher levels, chaotic charac-

ters find themselves aligned with demons and devils, sin-

ister monsters, extraplanar creatures, and the supernatural

Chaos Lords. In mundane life, chaotic behavior covers a

wide spectrum of chicanery, subterfuge, aggression, and

power politics, and chaotic characters are always looking

for an advantage over their peers.


NEUTRAL characters have not taken a stand between Law and

Chaos. Neutrality is the balance of nature, the timelessness

of eternity, and the nothingness of space. It can also reflect

the neutrality of those who came before Law and Chaos:

the Old Ones, the great Cthulhu, and the empty Void, and

the emptiness of the time before gods. Neutrality between

Law and Chaos can reflect a measured morality – balancing

costs and benefits, without strong principles one way or the

other. It can also reflect ambivalence or indifference. Fun-

damentally, neutral characters make choices based not on

loyalty, values, or self-advantage, but by evaluating each

and every opportunity that comes along. At higher levels,

neutral characters find themselves aligned with elementals,

extraplanar un-dead, and astral and ethereal beings.

The eternal struggle between Law and Chaos is real. Gods

and demons battle on other planes for superiority, and the

actions of man give those entities power. Make your choice

carefully, for it will become increasingly important as you

become more powerful.

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