Randall Twede

Virtually everyone has heard of the role-playing game called Dungeons and Dragons. In order to join a game, a player must create a character appropriate to the setting of the campaign following the rules regarding character creation. The rules in Dungeons and Dragons are actually a way of modeling reality. One of the things players must do when they create a character is choose that character's alignment. How one should interpret a character's alignment is not always understood well and is often a subject of debate.

Alignment is a way of categorizing people according to their character. There are two parts to a character's alignment. The first part has to do with good and evil: the character is either good, neutral, or evil. The second part has to do with order and chaos: the character is either lawful, neutral, or chaotic. This paradigm leads to nine categories of character types: Lawful Good; Neutral Good; Chaotic Good; Lawful Neutral; True Neutral; Chaotic Neutral; Lawful Evil; Neutral Evil; and Chaotic Evil. However players will sometimes say things like "I'm Chaotic Neutral leaning towards good".

Of course even a lawful person might occasionally break the law, or an evil person might deliberately do something good. Alignment is just a guideline for how the character will normally act and react. Repeatedly acting contrary to ones alignment can have undesired effects however. For example, a Paladin (think knight in shining armor) must be of Lawful Good alignment. If he commits evil or unlawful acts, the Dungeon Master can adjust his alignment accordingly, causing him to lose his special abilities.

The latest edition of Dungeons and Dragons is third edition, however the quoted information in the following is from the second edition Players Handbook.

Lawful Good: These characters believe that law and order are necessary in order for society as a whole to prosper. "Lawful good characters strive for those things that will bring the greatest benefit to the most people and cause the least harm." King Arthur and his Knight of the Round Table are examples of this alignment.

Lawful Neutral: To Lawful Neutral characters, good and evil are of little concern. Maintaining a strong, well-ordered government is what is important. The soldier who blindly obeys orders is a good example of this alignment.

Lawful Evil: "These characters believe in using society and its laws to benefit themselves. Lawful evil characters obey laws out of fear of punishment. Because they may be forced to honor an unfavorable contract or oath they have made, lawful evil characters are usually very careful about giving their word." King Arthur's son Mordred strikes me as a lawful evil character.

Neutral Good: These characters believe that the struggle between good and evil is all that matters. "If fostering good means supporting organized society, then that is what must be done. If good can only come about through the overthrow of existing social order, so be it." The Three Musketeers were probably neutral good.

True Neutral: "True neutrals do their best to avoid siding with the forces of either good or evil, law or chaos. It is their duty to see that all of these forces remain in balanced contention." Merlin typifies this alignment.

Neutral Evil: "Neutral evil characters are primarily concerned with themselves and their own advancement. They typically base their allegiance on power and money, which makes them quite receptive to bribes." If you remember the television series "Lost in Space", Dr. Smith's behavior was typical of a neutral evil character.

Chaotic Good: Chaotic good characters are strong individualists who believe in all the virtues of goodness and right, but have little use for laws and regulations. Robin Hood is the prime example of a chaotic good person.

Chaotic Neutral: These characters believe in doing whatever strikes their fancy. They believe the rights of the individual outweigh the greater good. They refuse to recognize, at least secretly if not openly, that society has any authority over them. Homer Simpson seems to fall into this category.

Chaotic Evil: "Chaotic evil characters are motivated by the desire for personal gain and pleasure. They see absolutely nothing wrong with taking whatever they want by whatever means possible. Laws and governments are the tools of weaklings unable to fend for themselves. The strong have the right to take what they want, and the weak are there to be exploited." Batman's nemesis Joker was chaotic evil.

The concept of alignment can be extended to the real world. When I was younger, I was chaotic good. I was a part of the counter-culture: I didn't trust the establishment. I was against the war, the draft, and societies' "arbitrary" rules, but I was inclined to help others. As I have aged, living alone, just me against the world, my alignment has shifted to chaotic neutral leaning toward good. Lately I have been questioning if I am perhaps moving closer to true neutral. It seems that I appreciate order more now and see the necessity for many of our laws.

Perhaps you have been considering which category you fit in best. There is an alignment quiz online that you might find interesting. It asks you to answer the way your character would, but since you aren't creating a character, just answer as yourself.

http://hometown.aol.com/MarkJYoung/align.html