Ask Wizards: 09/20/2007 (DISCUSSION)

[Moritz]

Yeah, you can see a few pages on my blog of this place. I try to cover all the bases when dealing with house rules and "Sam's".

[Oldgamer]

I don't think the word Lawful from LG should be in the same sentence as Sneak as in Sneak Attack...is it Lawful to Sneak? Or Good to use it against someone unless it's a life or death situation...I can't see a Lawful Good person hiding in the shadows in wait to use a sneak attack to coldly kill someone.

But on the other hand, I don't see it as a necessity to be evil to be an assassin either....Nuetral's, Chaotic Neutral's, and Lawful Nuetral's should be able too...CN's are basically insane anyway (1st Ed. books compared CN to that of a monkey or cat and they will wait fer yer butt in the shadows ta kill ya) and a LN could easily be a super-hero of our day like The Punisher...he doesn't kill for money...he kills for justice.

[Digital Arcanist]

The Punisher kills for his self-gratification....he's a maniac.

There are some classes like Blackguard or the new Paladin variants that really require you be evilly aligned, especially since one of the abilities is an aura of evil. The rest of the classes still work properly with any alignment, with the exception of the rogue perhaps. It really should be determined on an action-by-action basis.

[Malruhn]

I've always had a problem with the alignment requirements for most classes. Now, the only ones I require to adhere very close are Clerics and Paladins, and that is about to change.

Every deity has their... other sides that they don't usually admit. This will allow me to have the LG adherents to the LG deity, the CG fanatics, and even the LE cultists that nobody wants to mention in polite company.

This is all from an old adventure with a half-orc fighter that worshipped Ilneval, the Orcish deity of battle and strength. The player wanted to be CG, and I allowed him to do so. He was more devout than many cleric PCs I have seen!! He dedicated each battle to Ilneval before the first blow was struck, and then thanked Ilneval after the battle for allowing him the chance to prove himself. He tithed over 50% of his treasure (pre-tax and equipment monies!!) to Ilneval as well. By the time he was 6th level, Ilneval was
paying personal attention.

Eventually, the player wanted to have a special sword made that was dedicated to Ilneval. In two days of almost constant gaming, he got it - and it did nearly nothing. it was the equivalent of a +6 sword (2nd edition!!), but offered no bonus to hit or damage. All it did was allow him to HIT everything. To KILL it, it was still on his skill and die rolls. The player loved it - and didn't complain at all when we discussed changing his alignment to match his actual outlook - Lawful Neutral (with a tendency towards LG).

[shilar]

I've always felt that the lawful chaotic spectrum was more about an individuals need for order in their own lives. Lawful individuals have a strict code of behavior and will not abandon those principles except in the most extreme circumstances. If they feel strongly enough about the situation not even giving them up if it means their death. This doesn't mean they can't be sneaky. I've played any number of LG rouges and thieves over the years. Basically I won't take anything from it's rightful owner. If it was taken by force or treachery I may use my skills to recover it. I will also use those skills to disarm the professed forces of evil. Much like a modern sniper I see little wrong with attacking a foe from concealment but only when in a me or him situation. I would rather avoid conflict or subdue an enemy so he has a chance to repent. Also I tend towards practicality, just because I am LG doesn't mean I need to abandon advantages like flanking. They should only be used on foes that are strong enough to need that type of advantage though.