Alignment

**Gameplay Mechanics**
**Alignment** ● Character Creation ● Classes ● Equipment ● Experience ● Homebrew Rules ● Races ● Potions

In the *Dungeons & Dragons*, **alignment** is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of player characters, non-player characters, and creatures.

Most versions of the game feature a system in which players make two choices for characters. One is the character's views on "law" vs "chaos", the other on "good" vs "evil". The two axes allow for nine alignments in combination. These nine alignments can be shown in a grid, as follows:

## Alignments

### Chaotic Good

A chaotic good 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. Chaotic good can be considered the most moral alignment because it combines a good heart with a free spirit, but it can simultaneously be considered a dangerous alignment because it can disrupt the order of society and punishes those who feel the need for a social framework around themselves. Chaotic good characters usually intend to do the right thing, but their methods are generally disorganized and often out of sync with the rest of society. Because of their potentially overzealous methods to bring about positive change, their intentions can often be misunderstood and possibly even interpreted as being confusing, misguided, or even evil.

Examples of chaotic good characters include:

Aysha MoroseSilas HearthfireRowan Barlow
### Lawful Good

A lawful good character typically acts with compassion and always with honor and a sense of duty. Such characters include altruistic rulers, some military officers, righteous knights, paladins, and most dwarves. A lawful good character typically experiences conflict and/or stress when potentially forced onto a path that is in opposition to their beliefs. Most metallic dragons are also lawful good. Justice is a very important concept to lawful good characters in every sense of the word—that people are treated justly, be it justly rewarded for their services or justly punished for their ill deeds. To a lawful good character, no one is above the rules, not even themselves.

Examples of lawful good characters include:

Ethan HaleIvy MorresLambert Rayner
### Neutral Good

A neutral good character typically acts altruistically, without regard for or against lawful precepts such as rules or tradition. A neutral good character has no problems with cooperating with lawful officials, but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is often believed to be the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. Neutral good characters value freedom and will protect others' freedom as long as it's not used to do harm.

Examples of neutral good characters include:

Livi SolarisMilton BedfordSiver Dornexar
### Chaotic Neutral

A chaotic neutral character is an individualist who follows their own heart and generally shirks rules and traditions. Although chaotic neutral characters promote the ideals of freedom, it is their own freedom that comes first; good and evil come second to their need to be free. A chaotic neutral character can be capable of extreme good or evil depending on how the circumstances affect them. Some say they're the ultimate free spirits, others that they're just crazy. Either way, there's no telling what they'll decide to do next — their main, and often only, concern is their own freedom. Whose side are they on? It's doubted that they even know themselves.

Examples of chaotic neutral characters include:

Abrax LuthrynCraven BelmontTovor Bearhunter
### Lawful Neutral

A lawful neutral character typically believes strongly in lawful concepts such as honor, order, rules, and tradition, and often follows a personal code. Examples of lawful neutral characters include a soldier who always follows orders, a judge or enforcer that adheres mercilessly to the letter of the law, and a disciplined monk. They will always seek to obey and preserve order, even to the inconvenience of themselves and others, and even if they themselves admit the law in question is an annoying one. While a Lawful Good character may justify breaking his code of conduct by appealing to the greater good that transcends all things, a Lawful Neutral character will not, since the greater good does not enter into it.

Examples of lawful neutral characters include:

Estevan MorresKeatonHeathcliff.jpgKeaton HeathcliffLars Kofroy
### True Neutral

A true neutral is neutral on both axes and tends not to feel strongly towards any alignment, or actively seeks their balance. Druids frequently follow this alignment due to their dedication to balance. A character of this alignment may fight against a band of marauding gnolls, only to switch sides to save the gnolls' clan from being totally exterminated. Most animals are originally considered true neutral, because they lack the capacity for moral judgment, guided instinct rather than conscious decision.

Examples of true neutral characters include:

Loran WindshaperLysander VolcrumSaradin Archedes
### Chaotic Evil

A chaotic evil 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. Chaotic evil characters can still work with others, but only if the seek to benefit from the union and usually at the cost of others involved. These characters are usually the most aggressive of the Evil alignments, more often than not being possessed of an impulsively violent nature and a total disregard for people, laws, or even the world around them. In short, Chaotic Evil represents the destruction of not only life and goodness, but also the order upon which they depend.

Examples of chaotic evil characters include:

Axom HoltcroftAzuronDelphia Shadowcrest
### Lawful Evil

A lawful evil character sees a well-ordered system as being easier to exploit and shows a combination of desirable and undesirable traits. Examples of this alignment include tyrants, devils, and undiscriminating mercenary types who have a strict code of conduct. They believe in order, but mostly because they believe it is the best way of realizing their evil wishes. They will obey the letter of the law, but not the spirit, and are usually very careful about giving their word.

Examples of lawful evil characters include:

Aldrich MorosePercival TremayneJoffrey Penstone
### Neutral Evil

A neutral evil character is typically selfish and has no qualms about turning on allies-of-the-moment, and usually makes allies primarily to further their own goals. A neutral evil 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 neutral evil holds up evil as an ideal, doing evil for evil's sake and trying to spread its influence. Examples of the first type are an assassin who has little regard for formal laws 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.

Examples of neutral evil characters include:

Grimdar.jpgGrimdar the HunterKravik ScragmaneNarisa Zane
## Quick Links

The following links are to the wiki categories for each alignment. All NPCs have been tagged with their appropriate alignments and can be found in their corresponding categories below.

* Chaotic Good
* Lawful Good
* Neutral Good
* Chaotic Neutral
* Lawful Neutral
* True Neutral
* Chaotic Evil
* Lawful Evil
* Neutral Evil