Lawful Neutral

A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs her. Order and organization are paramount to her. She may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or she may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government.

Those of this alignment view regulation as all-important, taking a middle ground betwixt evil and good. This is because the ultimate harmony of the world--and the whole universe--is considered by lawful neutral creatures to have its sole hope rest upon law and order. Evil or good are immaterial beside the determined purpose of bringing all to predictability and regulation. It is the view of this alignment that law and order give purpose and meaning to everything. Without regimentation and strict definition, there would be no purpose in the cosmos. Therefore, whether a law is good or evil is of no import as long as it brings order and meaning.

Lawful neutral beings believe in a strong, well-ordered government, whether that government is a tyranny or benevolent democracy. The benefits of organization and regimentation outweigh any moral questions raised by their actions. Lawful neutral beings will uphold the law regardless of whether it is considered just or not. If the majority of the population disagrees with the practices of the government, then they must use legal means of getting those laws changed. Rebellion is a crime regardless of the purpose behind revolt. In their day-to-day affairs, lawful neutrals will adhere to the laws of the area they are in, and will also maintain their own sense of honor.

They are respectful to both their leaders and their peers. Subordinates will be treated as is due their station within society. Written contracts and verbal agreements will be honored by these characters. They will not break their word or a contract unless there is a legal way to do so. Lawful neutral beings are concerned with the letter of the law, but rarely the spirit. These characters also respect the idea of station in life. They will act as they should, given their station.

The lawful neutral being normally sees law and order as of prime importance, with the well-being of the group put ahead of the individual on almost every occasion. Such persons see good and evil as immaterial and unimportant in the structuring of the universe into perfect order and harmony, in which lies society's only hope for survival. Whether a law is good or evil is of no import as long as it brings order and meaning. Thus, personal gratification of needs and desires is well and fine, as long as this doesn't interfere with the ultimate ordering of the cosmos; all other considerations are secondary. Life, to the lawful neutral being, has no meaning without order, and is thus expendable when faced with the choice between it and harmony.

A lawful neutral character will keep his word if he gives it and will never lie. He may attack an unarmed foe if he feels it necessary. He will never harm an innocent. He may use torture to extract information, but never for pleasure. He will never kill for pleasure, only in self-defense or in the defense of others. A lawful neutral character may use poison as long as poison use is not illegal. He will help those in need only to advance the social order. He prefers to work with others. He responds well to higher authority, is trustful of organizations, and will always follow the law. He will never betray a family member, comrade, or friend. Lawful neutral characters respect the concepts of self-discipline and honor.

Here are some possible adjectives describing lawful neutral characters: reliable, responsible, truthful, orderly, loyal, respectful of authority, regular, structured, rigid, neat, methodical, and precise.

## The Ten Lawful Neutral Commandments

A list of Ten Commandments for a lawful neutral religion may look like this:

1. You shall not lie.

2. You shall not kill the innocent.

3. You shall not murder.

4. You shall help the needy if such action advances law and order.

5. You shall honor legitimate authority.

6. You shall follow the law.

7. You shall not betray others.

8. You shall not aid criminals.

9. You shall honor all oaths.

10. You shall promote unlimited order in society.

## Ten Lawful Neutral Sins

Likewise, a lawful neutral religion may list the following as sins. This list is given in the order of least severe infraction to most severe.

1. Failing to alert the authorities of a crime.

2. Treating a peer with disrespect.

3. Placing personal desire above adherence to the law.

4. Breaking your word to your peer or ally.

5. Failing to assist allies in need.

6. Breaking a major law.

7. Failing to assist your superior when in need.

8. Treating a superior with disrespect.

9. Breaking your word to your superior.

10. Breaking a sacred oath or written contract. Aiding the forces of Chaos and Disorder.

## The Lawful Neutral Adventurer

The following two lists detail common actions undertaken during "adventuring" that are considered honorable and dishonorable for the lawful neutral alignment. An honorable action is one that is in keeping with the spirit of this alignment, while dishonorable actions tend to be those which bring shame to the character in the eyes of his or her alignment peers. Note that an action which is considered honorable by one alignment may be considered dishonorable by another alignment and vice versa.

The following actions are honorable for this alignment:

* Allowing a disarmed enemy to pick up his weapon
* Allowing the enemy to attack first
* Allowing the enemy to remove their dead/wounded from the field
* Defeating a superior opponent
* Refusing medical treatment for the good of the party
* Reporting illegal actions to the authorities
* Taking prisoners

The following actions are dishonorable for this alignment:

* Accused of crime (innocent or not)
* Being taken prisoner
* Convicted of a crime
* Defeated by an inferior opponent
* Dirty fighting
* Fleeing a battle that's obviously going poorly
* Fleeing a fight with a superior opponent
* Fleeing a fight with an equal opponent
* Killing a host who has provided you food or shelter
* Rash or improper social behavior
* Refusing a fair contest/challenge
* Saving the life of another at great risk to own self
* Surrendering

* Taking an arrow or hit for someone else

* Treason

* Walking away from a challenge

## Lawful Neutral and Society

A lawful neutral being...

* Respects the authority figures in his family and obeys their mandates.

* Values lifelong commitment to a romantic partner.

* Obeys all personal contracts.

* Respects the laws and authority figures of the community and nation.

* Considers public service in a leadership role an honor.

* Supports the legal procedures of the nation, without regard to their own discomfort.

* Seeks secure employment, believing hard work will pay off in the end.

* Will not aid family members in need if personal discomfort is required.

* Will not betray a family member.

* Has few close friends and would never betray those he has.

* Is generally well liked by his community, but normally will not seek to improve the community.

* Will support his nation when profitable to do so, but will not act against his nation if profitable.

* Believes people deserve the treatment they are willing to endure.

* Is not concerned with those less fortunate.

* Will not harm others for profit.

A community with a lawful neutral government has a codified set of laws that are followed to the letter. Those in power usually insist that visitors (as well as residents) obey all local rules and regulations. In a lawful neutral society, The people are not only law-abiding, they are passionate creators of arcane bureaucracies. The tendency to organize and regulate everything easily gets out of control. In large empires there are ministries, councils, commissions, departments, offices, and cabinets for everything. If the region attracts a lot of adventurers, there are special ministries, with their own special taxes and licenses, to deal with the problem. The people are not tremendously concerned with the effectiveness of the government, so long as it functions.