Alignment

Alignment measures an individual, institution or ideoligion’s position on the ontological law-chaos (ethical) and good-evil (moral) axes. It is an objective assessment about behavior espoused by all people and creatures when that behavior is natural and unforced.

In The Domains of Dread, alignment and its change is foundational to the Realms of Terror, as the demiplane conspires to pull exceptional individuals and their factions to axis extremes whether good or evil, lawful or chaotic. Yet the Mists also constrict only but the most rudimentary means for determining moral alignment, forcing, ironically, subjective judgments about the Misty Plane and those inhabiting it.

This article serves to replace any instruction, advice or prior literature regarding alignment from vanilla Third Edition sources. Information not contained within this article or provided by Game Masters does not apply to alignment as it appears in The Domains of Dread. It may be assumed that no player character has detailed knowledge about alignment as a metaphysical concept other than the existence of good, evil, chaos and law.

Alignment as Pattern

Alignment describes how a character, institution or ideoligion behaves when allowed to act truthfully and in earnest. It reflects their innermost selves disregarding surface personae or niceties—indeed, villains beyond the Misty Border are frequently charming or tragic, sometimes even helpful—but when allowed to be as they really are, such pretense dissolves away into the Mists.

Therefore alignment should describe patterns in behavior which carries ontological weight along the two axes. Not every action a character takes must express alignment, and the Realms of Terror only rarely see someone “snap” into another alignment as consequence to any one decision unless that decision should be egregious or damning—but acting against one’s innermost self creates internal turmoil, and turmoil the demiplane is ever keen to exploit. Should someone believe they have violated their innermost self that they have become “other than”, no further action need be taken: the Mists will have made it so.

Absent such catastrophic revelations, alignment tends to slide over the course of months and even years.

Intention in Alignment

Though intentions behind actions with ontological consequence does play a role in determining the severity of alignment slides, this will not exonerate ignorant or otherwise evil decisions. To perform an action for the easy pleasure of doing it causes greater alignment slides toward the position held by that action than to do it with reluctance or regret—but in both cases, an alignment slide nevertheless occurs.

The Ethical Axis

The ethical axis (law-chaos) may be best understood by how collectivist or individualist an individual, institution or ideoligion is. To have a code of conduct itself a lawful position does not make—it is how broadly that code of conduct should be prescribed onto others which motivates lawful intentions. Lawful characters have an innate desire to see all of society behave the way they do, and will construct laws and rulings in order to artifice this reality into being. Conversely, chaotic individuals, institutions or ideoligions place special premium on personal freedoms and believe broadly that societies should always act in the interests of those individuals than overtures about hurting the few to spare the many.

The Moral Axis

The moral axis (good-evil) may be best understood by how forthright or amoral an individual, institution or ideoligion is. Pursuing evil in the Realms of Terror may be as easy as shrewd indifference to injustice, though such evil individuals often foment tragedy as long as they believe they or those who they align with stand to benefit from those tragedies. To be good beyond the Misty Border requires constant resistance to the depravities witnessed across the demiplane, as the Mists seem to reward evil with what first appears to be dark gifts in Corruption, even if these dark gifts lead their beholders to eventual ruin.

The Nine Alignments

Lawful Good (LG)

The lawful good believe that law should serve a greater, public good. They hold themselves with the certainty of people benevolent as they are honorable. Though they must oppose evil and vociferously wherever it may be found, they enact this justice out of compassion, not blind dogma. Little is more important to the lawful good than defense of the innocent, understanding that code and ethics are useless unless they serve the people.

The lawful good value truth, chivalry and equality. They feel personal responsibility to intervene on the behalf of others when they cannot or will not stand up for their rights. They respect the rule of law but subvert laws which do not uphold common interest or prop up individuals at the many’s injured expense, deeming them unjust and illegitimate.

This is the rarest alignment in the Realms of Terror. Few lawful good survive old, happy or fulfilled as the Mists foment endless challenges to those clinging stubbornly to such high ideals.

Neutral Good (NG)

The neutral good understand that pursuing good in the Realms of Terror requires discretion. Though benevolent public servants, healers or scholars, they have no inherent distaste for laws nor a need to stand for the rule of law itself.

The neutral good value personal peace, knowledge and satisfaction. They are content to pursue the betterment of their communities in small but valuable ways, such as relieving the suffering of others without lamenting societal structures or “the bigger picture”. They are likely to turn a blind eye about matters which are beyond their ability to change.

Tending toward quieter lives, this alignment is well represented but often unsung in the Realms of Terror. Though unusual for the neutral good to take to ambition, some institutions with this alignment nevertheless aspire to resolve the pain and misery so felt across the demiplane in as many of its denizens as possible.

Chaotic Good (CG)

The chaotic good do not stand idle by injustice. Though similar to lawful good in this aspect, those with this alignment have an entirely different worldview as how to best address these injustices. Where the lawful good may speak out about the illegitimacy in an unjust law, the chaotic good take offense at the very institutions capable of producing these laws altogether as they argue governments are foremost tools for tyranny, not order.

The chaotic good value freedom, individual prosperity and rightful retribution. They believe the “little people” must care for their own rather than sign away their rights to institutions that abuse them. Though this alignment may not necessarily advocate for total anarchy, they remain disobedient and suspicious of authorities, speculating about their intentions and which masters they must serve.

Given that there are so many injustices to do right by beyond the Misty Border, the chaotic good are never without something to avenge. Though always well-intended, this predisposition to make decisions out of passion rather than forethought leaves them vulnerable to the Mists’ talent for unforeseen consequences.

Lawful Neutral (LN)

The lawful neutral enact law to bring about platonic ideals of order without concern over moral texture. Though they do not seek to disenfranchise others outright, they believe that carving out exceptions where exceptions might be made weakens the legitimacy of a society or organization to do what it is right by their own traditions.

The lawful neutral value consistency, pretext and orthodoxy. Upholding the letter of the law is more important than the individuals who may be affected by them, good or bad. Allowing context to “dilute” this ideal, in their eyes, serves only to confuse and distract away from the fundamental truth that long term peace and prosperity may be brought about only by organization and a willingness to act on that organization’s edicts.

This alignment is held by a plurality of ecclesiastic churches, their adherents and idealized governance in the Realms of Terror, though the twisted nature of domains make such ideals difficult to keep in practice.

True Neutral (TN)

The true neutral serve no ontological masters. Though capable of performing lawful, good, evil or chaotic actions, they are never morally or ethically injured by these actions or when observing them in others. In this way they remain balanced, rarely aspiring to ascend their means.

The true neutral value equilibrium. Though they may not be faithless, by being capable of any action they are inherently undefined by them. If they espouse any greater philosophy, it is to receive knowledge and enlightenment as may be found in nature than through the complexities of humanoid perspective.

Many are born true neutral in the Realms of Terror. While the demiplane produces great heroes and wretched villains alike, if not for the thousands of common folk who go about their lives without involving themselves in this cosmic drama, those heroes would cease being so great or those villains so evil. They live to live, and without zeal.

Chaotic Neutral (CN)

The chaotic neutral put their needs as individuals ahead of any other. They guard their freedoms greedily yet won’t fight for the freedoms of others unless complicated by circumstance or personal attachment.

The chaotic neutral value sovereignty, wealth and self-appeasement. They are guarded by their own, often fickle whimsy, chafing at order as order seeks to limit them or their ambitions. “Because I want” is all that is required for them to enact an idea, where they will answer to no-one but themselves in pursuit of this want.

Such individualists are not uncommon in the Realms of Terror, but their lack of scruples and talent for ambition renders them weak to outside influence, so long as that influence provides something they—knowingly or unknowingly—believe that they should have and have alone.

Lawful Evil (LE)

The lawful evil sees law as a tool to enrich ambition, whether their own or in service to an institution or ideoligion. They care about tradition, loyalty and order but not freedom, dignity or life. Those with this alignment use positions of power to hunt and isolate anyone or anything they perceive as a threat, even if they must undergo cruel or heinous acts to do so.

The lawful evil value control, authority and supremacy. Disobedience, they say, is treason, and treason must be punished with extreme jurisprudence. While the rank and file of institutions with this alignment may espouse personal beliefs contrary to the lawful evil position, they serve evil masters under the guise of “following orders”.

A plurality of governments in the Core are lawful evil when exposed to scrutiny of their practice, as they serve darklords or other evil figures at the expense of individual liberties and self-actualization. Those within find the appearance of law and order more important than its real, unqualified outcome.

Neutral Evil (NE)

The neutral evil are content to do whatever they think they can get away with. They represent banal, matter-of-fact evildoers who are not bound by base urges or paying fealty to higher order. They may undermine other institutions or ideoligions but will not do so bombastically as the preferred alignment of assassins, unbenevolent spies and amoral scientists.

The neutral evil value discretion, personal power and achievement. They don and doff whatever personae they require to get at something they want or believe in—yet remain all business as they do. Instead, they may be pleased from climbing social ladders or after capturing some esoteric, terrible knowledge. If the neutral evil do pay lip service to greater philosophies it is often to abstract concepts put ahead of the wellbeing of the immediate, such as blighters to their Nature or evil servants to the ceremonies of Hala.

Given this ability to move through positions of society without revealing themselves as who they really are, the neutral evil make for easy opportunists in the Realms of Terror as cunning strategists willing to use each and every possible advantage.

Chaotic Evil (CE)

The chaotic evil abhor the sanctity of life and order itself. They are thrust along by mad, hungry compulsions ensuring total destruction whenever these villains are left unopposed. Though they might put on the airs of someone else to better survive, their lack of discipline make any charade difficult to maintain long term.

The chaotic evil value anarchy, greed and gluttony. Law and order serves only to deny them their wishes and must therefore be destroyed. Some with this alignment serve greater masters, but do so for only as long as they must or as convenient. Their philosophies, if at all present, concern only their immediate satisfaction for whatever compels them.

Chaotic evil is represented by a plurality of undead in the Realms of Terror, representing their disdain for lives they no longer live and today consume with starving, terrible joy.

Alignment in The Domains of Dread

A character’s starting alignment is chosen at character creation. The exact numerical values of each axis are obscured when viewed in the character sheet or the player menu with the !menu chat command. Only actions witnessed by Game Masters slide alignment—no mechanisms exist in the module to slide alignment automatically. If an alignment slide will imperil them to falling such as with Cleric or Paladin, the Game Masters will inform the player as the slide takes place. Consequences for falling are described in their class archetype articles.

Some applied templates, like those for Dread Figures, slide alignment. This slide is gradual until the character reaches the alignment prescribed by their template.

Detecting Alignment and Alignment-Based Spells

Moral alignment cannot be definitively determined by any playable character in The Domains of Dread. Class archetype features which may have once determined moral alignment on the Prime Material either fail to function altogether or are modified to detect ethical alignment instead. For example, Paladins do not detect evil—they detect chaos, and their smite activates on anyone of any alignment instead of only the evil.