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I know I haven't posted very much on these forums, I'm almost a lurker here, but I'm trying to change that. So I'm posting a new thread, yet another alignment thread. This is a notably modified version of the 1st Edition AD&D DMG alignment entry.
Major Divisions:
There are two major divisions of four opposite points of view. Not all four are mutually exclusive, although each pair is mutually opposed.
Law And Chaos: The opposition here is between favoring the needs and powers of the group over the rights and freedoms of individuals. That is, Law dictates that collective action and organization is necessary and desirable, while Chaos holds to the opposite view. Law generally supports the group as more important than the individual, while Chaos promotes the individual over the group.
Good And Evil: Basically stated, the tenets of Good are human rights, or in the case of D&D/Pathfinder, creature rights. Each creature is entitled to life, relative freedom, and the prospect of happiness. Cruelty and suffering are undesirable and considered abominable. Evil, on the other hand, does not concern itself with rights or the happiness others; the ends utterly justify the means.
A creature cannot be Lawful and Chaotic or an Evil and Good at the same time. These, and their reverses, are dichotomous. This is not to say that they cannot exist in the same character or creature if it has dual personalities or is controlled by another entity, but as general divisions they are mutually exclusive pairs. Consider also the alignment graph. If Law is opposed to Chaos, and Good to Evil, then the radically opposed alignments are Lawful Neutral — Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Good — Neutral Evil, Lawful Good — Chaotic Evil, and Lawful Evil — Chaotic Good. Some Lawful groups might, for example, combine to put down some Chaotic threat, for example, just as readily as Good groups would combine to suppress some powerful Evil. Basic understanding and agreement, however, is within the general specific alignment, i.e. one of the nine categories. These are defined as follows:
LAWFUL GOOD: While as strict in their prosecution of law and order, characters of Lawful Good alignment follow these precepts to improve the common good as best they can without cruelty or abuse. Certain freedoms must, of course, be sacrificed in order to bring security and providence; but truth is of highest value, and life and its beauty of great importance. The benefits of this society are to be brought to all. As with other Good alignments lies and deceit are to be used only to protect life, prevent needless pain or to defeat dangerous adversaries, never for self aggrandizement or petty spite.
NEUTRAL GOOD: Unlike those directly opposite them (Neutral Evil) in alignment, creatures of Neutral Good believe that there must be some roughly equal mix of regulation in combination with freedom if the best is to be brought to the world — the most beneficial conditions for living things in general and intelligent creatures in particular.
CHAOTIC GOOD: To the Chaotic Good individual, freedom and independence are as important as life and happiness. The ethos views this freedom as the only means by which each creature can achieve true satisfaction and happiness. Strict laws and social norms beyond strictures and injunctions against unprovoked violence and theft, are seen as destructive to individual freedom, therefore anathema. Under this philosophy each individual is capable of achieving self-realization and prosperity through himself, herself, or itself and one of the greatest and noblest acts is to help others improve themselves if needed. Good works and charity are how free men, free women and all other free creatures seek to bring comfort and support to others.
LAWFUL NEUTRAL: Order and organization are of paramount importance to characters of this alignment. They believe in a strong, well-ordered government/society, whether that government is a dictatorship or benevolent democracy is of little consequence. The benefits of organization and regimentation outweigh most moral questions raised by their actions. An inquisitor determined to ferret out traitors at any cost, so long as he doesn't go to far, or a soldier who almost never questions his orders are good examples of Lawful Neutral behavior. Those of Lawful Neutral alignment impose or support such order with neither kindness nor cruelty, neither compassion nor brutality.
TRUE NEUTRAL: True Neutral characters believe in the ultimate and self fulfilling balance of forces, and they refuse to see actions as either good or evil. Since the majority of people in the world make judgments, True Neutral characters are extremely rare. True Neutrals do their best to avoid siding with the forces and philosophies of either Good or Evil, Law or Chaos. They have no concern whether these forces or mindsets remain in balanced contention, for they believe that this is the way things have and will always be.
CHAOTIC NEUTRAL: This view of the cosmos holds that absolute freedom is necessary. Whether the individual exercising such freedom chooses to do good or evil is of little to no concern. They neither go out the way to help or harm others, they simply choose to live life freely and on their own terms in defiance of all external autority.
LAWFUL EVIL: Obviously, not all order is good, nor is all civic mindedness good. Lawful Evil creatures believe that the group is best served by brutally crushing all enemies, cutting the weak and useless out of society, including those who disagree with your methods, and beating your public into submission. Since free will allows for choice of, or at least what those of Lawful Evil alignment would deem evil, the logical conclusion of the Lawful Evil alignment is that free will is an evil of itself.
NEUTRAL EVIL: Similar to the Neutral Good alignment, that of Neutral Evil holds that neither groups nor individuals have any great meaning. This ethos holds that seeking to promote weal for all actually brings woe to the truly deserving. Natural forces which are meant to cull out the weak and stupid are artificially suppressed by so-called good, and the fittest are wrongfully held back, so whatever means are expedient can be used by the powerful to gain and maintain their dominance, without concern for anything else.
CHAOTIC EVIL: The Chaotic Evil creature holds that individual freedom and choice is important, and that other individuals and their freedoms are unimportant if they cannot be held by the individuals through their own strength and merit, or that freedom itself is so important that life, especially the lives of others, is meaningless compared to it.