|
Ok, let me start off by saying; I am actually rather good at this; I've played all sorts of alignments as DM, when I do characters, I like being Lawful Good, I've done Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, I can even go to the other camp sometimes and be Lawful Evil, though I usually stick with good, since, well, wanting to help people and alleivate suffering is my natural inclination.
I know at least a few of the ways Lawful Neutral can be played; the soldier who always follows orders; the magistrate who cares not for mercy, merely that the law be done, even the arrogant; "I am the master, you are my servant, and thus beneath me, and not worth my consideration, sub-human" noble, who sees people as tools.
But, well, I'm stuck playing against type in an off-the cuff campaign that I'm in.
Perhaps this needs explanation; this weekend, some of my friends and I were sitting around our table, bored; we wouldn't be able to play the game I usually run; two of our players were missing. So after a rousing game of magic, one made a comment about a campaign he wanted to see at some point; everyone starts off as a level 0 commoner, sold into slavery at a young age, and must get out, the other party members determining your class.
Just for spits and giggles, I decided I would do my character for this completely randomly, alignment and all; I got a guy who was the son of a famous wood-carver, a refugee, born on a boat leaving the homeland, strongly religious, who had been trained in languages to become perhaps an interpreter, had a couple of run-ins with the arcane in his youth, as well as the divine, and then attempted to murder a noble who had cut his father's hands off as punishment for a perceived slight.
He's arrested, sold into slavery, and then gets stuck in with the other two party members, an albino kobold and a reedy half-orc girl. We eventually do manage to get out, and I get my class selected as Oracle of the goddess of magic, madness, prophecies, lore, illusions and secrets. (perhaps I'll go for Mystic Theurge at some point.)
Thus far, I've played this guy not so much as respectful of the law per-se, or at least, not respectful of the local ones, but more of the sort who believes the universe has an order to it, and that "what goes around, comes around." paying back equal vengeance for slights against him.
So I suppose what I am asking is; is this still lawful neutral?
I wouldn't see why not. Looks good to me.
Vengeance isn't inherently good or evil, so that's OK for the 'neutral' bit.
Lawful means you try to follow a set of rules strictly rather than acting upon instinct and emotion. So you should work out a consistent set of rules to govern your actions, and then try to stick with them even if it's not a good idea. Aiming for EXACTLY equal vengeance would be one way of doing this - trying to cut off the noble's hands rather than murder him, for example.
Thus far, I've played this guy not so much as respectful of the law per-se, or at least, not respectful of the local ones, but more of the sort who believes the universe has an order to it, and that "what goes around, comes around." paying back equal vengeance for slights against him.
So I suppose what I am asking is; is this still lawful neutral?
This game sounds like it will be fun:)
There are different ways to look at the meaning of alignment, and "how one believes the universe works" is a valid one. However, the most important part of roleplaying an alignment is how it effects your character's actions. In this case, I could totally see your character behaving as an "agent of karma". If he has a strong belief in cosmic justice, a need to set the scales right, an "eye for an eye" mentality, he could be quite an interesting character.
As a GM, I'd tell you that if you want to play Lawful Neutral without obeying the laws of the land, you have to decide what law you do obey, and write it down. (even if it's just a single sentence)
Since you also have a strong anti-authority plot point, you might try to act to keep the power of the region's nobility in check. Even if they gain power for legitimate reasons, it would leave headway for these types of abuses. This might seem chaotic, but in a political definition, you would be left wing, attempting to support laws restraining misconduct.
The fact that you seek out such abusers and spectacularly undo them might just be frosting on the cake. Maybe support greater educational opportunities or social mobility and the like so you do not just turn into a vigilante.
|
|
Since you also have a strong anti-authority plot point, you might try to act to keep the power of the region's nobility in check. Even if they gain power for legitimate reasons, it would leave headway for these types of abuses. This might seem chaotic, but in a political definition, you would be left wing, attempting to support laws restraining misconduct.
The fact that you seek out such abusers and spectacularly undo them might just be frosting on the cake. Maybe support greater educational opportunities or social mobility and the like so you do not just turn into a vigilante.
That strikes me as a bit selfless for Lawful Neutral; Lawful Good is the crusader-type, the one who could pull off a, well Batman-esque worldveiw like that.
I would personally figure Neutral would be a bit more... well selfish.
Thus far, I've played this guy not so much as respectful of the law per-se, or at least, not respectful of the local ones, but more of the sort who believes the universe has an order to it, and that "what goes around, comes around." paying back equal vengeance for slights against him.
So I suppose what I am asking is; is this still lawful neutral?
This game sounds like it will be fun:)
There are different ways to look at the meaning of alignment, and "how one believes the universe works" is a valid one. However, the most important part of roleplaying an alignment is how it effects your character's actions. In this case, I could totally see your character behaving as an "agent of karma". If he has a strong belief in cosmic justice, a need to set the scales right, an "eye for an eye" mentality, he could be quite an interesting character.
As a GM, I'd tell you that if you want to play Lawful Neutral without obeying the laws of the land, you have to decide what law you do obey, and write it down. (even if it's just a single sentence)
Thus far I know that he's a refugee, and he was born on the boat, since the family was powerful there, and had the patronage of nobles, it's always been described to him as heavenly, so he respects the laws of that country, but yeah, thus far I do seem to be tending toward the "equalizer" bit on it.
That and, well, he does have a good deal of revenge on his mind; wanted criminal or not, that noble still needs to pay; at some point I fully intend on returning to that slave camp they held us in and burning it to the ground, as well as paying back each guard who handed out a beating in a very personal manner.
Either way, the DM is greatly enjoying watching me trying to play against type.
Vengeance isn't inherently good or evil, so that's OK for the 'neutral' bit.
Lawful means you try to follow a set of rules strictly rather than acting upon instinct and emotion. So you should work out a consistent set of rules to govern your actions, and then try to stick with them even if it's not a good idea. Aiming for EXACTLY equal vengeance would be one way of doing this - trying to cut off the noble's hands rather than murder him, for example.
Well the logic being, my father is a woodcarver who can no longer provide for his family, nor do what he loves; he breathes, but the noble took his life from him. In fact, since he basically destroyed the one truly significant source of income that supported the family in exile, he killed my entire family.
I merely chose to return the favor.
That and of course, I forgot the caveat; we're probably the youngest adventuring party you've ever seen; sure the players are college age or older, and those of us who aren't old farts in age remain ancient in treachery and wickedness.
Our characters? The oldest PC is Harkin, my guy, at age 16. He became an attempted murderer and slave at 15.
Yes, teenaged adventurers. We're going to have an interesting time convincing people to hire us.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Yes, teenaged adventurers. We're going to have an interesting time convincing people to hire us.
You should get a caravan and paint it nice colors, and call it something like the "Enigma Contraption" or the "Puzzle Carriage," so you can pass yourselves off as a traveling consulting and investigation firm. Get an awakened great dane to be your tracker, maybe eventually getting him levels in Sleepless Detective.
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Yes, teenaged adventurers. We're going to have an interesting time convincing people to hire us.You should get a caravan and paint it nice colors, and call it something like the "Enigma Contraption" or the "Puzzle Carriage," so you can pass yourselves off as a traveling consulting and investigation firm. Get an awakened great dane to be your tracker, maybe eventually getting him levels in Sleepless Detective.
...
You are a sick, sick human being.
Besides; we've only got an arrogant, jumped-up prick Lore oracle, who likes to dabble in arcane magic and foretells through carvings, a tenacious albino Kobold barbarian smith, and a half-orc girl, who is attempting to become a monk.
We'd need a ditzy red-headed ranger, a pudgy dwarven-girl wizard,an unobservant cavalier with an ascot, a rogue with an appetite, and depending on which version you watch, a younger awakened Great Dane with levels in barbarian.
And I'm sure between us we've given some sick, twisted individual out there far too many ideas; it's Captain Andoran all over again.