I am working on a campaign and I want to make some changes to the alignment system. I've done some looking around and seen some different ideas I like. I'm thinking of something along the lines of an order v. chaos along one axis, good v. evil along a separate axis, and neutral in the middle. What I'm wondering about is how people deal with alignment based spells if changes are made to the alignment system? Are spells like chaos hammer and protection from evil just dropped from the game?
Thanks for the help.
If you remove it? Just treat it as protection from foes and let it affect whoever the ally sees and foes. Same with Chaos Hammer. Its a slight buff, but it may as well work that way as is because you almost always only fight people of opposing alignments. Alternatively only enforce alignments on clerics/outsiders.
What in particular are you worried about and what are your changes?
order vs chaos sound a lot like lawful vs chaotic to me.
You might want to check out the Visual Alignment Tracker by Wicked K Games. I've been using it for a while and really like it. I'm planning on expanding on it by adding behavior thresholds - essentially, tracking Sins and Virtues a la Rise of the Runelords; Virtuous characters can progress to higher levels of Good, Sinful characters can sink to the lowest depths. I'm still trying to come up with a similar scheme for the Law/Chaos axis, however.
One of the better sites (and free) that deals with alignment can be found here: Easydamus Alignment.
I'm still trying to come up with a similar scheme for the Law/Chaos axis, however.
Structure versus Freedom? Structured characters become organized, methodical, detail-oriented; Free characters become more liberated from restraints and expectations.
Do the Sins and Virtues systems give bonuses? (Haven't looked at RotRL myself, it's on the waiting list for our group and I'll be playerside for it.) If so Structure could be associated with bonuses to Perception, Sense Motive, and the like, and resistance to confusion, compulsion, insanity, and other things that try to introduce disorganization, and Freedom could be associated with liberation, resistance to restraints (paralysis, slow, etc.), movement bonuses, and skills like Bluff and UMD (breaking the restrictions of being limited to only what your training teaches you, etc.).
Just off the top of my head, so no idea how balanced or appropriate this kind of thing would be.
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It might help the community offer more relevant suggestions if you explain what you're trying to accomplish by playing with the rules.
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I am working on a campaign and I want to make some changes to the alignment system. I've done some looking around and seen some different ideas I like. I'm thinking of something along the lines of an order v. chaos along one axis, good v. evil along a separate axis, and neutral in the middle. What I'm wondering about is how people deal with alignment based spells if changes are made to the alignment system? Are spells like chaos hammer and protection from evil just dropped from the game?
Thanks for the help.
Why not shift your perspective on alignment totally?
Keep the standard alignments, but instead of players picking one, assign all of them Neutral to start out with. Then as time goes on, assign new alignments based on their behavior. NPC's and magic will treat them accordingly. If a divine caster has to maintain a certain alignment for example, they have to EARN it.
Mind you if you have to start out neutral it would be pretty hard to start worshipping a god of an extreme alignment. Saying "you have to EARN it!" could be pretty alienating to people, and alignment can be very subjective depending on who your around.
I would like more specific questions on what changes are being made. That would make it easier to respond.
Neutral is nothing more than shorthand for how NPC's and deities regard the PC, in this case. Essentially, the DM shifts your general alignment score to how your PC seems to act. If the player wants that to change, talk to the DM, and ask for tips. Simple.
If you start them out on neutral, I would suggest allowing PCs to move one step along one/both axes (essentially forcing them to retain at least one neutral aspect). Then clerics/paladins/etc don't get boned at level 1.