PREFACE
Alignment threads are a s%**show.
OPINION
I think that the issue is that if your character's only motivation is financial gain, Evil is a good interpretation of your alignment.
The way I interpret "Evil", personally, is that an Evil character only cares for self-serving reasons.
An LE character is motivated by their personal worldview.
An NE character is motivated by their personal resources.
An CE character is motivated by their personal desires.
I think your character would fall under a NE because their ultimate goal is personal accumulation of resources/power.
Conversely, I feel CN characters are more focused on preserving and promoting their way of life. If people in general get a benefit out of it (CG) or if others have to suffer for you to be satisfied (CE), that's secondary to its preservation.
For example, the Greyjoy's words in GoT are "We Do Not Sow". In those words, you can find CN well-defined – "OTHERS must sow for us to maintain our freedom."
Now, going back to your character, if they don't have a personal lifestyle they want to preserve, and they just care for gold, they don't have enough INWARD-FACING APPRECIATION to be CN.
PREFACE
Alignment threads are a s!~!show.
This is the truest statement you'll ever see on these forums.
The only thing I'll contribute to this discussion is this:
Good characters and creatures protect innocent life. Evil characters and creatures debase or destroy innocent life, whether for fun or profit.
Good implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Good characters make personal sacrifices to help others.
Evil implies hurting, oppressing, and killing others. Some evil creatures simply have no compassion for others and kill without qualms if doing so is convenient. Others actively pursue evil, killing for sport or out of duty to some evil deity or master.
Neutral People who are neutral with respect to good and evil have compunctions against killing the innocent, but may lack the commitment to make sacrifices to protect or help others.
This is a direct quote from the core rule book. The bold parts are the only really relevant parts. Would your character buy/sell slaves for profit? Murder others? Of so the Evil is correct. If not then Neutral is probably right.
Oh I'll also put this here because it's awesome: DEFINITION OF CHAOTIC NEUTRAL
EDIT: I did think of one more thing to add. Alignment doesn't determine the character, the character determines the alignment. This means that you can keep playing your character just as you were (unless you have alignment restrictions on your class) and can just ignore that little "CE" written at the top of the sheet. There are some really great evil characters, some very empathetic ones too. Be a memorable character and it won't matter what your alignment is.
My DM thinks that my Chaotic Neutral character is going to go have an alignment shift. This is due to him believing that my character being motivated by nothing more than money regardless of the method of obtaining it is an evil way of thought. I keep arguing this by saying it is still neutral because I am just as likely to save a store being robbed as I am to help the robbers out. Please help me get some further clarification.This site may be helpful
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PS: The only reason I'd withhold judgement, as your GM, on being not-Evil is seeing what your character actually does. Talk as they say is cheap, what does your character actually do is what will draw the lines in the sand between Evil, Neutral or even Good alignment.
That's really the rub here. A character (or even a player's concept of them) may start out based on one idea, but when actually faced with the prospect of doing something, their true nature will come out. They may shy away from doing the worst possible things for money if actually given a situation.
Ultimately, if your character hasn't actually done dirty deeds (whether dirt cheap or not), your character isn't really evil.| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I prefer to play CN as more "anti-authority, independent, someone who rejects appeals to tradition, and has no time for hierarchies rooted in anything not immediately obvious" than "selfish".
It's worth noting that having an evil alignment doesn't make your character a moustache-twirling villain, you could have heroes with an evil alignment, it just means they're willing to "sacrifice for the greater good" (and it sucks to be a "sacrifice") ... well maybe an anti-hero.
Example from the Watchmen movie/graphic novel:
...
ok maybe not everyone, but definitely Dr Manhatten, Ozymandias, Rorschach and The Comedian.
Now, going back to your character, if they don't have a personal lifestyle they want to preserve, and they just care for gold, they don't have enough INWARD-FACING APPRECIATION to be CN.
Well, money grubbing could be a good outwards sign of their inward facing appreciation. The operative question is this- why do they want money? What drives them to money? A desire of luxuries? Or is it being used as a tool for a different desire?
Do you want to use the money to lord over others, to show "I have this and you don't?". Who does he want to lord over- the common man on the street, or perhaps he wants to 'get back' at a perceived upper class (thus you have him adopt a noveau riche flare and get in the faces of old money and nobles). Does this character follow a path where they have problems with the current authorities and their culture?
Or do you have the money for "safe keeping", knowing that it is a useful and flexible tool for getting out of bad situations? Is this due to an insecurity, and a desire to always be able to take care of themselves, no matter how bad things get? Does the character also hoard things like magic items, scrolls, connections, and "favors"? Does this character follow a path where they keep authorities at an arms length, only trusting them ton the extent that he can weasel out some pay off, favor, or advantage?
These are all potentially important questions and potential paths to take when fleshing out even a simple money grubber. I think even simple paths can be made into something interesting if you get at the root of the matter.
But speaking about CN more generally- We should never worry about doing moral balancing like an early edition druid. CN tends to be unconcerned with problems outside of their own interests (why worry about the world or kingdom when you have your own problems?) ... however, they also tend to be an alignment that relies upon close knit groups, such as families or parties. When you friend Patrick the Paladin decides to get into a knife fight in a back alley with the robbers, it is now your problem. Don't worry about the other stuff (unless you can make it about your own stuff- for our money grubbers above, that is 'see if you can get paid').