Alignments in D&D

Alignments keep sparking discussions in the D&D 5e community. Sure, there's a short section about it in the Player's Handbook, but it usually raises more questions than it answers. This article is my interpretation of this system, aimed at anyone who'd like to use the system for their adventures but, just like me, hasn't found much use in it so far.

A Crutch for the DM

For a long time, the question of its usefulness was, for me, the core of the problem. Why does something like the alignment system even need to exist? A two-axis scale with nine possible combinations, coded as two letters, usually noted right after the character's name in published adventures. A prominent spot for a piece of information that gets discussed so much.

One explanation would be that the alignment system primarily serves the DM, giving them a behavioral compass for individual NPCs. It's widely known that characters should ideally have multiple dimensions, yet the prominent placement right next to an NPC's name shows that this piece of information is carried out in the open, just like the character's name itself - publicly.

The Two Axes

In D&D 5e, the alignment system consists of two axes that provide information about a character's autonomy and ethics. Both axes answer the questions of who or what determines the character's actions, and how those actions should be judged morally.

• Lawful, Neutral, Chaotic. These indicate to what extent a character's actions are determined by influences outside their control. A character is particularly lawful when their daily life is governed by the laws of a city - a dutiful city guard, for example. The label lawful doesn't refer to the profession itself, but to the character's actions. Conversely, a corrupt city guard wouldn't be lawful, even if you might describe the profession that way. Only someone who acts unfaithfully is actually unfaithful. The character is what they do, not what they represent.

• Good, Neutral, Evil. These give information about how ethical a character's actions are, and whether they possess anything like a sense of morality. Back to the example of the city guard. Being corrupt doesn't, by itself, say anything about how ethical or unethical the character's actions are. Being corrupt within a tyrannical military dictatorship, for instance, doesn't sound particularly negative, and rather paints the picture of a city guard who might actually be helpful to the party. This shows that the axis, and consequently the judgment of actions, is measured against the players' moral compass and not necessarily against the game world's own. Simplified, the axis can also be used to indicate whether an NPC will tend to be a help to the characters or an obstacle.

A Single Dimension

It's important to keep the following point in mind: the alignment system only describes one dimension - namely, the one that governs the character's everyday actions and how it will affect the adventure.

What I mean by that is that hidden dimensions of a character that influence their actions aren't reflected in the alignment system. The split between Wants and Needs, for instance, is one of the best-known principles for creating such dimensions. It gives a character a dimension of behavior they aren't even aware of themselves. Wants are motivations the character actively pursues. Needs are subconscious motivations whose fulfillment they require in order to live a fulfilled life. In most cases, Wants are extrinsic and Needs are intrinsic motivations. In the best cases, the two contradict each other.

Sansa Stark from A Song of Ice and Fire wants to go to the royal court, to be at Joffrey's side. What she actually needs, however, is to develop the self-confidence and maturity to recognize the injustice and tyranny in the world and to fight against it.

Sansa Stark's character, as she was at the beginning of her journey, I would describe under this system with the abbreviation LN. Her actions are strongly subject to courtly virtues, yet you shouldn't expect pure justice or outright aggression from her either.

Conclusion

In the end, one question remains open. Why should you even use alignments for your own character, the one you play yourself? Well, especially for the first few sessions, it can serve as a good crutch if you're ever wondering how your character would react in a given situation. For both DMs and players, the alignment system loses its usefulness the moment a character's personality starts taking shape.

That doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. A lot of what's in the D&D rulebooks is kept simple so as not to limit creativity. In the spirit of "the first step is the hardest," this is meant to make that first step a little easier, so that every step after it comes that much more naturally.