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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 12:57PM
#1
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Date Joined:
Jan 17, 2012
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You cannot take alignments out of D&D… PERIOD. I've seen, read, and participated in the whole I hate/love alignments threads, but there seems to be one factor I haven’t seen discussing alignments… they are a VERY strong meme in and of themselves. Alignments have become part of geek and internet subculture, there are endless thread postings, T-shirts, demotivational images and posters. Even if you were (wrongly) to remove alignments from D&D they would still be talked about, referred to, etc. In short, like it or not, alignments are, have been, and always will be part of D&D…
"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules." Gygax
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 1:02PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Aug 15, 2011
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Of course you can. It would be child's play to do so.
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 1:03PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jul 26, 2012
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What do you say to something like this? I have been on the fence, and I like them, but I've started to become convinced that they might work as fluff more so than game mechanics. I don't have any good arguments to say that you aren't correct. You can take the alignments out of D&D but you can't take D&D out of the alignments, it will be dragged there by the internet.
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 1:03PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Jan 30, 2012
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That's like saying that you can't eat healthy food because you've been eating slop your whole life.
You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in an thread with GM_Champion" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go in against AzureShade when card design is on the line!
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 1:07PM
#5
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- Forum Guide
- Hero Craftsman Gold Medalist
- Master Dungeon Master
Date Joined:
Jun 23, 2005
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You cannot take alignments out of D&D… PERIOD. I've seen, read, and participated in the whole I hate/love alignments threads
I find it hard to believe you've participated in alignment threads and haven't noticed that the developers have been very clear that the approach is as follows:
Alignment Entries are Opt-OuttableAlignment Mechanics are Opt-InnableSo calm down. Alignment isn't going anywhere and you'll be able to import the mechanic if you want.
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 1:09PM
#6
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I like alignments depending on the campaign being played. In a classic good vs. evil game, it works.... in something complex like Game of Thrones, it just gets in the way.
So they should be part of the game, only optional.
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 1:14PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Aug 25, 2007
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Alignment has been a part of DnD for a long time, but many people do not like it and many tried void using it in other editons.
So to me the question is not if alignment should be in DnD nex but in what way.
and in my opinion there are 3 options
1) as part of the core meaning classes spells and other recources need major re-write and might be un playeble if you try to remove alignment, this would not be apealing to the we don't like alignment crouwd.
2) the game would have a modual to take out alignment and classes and spells and other game recources would be written so that alignment can be taken out using the rules and guide lines in the modual without cousing any major problems.
3) the base game would have no alignment system but there would be a modual allouwing you to add alignment as part of the game. meaning classes and spells and other game recources would be written asuming alignment is not used. This might not give the in dept impact that people who like alignment might like to see.
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 1:15PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Jun 17, 2010
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Yes, I can, I do it frequently.
I agree that they shouldn't be taken out of the D&D rulebooks, but that's another thing entirely.
D&D Next = D&D: Quantum Edition
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 1:17PM
#9
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Date Joined:
May 19, 2011
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Alignment Entries are Opt-Outtable
Alignment Mechanics are Opt-Innable
As they should be.
Alignment is completely fine as a roleplaying tool if groups want to use it. It's onyl when it starts telling me how I need to roleplay or else I get x penalty that I start having a problem.
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 1:19PM
#10
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Awhile ago I started a thread in which I offered my attempt at a DDN version of the paladin's detect evil ability. Though I focused the ability on detecting hostile intentions the thread had opened up a can of worms. That can of worms was filled with conflicting ideas about what constitutes an evil character, an evil action and others forms of hostility personal to the paladin. The problems I opened up had been fixed years ago without my knowing. Alignment defines good and evil in the realm of D&D and resolves conflicting opinions about good and evil, and when these alignments are debatable the DM can resolve the issue by changing the alignment. Alignments for the purpose of defining good and evil in a game setting are too important to give up. We don't have to use them, but explaining them and including them as options in the game gives the DM control over how their world is defined.
I am not advocating alignment based mechanics, after all alignments are invisible and should not IMO be interacted with as part of default mechanics. I see exceptions to the statement I have just made, and exceptions are fine to have.
I hope this isn't too preachy; I worry it is so my apologies.
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