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Messages - Link092
201
« on: July 03, 2008, 10:36:36 pm »
Or, "Why Play A Drow If You're Only Going To Be A Dark Skinned Elf?" (and I use the term "drow" deliberately) The original drow, of course, was Drizzt Do'Urden, [INDENT]" an atypical drow who has forsaken both the evil ways of his people and their home in the Underdark. He is one of few drow known to live on the surface."[/INDENT] who has become the archetypal drow character, and whose story of escaping the Underdark and living on the surface forms the proforma for most drow character backgrounds (due in part to the neccessity of having to get from there to here to play). It seems to me that an intrinsic part of the drow character storyline is the hated outsider living incognito amongst the traditional adversary. That story then advances and the character develops as they eventually establish a relationship with some of the people they meet (other player characters), forming a tight circle of trusted friends, to whom they (probably) end up revealing themselves, either because they are good, and are proving their worth despite their dark lineage, or because they are evil and are really duping everyone. However, it seems to me that the whole premise is undermined by players flaunting their character's drowness in public, as though drow are generally accepted. Aside from this going against what is written about [LORE]Dark Elves[/LORE] in Lore, if drow are generally accepted, what's the point of being one? If everyone accepts you, aren't you just a dark-skinned elf? In my opinion, being generally accepted breaks the uniqueness of the concept and the role-playing opportunity of being a drow has to offer. Further, by flaunting a character's drowness, isn't the above premise being broken for the next person to play a drow? There is no big reveal when the next character outs themselves (or is outted) as a drow, because everyone knows of[SIZE=10](1)[/SIZE] half-a-dozen other drow. "Oh, another dark elf. More above than below, they say. Yes, isn't one of them a waiter in the such-and-such pub?" In short, drow become mundane. In a module, such actions would be fine, because the story is about you. In a persistent world, where you are one of many, isn't there is a certain responsibility to those who will come after you? Regards, Script Wrecked. [SIZE=10](1) as opposed to "knows".[/SIZE]
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« on: June 29, 2008, 02:06:58 pm »
Hopefully a quick question! I just heard that wemics are not allowed in Hempstead....but after half an hour searching lore and the forums, I don't see any ruling on this. The sign outside Hempstead does not specifically mention wemics... If wemics indeed are not allowed in hemp, then I've made an RP mistake for a long time now. I first entered hemp by Shiff's side, and since then i go in and out as I please, though generally slowly, and I've RP'd with folks in Hemp many times (and no-one's sent me a tell that i'm doing something wrong). I apologize if I've been making a mistake....but could someone please point me to the ruling, or give me the thumbs up or down for continuing to RP Aka'ashi Horseteaser the way I have in the past? If she is not allowed in, I'm sure she'll be very tickled that folks find this silly playful kitty so fierce as to ban from the cities! thanks!
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« on: May 10, 2008, 01:24:21 pm »
I have a master's degree. Got the piece of paper yesterday, after sitting very bored through a two hour ceremony in a robe with sleeve-wings. I think my family was more happy than I was. And now it's back to an 8-5. On the upside, I'll be more consistent with Layo time now. :p P.S. To those on the "Reveal the Storm" quest, see the layo server forums. I finally got a post in there, and yes, I pretty much just woke up.
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« on: January 25, 2008, 10:10:05 pm »
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« on: October 12, 2007, 02:01:02 am »
206
« on: September 05, 2007, 10:51:46 pm »
Remember that thread about how you can pick a guy RPing a female character? Why has there never been one done for the reverse? If you don't want to get caught out as a girl playing a guy (for whatever reason), follow these simple rules. Rules for girls playing male PCs: #1: Under no circumstances should you RP two men sharing an umbrella (unless at an arena gladiatorial match and your pies or hotdogs are getting wet and then strictly for the eating period only). #2: Never ever RP your male character crying unless under the following circumstances: a. When a heroic dog dies to save its master. b. There is no b. #3: Unless he murdered someone in your character's family, you must bail a friend out of Fort Vehl jail within 12 hours. #4: Moaning about the type of ale another character has just given you for free is forbidden. However, complain at will if the temperature is unsuitable. #5: No male PC should ever be required to buy a birthday or wedding present for another male character. In fact, even remembering your character's male friends birthday or wedding should probably be avoided. #6: On a hack and slash trip across Dregar, the strongest bladder determines pit stops, not the weakest. #7: Only in situations of complete moral and/or physical peril are you allowed to RP kicking another male downstairs. #8: Even if you roll a natural 20 on the spot check, if another male PC's fly is down, that's his problem, you didn't see anything. #9: A male in the company of an attractive, suggestively dressed female PC must remain sober enough to fight. #10: If you compliment another male PC on his six-pack, you'd better be talking about his choice of ale. #11: Never join a female PC in discussing another male PC (only exception is if she's withholding amore pending your response). #12: Never talk to another male character in a inn's bathroom, an almost imperceptible nod is all the conversation you need. #13: It is acceptable for you to ride a female character's horse. It is not acceptable however for her to ride yours. // End of Pseudonym's RP lesson for today.
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« on: August 05, 2007, 10:32:30 am »
Please post any questions on the new cosmology here. I will make this a running thread and update questions/answers. 1) considering how much shadow has been dealt with, including one of our World Leaders, an entire branch of the the Bloodstone plot quests, a complete shadow language, and the shadow dancer class in general, can you please fill us in on where Shadow fits in to the new Cosmology? Shadows come from a lower/lowest energy world (so the low frequency worlds, see Mortal Coil description). Hence why their touch drains energy from creatures from a higher energy world. Their opposites are the Radiances from higher frequency worlds. The shadow language is actually the language of the Lumbral, which those who went on that plot series received. So a more proper name would be the Lumbral language. The shadowdancer does not travel to other lower frequencies when hiding in shadow, they're just very adept at using darkness and light. The summon shadow is something like summoning (so magic) and we're stuck with the D&D way of doing things there for NWN. The new planes structure was not made to accommodate all D&D specifics of course, as we're moving away. Some things will fit, others will not. 2) On the time section, does that mean that time passes more slowly for the negative energy realms than for the positive energy realms or is the frequency you're talking about there something different than the frequency of the realm itself? The former. 3) How does Greater Sanctuary work now, as in D&D you walk the ethereal plane? This is one of the things the new cosmology and D&D differ greatly as there is no ethereal plane. You can consider it as some kind of better invisibility, you not walking another frequency for example.
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« on: June 11, 2007, 10:46:11 pm »
Have you seen how many thank-you's that guy has??? Sure, he's helpful, generally polite, solves grievances fairly and all that .... *ponders a moment* Hey, isn't Leanthar doing a great job! Hey, aren't those bad drivers who do not move over or open up a space when possible to let you merge into that lane really annoying? Racism, terrorism and sexism is wrong! Go ->insert your sport's team's name here<- !!! Save the ->insert fluffy, endangered animal here<- !!! *shifty eyes*
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« on: April 23, 2007, 11:22:39 am »
I am surprised I am having to type this but after five years of doing this I suppose I shouldn't be suprised. I want everybody to keep in mind the server and the community when they are submitting an evil aligned character. This is a family server and as such young adults and in some cases children may be reading these submissions. There is no reason to get graphic or gruesome on the submissions, none at all. There are multiple ways to get around the "need" of writing graphic details in a character submission, just use your head and a little common sense and you will figure out a way. I do not want to see the graphic descirptions in submissions any more, they are unacceptable. If we continue to see them evil aligned character will once again be removed from the world. Thank you.
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« on: December 14, 2014, 02:16:03 pm »
Hi everybody, I've added a new forum for you to post your development threads privately. They will only be able to be viewed by yourself, Administrators, Gamemasters and Character Approvers. If you wish your existing thread to be moved to that section, please reply here. Yes you can have both a public and private CDT, one in this forum and one in the other. Cheers, orth
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« on: March 28, 2007, 03:01:57 am »
Shall I compare thee to a common thief?
Thou art more complex and more versatile.
Rough hands oft do thy name much grief
And most make you a stealer with a smile.
Sometimes too great an influence, the screen
With roguish grins, lawbreakers are they all -
So we fall victim to the things we've seen
And in this stereotype you sadly fall.
But you've still chance to make thy choices known,
And 'fluence those with bios still unwrit;
And cast as scout, or aught of sim'lar tone
Into a new alignment snugly fit.
So when you make a rogue I pray to you:
Think not of theft - there's more a rogue can do!
The gist of the above is that I've seen a disturbing trend of people tarring all rogues with the same brush.. or, gods help them, referring to a rogue's (or their OWN) profession in-game by the line: "Oh, I/he/she am/is a rogue!" BehaviourTo borrow from the handbook: Rogues have little in common with each other. While some - maybe even the majority - are stealthy thieves, many serve as scouts, spies, investigators, diplomats, or simple thugs. Rogues are versatile, adaptable, and skilled at getting what others don't want them to get. While not equal to a fighter in combat, a rogue knows how to hit where it hurts, and a sneak attack can dish out a lot of damage. The gist of this is that there are no "typical" rogue activities, nor a "typical" rogue alignment. A thuggish rogue would likely not waste any skill points on Pick Pocket, Disarm Traps, and the like, and would likely have more of his ability points in CON and STR than in INT or CHA. Conversely, the acrobatic lithe fighter who darts in and out of combat can also be a rogue, with a high DEX, and likely a high CHA, as this would be the gentleman who would Taunt opponents as he dashed around them, slipping a dagger in where it hurts. There's the scout, learning to hide and hurt the enemy for their noble (or ignoble) cause. The diplomat, with a high INT and CHA - capable in a fight, but much better suited to a duel of words. Any of these are more likely to be suited to a Rogue character than virtually any other character type. The upshot? As before, Rogues are a very difficult character class over which to generalize. By Any Other Name... Please?Of all the classes, this is the One Which Is Not Named. A rogue may be a thief (though he's unlikely to advertise as one, unless this is what the hirer is after), a scout, a trapspringer... or any of the occupations listed above... but the word "rogue" would mean nothing in-game, save its original designation: a scoundrel, unreliable, deceitful, and untrustworthy... and again, who would advertise themselves as this? Monks are.. well, monks. They could perhaps be "practitioners of the arts of unarmed combat", but that's stretching the point a bit. A fighter can be a sellsword, a mercenary, a soldier, a guard.. or, let's face it, a fighter. Someone who can wade into combat, blades flashing. A Paladin is just that - it's in their title. Perhaps the appellation Knight can be given. Calling someone a cleric is fairly reasonable, likewise Rangers, and certainly Druids, Wizards, Sorcerers and Bards. Barbarians could be called fighters as well, but their name is not misplaced. Rogues are really the odd ones out, as a loyal scout of Mistone could easily be a Rogue.. but not be roguish in the least, and certainly not deserving of the name. In Summary, and I'm Not Makeup, Darnit!Rogues are incredibly versatile, so if you're planning a rogue submission, don't pigeonhole them into the "thief" persona unless that's what you wish them to be - with so much selection, a rogue can take almost any place if she's written right. Rogues are not called rogues, as those who are wouldn't advertise it, and those who aren't would be offended. (Though it is permissible to call the wittily quipping rogue "roguishly charming". It may just get you smacked by anyone within arm's reach who's reading over your shoulder.  ) And, please, Rogues are not Rouges. The one is a versatile fighter/scout/thief/smoothtalker/whatever, the other is a powder. (Granted, the former can become the latter if mixed with mages or dragons, but one would generally not wish to apply the result to one's face.) And that's that! Cheers, Darkstorme. (N.B. Yes, I'm biased, with a primary rogue character, but sometimes I weep to see what is done with my.. erm.. noble profession. *chuckles*)
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« on: March 19, 2007, 07:44:41 pm »
[SIZE=18]Tired of trying to type in battle? Tired of repeating your introduction to the umpteenth person? I have the solution right here![/SIZE]
Those of you that have travelled with my PCs were probably thinking to yourself, "That fellow can type up a storm!" While I can do that, I've added to my repetoire by taking advantage of this nifty software: AutoHotkey - Free Mouse and Keyboard Macro Program with Hotkeys and AutoText. This free bit of software allows you to write rather complicated hotkeys and macros. The nice thing is that it can intercept the keystrokes before they reach your game. Take my paladin of Vorax, Wanark. He had a dozen or more short blessings that he'd say (some in dwarven) when just prior to casting bless or equipping his waraxe. Then he had longer blessings that even included him kneeling. Finally, he had the entire Vorax paladin credo he'd use when he visited the temple. All of these I had assigned to hotkeys outside the game. Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? Beautiful. I'll give an example from my current PC that you can use to build your own set. (Careful of line wrapping if you cut&paste into your own file.) [INDENT] [SIZE=16]
;; ------------------------------------------
;; A utility routine to say something
;;
[/SIZE][SIZE=16]Say(s)
{
global prefix
SendInput {Enter}
Sleep 250
IfInString, s, /tp
SendInput {Raw}%s%
else
SendInput {Raw}%prefix%%s%
SendInput {Enter}
}
;; ------------------------------------------
;; This will send yourself a tell with some help
;;
::/o help::
SendInput {Raw}/tp "Pen N Popper" name, description, wearing, ^f
Send {Enter}
return
;; -------------------------------------------
;; Give your name
;;
::/o name::
SendInput {Raw}rolan tennesen... *bows* sellsword in the employ of the freelancers
Send {Enter}
return
;; ------------------------------------------
;; A random color emote of walking along
;;
^g::
Random, num, 1, 5
if ( num == 1 )
Say("*hurries along at an uneven pace, pausing now and then to catch breath*")
else if ( num == 2 )
Say("*moves along at a steady pace*")
else if ( num == 3 )
Say("*hurries along, gaze taking in his surroundings*")
else if ( num == 4 )
Say("*marches along with quick strides, sounding a bit out of breath*")
else if ( num == 5 )
Say("*moves at a deliberate pace*")
Sleep 100
SendInput {LControl}
return[/SIZE][/INDENT]I save this to a file called "rolan.ahk" and then run it. Ingame, when I hit Ctrl-g a random description of walking will be sent. When I type in /o description the verbose description of Rolan is output. You can see that this can have as much flavor as you can think of. It is especially handy during battle when all I have to do is type Ctrl-f for a fight emote. (I even have it setup to fill in which weapon he is using to the emotes are correct.) Good luck!
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« on: March 12, 2007, 09:13:37 pm »
Hello all! Behind the veil of semi-secrecy that the Internet and these forums provide, I am known as Dorganath, a Layonara player, GM and developer. On the other side of the great electronic veil, I'm known as Steve, a 36 year-old husband to one, father of two and brother to one. I got my gaming start back in elementary school...hmmm...maybe 4th or 5th grade when my best friend introduced me to this D&D thing, and I've been hooked ever since. I was at one time a proud owner of the "Purple Box", though sadly the only thing that survives of it are the dice...which I'm pretty sure are hardened against nuclear radiation. I also still have many of my old, 1st Edition AD&D characters. Over the years, we tried out several different PnP gaming systems but always heavily favored D&D. Fast-forward several years, then several more...and probably add a few just to be safe...and some of those same people I used go game with got together and we started running through Icewind Dale 2 in multiplayer. And then rumors of a new game on the horizon started to float on the wind this new game, Neverwinter Nights, that held the promise of being able to bring a tabletop, GMed gaming experience to a group of nostalgic old gamers who no longer live within a 15-minute drive. Like most grand plans, this never quite materialized, however in late 2004, the very same friend, who first got me started with D&D and who GMed most of our gaming sessions in my early years, told me about this NWN persistent world called Layonara. In October of 2004, I submitted my first character and I've been hooked ever since. I played for about 8 months or so before applying to become a GM, and a couple months later (and just before the birth of my second child), Leanthar asked me to take on the module updates and maintenance tasks. To put it simply, I was excited by the offer, floored by the opportunity, and nervous as heck, but I did it anyway, and I've never regretted it. So that's how I got to this point, at least. As far as other things about me...Well, as I mentioned, I'm a father of two, both daughters and both quite naturally the cutest kids in the world. This has been certified by many committees, mostly imaginary. As cheesy as it may sound, I have to give my wife a boat-load of thanks, mostly for putting up with me and understanding my rather time-consuming addictions. For the job that pays the bills, I'm a mild-mannered Programmer/Network Admin./Tech Support/Server Admin./Workplace diplomat/Web guy/Technology Guru/Database Admin./Probably-other-stuff-I'm-forgetting Guy, which means on any given day I'm generally pretty busy and/or quite far behind. Living near Chicago but not being a native, I've grown accustomed to only having two seasons: Road Construction and Winter. During the winter, I huddle inside being very glad I'm not out in the wind. During the Road Construction season, I engage in such outdoor activities such as lawn mowing, landscaping and "picking-up-after-those-darned-kids-throwing-trash-in-my-yard" *shakes a fist*. I also enjoy music, when it's not geared for people under 16, catching up with whatever I have recorded on my DVR at the time, or kicking back with a good movie with explosions and/or gratuitous fight scenes and/or any other assortment of "grown-up" themes. More often, however, I hear the theme songs to "Blue's Clues", "Arthur" or "The Backyardigans", with shows and/or movies to match and where about the only thing that gets blown up is a balloon. For those who are curious, the name Dorganath originally came from an NPC in one of my all-time favorite one-off adventures out of a magazine, which also got used as the name for one of my own characters. When I started playing NWN, it seemed an appropriate bit of nostalgia to that for my login name, and so it has stuck with me. I suppose there's more, but it's time for me to slip back comfortably behind the curtain of pseudo-anonymity and let you all wonder about the rest. *disappears to a Cheshire Cat grin*
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« on: November 13, 2006, 05:54:14 pm »
Is anyone else ever curious to learn more about the player BEHIND the character? I find it fascinating to learn about people's RL and maybe the causal link to their character's behaviour. As such, I thought i'd throw on a questionnaire into this forum that people might (or might not) like to fill in to let the other people of the layo community know a little more about themselves. Some basic info is in people's profile page I know . . . I suppose if no-one else finds it interesting this thread will die a lonely death! Feel free when you copy and paste to delete any question you don't wish to answer or add something too! I've put some details about myself to get it started. TELL EVERYONE ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey Real Name: Matt Birthplace: Queensland, Australia Current Location: Melbourne, Australia Eye Color: Non-descript Hazel Hair Color: Non-descript Brown Height: 6’ 2” Right Handed or Left Handed: RH Your Heritage: Mongrel Australian Fave Movie: Princess Bride Fave Book: Anything by David Gemmell Fave Fantasy Character: Waylander Married, Kids: Yes & 3 The Shoes You Wore Today: Hiking Boots Your Weakness: Layo and Pretty girls Your Fears: Anything other than the perfect life for my kids Your Perfect Pizza: Aussie (Bacon + Egg) Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: 15th level, oh you mean non-layo? Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: LOL Thoughts First Waking Up: Too early Your Best Physical Feature: I once got told I had nice eyes. This was moments before being handed the largest haircut bill I have ever received. Your Bedtime: B/W 11pm and 1am Pepsi or Coke: Diet Coke MacDonalds or Burger King: Maccas Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate Cappuccino or Latte: Blagh Worst (PG) Vice: Diet Coke How many times do you Shower Daily: Once Have you Been in Love: Three times Do you want to go to College: Been, not again Do you want to get Married: A richer woman next time! *looks over shoulder nervously* Do you get Motion Sickness: Only in the back seat Are you a Health Freak: *looks at diet coke beside computer* Ummm, no. Do you get along with your Parents: Yes Do you like Thunderstorms: Yes Do you play an Instrument: *sighs* No In the past month have you gone on a Date: Does a quest count? In the past month have you gone to a Mall: I work in a mall! In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: No In the past month have you eaten Sushi: No *gags* In the past month have you been on Stage: I’ve been on TV In the past month have you been Dumped: No In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping: No How do you want to Die: Of very old age What do you want to be when you Grow Up: Astronaut or Fireman What country would you most like to Visit: South America - Those questions were from my niece's myspace page, here are some of my weird questions - How much money would you require (paid in cold, hard cash) to eat 500 grams of human faeces: $1,456.40 NB. It is a cop out to say I wouldn't do it for any amount. Of course you would. Start at something ridiculous like $100,000,000 and work your way back to a realistic figure: Who is your favourite Goodie? Graeme Who, most embarrassingly, have you ever pictured 'being’ with? Meryl Streep When playing Monkey Magic in the backyard and the position of the title character was already filled by someone else, which role did you play? Sandy Expressed as a percentage, how often would you giggle like a schoolgirl when someone uses the word titmouse? 100% *giggles* What's your favourite word? One that you try and interject into each and every conversation, even if completely the wrong usage or context? Sartorial Playing monopoly, which board token was your preference? If you could invent your own token what would it be? Scotty dog . . . . Little warrior figure Have you got 6 fingers on your left hand? Do I always begin conversations this way?
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« on: November 09, 2006, 02:14:36 pm »
What's going on? Two days without a new Just for Fun topic? Ok, here's my new poll. Australia will win the Ashes with the following result...
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« on: July 13, 2006, 08:59:49 am »
Many articles and opinions have been written about alignment in D&D. So why one more? Apart from the stock "why not" answer, there is a slight twist I want to add that may not have been covered elsewhere. This may not only help understand the characteristics of each alignment choice better, but also help in character creation to define the character's personality in more detail. [SIZE=16] AXIS ANALYSIS[/SIZE] Ok... so what's the twist? Well, I think that most people operate under the concept that there are nine basic alignments. A more sophisticated look at alignment considers looking at the law/chaos axis and good/evil axis separately, and that the basic alignments are regions on a chart composed of the two axes. Where a minor fallcy creeps in even here, however, is that there is an underlying assumption that each axis is weighted equally. In terms of understanding characters and their philosophies, in addition to figuring out where they lie on each axis and deriving the general alignment from it, it is important to determine which axis is more important to the character's personality. In this respect, each alignment can be represented two ways, with the first category being a modifier to the second -- essentially, the second part is the more core philosophy, and the first part is the means to that end. For example, a "Lawful Neutral" is someone who is predominantly Neutral between Good and Evil, and decides that Lawful is the best way to ensure this balance; a "Neutral Lawful" is someone who believes in Lawful philosophy over all else, and chooses Neutrality between Good and Evil to ensure a fair and unbiased application of the law. (Of course, a "Neutral Neutral" doesn't tell you which Neutral is more important, but that's the fault of the game designers for overloading the term.) The differences can be subtle, but important. In addition to defining a character concept more cleanly (i.e., why they believe what they believe), it shows which direction the character is more likely to show flexibility in terms of philosophy. The "Lawful Neutral" would be more easily influenced toward the Chaotic than toward either Good or Evil, if he/she feels that the restrictions of an ordered society, etc., hinders keeping a balance of good and evil; the "Neutral Lawful", on the other hand, would not be likely to budge from Lawful behavior, but could be convinced that taking a stance toward either Good or Evil would help ensure the proper application of the Lawful philosophy. Of course, it is important to have clearly defined characteristics for each axis so that generic terms like "Lawful", "Chaotic", "Good", and "Evil" have better context. LAW/CHAOS AXISLawful charatcers believe in the rule of law and are likely to be well steeped in tradition (though a highly legalistic society may have such an evolving set of laws that tradition is minimized or ignored). They believe firmly in honor and duty, and expect others they deal with (friends and enemies alike) to abide my the same set of rules. Society (and individuals) should be ordered and governed by principles than can be set down and followed no matter what. Chaotic characters think that laws, rules, and regulations are too restrictive. Each individual should choose his or her own path based on the current situation and the dictates of their own conscience. Tradition is something that can be learned from, but it should never constrain someone from doing what they think is best. They are likely to simply ignore or undermine legal structures, depending on how restrictive they are toward the character's goals and philosophies. Neutral characters, of course, seek a balance of the two. On one side, things are too restrictive, on the other, too anarchistic. This person is more likely to believe that laws, rules, etc., are all well and good, but that there are times they need to be set aside. The phrase "situational ethics" comes to mind with Neutrals on this axis. GOOD/EVIL AXISI don't know if anything is more misunderstood in D&D than the distinction of "Good" and "Evil". Specifically on the latter, I think most people envision "Evil" characters/NPCs are those who go around spitting small children on the ends of spears and then roasting them over fires built on their parents' homes. As a hobby. I think "Evil" in game terms is just a tad more subtle than that. Good characters are essentially altruistic. The needs of society in general outweigh their own needs or desires, and helping out those in distress is simply the right thing to do. Rewards may be taken, as long as they are given freely and are not an undue burden on the giver. The helpless must never be harmed, or allowed to come to harm through avoidable inaction. Evil characters basically concerned about themselves, and themselves alone. The rest of the world can burn, as long as they get the power, wealth, knowledge, etc. that they desire for themselves. While the "Evil" category contains true sociopaths, this masks the more typical evil -- those who are quite willing to use, abuse, and discard anyone or anything that gets in their way. The rest of the time, they have little to no use for people at all. Putting themselves at any risk had best be counterbalanced by a disproportionate reward. Neutral characters, being by definition in between the two extremes, can basically be defined as rugged individualists. They are mostly concerned about themselves, but have some level of social responsibility. Generally, they feel that people are responsible for themselves, so they expect to be rewarded for helping someone out, and don't expect to place themselves at high risk for doing so (unless the anticipated reward matches the risk). Acting in such a way as to intentionally hurt innocents is pretty much off-limits, unless a very compelling reason exists. Inaction that causes harm to innocents is acceptable, especially if the price of action is risky. [SIZE=16]EXAMPLES[/SIZE]Going back to the original example... a "Lawful Neutral" believes primarily in himself or herself, and has some ambivalence about society as a whole. This person believes that he or she can make their way best in a predictable, ordered system that ensures relatively fair dealing, and therefore, reasonable compensation for any services rendered. The "Neutral Lawful" on the other hand, is convinced that a rigid code of conduct or legal system is the best thing for himself or herself, and probably society in general, too. The consequences of following the laws are irrelevant -- they are there for a good reason, and if people get hurt in the process, it is regrettably unavoidable and a necessary cost -- unbiased application of the system is required regardless of result. The "Chaotic Good" character differs from the "Good Chaotic" character -- the former believes that "Good" is best achieved by freedom from rules, regulations, and laws. The latter is a generally an anarchist (who can either "opt out" of a rigid society or rail against it) who feels that helping people out will show them that laws and rules aren't necessary as long as good will exists. [SIZE=16]SUMMARY[/SIZE]More so than anything else, this is intended to help flesh out the character design concept. As a secondary goal, it should hopefully help characters play their chosen alignments better -- not only staying within alignment, but knowing how to "lean" away from it one way, but not the other. When creating a character, make sure to define not only where they stand on each axis, but which one is most important to that character. Then ask yourself the questions of: Why does the character feels that way? How much more important is that aspect vs. the other? How does the secondary aspect follow from belief in the first? How likely would the character be to change his/her mind on the secondary aspect?
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