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From: darin@ut-dillo.UUCP (Darin Adler)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: re: a new idea for alignments
Message-ID: <218@ut-dillo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Dec-85 19:15:15 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-dillo.218
Posted: Wed Dec  4 19:15:15 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Dec-85 03:06:37 EST
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<>

>    He will never torture or fight deviously with another human, but when
>    dealing with non-humans, anything goes because they have no soles and
>    can be treated the same as cattle.  This means branding (torture),
>    ownership (slavery), etc. are perfectly OK.
>
> The person is lawful good with respect to his temple but with respect to
> others he may be evil.

The world of AD&D is simpler than the real world.  In AD&D, good/evil
(referred to as morals) and law/chaos (referred to as ethics) make up
a system called "Alignment".  The word, "Alignment", refers to combination
of beliefs and actions that creatures in this world possess and
perform.

The inhabitants of this world are not familiar with the term
"Alignment" in the sense that players are.  These inhabitants may have
a different interpretation of the terms "good", "evil", "law", and/or
"chaos".  Thus, a "Know Alignment" spell will reveal the base system
of morals/ethics compared to those of the caster.  A Lawful Evil
cleric would see that a group of Chaotic Good elves were diametrically
opposed to his viewpoint, regardless of the terms he used to describe
himself.  Regardless of how a player/character/NPC describes his world
view, "Alignment", for AD&D purposes is based on the definitions in
the AD&D books and the particular interpretation of the DM.

Torture and slavery of those outside a select group might not be
considered "evil" by a particular sect.  On the contrary, these might be
considered "pious" or "good" actions by that sect.  However, the DM
can determine that these are "evil" actions by consulting the
definitions of the evil alignments, both his own and those in the
Dungeon Master's Guide, Players Handbook, and in Oriental Adventures,
if appropriate.

Of course, this is the DEFINITIVE alignment system; any other is
INCORRECT and CANNOT BE USED ;-)

Comments?  Flames?
-- 
Darin Adler
{gatech,harvard,ihnp4,seismo}!ut-sally!ut-dillo!darin