Allineamento
Allineamento
A typical creatura in the game world has an allineamento, which broadly describes its moral and personal attitudes. Allineamento is a combination of two factors: one identifies morality (good, evil, or neutral), and the other describes attitudes toward society and order (lawful, chaotic, or neutral). Thus, nine distinct allineamentos define the possible combinations.
These brief summaries of the nine allineamentos describe the typical behavior of a creatura with that allineamento. Individuals might vary significantly from that typical behavior, and few people are perfectly and consistently faithful to the precepts of their allineamento.
Lawful good (LG) creatura can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society. Gold dragons, paladini, and most nani are lawful good.
Neutral good (NG) folk do the best they can to help others according to their needs. Many celestials, some cloud giants, and most gnomi are neutral good.
Chaotic good (CG) creatura act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect. Copper dragons, many elfi, and unicorns are chaotic good.
Lawful neutral (LN) individuals act in accordance with law, tradition, or personal codes. Many monaci and some maghi are lawful neutral.
Neutral (N) is the allineamento of those who prefer to steer clear of moral questions and don't take sides, doing what seems best at the time. Lizardfolk, most druidi, and many umani are neutral.
Chaotic neutral (CN) creatura follow their whims, holding their personal freedom above all else. Many barbari and ladri, and some bardi, are chaotic neutral.
Lawful evil (LE) creatura methodicalleato take what they want, within the limits of a code of tradition, loyalty, or order. Devils, blue dragons, and hobgoblins are lawful evil.
Neutral evil (NE) is the allineamento of those who do whatever they can get away with, without compassion or qualms. Many drow, some cloud giants, and goblins are neutral evil.
Chaotic evil (CE) creatura act with arbitrary violence, spurred by their greed, hatred, or bloodlust. Demons, red dragons, and orcs are chaotic evil.
Allineamento in the Multiverse
For many thinking creatura, allineamento is a moral choice. Umani, nani, elfi, and other umanooid races can choose whether to follow the paths of good or evil, law or chaos. According to myth, the good- aligned gods who created these races gave them free will to choose their moral paths, knowing that good without free will is slavery.
The evil deities who created other races, though, made those races to serve them. Those races have strong inborn tendencies that match the natura of their gods. Most orcs share the violent, savage natura of the Orco gods, and are thus inclined toward evil. Even if an Orco chooses a good allineamento, it struggles against its innate tendencies for its entire life. (Even mezzorchi feel the lingering pull of the Orco god's influence.)
Allineamento is an essential part of the natura of celestials and fiends. A Diavolo does not choose to be lawful evil, and it doesn't tend toward lawful evil, but rather it is lawful evil in its essence. If it somehow ceased to be lawful evil, it would cease to be a Diavolo.
Most creatura that lack the capacity for rational thought do not have allineamentos-they are unaligned. Such a creatura is incapable of making a moral or ethical choice and acts according to its bestial natura. Sharks are savage predators, for example, but they are not evil; they have no allineamento.