Alignments are being phased out for characters. Going forward they will only apply to monsters and NPCs
Monster and NPC (herein grouped as monsters) alignments determine how characters view and how DM’s should play them within the game world. There are two words that describe this, one is the social outlook the other is the internal outlook.
Social – This can be Lawful, Indifferent or Chaotic.
Lawful monsters look to the rules of law and society to guide their actions.
Indifferent monsters are motivated by their own needs over anyone else’s.
Chaotic monsters are motivated by emotion and care little for rules and what others think of them.
Internal – This can be Good, Neutral or Evil.
Good monsters do the right thing and try to help others.
Neutral monsters are like to stay out of things and let others help themselves.
Evil monsters are selfish and cruel; often going out of their way to harm others.
Examples:
A dwarf can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society. They are typically Lawful Good.
An elf who feels that a villain needs to be brought to justice will break rules to make sure that happens. They are typically Chaotic Good.
A halfling might wanders off in the middle of battle to take inventory of the treasure room. They are typically Chaotic Neutral.
A human might wait to join a side in battle until one is clearly winning. This is very typical of Indifferent Neutral characters such as Thieves.
See encounters for more guidance for how to play monsters when they are encountered.
