Chaotic Alignment

[Kyle Swann]

I've just been watching the paladin thread for a while now, haven't
really seen fit to give any input into it, but on thing has bothered me
about it. From what I've been reading, some people read chaotic as meaning
selfish, with no honour, and no code to live by, but just doing whatever
they feel like at the spur of the moment.

On this I have to disagree, being a long standing player of mostly
chaotic good characters. A chaotic good character is a strong
individualist, who has his own set of rules that he lives by, which may or
may not exactly be what the rest of society follows. What matters more to
them is the pursuit of good, not the red tape of laws that aren't always
right. As someone else posted, William Wallace is an excellent example of
this.

A chaotic good character would most likely try to save the young
girl from the example. Not only that but a chaotic good person is more
likely to save the same young girl from say being put into jail for stealing
food when she was hungry. Not the best example, but I just feel that the
chaotic alignment has gotten a undeserved bap rap so far.


*Put away my soapbox now, and go back to lurking on the mailing list, thank
you :)*

[Johnnie Rodriques]

> Subject: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Chaotic Alignment
> Date: Thursday, January 16, 1997 9:13 AM

> I've just been watching the paladin thread for a while now,
haven't
> really seen fit to give any input into it, but on thing has bothered me
> about it. From what I've been reading, some people read chaotic as
meaning
> selfish, with no honour, and no code to live by, but just doing whatever
> they feel like at the spur of the moment.

I have also noticed this. I've been in campaigns where Law & Chaos were
defined completely different. One went to say the all the lawful
alignments follow the 'law' and in the decrees the ruler of the area makes
and that chaotic alignments fallow none of the laws at all. Another went a
bit deeper (also the example I prefer), that the lawful alignments will
follow the letter of the law. With LE characters using the loop-holes and
wording to work the letter of the law to their advantages. While a LG
character will uphold the letter of the law even with extreme
circumstances. The example of the Paladin bringing the waif to the jailer
for stealing bread for her over taxed and starving family. The Chaotic
Good character will be more concerned with the intention of the law than
the law itself. Letting the waif go and perhaps paying for the stolen
food. CE characters worry about nothing but themselves. They will follow
the law or not depending on how they feel as an individual. Self coming
before anything else.

> On this I have to disagree, being a long standing player of
mostly
> chaotic good characters. A chaotic good character is a strong
> individualist, who has his own set of rules that he lives by, which may
or
> may not exactly be what the rest of society follows. What matters more
to
> them is the pursuit of good, not the red tape of laws that aren't always
> right. As someone else posted, William Wallace is an excellent example
of
> this.

This brings up the example of the letter of the law. A lawful good
character would HAVE to support the local laws of a kingdom he passes
through even if perhaps morally the law is wrong. Slavery for example.
While the LG paladin might find slavery distasteful, it is legal and lawful
to have slaves in this country. He would be braking the laws (being
un-lawful, breaking alignment, losing paladin powers, etc..) if he tried to
free the slaves. While the CG paladin might feel that the slaves freedom
is more important than the law or enriching a local baron/lord etc....
Whether its legal or not. Wrong is wrong.

> A chaotic good character would most likely try to save the young
> girl from the example. Not only that but a chaotic good person is more
> likely to save the same young girl from say being put into jail for
stealing
> food when she was hungry. Not the best example, but I just feel that the
> chaotic alignment has gotten a undeserved bap rap so far.

I agree totally!

>
> *Put away my soapbox now, and go back to lurking on the mailing list,
thank
> you :)*
>
Heheh, I'm still jumping up and down on mine. I'm sorry if I re-hashed
anything but I just joined the list. :)

johnnie
>> To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the
line
> 'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.