Magical Alignment Change

[ninjaneer003]

So I just read the Atonement spell and it mentions magical alignment change but i could find nothing else talking about how a person's alignment would change magically so are there any spells or items that change another creatures alignment?

[squishycube]

yes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/cursedItems.htm#helmofOppositeAlignment).

[hamishspence]

For spells, I think Morality Undone in Fiendish Codex 1 temporarily changes your alignment to evil.

And of course there's personality- changing spells (Mindrape from BoVD can do this, among many other things. Sanctify The Wicked from BoED can only do this- it can't do any of the things Mindrape can, like access the target's memories, change or delete them, customise the target's personality to suit the caster, make the target insane, and so on)

And some rituals (in Savage Species) to change your alignment subtype, or add one, will also change your alignment if you don't pass a Will save by 5 or more.

[Telonius]

The "Balance" card from the Deck of Many Things (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/artifacts.htm#deckofManyThings) changes your alignment.

Alignment change is one of the random "Drawbacks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/cursedItems.htm#drawback)" of Cursed Items.

The "Demon Graft Machine" from Book of Vile Darkness forces will saves; enough failures may result in alignment change.

The "Faceless Hate" disease from BoVD changes alignment as well.

[hamishspence]

All these things are a pretty good counter to the "alignment is only based on acts" claim.

Which raises the question of what to do with someone whose alignment has just changed.

[Psyx]

I don't follow that ^

Surely they just roleplay the changed alignment?

[drengnikrafe]

I believe magical alignment change is silly. I could go on for awhile about it, but it would be a pile of opinion that nobody really wants to hear.

In any case, if you are forced to go through that, I would say you see everything in a whole new light. Have you ever had that moment where you ate a carton of chocolate ice cream while listening to happy songs, and then when you went outside the sun was shining and sadness lifted into glee for no real reason? One of those moments where the birds' chirping that used to annoy you now resonates with your soul? Kinda like that, only with good and evil instead of happiness and sadness.

[hamishspence]

I don't follow that ^

Surely they just roleplay the changed alignment?

If it's a world where paladins arrest (or even kill) anyone Evil on sight, it may be a problem.

That said, if the player has been playing one of these paladins until the change, it may show them what it looks like to be on the receiving end of "Kill All Evil"

[Coidzor]

I was just thinking such a thing would be useful for switching from lawful to chaotic alignment for stuff like dipping in monk and barbarian in the same build. Well, without that Dragon Chaos Monk anyway...

[nedz]

Holy Transformation [SpC p 116], which is a [Good] spell, changes your type to (archon, good, lawful).
There would appear to be nothing stopping a CG character casting this and receiving the Lawful type descriptor. I'm not sure whether this would also, albeit temporarily, change their alignment?

[Lysander]

Remember that alignment is just a guide for how you would prefer to behave. If you turn evil it means you're now selfish and enjoy seeing other people suffer. It doesn't mean you have to start drowning kittens right on the spot. You would also still care about your friends and family, though those relationships might change once they see how much of a jerk you've become.

[Psyx]

"That said, if the player has been playing one of these paladins until the change, it may show them what it looks like to be on the receiving end of "Kill All Evil""

I would pay to watch that.

[tyckspoon]

Holy Transformation [SpC p 116], which is a [Good] spell, changes your type to (archon, good, lawful).
There would appear to be nothing stopping a CG character casting this and receiving the Lawful type descriptor. I'm not sure whether this would also, albeit temporarily, change their alignment?

No. It just means you are temporarily wearing the colors of the Cosmic Teams that are Good and Law, so you are affected differently by things that oppose them (typically spells and items based on the Cosmic Teams of Chaos and Evil, like Anarchic Weapons and the Blasphemy spell.) That is in addition to whatever your alignment already was, so if you were CE and somehow used the spell you would have all four extreme alignment properties at the same time.

Now, mechanically, using the spell is considered a Lawful and Good act, so you can't use it if your class or creed forbids you from doing such things. And RP-wise, the spell may influence you to act in a more Lawful and/or Good fashion than usual while you use it. But neither of those things are sufficient to outright change your alignment.

[hamishspence]

Remember that alignment is just a guide for how you would prefer to behave. If you turn evil it means you're now selfish and enjoy seeing other people suffer. It doesn't mean you have to start drowning kittens right on the spot. You would also still care about your friends and family, though those relationships might change once they see how much of a jerk you've become.

Might be interesting if it's even more subtle than that- they've developed a taste for enjoying making their enemies suffer, but not yet anyone else.

The ranger with Favored Enemy Orc, who's gone from orc-fighter, to orc-torturer.

Similarly, they might still have some altruism, but get irrationally enraged at anything that smacks of ingratitude- when they do offer help, and it's turned down.

Warping their existing "good" traits (a dedication to opposing evil, and helping others) without actually reversing them.

[Fiery Diamond]

Might be interesting if it's even more subtle than that- they've developed a taste for enjoying making their enemies suffer, but not yet anyone else.

The ranger with Favored Enemy Orc, who's gone from orc-fighter, to orc-torturer.

Similarly, they might still have some altruism, but get irrationally enraged at anything that smacks of ingratitude- when they do offer help, and it's turned down.

Warping their existing "good" traits (a dedication to opposing evil, and helping others) without actually reversing them.

That's a really good way of doing it, I think. The other possibility would be Jelal/Gerard from Fairy Tail - what happens to him when Zeref gains control.