PDA

View Full Version : What's your favorite alignment/persona to play?



randomhero00
2010-11-16, 11:12 AM
Not neccessarily what you end up playing most often (cause I think most of us play good or neutral for easiness) but your most fun? Me I like starting as neutral with a martyr complex that inevitably ends up leading to evil for the sake of saving the party or the world (in other words making a deal with the villain to save something). Plus being evil or having evil tendencies disguised as good is so fun :smallcool:

One of these days I'm tempted to try playing all out evil from the get go. Would be an awkward mindset for me though.

edit: oh and power hungry or having trouble with temptation anyway.

PS I think its considered the tyrant persona. Although I'm not always lawful. Sometimes I stay in the background, doing whatever I please without law, but still control things behind the curtain. Essentially a "Yes. I do know better than everyone else, and they should be glad for my guidance. Anyone who doesn't fit will be swiftly dealt with."

valadil
2010-11-16, 11:18 AM
I don't really think in terms of alignment. It's an afterthought. I build a personality first and if I happen to be playing D&D, I'll try and figure out the best alignment that fits. Usually if the character is interesting, I can't fit him neatly into just one slot.

The types of character I keep coming back to are the scoundrels and eccentric wizards. I don't like rehashing the same character, but I keep making up new ways to play these types. I also have a fondness for impulsive characters. It lets me lead the party, without actually being the leader. Everyone takes "don't split the party" so seriously that whenever my overconfident, curious, and impulsive character wants to go explore a cave, it means that the rest of the group has to follow.

Alleran
2010-11-16, 11:22 AM
Alignment? Neutral Good. Something about a character willing to break rules when necessary (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitleeym5vv2h) appeals to me. Not chaotic, but not a stickler for rules.

SamsDisciple
2010-11-16, 11:43 AM
Its always fun to throw in the unexpected, that's half of why I play. I tend to drift towards lawful but when I. Just want to let loose and have fun chaotic curious is the best. Or we can change games to kobolds ate my baby and be chaotic hungry or lawful blonde :)

Nachtritter
2010-11-16, 11:45 AM
Chaotic Good all the way.

Ruinix
2010-11-16, 12:37 PM
kenders, i totally love kenders, my most enjoyed char was a kender wich as profesion was cartographer so he stop in time to time to draw the place in wich he was, even in middle of a fight XDDDD and ofcourse he play tricks to everyone near to him, party members, bbeg, good/evil/neutral counsel, what ever, what i most love of him was his proficiency (pun intended :p) to laught of anything and everyone.

Synapse
2010-11-16, 12:55 PM
Chaotic overall, but mostly Chaotic Evil. There's an alluring pleasure in making a cohesive and plausible character who is chaotic, mostly because people forget that such a thing is possible. My current CE character is all about putting himself in situations where his victory is an inevitable outcome. Currently his many identities are glorified as heroes, saviors, dangerous assassins and symbols without a face. And everyone whom he wronged agrees on "that bastard of a monster who put me in this place where hell would be more forgiving". I guess it's the magnificence. It's not very pretty when the stunts fail either, but they provide entire adventures' worth of work so the character is win-win even when you go meta.

oxybe
2010-11-16, 01:00 PM
what's alignment again? oh those two letters i don't care about... :smalltongue:

my fav characters are the crazy prepared (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CrazyPrepared) characters. they usually have a laundry list of mundane gear.

to quote an actual in-game scenario:

i died. horribly. one-shotted from full to negative 15. rogue picks up my body and starts searching for scrolls of "help us kill this thing before it murders the rest of us"

he asks to have my sheet and starts looking through my gear list. his eyes squint, his head tilts just so slightly, looks up at me from my sheet and says:

"a bucket?"

"unless it's a consumable it's in the box, and you never know when a bucket..."

several other things in my gear list:
crowbar
shovel
pitons
rope
poles
pulleys
vials
iron flasks
a few handful of copper coins (because no one uses copper)
marbles
marbles that shed light
coins that shed light
a flashlight (an everburning torch stuck inside a scroll case)
a hand drill
a hand saw
a hand axe
a pick axe
really, any hand "X" or "Y" axe items you can think of.
sacks
an adamantine bayonet
if we're missing a trapspringer, a 25lb log

and this doesn't get into the various scrolls and potions i keep on my person as a "just in case" precaution.

Halae
2010-11-16, 01:22 PM
I have a tendency to play Neutral Good Bruisers. Half-ogres and Warforged are my favorites (And half-orc when the level adjustment of half-ogre is an obstacle) and I will generally play them as Jerks with hearts of gold (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JerkWithAHeartOfGold) as well as Bruisers with soft centers (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BruiserWithASoftCenter) because, well, let's face it, nobody likes half-breeds. At least not in the campaigns I play in.

Lifeson
2010-11-16, 01:37 PM
I'm usually finding myself drifting towards Neutral Good, only because my characters usually don't let ethics factor into their morals.

Or, when the characters don't care about morals, either, either Chaotic Awesome or Neutral Neutral.

Shademan
2010-11-16, 01:44 PM
hah!
I am ALL over the alignment spectrum! I play EVERYTHING!

RaveingRonin
2010-11-16, 01:52 PM
My favorite character alignment/persona is Neutral Evil/Fear-Monger.
I've only gotten to play it once, but it was the BEST game I can recall off the top of my head. We had three party members; a LE Whisper Gnome Rogue/Assassin that focused on long ranged elimination (Crossbow Sniper and what not), a human CE Barbarian/Frenzied Berserker that had a fascination with tea (I'm not even kidding, dude would order tea at a bar, but who argues with the barbarian with a greatsword that needs Monkey Grip to work?), and me, a human NE cleric/dread witch (thanks to a highly esoteric Fear Domain and my DM's blessing). Now, here is where it got great. The assassin would kill people discreetly, hopefully someone who would not be missed. He would then skin them, and make leather goods from this resulting leather. The barbarian then made jerky from the useable meat, a lil sausage for kicks, and other fancy foodstuffs. I would animate the skeletons as, you know, skeletons. Then, as the character with the highest Charisma score, and a healthy dose of ranks in Perform(oratory) and Profession(salesman), I would sell these fine goods. The leather went to the friends and family of the dead person, the food would be consumed, never knowing what (or who hehehe) it came from, and the skeletons became mindless automatons to the rich and guardsmen who want to bolster sagging militia numbers. We played all of 3 sessions of 8 hours each, but despite almost getting caught five times, we made over two thousand gold JUST from this fantastic con, not counting whatever we looted off the dead person, or from random run-ins with monsters. Fantastic fun.

Echoes
2010-11-16, 01:59 PM
I tend to find myself playing the outcast. Someone who has a gift that is feared by his village, is at odds with the alignment of his family, orphaned when x blew up, or abandoned by a parent in the middle of y. As a result of this, my characters tend to have an independent streak, and are possibly ignorant of/indifferent towards normal customs. In line with this, I also have trouble playing lawful characters well, so I tend toward chaotic. Not necessarily "burn down the system" chaotic, but of the type that is generally distrustful of law and leaders.

The funny thing is, I never plan to do this beforehand. I just start writing, and in the end look up and slam my head on the desk when I realize it happened again.

ScionoftheVoid
2010-11-16, 02:32 PM
I love playing Neutral/Lawful Evil characters with a tendency to apply to the "Seymour Guado" school of morality. One of my Sorcerers wanted to destroy the Spire under the assumption that the universe would end, because as long as there is action there is chaos. Most of my favourite characters will happily sell or murder other party members if it would benefit them. I actually find it difficult to play anything more Good than Neutral with Evil tendencies. My Neutral Good Bard sold the party Cleric to an Ogre Mage family for a year in return for our captured other comrades, in large part because the Cleric no longer had his horse, and was trained in mounted combat. And because he was irritating as anything. The Paladin I was playing before that went insane, flipped out and tried to kill the town sherrif because of the actions of that Cleric. He was hanged for attempted murder.:smallfrown: Note: I'll provide the details of this if asked.

Tvtyrant
2010-11-16, 02:36 PM
I like Lawful Neutral with the emphasis on Law. I quote Hobbes to the rest of the party when they attempt to break a stupid law, refuse to cross into nations that have laws that I don't like because then I would be signing their contract, and enforce crazy silly laws during play.

dsmiles
2010-11-16, 02:48 PM
I personally prefer neutral evil, and a high-charisma type of character. You know, the suave gentleman veneer over the rotten evil inner core (usually for a Thrallherd-type of character).

Psyren
2010-11-16, 02:58 PM
I only go Evil when it's required, and even then I play more "Neutral with a mean streak." I only have trouble with evil alignments, I play the various goods and neutrals well enough.

dsmiles
2010-11-16, 03:01 PM
I only go Evil when it's required, and even then I play more "Neutral with a mean streak." I only have trouble with evil alignments, I play the various goods and neutrals well enough.

I manage to play all but three alignments well. I suck at the chaotics. I'm too well-ordered and methodical to be chaotic. Even my 'neutral' (NG, N, NE) characters tend to have lawful tendancies.

Halae
2010-11-16, 03:15 PM
I manage to play all but three alignments well. I suck at the chaotics. I'm too well-ordered and methodical to be chaotic. Even my 'neutral' (NG, N, NE) characters tend to have lawful tendancies.

I'm exactly the same way, but for good rather than law. I've never played an effective villain who wasn't so grotesquely over the top that the DM didn't say "You can't play him any more"

Vaecae
2010-11-16, 03:25 PM
CN, with a lean on good, sometimes flat TN, but I tend to lean away from law. I have a tendency to be subtle if I can be, and if I can't then let the fire rain from the sky, I'll go in guns blazing. I actually prefer to solve incounters with words or money, but take a step back from combat. I can powergame pretty well, but that just gets boring as hell to me. If for some reason I think jumping in the river will get me what I want better then crossing the bridge I'll roll up the water damageable stuff in an oiled sack for safety and dive in. In all honesty though I'd rather be the one telling the story then playing it.

Dr.Epic
2010-11-16, 03:26 PM
Chaotic Awesome! (yeah, I don't game seriously)

Psyren
2010-11-16, 03:40 PM
I manage to play all but three alignments well. I suck at the chaotics. I'm too well-ordered and methodical to be chaotic. Even my 'neutral' (NG, N, NE) characters tend to have lawful tendancies.

There's a couple of chaotics I do well.

"Gambler" - like Mat Cauthon (WoT), without the reality-chance-warping. All his plans are Indy Ploys, (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IndyPloy) inconsistent on when to be a hero and when to look out for number one, just unreliable in general (but for CG, very loyal to friends.)

"Self Discovery" - like Terra (FF6), this is the blank slate character who's out to discover where he/she fits in the world. Warforged and other fish out of water races are great for this.

"Trendsetter" - Like Allen Walker (D. Gray-man), this is the character that is a member of an order or group of some kind but doesn't want to play by their rules, even if he has the same goals they do. This is how I play more savage/feral classes like Barbarians and Totemists.

Rich's idea of Chaos (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0606.html) fits mine to a tee. All three archetypes above play The Game, but they don't follow all (or in the third case, any) of the rules.

Goudaa
2010-11-16, 03:55 PM
Lawful Good because it's the toughest to stay true to and often ends up with strife/debate/drama within the group structure.

Halae
2010-11-16, 04:00 PM
Lawful Good because it's the toughest to stay true to and often ends up with strife/debate/drama within the group structure.

which is why I enjoy playing paladins. besides, it's so much fun to see the surprised looks when your stick up the arse paladin enters the game sans stick. Never. Gets. Old.

Earthwalker
2010-11-16, 04:12 PM
No matter the setting I usually end up playing a film noir like detective.

I have so managed it in

Runequest, Shadowrun, DnD and Earthdawn.

Earthdawn was the hardest sell but in most cases it worked.

Different characters in all four but the same kind of style.

Eldonauran
2010-11-16, 04:16 PM
Ditto,

Lawful Good Paladin is my favorite pick.

I also like to play neutral good arcane casters or True Neutral clerics. I rarely play evil. Don't like it :smallannoyed:

Soren Hero
2010-11-16, 04:35 PM
i love playing the chaotic good rebel..always headstrong and polite, thinks before taking actions, loves undermining authority in subtle and often comical ways

Frenchy147
2010-11-16, 04:57 PM
I like playing either an eccentric persona or a Belkar-style persona.

Morbis Meh
2010-11-16, 05:10 PM
Chaotic good- a loud boisterous take no crap do-gooder

senrath
2010-11-16, 05:11 PM
Persona 3.

Wait, wrong persona. Um, I prefer Neutral Good, myself.

Hawriel
2010-11-16, 05:27 PM
First two characters where CG. One was a muskiteer stile rake, the other a warden of his lands stile ranger. They both where good, but I wanted the chaos eliment because they did what was right in the moment or did not do things that when against what they thought was good.

I then played characters by ear. I created one then play him for awile untill I find an alignment that fits. The rake character became NG over time.

I had a period of ingoring alignment all together.

I got back into it with my only NE character. He started out TN but eventualy went NE. It was fun.

The only alignment I have not played is CE. I guess it's never interested me in playing it. Maybe because phycopaths are to much of a pain in the ass. After all the rest of the group has to deal with them.

Susano-wo
2010-11-16, 05:46 PM
I actually find it difficult to play anything more Good than Neutral with Evil tendencies. Note: I'll provide the details of this if asked.

Heh, I am kind of the opposite. I don't try for any particular alignement, but follow the personality first, then what alignement do they fit into second, method. But usuall its good, or neutral with good tendancies. I tend to play selfless helpers, the kind that will help you regardless of the consequences, even if they don't really know you that well/at all.

Usually they are nuetral to chaotic, but I have had a strongly lawful character who's been drifting toward neutral, given that he's seen that in reality outside his sheltered knight's like, his black/white honorbound world does not always exist.

Aside from that I can think of no other lawful characters of mine, and exactly one evil character, and he was the kind who would[and did] kidnap another PC and sell them for ransom, but wasn't the type to murder someone.:smallsmile:
Oh and he was not a selfless helper :smallwink:
Ok, after seeing the white text, I am curious what are the details?

Susano-wo
2010-11-16, 05:50 PM
The only alignment I have not played is CE. I guess it's never interested me in playing it. Maybe because phycopaths are to much of a pain in the ass. After all the rest of the group has to deal with them.
You don't have to be a psycopath, you know...the aformentioned sell another pc for ransom character was Rollmaster (MERPS specifically), but he could have slotted to CE[disrepect for the law/rules, and well, he was the theifingest thief who ever thiefed a thief]

dsmiles
2010-11-16, 05:55 PM
and well, he was the theifingest thief who ever thiefed a thief]

Well isn't that just Smurfy? :smalltongue:

Morithias
2010-11-16, 05:57 PM
Lawful Evil.

That is all you have to know for now.

Galileo
2010-11-16, 06:09 PM
which is why I enjoy playing paladins. besides, it's so much fun to see the surprised looks when your stick up the arse paladin enters the game sans stick. Never. Gets. Old.

Except for those times when one of the other players is absolutely convinced that you're playing a paladin so you MUST have a stick up your ass, and will not shut up about it. Despite the fact that the only time any of my paladins has ever disagreed with him it was because I wanted to arrest the villains and drag them back to face justice rather than murder them outright. :smallfurious:

...No, I'm not speaking from experience. Why do you ask?

Anyway, my favourite persona is the jack-of-all-trades. I usually play him by way of Factotum with a dash of Chameleon and a cup of Master of Masks. So long as he knows what's coming, he can take it on. So I tend to prep divination and utility spells in his Factotum SLA slots.

TaliaJacta
2010-11-16, 06:29 PM
I'm generally a fan of True Neutral, and seem to gravitate towards it even when I wasn't aiming for it. Except for that one time when my neutral character became vehemently Lawful Good in the middle of the game, but that had extenuating circumstances.

CodeRed
2010-11-16, 07:37 PM
Lawful Good minus the stick. Hinjo in the comic is a good example of this type of person.

~Nye~
2010-11-16, 08:25 PM
kenders, i totally love kenders, my most enjoyed char was a kender wich as profesion was cartographer so he stop in time to time to draw the place in wich he was, even in middle of a fight XDDDD and ofcourse he play tricks to everyone near to him, party members, bbeg, good/evil/neutral counsel, what ever, what i most love of him was his proficiency (pun intended :p) to laught of anything and everyone.

I like Kender too :)
My first character was a halfling Arcane trickster, Chaotic Good, I was basicly a midget version of Robin hood Sneak attacking the rich and evil and giving to the poor, whilst delivering cheesey buffy like puns and making jokes... After that character, nobody in the group wants to roll halfling because my halfling was soooooo annoying I swear he could have given any of his victims an aneurism, from all the talking he did, he generally talked people to death with his story's kinda like Tass ;).


which is why I enjoy playing paladins. besides, it's so much fun to see the surprised looks when your stick up the arse paladin enters the game sans stick. Never. Gets. Old.

Sooo true :D Lawful Good is fun,. I also made a young healer who was a strong willed idealist/pacifist... Seems evil people don't like the concept of hope... The good die young :smallfrown:

in short Chaotic Good or Lawful Good... Never really in Neutral territory I just think those kinda characters are selfish, Evilness embracesw my characters from time to time, but that's normally in acts of blind vengeance and the like... Cliche's are fun :smallbiggrin:

Psyren
2010-11-16, 08:30 PM
Kender should die in a fire. All of them at once.

~Nye~
2010-11-16, 08:32 PM
Kender should die in a fire. All of them at once.

Awww... But who will pick your pockets now? :smalleek:

Scoot
2010-11-16, 08:55 PM
I generaly play as myself, or at least inflated aspects of my personality. On the alignment chart, I usually pick NG or CG.

Although in games I've enjoyed the freedom that an evil party gives, even if it leaves a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.

true_shinken
2010-11-16, 09:40 PM
I like Chaotic Good, Neutral Good and True Neutral characters the most.
I play Chaotic Good characters the most often. I'm a huge fan of punk rock and Star Wars' Rebel Alliance, so that's a given.
I only played an evil character once... and I found it pretty boring. My evil NPCs when I DM are usually a lot of fun, though, if only because they don't take so much time.

Ason
2010-11-17, 12:51 AM
I've been obsessed with playing a Lawful/Neutral character for a long time now, but every game I whip one out, I never have an opportunity to fully explore the roleplaying implications of it (mostly because I was still learning how to roleplay the last time I played one, haha). Next time, though!

The lasting impression I have of Lawful/Neutral is Inspector Javert, from Les Miserables. "I am the law, and the law is not mocked!" and "What did you say? Speak up! The wicked don’t mumble when they speak to me" were great lines for my L/N cleric of the Silver Flame to yell out in combat and interrogations. I hope to continue that character one day- he was a combination of Javert, the Warhammer 40K Inquisition and Judge Dredd. I like that toeing of the line between good and evil in an obsession for "the law"- it's fun RP fodder.