Bladesinger
2012-03-30, 05:47 AM
Alright, guys. Here's the thing. Over a year ago, I presented a human sorcerer to you wonderful people of the playground, and asked for advice pertaining to his alignment. The thread can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179148). I received stellar responses, and ended up deciding to peg him as Neutral Good--at least until character development/an angry DM deemed a change. Since that time, The character has gone through extensive character development, and I feel safe in saying that he has solidly turned away from most of his more Lawful tendencies, probably teetering on the precipice between Neutral Good and Chaotic Good. Normally, I wouldn't bother with changing, but my DM has recently shifted his campaign to a very political one, and has informed us that he will be putting extreme emphasis on alignment from now on, meaning he needs me to make a decision. The first game of this new "alignment-dependent" campaign is next Wednesday, so I have some time to figure this all out beforehand. To keep from confusing everyone (including myself) with a slew of the pronoun "him," I'll go ahead and say that the sorcerer's name is David. Anyway, here are the details of the aforementioned character development:
David's original idea of chivalry has been almost completely shattered. He still practices a lot of the same rituals he did before (bowing, holding doors, romantic gestures/words), but he's come to know himself well enough to realize that he does those things because he finds them fun, and they're essentially his way of flirting with members of the opposite sex. In reality, David believes that no person is fundamentally better than another; he's a huge proponent of the "all men are created equal" idea. Another fun thing is that he refused a duel when a paladin challenged him to one for speaking ill of the local king. This surprised everyone in the party (as well as the DM, who had set the encounter up on purpose), as they figured that David's chivalrous nature would compel him to fight--indeed, he had fought a number of duels in the past, mostly over the honor of women. Instead, David laughed, clapped the confused paladin on the shoulder, and told him to "lighten the hell up" before walking away.
David's love of freedom and individuality have only increased. When he found himself thrust into a political setting, he discovered that he favored a minimalist approach to government. If he encounters a rule or law that he doesn't agree with, he feels no qualms about breaking it (although he is still careful not to get caught). An example of this is is that, upon entering a city to find alcohol prohibited, he managed to procure spirits via the black market for the party artificer/bard's birthday. Despite this independent streak, he is rarely in favor of rebellion--because of the harm it can do to the people involved--and would likely prefer a benevolent government over a violent revolution. He is not openly hostile toward kings, government officials, or even law enforcers (after all, they're individuals, as well), but he will not bend his knee to someone because of that person's station. He respects everyone equally, regardless of standing, unless given a reason not to. However, he does understand that certain positions carry heavy burdens of responsibility (burdens he knows he himself probably wouldn't want), and respects the sacrifices those individuals make to their own personal safety and liberty. This respect, however, is once again given to the people in the positions, and not to the positions themselves (this realization came to him during an argument with the party's LG crusader).
On a personality level, David goes through life using his emotions foremost, tempering them with logic and reasoning. When presented with an idea (particularly those philosophical in nature), he "screens" it with his heart, deciding if he finds it to be agreeable or offensive. He then uses logic to discern why he had that reaction. David has become quite famous for his personal epiphanies in the party, having multiple times interrupted important conversations to dramatically shout, "A-ha!" and point into the air as an idea hit him. He appreciates spontaneity, especially in a romantic sense, and strives to do as his heart instructs him, though he tends to fall back on logic and over-think things when nervous.
On the other hand, when it comes to family, David respects his relatives (especially his mother, who raised him alone), and will usually do as they ask of him (unless that request violates his idea of what's right). Growing up, his younger sister never showed their mother any real respect, and to this day, the way his sister treats their mother sets his teeth on edge. The way he sees it, their mother gave them life and raised them without asking for anything in return, so she deserves whatever they can give her. This contrasts with his idea of government, which he believes only exists to protect the rights of people.
What hasn't changed about him is his willingness to give of himself to others. He has sacrificed much--from gold and XP to his own livelihood and well-being--for friends and strangers alike. He still doesn't like to lie without reason, but he has few qualms about lying for the betterment of others. He still enjoys speaking to people kindly and politely, taking advantage of his maximum ranks in Diplomacy (thanks to a house rule that gives it to sorcerers as a class skill).
After writing all of this down, I almost want to go ahead and change his alignment to Chaotic Good. However, if he is indeed Chaotic Good, he probably still leans Neutral Good, as he definitely favors Good over Chaos (I know that I probably didn't do a good job of demonstrating this, but please believe me when I say that it's true). Like I said, I wouldn't normally put this much thought into alignment, but the DM has been after me for a while now to make up my mind. In the face of this, what choice do I have?
And so I turn to you, good members of the Playground. Thank you in advance for your help, and please forgive me if I rambled on a bit too much (it's currently almost 7 A.M. where I am, and I have yet to go to sleep). I know that if anyone can help me with this problem, you guys (and girls) can.
David's original idea of chivalry has been almost completely shattered. He still practices a lot of the same rituals he did before (bowing, holding doors, romantic gestures/words), but he's come to know himself well enough to realize that he does those things because he finds them fun, and they're essentially his way of flirting with members of the opposite sex. In reality, David believes that no person is fundamentally better than another; he's a huge proponent of the "all men are created equal" idea. Another fun thing is that he refused a duel when a paladin challenged him to one for speaking ill of the local king. This surprised everyone in the party (as well as the DM, who had set the encounter up on purpose), as they figured that David's chivalrous nature would compel him to fight--indeed, he had fought a number of duels in the past, mostly over the honor of women. Instead, David laughed, clapped the confused paladin on the shoulder, and told him to "lighten the hell up" before walking away.
David's love of freedom and individuality have only increased. When he found himself thrust into a political setting, he discovered that he favored a minimalist approach to government. If he encounters a rule or law that he doesn't agree with, he feels no qualms about breaking it (although he is still careful not to get caught). An example of this is is that, upon entering a city to find alcohol prohibited, he managed to procure spirits via the black market for the party artificer/bard's birthday. Despite this independent streak, he is rarely in favor of rebellion--because of the harm it can do to the people involved--and would likely prefer a benevolent government over a violent revolution. He is not openly hostile toward kings, government officials, or even law enforcers (after all, they're individuals, as well), but he will not bend his knee to someone because of that person's station. He respects everyone equally, regardless of standing, unless given a reason not to. However, he does understand that certain positions carry heavy burdens of responsibility (burdens he knows he himself probably wouldn't want), and respects the sacrifices those individuals make to their own personal safety and liberty. This respect, however, is once again given to the people in the positions, and not to the positions themselves (this realization came to him during an argument with the party's LG crusader).
On a personality level, David goes through life using his emotions foremost, tempering them with logic and reasoning. When presented with an idea (particularly those philosophical in nature), he "screens" it with his heart, deciding if he finds it to be agreeable or offensive. He then uses logic to discern why he had that reaction. David has become quite famous for his personal epiphanies in the party, having multiple times interrupted important conversations to dramatically shout, "A-ha!" and point into the air as an idea hit him. He appreciates spontaneity, especially in a romantic sense, and strives to do as his heart instructs him, though he tends to fall back on logic and over-think things when nervous.
On the other hand, when it comes to family, David respects his relatives (especially his mother, who raised him alone), and will usually do as they ask of him (unless that request violates his idea of what's right). Growing up, his younger sister never showed their mother any real respect, and to this day, the way his sister treats their mother sets his teeth on edge. The way he sees it, their mother gave them life and raised them without asking for anything in return, so she deserves whatever they can give her. This contrasts with his idea of government, which he believes only exists to protect the rights of people.
What hasn't changed about him is his willingness to give of himself to others. He has sacrificed much--from gold and XP to his own livelihood and well-being--for friends and strangers alike. He still doesn't like to lie without reason, but he has few qualms about lying for the betterment of others. He still enjoys speaking to people kindly and politely, taking advantage of his maximum ranks in Diplomacy (thanks to a house rule that gives it to sorcerers as a class skill).
After writing all of this down, I almost want to go ahead and change his alignment to Chaotic Good. However, if he is indeed Chaotic Good, he probably still leans Neutral Good, as he definitely favors Good over Chaos (I know that I probably didn't do a good job of demonstrating this, but please believe me when I say that it's true). Like I said, I wouldn't normally put this much thought into alignment, but the DM has been after me for a while now to make up my mind. In the face of this, what choice do I have?
And so I turn to you, good members of the Playground. Thank you in advance for your help, and please forgive me if I rambled on a bit too much (it's currently almost 7 A.M. where I am, and I have yet to go to sleep). I know that if anyone can help me with this problem, you guys (and girls) can.