C/N Charater Motivations/Personality Quirks?

[Malak'ai]

So I've come to realize that I play C/N aligned characters quite often.
Sometimes they are jerks (but not Chaotic Stupid or Evil is disguise), sometimes they are just don't care about the law or moral implications when they do what they do.
I don't intentionally try to screw anyone over in any way (even the annoying, stick-up-his-butt Paladin), but it does sometimes happen, and I do apologize to the DM/player once the session is over if they get angry about it, and then try my hardest not to do it again... But enough of this, I'm rambling... Time to get to the actual question.

I know that this issue can be quite contentious and is generally thought badly of, but I'm not here asking about the morality of it. I'm asking for ideas for personality quirks and character motivations for a CN aligned character.

I've have Rogues that have tried to be good but end up losing their tempers and hurting/killing people.
I've have Cleric's that have followed the Dogma and teachings of their Gods, but have been too zealous and have gone overboard.
I've had mercenaries who who just don't care about anything about the pay-packet they get at the end of the day.
I've have a Wizard who would do anything to learn new and obscure magics.

So what are some motivations or personality quirks you have used to your C/N characters?

[Immabozo]

Personally, as a new player, I defaulted to CN so I could have more freedom, only using the chaotic neutral alignment card once when we were kidnapped and roleplay reasons lead me to an uncomfortable, but not upsetting, for the group, decision of telling the guards the local towns defenses in exchange for the party's freedom.

I like the chaotic neutral druid who hold's "the end's justify the means" justifications to preserve nature. Although, some DMs might not allow this interpretation.

Although, "the end's justify the means" is a good motivation for any CN character. Then again, it is the alignment of the psychotic and insane. Take a look at most people begging on the street, or in an insane asylum, or many lawyers and observe what motivates them.

[Der_DWSage]

One of my favorite things was playing as a Feytouched Bard who was in it solely to see how stories would unfold-combat wasn't really his thing, but adding his touches to the 'narrative' were often fun. (IE, casting spells.)

[TypoNinja]

"It seemed like a good idea at the time"

Got a warlock living by this at the moment, very little long term planning. Good for lots of laughs.

[Mystia]

I think that the C/N alignment is pretty nice, since it gives you a lot of freedom without being the true neutral which I, personally, think that only those monks or clerics who seek perfect balance can achieve.
As for your character motivation, I don't think that your motivation must be related to your alignment. You don't have to be C/E to be driven by thirst for murder, since even a L/G paladin can be doing her brave duty only because she's seeking to slay the always chaotic evil (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlwaysChaoticEvil) necromancer who slaughtered her family when she was five years-old.
Just think of your character background, and make your motivation out of it, it can be virtually anything. I've seen C/N characters aiming to overthrow a king; seeking to find it's lost sister; wanting to become a god; etc.

[Malak'ai]

I think that the C/N alignment is pretty nice, since it gives you a lot of freedom without being the true neutral which I, personally, think that only those monks or clerics who seek perfect balance can achieve.
As for your character motivation, I don't think that your motivation must be related to your alignment. You don't have to be C/E to be driven by thirst for murder, since even a L/G paladin can be doing her brave duty only because she's seeking to slay the always chaotic evil (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlwaysChaoticEvil) necromancer who slaughtered her family when she was five years-old.
Just think of your character background, and make your motivation out of it, it can be virtually anything. I've seen C/N characters aiming to overthrow a king; seeking to find it's lost sister; wanting to become a god; etc.

Oh I totally agree that your characters motivation can be anything you want it to be, and I don't make it part of their alignment.
The personality quirks would be more closely related to your alignment than the motivation would be.

[NeoPhoenix0]

in one of my games i'm playing a CN sorcerer. he is just lonely and wants to have some fun. mainly motivated by protecting his friends. for quirks he is impulsive and will not ask anyone if what he is doing is a good idea if there is an even faintly remote chance that something is slightly time sensitive. he is a little child-like, he burned down a building even though its owner was dead just because people put out the fire he started before the party killed the guy. people don't mind his impulsiveness because he is intelligent and his ideas generally pan out.

the biggest problem with this character is he is hearing voices because he read a Cthulhu type cultist book to save the day and is slowly loosing it.

i also plan on eventually playing a CN character who does what he thinks is right but is willing to get his hands dirty to do it. he would be CN mainly because his actions are too evil for him to be good and he doesn't give a **** about the law.

edit: another reason people don't mind him because of his impulsiveness and almost outspoken insanity is he went partially insane to save the party and a village, mainly the party he didn't care about the village and even tried to loot it but found nothing.

[Duke of Urrel]

If you're Chaotic-Neutral, you may believe that emotions are the most important thing in the world. If you're religious, your emotions may be sacred to you.

Whatever you feel, you feel to the fullest. Unlike Chaotic-Good creatures, which favor constructive emotions, and Chaotic-Evil creatures, which favor destructive ones, you don't privilege any emotion over any other. When you rage, you rage out of control; when you weep, you bawl profusely; when you're happy, you sing at the top of your lungs; when you're sad, you're nearly suicidal; and when you're in love, you're either manically happy or depressed, depending on whether the love is returned. You may be in love with being in love, but you fall in and out of love a lot.

Apart from emotions, nothing else matters to you, except for the emotions of a few other people with whom you feel very close. You have no patience for rational people with their pedantic arguments, impersonal laws, and cool calculations. Why can't they just get in touch with their true feelings, as you do? That would be so much more honest, and the world would be a better place!

This hyper-emotive personality may be a problem when you have to control your true feelings, for example in order to use Bluff or Disguise skill. But it may be no problem at all if you're a barbarian or a cleric of Chaos. Or maybe you're just pragmatic enough to hide your feelings when you have to.

If you're a bard, you may be a high-strung diva or drama queen. You may crave the approval of your audience and throw a fit if you don't get it. You may be very particular about your tastes in art and music. You may feel very close to the people who have the same esthetic taste, but only for as long as their feelings harmonize with yours. One disagreement may be enough for you to terminate a friendship – at least for a day or two.

[3WhiteFox3]

Right now I'm playing a Chaotic Neutral Wizard for Pathfinder Society. I play her as someone who considers little to be sacred. In fact, her primary motivator is neither self-preservation nor power. It is the simply being the best and most knowledgeable she can be. She has no problem planning, after all plans are necessary for chaos. For the existence of a plan, means that the plan will have to change thanks to chaos. Her fervent desire is to always to have an answer, no matter the situation, and to never rely on that answer, for that is the beginning of lawfulness.

So far, she has walked confidently (though not without snark) up to the bugbear leader that her well-armored ally withdrew from. Dropped her familiar into a pit in order to help save the party cleric and her most impressive display of magic so far has been while she was blinded and ambushed. For in my view, chaos is the ability to adapt to any circumstance and to use chaos as a positive force.

[Mystia]

Oh I totally agree that your characters motivation can be anything you want it to be, and I don't make it part of their alignment.
The personality quirks would be more closely related to your alignment than the motivation would be.

Geh, I'd say I misunderstood your question a bit, then! I beg for forgiveness. Indeed, a personality quirk should be more related to the alignment.
Well, for the quirkiness, I guess that being a bit whimsical in some way is a unavoidable, just differing a little on the motives for being so. And if I think about it, all of my C/N's are *quite* like that. Since I also enjoy playing naive characters, that makes up for a fun combo :smalltongue: expect things akin to saying potentially insult sentences to someone in a position of much higher power compared to the party, just because you're naive and doesn't quite understand why you'd need to show respect/his position of prestige.
Edit: Just polished things up a bit.

[ericp65]

Sometimes, a CN character can't resist doing something "just to see what happens." I had a CN half-fiend elven archer character in a group once, easily distracted and prone to spontaneous behavior. The party was interrogating a goblin, who they had bound to a chair. At random, during the questioning (and the goblin was cooperative), my character decided to bite off one of the goblin's fingers "just for the heck of it." He did so immediately, and the other characters and players were a bit stunned, while the ranger casually chewed the dismembered digit. Good fun :)