Short movie clips of every alignment?

[Jon_Dahl]

Personally, I don't like to read a lot of text. I like writing, but reading is not my thing. DMs often have lots of text for their campaign and I manage to read less than half of it and I remember less than half of what I've read.

I'm going to try a different approach. It doesn't matter if it won't work, I'm still going to try it. In order to explain alignments for my players (That's always tricky but important, with alignment restrictions and all) I'm going to link a short video clip to each of the alignment. My players can find these from a Google Document file. I don't expect them to actually to watch the entire videos. I'm not going to ask my players if they have watch them. I'm going to have text there explaining the alignments and how the work in my games. The videos will only supplement, nothing more. I believe that if work for my games, my players will respect that I work with me.

This is what I have so far.

Lawful Good
Commando. "Wrong"
You do not negotiate with terrorists or criminals, no matter what. Lawlessness and evil are haram to you. If there's a possibility that a dangerous criminal might escape and/or continue his or her wrongdoings, you kill him/her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGL-ejw9m78

Chaotic Good
You find extraordinary and out-of-the-box ways to help others. The show is yours.
Captain Phillips. "I'm the captain now"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjfMVqL344Y

Lawful Neutral
"She may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard [...] Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot. "
The Rock. General Hummel's Death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrjo9LbeyTQ

Neutral
"A neutral character does what seems to be a good idea [...] People who are neutral with respect to good and evil have compunctions against killing the innocent but lack the commitment to make sacrifices to protect or help others. Neutral people are committed to others by personal relationships."
Lord of War. Used Gun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5kqh5-FoSA

Lawful Evil
"He condemns others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank. He is loath to break laws or promises. "
Training Day. "King Kong ain't got..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=181&v=E9EVR7j9_fw

Chaotic Evil
" He is hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. "
No Country for Old Men. The Coin Toss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLCL6OYbSTw

[Troacctid]

None of these clips make any sense at all out of context. I just watched them all and I have no idea what was going on in any of them, or how they were supposed to demonstrate the alignment in question.

[Jon_Dahl]

None of these clips make any sense at all out of context. I just watched them all and I have no idea what was going on in any of them, or how they were supposed to demonstrate the alignment in question.

In that case I should put some explanations there. I will do that.

[Seppo87]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alignment_graph_3756.png
.

[Jon_Dahl]

In that case I should put some explanations there. I will do that.

Done. Ten characters.

[weckar]

I would honestly think your example of Lawful Good is a far better example of Lawful Neutral. Finding peaceful solutions within the Law is what makes good. Killing criminals because they might get away is following the law for law's sake: LN.

[The Viscount]

Is there a reason Neutral Good and Neutral Evil are not represented here?

[Jon_Dahl]

Is there a reason Neutral Good and Neutral Evil are not represented here?

I haven't been able to find any yet. Help would be appreciated.


I would honestly think your example of Lawful Good is a far better example of Lawful Neutral. Finding peaceful solutions within the Law is what makes good. Killing criminals because they might get away is following the law for law's sake: LN.

Mafiosos and loyal guild thieves, among others, would be Lawful Neutral. They would act a lot more............"professionally"... than he did. There's no way that LG would start to cooperate easily in that situation, no matter what.

[weckar]

I guess your alignment grid skews a bit more towards evil then. That's okay, different interpretations.

[Seppo87]

I was serious before with that pic.

Show that to your players.
Details tend to become controversial.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

I was serious before with that pic.

Show that to your players.
Details tend to become controversial.

Said pic isn't showing for me.

Edit: aaah, it's from TVTropes. Yeah, the good old time-eating internet monstrosity doesn't play well with image links for some reason.

Here's (http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alignment_graph_3756.png) the picture in question for those who are interested.

[Gildedragon]

Your example for neutral is NE or CE

[Amphetryon]

If there's a possibility that a dangerous criminal might escape and/or continue his or her wrongdoings, you kill him/her.
That does not mesh with any version of Lawful Good philosophy I have encountered in D&D, from either side of the screen. LN, maybe in some societies, but not LG.

[Troacctid]

Lawful Good
Commando. "Wrong"
You do not negotiate with terrorists or criminals, no matter what. Lawlessness and evil are haram to you. If there's a possibility that a dangerous criminal might escape and/or continue his or her wrongdoings, you kill him/her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGL-ejw9m78
I'm not sure how you get Lawful Good out of that. That's not what the alignment represents at all.


Chaotic Good
You find extraordinary and out-of-the-box ways to help others. The show is yours.
Captain Phillips. "I'm the captain now"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjfMVqL344Y
What's Chaotic Good about hijacking a boat? That's what's going on, right? This doesn't make any sense AFAICT.


Lawful Neutral
"She may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard [...] Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot. "
The Rock. General Hummel's Death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrjo9LbeyTQ
It looks to me like this clip is about people shooting each other because they don't want to follow orders, which is, like, the opposite of Lawful Neutral.


Neutral
"A neutral character does what seems to be a good idea [...] People who are neutral with respect to good and evil have compunctions against killing the innocent but lack the commitment to make sacrifices to protect or help others. Neutral people are committed to others by personal relationships."
Lord of War. Used Gun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5kqh5-FoSA
Randomly shooting underlings is a hallmark of Chaotic Evil, not True Neutral.


Lawful Evil
"He condemns others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank. He is loath to break laws or promises. "
Training Day. "King Kong ain't got..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=181&v=E9EVR7j9_fw
I don't even understand what's going on in this scene at all, let alone how it's supposed to demonstrate Lawful Evil. Some guy is mad at some other guys and shouts a bunch?


Chaotic Evil
" He is hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. "
No Country for Old Men. The Coin Toss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLCL6OYbSTw
Where's the hot temper, viciousness, and arbitrary violence? I just see a soft-spoken guy flipping a coin and then walking away.

[MisterKaws]

On LG:

Killing is an evil act in itself. A Lawful Good character sees the good in everyone, and will first try to redeem any enemy before resorting to more violent means. Good characters in general are against harming anyone if you don't need to, but Lawful Good characters, who usually have a personal code of conduct, are even stricter in this aspect of good.

On LE:


Lawful Evil
"He condemns others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank. He is loath to break laws or promises. "
Training Day. "King Kong ain't got..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=181&v=E9EVR7j9_fw

This is not the stereotypical Lawful Evil character; this is the stereotypical Dumb Evil.

Lawful Evil characters, as all Lawful characters, follow a code of conduct. They will do anything to get what they want, but they respect power of any sort, and show due respect to any figures of authority. Lawful Evil characters are usually prideful characters, who might use their authority to bring grief to the weaklings, but also might not do it at all.

A common example of a Lawful Evil character is a Mafioso. Mafiosi usually work in families - which they deeply care for, despite being evil. They will kill anyone obstructing their objectives, but might also help children and whatnot.

As you can see, Lawful Evil is not about just discriminating everything different; it's about strictly following ethics, with no regards to moral standards. They do whatever is socially accepted, but have no qualms about disposing of hindrances, as long as doing so is socially accepted(or they force it to be).

Also, let's call the overlord:

Red Fel
Red Fel
Red Fel

[Arkhios]

Said pic isn't showing for me.

Edit: aaah, it's from TVTropes. Yeah, the good old time-eating internet monstrosity doesn't play well with image links for some reason.

Here's (http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alignment_graph_3756.png) the picture in question for those who are interested.

And apparently considered NSFW material since I got Forbidden 403 message when I tried to check out ...lame :(

[Troacctid]

TV Tropes doesn't like their images being linked externally. It eats bandwidth. You'll need to re-host it on imgur, or another image hosting service.

[Barbarian Horde]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KeniFoiT-0
Terminator.... Neutral Evil (kill anyone that gets in the way of killing John Conner)

[Komatik]

This was linked here earlier as an example of Lawful Evil attitude. I think it's spot on.

Doing what has to be done: Link (https://youtu.be/DUuz4sGU1eY?t=1m10s)

[AvatarVecna]

If you want your players to have a decent understanding of alignment, but you don't want to bore the pants off of them with endless walls of text, perhaps you could suggest that they look up alignment charts on google for the shows/movies/whatever that they like? Having a basic description of alignment (like from the Player's Handbook) and then comparing it to something familiar is good for getting a sense of the alignment. Plus, you don't run the risk of the things you use as references being something the player is unfamiliar with.

[Kelvarius]

None of those original videos make much sense...

The LG one is just...wrong. See what I did there? But seriously, although the explaining snippet did make it sound more LN in nature, the video alone seemed more CG to me. He's basically going vigilante justice on evildoers.

The CG one just flat out doesn't make any sense to me. The pirate is CG because he's hijacking a boat and threatening the passengers? Tom Hanks is CG because he's standing around looking baffled? What is CG here?

The LN one I can see what you're getting at, but only because I've seen the movie and only assuming you mean the character of the General and not everyone else for killing him, which your snippet implies by pointing it out to his death. For those that haven't seen The Rock, the basic plot is the General has some bio weapon missiles that can kill entire cities. He threatens to use it on Los Angeles if he doesn't get money. Then you see the results in that clip; he's not going to kill a city full of innocents, so he changes the coordinates and calls it off.

The TN one...do you mean Nic Cage because he's willing to sell guns to anyone? The guy he's selling to is clearly evil. Either way, Nic Cage would seem more CN to me.

The LE makes absolutely no sense to me. I assume because I haven't seen the movie.

The CE doesn't make any sense, either. I think Javier Bardem was going to kill the gas station guy if he didn't pick the right side?

But, all that said, since alignments are such a vague and murky concept, everyone's interpretations are different.

[Nettlekid]

Perhaps to narrow down a selection of clips that suit the alignments, we can suggest characters in fiction that we think best exemplify that alignment and then work from there? Although it may be difficult to narrow the alignments into a single snippet, since some can manifest in very different ways. I've heard it said that Superman and Mister Rogers are both LG, and their actions and attitudes are pretty dissimilar.

The best CN I can think of (and there are a few strong contenders) is Captain Jack Sparrow. He's what shows how Chaotic Neutral is distinct from Chaotic Stupid. He's not a random, for the lulz character - his plans have precisely calculated beginning and end points with a heap of unanticipated chaos in the middle that makes the entire plan look random until it's concluded. He has no qualms about siding with good or evil depending on the circumstances, and although he has absolutely no respect for the law he's more than willing to use it to his advantage, especially when dealing with someone he knows to be Lawful. That's Chaotic Neutral.

A good example of LN in my book is Javert from Les Miserables. A police officer who wants to see justice done, and follows the letter of the law. He doesn't care whether or not Jean Valjean is a good man, or reformed, or that the initial crime was petty and trivial. Because the law demands action, he follows it. He's not mindless, but he's not truthfully autonomous either. I think he's LN that thinks he's LG. Later on he finds himself betraying his principles by employing some more dishonest and generally chaotic means to his end, and when his quarry ends up defending him he falls into despair at having those black-and-white, right-and-wrong beliefs shaken.

[enderlord99]

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z57/Greenzangoose/lolignment.jpg

[Red Fel]

Also, let's call the overlord:

Red Fel
Red Fel
Red Fel

Yo.


This was linked here earlier as an example of Lawful Evil attitude. I think it's spot on.

Doing what has to be done: Link (https://youtu.be/DUuz4sGU1eY?t=1m10s)

This. I almost always use this illustration. LE walks a strange line between ethical obligation and moral depravity. Here, you see a deliberate act of murder of a helpless person - generally considered Evil under an arbitrary alignment system. But it's for the best of all possible reasons - loyalty, trust, the needs of the many, etc.

And good use of my favorite color.


Lawful Evil characters, as all Lawful characters, follow a code of conduct. They will do anything to get what they want, but they respect power of any sort, and show due respect to any figures of authority. Lawful Evil characters are usually prideful characters, who might use their authority to bring grief to the weaklings, but also might not do it at all.

A common example of a Lawful Evil character is a Mafioso. Mafiosi usually work in families - which they deeply care for, despite being evil. They will kill anyone obstructing their objectives, but might also help children and whatnot.

As you can see, Lawful Evil is not about just discriminating everything different; it's about strictly following ethics, with no regards to moral standards. They do whatever is socially accepted, but have no qualms about disposing of hindrances, as long as doing so is socially accepted(or they force it to be).

This. Consider this scene from The Godfather (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D_zITtVJGA). He meets with enemies and rivals, a man of his word, discussing crime and brutality as civilly as you please. Listen to some of the conversation - when another leader comments on how he doesn't want his men selling drugs. ("I don't want it in schools, I don't want it sold to children!") There are rules! There are principles!

Also, listen to Corleone's quiet threats about the survival of his other son. ("But I'm a superstitious man, and if some unlucky accident should befall him, if he should get shot in the head by a police officer, or if he should hang himself in his jail cell, or if he's struck by a bolt of lightning, then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room. And that, I do not forgive.") Yet in the same breath, he promises to keep the peace. ("But that aside, let me say that I swear...on the souls of my grandchildren...that I will not be the one to break the peace that we have made here today.")

That is LE. That is classy LE.

[Seppo87]

The only effective way to think of alignment is:
Good = nice person
Evil = jerk
Lawful = plays by rules
Chaotic = does not play by rules

Remove references about being calm and collected vs being impulsive ans hot headed.
Remove planning vs improvisation.
Leave these to mental scores.

Remove the "specific laws vs one's own code" conflict.
Lawful will like that rules that bind everyone exist and will fight to have a rule system IF that rule system is the best for everyone (nice person) or advantageous to him (jerk) or as fair as possible (neutral)
If it's not, that rule system CAN be fought with the intent of estabilishing another, better, system in its place.
Chaotic does not want rule systems because he wants freedom for everyone (nice person) or to be able to do bad things to others (jerk) or just does not want to be told what to do (neutral)
If a system achieves this, that system will not bother the chaotic individual. A chaotic individual will not fight the system for the sake of doing that unless the system gets in the way of the aforementioned goals.

Stay vague as much as possible. Never go in more detail than this.

Bam, all conflicts are solved.

[Thealtruistorc]

To me, Anton has always represented NE much more than chaotic evil. He sows destruction, sure, but isn't exactly working towards disorder. A chaotic evil character is one who pushes the limits of social order and actively owns the lunacy he causes. An intelligent CE character could rarely be viewed as having Anton's passivity.

Doing CE right means implementing a degree of awareness and determination, of knowing that what you are doing is messed up in some way and yet carrying it out anyway, either because you feel you have to or because your transgressions serve some sort of larger purpose to you or the world.

You want an example of CE done right? Observe this scene from City of God (I would warn about graphic violence, but anyone delving into Chaotic Evil should be prepared for that already):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RqlqTTHCVo

Ze is, going by the archetypes I brought up in the CE guide, a combination of the Behemoth and the Experimentalist. All his life he has seen nothing but suffering and injustice, and so has dedicated himself to become the deliverer of these things rather than the victim. He kills not just because it is advantageous to him, but also to prove that he can and to validate his grim worldview. If devastating the people around him is the only way to rise to the top, he will stop at nothing to brutalize any and everything that stands before him.

That, my friend, is the nature of Chaotic Evil. It spits in the face of all that we view as decent and kind, it actively fights to break down any illusion of cosmic goodness or order, it strikes fear into our hearts that maybe, just maybe, these men who renounce morality have some sort of point.

[GrayDeath]

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z57/Greenzangoose/lolignment.jpg

Do you maybe have that image in a resolution actually readable?

I like the Idea behind it, but my Sight is not that of Ant man. ^^



On the general Idea of the Thread: Good Idea, bad Examples.
use the (often used, I know) ledger Joker in just about any of his Scenes for CE, Giles Murder of Ben for LE, and go onf rom there.
Sadly I am too tired atm to search myself...

[Barbarian Horde]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rL1Jjp1dMY8/Sw3vRWrzweI/AAAAAAAAAxs/fMIxw0lZLo8/s1600/batman-alignment.jpg