Does depression have any bearing on alignment?

[Zhentarim]

Is there such a thing as a very depressed Lawful Good or Lawful Evil or Chaotic Evil or Chaotic Good? How would depression show up in stats? A wisdom hit?

[Echch]

Is there such a thing as a very depressed Lawful Good or Lawful Evil or Chaotic Evil or Chaotic Good? How would depression show up in stats? A wisdom hit?

It probably wouldn't affect anything at all and purely be a RP thing.

[Crake]

If you had to make it a mechanical thing, I would imagine a wis and cha hit, as you become more withdrawn and uncaring of the world around you.

[Darth Ultron]

It should not effect alignment all that much.....mechanically like all rolls take a -4 morale penalty.

[Inevitability]

I guess if someone becomes apathetic, they can shift slightly towards TN. That's by no means a hard rule, though.

Going to support those saying no mechanical changes are needed.

[BWR]

It depends on how severe the depression. If it gets to the point where there is radical change in behavior and outlook from what the character had before, then I can definitely see some mechanical consequences. E.g. a paladin who has lost hope and can't work up the energy to do good will soon lose her powers and probably LG alignment. A BBEG who can't see the point in being evil anymore and stops doing much of anything is less evil now and over time may be N.

[Zhentarim]

It depends on how severe the depression. If it gets to the point where there is radical change in behavior and outlook from what the character had before, then I can definitely see some mechanical consequences. E.g. a paladin who has lost hope and can't work up the energy to do good will soon lose her powers and probably LG alignment. A BBEG who can't see the point in being evil anymore and stops doing much of anything is less evil now and over time may be N.

Kinda what I was expecting.

[cobaltstarfire]

I don't think depression should necessarily change alignment. Becoming apathetic doesn't have to change ones outlook or even their actions.

Mechanically speaking someone with serious depression will probably take a con hit more than anything else. On top of that If something causes the depression to flare up really bad one may suddenly feel exhausted and on the edge of passing out even if just seconds before they felt alert and strong. Abilities that would require rest (such as casting) may not work properly or at all because of how depression can negatively effects the ability to become rested.

Whether they take a Cha hit or not really depends on the individual. Someone can be severely depressed and still appear outwardly productive and generally happy to their peers.

Finally depression is known to cause a form of brain damage (non-permanent) where there is diminished activity in certain parts of the brain, think of it as like the neurons wilting I guess. This is what often causes the circular or self fulfilling negative reasoning depressed folks can become trapped in. Though I'm not really sure if that should cause a noticeable drop in wisdom or int at all. Probably no more than by 1 or 2 points.

[Zhentarim]

I don't think depression should necessarily change alignment. Becoming apathetic doesn't have to change ones outlook or even their actions.

Mechanically speaking someone with serious depression will probably take a con hit more than anything else. On top of that If something causes the depression to flare up really bad one may suddenly feel exhausted and on the edge of passing out even if just seconds before they felt alert and strong. Abilities that would require rest (such as casting) may not work properly or at all because of how depression can negatively effects the ability to become rested.

Whether they take a Cha hit or not really depends on the individual. Someone can be severely depressed and still appear outwardly productive and generally happy to their peers.

Finally depression is known to cause a form of brain damage (non-permanent) where there is diminished activity in certain parts of the brain, think of it as like the neurons wilting I guess. This is what often causes the circular or self fulfilling negative reasoning depressed folks can become trapped in. Though I'm not really sure if that should cause a noticeable drop in wisdom or int at all. Probably no more than by 1 or 2 points.
I deal with that, and while I still do well with school work and debates in debate club, I am VERY imperceptive of my surroundings, overlook details, and misplace things all the time to the point everybody brings up how undependable I am. I've always been something of a people pleaser, so that is hurtful.

[Troacctid]

Depression would be represented with penalties to stuff. It would have no effect on alignment.

[Coidzor]

Depression and mental illness can lead to behaviors and beliefs that cause alignment change, certainly.

[ericgrau]

It's more of a condition than a stat. If anything you can assign some penalties. Beyond that, yeah, it's however the player role plays it.

[Troacctid]

I mean, by RAW, it can cause an alignment change if it infects a stray wisp of incarnum that latches onto you and transforms you into a Lost. But I don't think that's a very common occurrence.

[KillianHawkeye]

The problem is that depression, like most mental illnesses, affects different people in different ways. And frequently, the effects will be changing frequently as people have good days and bad days in dealing with the condition. In my opinion, mental illnesses are too complex to model in D&D with any degree of accuracy without becoming way more trouble than it's worth.

As for the question about alignment specifically, I don't think it should change unless the depression: 1) causes changes in behavior that are relevant to a person's alignment (most changes won't be), 2) maintains the changes in behavior in a mostly consistent manner (seems unlikely), and 3) lasts a long enough time for the effects on a person's alignment to accrue enough for a real change. The third clause is the most likely because depression can last for years and is difficult to recover from, but I don't see the first two situations happening in most cases. And even if all that did happen, as somebody else already mentioned, the most likely direction for alignment change is towards True Neutral.

All that being said, for a game like D&D it's much easier for there to be some kind of curse or other magical effect that is much more specific and easier to model if you want to have characters whose personalities have undergone a drastic and long-term change.

[Bohandas]

I guess if someone becomes apathetic, they can shift slightly towards TN. That's by no means a hard rule, though.

Going to support those saying no mechanical changes are needed.

This seems like a valid line of reasoning