I've recently created a mob boss dwarf. What I'm having some trouble with is the alignment.
Ok, so this guy's moral compass is all kinds of ****ed up, so I think it's pretty clear that he's evil. The thing is: is he Chaotic Evil because his organization wants to have nothing to do with the laws that the government imposes or is he Lawful Evil because of his belief in a chain of comand/hierarchy and focus on maintaining order in his mafia family?
I'd say lawful. He follows a rigid hierarchical structure and order - it's just not one the government endorses. Chaotic would be more "I'm gonna off this guy for the lolz."
Lawful in my mind. A chaotic one is more of a street gang of might makes right. A Mafioso have family rules and codes they follow, just not the ruling government.
The term "lawful" can be misleading. Some players interpret it to mean that the character obeys the law, but really it just means that the character has a strict personal code that they adhere to. Mafia bosses tend to lean more toward the lawful side, since they need to organize and control large groups. Individual enforcers might lean more toward chaotic, since they might not be as interested in the group as a whole so much as their own personal desires.
The way I think about Lawful vs. Neutral vs. Chaotic is that Lawful folk like structure even when there isn't any and will try to create one or follow somebody else's as long as it doesn't go against their core value system about violence, property, honesty/dishonesty, and who matters to them while Chaotic people prefer spontaneity and freedom. They are happy without social structures and institutions and will often try to flout laws and codes if they exist, even when it's clear that doing so could inconvenience themselves or others (if they tend towards Good or Neutral). The Neutral people vacillate between these extremes, mostly focusing on whatever is most socially acceptable while being convenient to themselves. If their peers obey the authority, then so will they, at least in public. If their peers subvert or rebel, so will they if they see gain from it that doesn't otherwise go too far against their core values.
In practice, it's easier to look at how organized a person is, how far ahead they plan and how often they stick to their plans to determine if they are lawful or chaotic.
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Hello, guys and girls
I've recently created a mob boss dwarf. What I'm having some trouble with is the alignment.
Ok, so this guy's moral compass is all kinds of ****ed up, so I think it's pretty clear that he's evil. The thing is: is he Chaotic Evil because his organization wants to have nothing to do with the laws that the government imposes or is he Lawful Evil because of his belief in a chain of comand/hierarchy and focus on maintaining order in his mafia family?
Alignment can get fuzzy pretty quickly. Maybe neutral evil?
I'd say lawful. He follows a rigid hierarchical structure and order - it's just not one the government endorses. Chaotic would be more "I'm gonna off this guy for the lolz."
Lawful in my mind. A chaotic one is more of a street gang of might makes right. A Mafioso have family rules and codes they follow, just not the ruling government.
Id go with Lawful Evil, for the same reasons as stated above.
The term "lawful" can be misleading. Some players interpret it to mean that the character obeys the law, but really it just means that the character has a strict personal code that they adhere to. Mafia bosses tend to lean more toward the lawful side, since they need to organize and control large groups. Individual enforcers might lean more toward chaotic, since they might not be as interested in the group as a whole so much as their own personal desires.
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I just want to clarify that lawful alignment is someone who follows a set of rules, not necessarily someone who sets the rules.
The boss's second in command (etc) would be lawful, but the boss doesn't have to be.
Like I said before alignment is fuzzy.
Want to fight the establishment? Chaotic.
Want to create an organization? Lawful.
Want to create an organization that fights the establishment? ???
And organizations of chaotic evil creatures exist, so rules/structure do not automatically mean lawful.
The way I think about Lawful vs. Neutral vs. Chaotic is that Lawful folk like structure even when there isn't any and will try to create one or follow somebody else's as long as it doesn't go against their core value system about violence, property, honesty/dishonesty, and who matters to them while Chaotic people prefer spontaneity and freedom. They are happy without social structures and institutions and will often try to flout laws and codes if they exist, even when it's clear that doing so could inconvenience themselves or others (if they tend towards Good or Neutral). The Neutral people vacillate between these extremes, mostly focusing on whatever is most socially acceptable while being convenient to themselves. If their peers obey the authority, then so will they, at least in public. If their peers subvert or rebel, so will they if they see gain from it that doesn't otherwise go too far against their core values.
In practice, it's easier to look at how organized a person is, how far ahead they plan and how often they stick to their plans to determine if they are lawful or chaotic.