Alright, so in the monster manual Drow are listed as Neutral Evil, but I think it is safe to say that we have all heard of D&D's resident spokesperson Drizzt Do'Urden. He is an example of a mortal unshackling themselves from their racial ties, but what about other creatures. I've heard some stories about metallic dragons stealing chromatic eggs and raising them to be good and that seems noteworthy to me. More noteworthy though, is something I just recently found reading the Planescape book Faces of Evil the Fiends. On page 33 there is a section on the "Risen Devils", devils which rebel against their evil home to fight for good; furthermore, devils were originally angels sent down to fight demons. So these alignment shifts are far from unprecedented. Ultimately I guess my question is where do any of these creatures get their alignments from. Is a Drow born evil or does society make it that way? What about a Dragon? What about a Celestial/Fiend? What about a god? All opinions are welcome. I'm hoping to generate a discussion.
It is my believe that the answer is in the middle. One's alignment is the combination of some inherited predispositions and the influence of the environment.
Well, there's a reason Drizzt was so unique or why an evil Gold dragon or a Good Balor would be so spectacular. They are basically raised in a culture, that despite any kind of varied upbringing, is basically forced into them. A devil grows up in hell, even if it isn't inherently evil, chances are it won't survive in its environment unless it does evil things.
In these environments it's not entirely a nature vs nurture thing (especially with evil races becoming good). If you don't conform, you might not survive. And, even if you strive to become an outcast in your culture, who is going to believe you outside of that culture anyway? Hell, I'm sure even Drizzt still gets hard looks, and he's a man of notable character.
Now, good races becoming evil is much easier to believe, because we've all seen it in entertainment. The good being is influenced by a neutral or evil party into doing a selfish act, the desire for revenge makes the otherwise noble character do something that they wouldn't normally do, etc...
Remember also, the entire theory behind alignment is fluid. Just because you are inherently good, doesn't mean you can't do something bad and still retain your belief in goodness. Torturing a henchman to find out where the villain is keeping their prisoner is an act of evil, but for a good cause.
“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Alright, so in the monster manual Drow are listed as Neutral Evil, but I think it is safe to say that we have all heard of D&D's resident spokesperson Drizzt Do'Urden. He is an example of a mortal unshackling themselves from their racial ties, but what about other creatures. I've heard some stories about metallic dragons stealing chromatic eggs and raising them to be good and that seems noteworthy to me. More noteworthy though, is something I just recently found reading the Planescape book Faces of Evil the Fiends. On page 33 there is a section on the "Risen Devils", devils which rebel against their evil home to fight for good; furthermore, devils were originally angels sent down to fight demons. So these alignment shifts are far from unprecedented. Ultimately I guess my question is where do any of these creatures get their alignments from. Is a Drow born evil or does society make it that way? What about a Dragon? What about a Celestial/Fiend? What about a god? All opinions are welcome. I'm hoping to generate a discussion.
I guess you are asking an answer to the eternal question between Nature and Nurture:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_versus_nurture
It is my believe that the answer is in the middle. One's alignment is the combination of some inherited predispositions and the influence of the environment.
Well, there's a reason Drizzt was so unique or why an evil Gold dragon or a Good Balor would be so spectacular. They are basically raised in a culture, that despite any kind of varied upbringing, is basically forced into them. A devil grows up in hell, even if it isn't inherently evil, chances are it won't survive in its environment unless it does evil things.
In these environments it's not entirely a nature vs nurture thing (especially with evil races becoming good). If you don't conform, you might not survive. And, even if you strive to become an outcast in your culture, who is going to believe you outside of that culture anyway? Hell, I'm sure even Drizzt still gets hard looks, and he's a man of notable character.
Now, good races becoming evil is much easier to believe, because we've all seen it in entertainment. The good being is influenced by a neutral or evil party into doing a selfish act, the desire for revenge makes the otherwise noble character do something that they wouldn't normally do, etc...
Remember also, the entire theory behind alignment is fluid. Just because you are inherently good, doesn't mean you can't do something bad and still retain your belief in goodness. Torturing a henchman to find out where the villain is keeping their prisoner is an act of evil, but for a good cause.
Click Here to Download my Lancer Class w/ Dragoon and Legionnaire Archetypes via DM's Guild - Pay What You Want
Click Here to Download the Mind Flayer: Thoon Hulk converted from 4e via DM's Guild
“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.