Alignment
Wherever in the world you go, people have always been looking for an objective standard of morality. Especially when a community is anchored by a collective faith, their faith in the absolute perfection and goodness of their worldview can reach the point of militancy – but even in a world with actual gods and divinities, the issue simply isn’t that easy. No amount of conviction in a certain worldview can or will make someone incapable of doing morally dubious or even repulsive acts – that’s a matter of circumstance and personal decisions.

As such, alignment does not follow any objective norms of good and evil – of course, followers of basically every alignment will quickly declare their worldview to be the only actual form of good in the world, but standards vary depending on where in the world you are and who you’re talking to. In the end, the only real way of measuring “alignment” is to base the idea in the general “average” norms and rules that apply in a middle-of-the-road settlement – most of these settlements are human villages, and as such this also tints the fundament of the alignment system.
A character’s alignment is a measure of where they stand on moral and ethical conundrums as compared to the “average” citizen of the world (and while the “average citizen” is a wholly theoretical concept, it’s nevertheless possible to get pretty close in practice). It’s measured along two axes – morality and ethics, with morality being opinions on law, structure and “the greater good” in society, while ethics is the concern for the safety, happiness and rights of the individual.

A True Neutral character is the “average” as compared to most off-the-street citizens, and as such likely has a very acceptable but noncommittal set of norms – that is, moral and ethical standpoints mostly focused around living one’s own life and not bothering everyone else too much. Some True Neutral characters might be rootless gamblers, nihilists or philosophically inclined drifters, but for far the most part, they’re the kind of person who would fit very well into an average village (and may very well have come straight out of one). Few adventurers are True Neutral, and the ones who are tend to be the ones who’ve been forced into it through a complete lack of other opportunities – someone who’s satisfied with a normal life and has nothing in particular to fight for is not likely to willingly risk their life fighting monsters when they could be back tending the fields or shoeing horses. True Neutral characters are often a bit noncommittal, and many of them tend to follow the general mood around them, as they have few heartfelt moral standpoints that they’re willing to act on – if an orc enters the village and asks in broken Melei to speak to the head cleric, a True Neutral character would likely leave the orc alone if no one else hassled them, but would also be likely to join the rest of the village with the torches and pitchforks if that was the mood. It’s not that True Neutral characters always obsessively try to keep to the middle road and smooth out any “imbalances” – they’re simply devoid of any strong moral convictions, and while a lot of them are good team players, there’s rarely much passion in them.
The central strength of the True Neutral alignment is that a character with it has the mindset needed to live a completely normal life, without letting their own moral and ethical convictions get in the way of common sense.
The central weakness of the True Neutral alignment is that a character with it doesn’t have any central moral compass, and can thus easily tend towards being spineless or a turncoat.

An Ethical Neutral character is often what most people would call a “do-gooder”. While they don’t have any strong viewpoints on the value of society or order, they do have a strong passion and empathy for other people and a desire to see other people be happy. This is generally an admirable mindset from the viewpoint of the average citizen, but what makes it Ethical and not Neutral is that the character goes a bit further than social norms normally dictate. An Ethical Neutral character has one main, central motivation in their philosophy, and that’s helping other people – many of them are more than willing to set themselves at odds with the town guard or organized society if they have to do it to help someone in need. It’s hard for most people to straight-out fault an Ethical Neutral character for their beliefs, but many ordinary citizens might think that they take it a little bit too far – Ethical Neutral characters have the happiness of the individual as their one overarching value in their worldview, and they tend to lose sight of other details in their pursuit of helping other people be happy. They’re not actively antagonistic towards the rules and norms of organized society, but they’re willing to flout them (often all too eager, in fact) as soon as it helps “the little man”.
The central strength of the Ethical Neutral alignment is the character’s focus on doing good and helping people, with no strings attached. People like this are rare and valued, and are often met with gratitude from those who they aid.
The central weakness of the Ethical Neutral alignment is the character’s fundamental susceptibility to pity and emotional appeal. They rarely see the big picture and are quickly swayed by pathos, and a lot of them are do-gooders to the level where it comes back to hurt them.

An Ethical Moral character is a do-gooder and more. These people have strong, and perhaps too strong, ideas on what constitutes “goodness”, and value both the individual’s pursuit of happiness and a strong set of norms and laws. While there’s very rarely anything bad to be said about the motivations of characters with this alignment, they’re almost always biting off more than they can chew. This is a very idealistic alignment – it hopes to balance the happiness of the individual with the benefit of society, and this is not something that’s easy to achieve. Characters with this alignment tend to be quick to become adventurers, trying very hard during training, and then hit a wall when they actually get into the field and have to face the realities of the world. While in some cases, it’s possible for them to get their goals and desires fulfilled through a lot of hard work and devotion, they can just as well be dashed by bad luck or a moment of incompetence. Ethical Moral characters are by definition idealists, wanting the best the world can provide and not being willing to accept compromise or consider the idea that a certain measure of unfairness or cruelty is unavoidable – and while this often makes them tough and tenacious on a moral level, it’s going to be hard for them to really become routine adventurers when they’re trying for the ultimate ideal instead of being willing to accept a compromise. Many of them, though not all, tend towards the soft-hearted and too empathetic – and the ones you really have to be afraid of are the ones who aren’t, as they’re usually more than willing to brand anyone as “evil” and cut them down if they’ve decided that they’re harming either individuals or society.
The central strength of the Ethical Moral alignment is the character’s resolve. People like this have bitten off more than they can chew, but they’re still chewing away – they’ve taken an almost impossible task upon themselves, but they’re still trying their best for a beautiful ideal.
The central weakness of the Ethical Moral alignment is the character’s naivety. While most people admire the resolve needed to take up the pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal, very few Ethical Moral characters actually understand how unrealistic the goal they’re gunning for is, and they can be hard to get to compromise or see reality.

A Neutral Moral character is a legalist at the core of it. They don’t particularly ascribe much importance to the happiness of the individual (though considering that alignments are based off general opinions, Neutral characters tend more towards Ethical or Moral in action when they have an equal choice), but value social norms and laws highly. Characters like this are rather rare in adventurers, of course save for when it comes to clerics and wizards – while clerics have a religious order to serve, and wizards are often just interested in getting practical experience (as well as Moral characters often finding themselves fascinated by the structure and codifications of magic), it’s not the kind of alignment that lends itself to a lifestyle that’s mostly characterized by stealing and killing. They’re often quick to join adventures when they’re commissioned by a legal authority or when they’re undertaken for the safety of a settlement, but it’s a rare Neutral Moral character who can find an excuse to go on a random plunder just to make a few silver pieces. They often fit better as merchants and guild trainers than actual adventurers, as many of them like to work as a part of a clear, hierarchical system and have a safe, legally enforced place where they belong.
The central strength of the Neutral Moral alignment is how clean-cut it is. Neutral Moral characters tend towards having good common sense and being hard to sway with pathos or pity, and they’re often good at keeping a cool head in the face of shocking emotional situations.
The central weak point of the Neutral Moral alignment is its legalism. A Neutral Moral character is extremely unlikely to break a law even when they have to, and most of them will only commit an illegal act if refraining to do so would endanger their own lives. If it’s written down in the law, it’s usually okay, but in all other cases they tend to be sticklers for propriety and “proper laws”.

An Unethical Moral character is a truly iron-clad legalist. They have the utmost, heartfelt respect for how things are “supposed to be”, and actively dislike the idea that every individual’s happiness is valuable and irreplaceable. They tend towards having an idea of the “greater good”, and if that means that people have to suffer to help society as a whole, then so be it. While they’re not common in adventuring parties, they’re often volunteers when they do join – many of them have a clear sense of what they think is right, and are willing to make sacrifices in order to serve a greater cause. The main issue many other adventurers have with Unethical Moral characters is that while they are often exemplarily self-sacrificing, seeing beauty in suffering for the good of all, they also almost invariably expect others to make the same sacrifices and can get hostile at the suggestion that others don’t want to serve the greater good. They’re a fantastic fit in the town guard, and opinions like this tend to get one employed by the King himself if one does well enough in practice, but it’s not an empathetic alignment and can often end up being regarded as cruel and utilitarian.
The central strength of the Unethical Moral alignment is that its followers often have a strong, unwavering conviction in the rightness of what they do. They’re willing to make great sacrifices for the good of others, no matter how much it hurts them.
The central weak point of the Unethical Moral alignment is its lack of care towards the human element. Characters of this alignment tend to see individuals as parts of a greater whole, and are often dismissive at best of individual people if they don’t actively work to make society a better, safer place for everyone.

An Unethical Neutral character is a utilitarian at the core. While they don’t actively disregard the strictures of society, they actively disdain the idea that the individual’s right to their own happiness is inviolable. It’s an alignment almost only seen in people who’ve been through a lot of conflict – mercenaries, seasoned adventurers, chronic pugilists and the like – as its core element is a disdain for other people’s happiness. Characters with this alignment tend towards a “survival of the fittest” worldview – while law applies if people can uphold it, it’s not an inalienable human right, and neither is happiness. The world isn’t a nice place in the worldview of people like this, and while they’re not always cruel, many people occasionally consider them so. Most Unethical Neutral characters want their pay and a place to sleep, and if they have to kill some defenseless merchant to receive payment from a gang of brutal criminals to get that money, they’ll almost always do it. Other adventurers tend to consider them unpleasant, which is a shame given how obvious a match this alignment is for adventuring – going out and taking what one needs, while sometimes even getting paid on top of it, is a dream come true for most Unethical Neutral characters.
The central strength of the Unethical Neutral alignment is its almost complete immunity to pathos and cajoling. At the core, it’s only the character themselves who matters, and while they don’t particularly hate the idea of getting in line and serving someone else, they sure dislike the idea of going out of their way for someone’s individual happiness if they have nothing to gain from it.
The central weak point of the Unethical Neutral alignment is how deeply unsympathetic it tends to be to most other people, even compared to the Unethical Immoral alignment (which can at times be sympathetic in a backwards way). It’s focused around the character themselves, and it’s not a pleasant feeling to know that the person watching your back might sell you out in an eyeblink.

An Unethical Immoral character can often be called “primal” for lack of a better word. They disdain both the needs of the individual and the need for an organized society, and tend towards the extremely cynical and sometimes even cruel. In their worldview, everything supporting other people needs to, for some reason or other, to be yanked out by the roots and burned – common reasons are “so people can make themselves strong on their own” or “so the silver-tongued can’t control those who should rightfully rule”. The alignment is characterized by a tendency towards vicious abandon and destruction simply for the sake of destroying things, and while it narrowly manages to be more sympathetic to the general public than the scheming selfishness of the Unethical Neutral alignment, it does so by a hair’s breadth. It fundamentally orbits around tearing down authority and established norms while not feeling that the individual has any right to happiness, and is often a bad fit for a long-term adventuring party but a great fit for a short-term one because of the sheer destructive potential in such a worldview. It’s often connected with barbaric people and orcs, and is not a common sight in civilized society.
The central strength of the Unethical Immoral alignment is that the character simply has very few roadblocks in their way. If someone’s in their way, they have the conviction needed to just strike them down and move on, and if they’re prevented from doing something legally, they’ll gladly do it illegally (and likely even prefer it). If they want something, they take it.
The central weak point of the Unethical Immoral alignment is its fundamental destructiveness. It orbits around hurting people and their support structures, and while most characters of the alignment have some sort of ultimate goal with it, very few people are going to listen to that reason, and even fewer are going to accept it. In most people’s worldview, they’re black-hearted villains.

An Ethical Immoral character is a rebel at the core. They care about the individual while actively seeking to tear down established norms, almost always because they feel that the latter is incompatible with the former. They have a drive to help people, even if that drive manifests in wanting to tear out their support structures and either building new ones or having people survive without them – and while not many people can criticize their goal of helping people, sometimes an active disdain towards law and established norms can turn into a simple destructive drive. They’re extremely common adventurers – the idea of pulling up their roots to go traveling across the land, slaying monsters and rescuing people, then moving straight on to the next settlement without having to worry about the laws and traditions there, is immensely appealing to almost all Ethical Immoral characters. They have no problems with stealing either for the most part, often considering the right to property something that should be determined by deed and need, and not by a set of laws nominating a specific person as the owner of something because of social norms, and considering that stealing is one of the central sources of money for adventurers, they’re a perfect fit. However, they also have a habit of giving adventurers as a whole a bad reputation, simply because they don’t respect the laws and norms of the places they pass through.
The central strength of the Ethical Immoral alignment is the character’s service to the idea of goodness without them being fettered by laws and norms. They want to do the right thing for people, and this means that they won’t be stopped by corrupt authorities, greedy guild officials or anything of the like. If they can’t get something done the legal way, they’ll gladly first try to circumvent the law and then break it down.
The central weak point of the Ethical Immoral alignment is its inherent heavy-handedness. While the character is trying to do good for people, there’s just no getting around the fact that they seek to do this by tearing down the foundations of people’s lives out of a belief that this will free them. Ethical Immoral characters are do-gooders, but the kind of do-gooders whose so-called beneficiaries are often furious at them after they leave.

A Neutral Immoral character is about as close as one can get to someone who just doesn’t care. Characters with this alignment are rather rare as adventurers (though it does happen), simply because the combination of active disrespect for norms and laws and a lack of commitment to ethical problems doesn’t usually result in people who’re motivated enough to risk their lives traveling through the wilderness in order to kill and plunder. If given the choice, by far the most Neutral Immoral characters would make a living through petty crime – while they disrespect society and its norms, they have no motivations or opinions when it comes to the individual happiness of people. While this very occasionally creates aggressive anti-establishmentarians who seek to tear down society simply because it exists, it’s rare that people are willing to go through with such drastic actions when they lack a central ethical conviction. Disproportionately many thieves are of this alignment, as it’s usually not too much of a stretch to go into adventuring when one already has the skills (and might very well be a pariah in one’s hometown as well as multiple other cities). While characters of this alignment do tend to care about other people, it isn’t the kind of care that drives them to do great things – but it is the kind of care that prevents most of them from being thrown out of their adventuring parties through the use of physical violence, as it’s usually the only thing keeping them from stealing everything they can from their groupmates and then going somewhere remote to live off it.
The central strength of the Neutral Immoral alignment is the freedom it affords. Characters with this alignment aren’t tied down by much, if anything at all, and are free to live a life in which they do whatever they need to and enjoy the fruits of their labor without having to feel guilty about their extravagance or motivated to seek out another job.
The central weak point of the Neutral Immoral alignment is simply that most characters with it tend to be lazy, plain and simple. Disproportionately many of them are petty thieves and layabouts, and very few of them have the motivation to do good or go out of the way for something that doesn’t ultimately benefit them in the long run.