Character Alignments

The one-sentence "definition" that should be in italics.

This pattern is a still a stub.

Examples

The first Roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons, had Character Alignment as part of character definition. In it's first incarnation this was a choice between lawful, neutral, and chaotic, but this was in later version of the game expanded to nine options by adding a second dimension based on good, neutral, and evil. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, another Roleplaying game, uses the scale lawful-good-neutral-evil-chaotic. The fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons introduced as very similar scale -- lawful good-good-unaligned-evil-chaotic evil -- but returned to the 2-dimensional system in its fifth edition.

Wikipedia has a page related to Character Alignments.

Anti-Examples

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Using the pattern

Can Be Modulated By

Character Defining Actions

Diegetic Aspects

Deciding if Character Alignments refer to metaphysical properties that exist in the diegesis or if they are only social constructs can be relevant to games with Character Alignments. This since that in the former case breaking the rules of one's alignment can be the basis for Ability Losses due to being in the disfavor of a god, for example. The same can occur in the latter case but then needs to be tied to psychological explanations.

Narration Aspects

Besides helping players guide how they should roleplay, the explicitness of Character Alignments can help in the design of Social Dilemmas in a game which belong to Characters rather than player.

Consequences

Ability Losses Social Dilemmas

Social Gatekeeper Diegetic Social Maintenance Diegetic Social Norms Factions

Can Modulate

Characters, Player-Created Characters, Roleplaying,

Relations

Can Instantiate

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Can Modulate

Characters, Player-Created Characters, Roleplaying,

Can Be Instantiated By

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Can Be Modulated By

Character Defining Actions

Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

New pattern created in this wiki.

Acknowledgements

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