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>Long time lurker but making some noise due to a new set of<br>
>players asking complicated questions I never thought of before.<br>
<br>
Good to see new folks. Where you guys located?<br>
<br>
<br>
>I have trouble with the use of alignments for PCs. First, let<br>
>me try and explain what I think is what the rules say, then<br>
>post the questions arising from my understanding.<br>
<br>
>As far as I see it, PCs only have alignment when the roll a<br>
>certain special event (Fanatical Power, for instance) or if<br>
>they are non-human elves and faerry being elder (sidh)
and<br>
>dwarfs elder. Magic users do not have alignments but have<br>
>orientations, which are a less stringent form of alignment. A<br>
>PCs wizard with chaos orientation does not NEED to attack law<br>
>aligned forces on sight, a chaos aligned creature DOES attack<br>
>law forces on sight.<br>
<br>
Alignments aren't as strict as say in tha other game with Dungeons<br>
and those dragon things :). As Richard is fond of saying its
all<br>
up to the GM to decide and players to decide what they will and
will<br>
not use. I feel alignment is a gauge of how well a character
acts.<br>
Its a general rule of thumb as it were. Some GMs can handle
it<br>
strictly. Some loosely. I tend to be loose unless a Priest or<br>
super religious character is played.<br>
<br>
Also a factor is where does magic come from. Gods or the
ether. Some<br>
GMs playe both or either or or none. If you play by gods then
some<br>
characters should have some basic orientation to an alignment.<br>
<br>
I sorta like the Dark Side rules for Star Wars. A far
simplistic<br>
version but if you do things evil you turn to the dark side
quicker.<br>
So if you play a Law oriented person and kill innocent people your<br>
heart is starting to turn into a chaotic one. This system
allows<br>
a GM to gauge how players interact with others and the gods. A
Law<br>
wizard who kills innocents might find his spells failing a bit more<br>
a the gods disfavor him. That's one option to go.<br>
<br>
For 99% of the humans out there alignment means nothing. If
anything<br>
I'd say 70% are Balance. 15% purely Law and 15% purely chaos
(bad<br>
level of society). They will do their normal thing and not
wonder<br>
if it matters if alignments conflict or not.<br>
<br>
Alignment in pnp comes into play with magic more than anything.
The<br>
orientatios and teachings. The rules on restrictions of what
spells<br>
to cast/learn is a good system. So what happens if a Law
Wizard<br>
learned 4 chaos spells? Well maybe the Gods don't like it but
will<br>
tolerate it. Unless those chaos spells are used more than the<br>
Law ones?<br>
<br>
The basic wizard who walks in the street doesn't know the alignment<br>
of everyone. So the NEED to attack others is not there.
However,<br>
by choice and action one can determine usually alignments.<br>
<br>
Non-humans as Alex says go by Tradition. Though should a Elf<br>
become a wizard? I don't see any reason not. Might be
rare<br>
but I'm one of those old types that have seen Elf's in fantasy<br>
as spell casters more from magic learning than magic innate
ability.<br>
Faerry and Dwarf would tend to be traditional to their race and<br>
alignment. <br>
<br>
So it boils down to use alignment if you wish. A GM can
actually<br>
have fun with alignment if done right. <br>
<br>
>So, here come the questions:<br>
<br>
<br>
>1) Elves, faerry and dwarfs cannot be wizards because their<br>
>alignments would conflict with the orientation? Same with shamans,
then?<br>
<br>
The GM is always free to make special cases. I would tend to
allow<br>
Elf more freedom than the others though. Shamans who settle down
in<br>
a city could be able to double learn if they wish. I've never
had<br>
the cuase to actually think of it too seriously. Good question
though.<br>
<br>
<br>
>2) Once trained as a shaman, a PC cannot also be a wizard due
to<br>
>conflicting orientations?<br>
<br>
Up to Referee how he runs the game. Maybe a shaman leaves
barbarian<br>
lands and lives in a city for 20 years. There he becomes tame<br>
and civilized. Almost forgetting his ways. He befriends a
wizard<br>
who teaches him. So what? Then shaman returns to his people
when<br>
disaster strikes and now he knows both ways. Exception to
every<br>
rule is a excuse to do anything :) Generally though I'd have
to<br>
have good reason to do both if the player can persuade me.<br>
<br>
>3) What about the various priests I would assume their
orientation<br>
>should be like the deity they revere? But the rules seem to
only<br>
>mention alignment when on the subject of priests they
have<br>
>alignment NOT orientation are priests supposed to act
like<br>
>any creature with such an alignment? Can a priest also be a<br>
>wizard or shaman or sidh magician?<br>
<br>
Depends. Priests should be utter religious folks. So as such
their<br>
faith will demand only one training by the church doctrine. So
in<br>
that regard no. However, if they lose their faith (as some do)
or<br>
are thrown out of the church for disgrace maybe then maybe they<br>
could learn wizardy. But while working for the church they tend
to<br>
only be with the church strict doctrine. I don't think anyone<br>
but Faerry should truly be Sidh magicians. IMHO<br>
<br>
<br>
>4) Can dwarfs only be runemasters or is it possible to be (say)<br>
>shadowweavers?<br>
<br>
As alex says here. But what's to say a Dwarf is not enticed
by<br>
a Chaos wizard who knows Shadow Magic? The Dwarf follows that<br>
person fanatically. From that maybe the dwarf might learn a
few<br>
tricks. Course the Referee can balance this by lowering the<br>
effectiveness of the skills/spells. <br>
<br>
Alignments are only a guideline. A grunt fighter cares
nothing<br>
about alignment. A wizard, priest, shaman might however.<br>
Non-humans tend to be engrained with hatred of certain races<br>
and species so their alignment is more instinct than by choice.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<div>Longshot - ZC of AdventureNet International Echomail Network</div>
<div>Fringe BBS - EWOG II - 904-733-1721</div>
<div>Telegard / Allfix Beta Site</div>
<div>Website:
<a href="http://users.cybermax.net/~longshot" EUDORA=AUTOURL>http://users.cybermax.net/~longshot</a></div>
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