Paths of Alignment

Values of Alignments and their Explanations:

Benevolence -

Preserving and enhancing the welfare of those with whom one is in frequent personal contact (the "in-group"). Associated single values are: being helpful, responsible, forgiving, honest loyal, and having mature love for others and true friendships.

Universalism -

Understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of all people and for nature. Associated single values are: advancing equality, being one with nature, having wisdom, filling the world with beauty, advancing social justice, being broad-minded, protecting the environment, and see the world at peace.

Conformity -

Restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses likely to upset or harm others and violate social expectations or norms. Associated single values are: being obedient, having self-discipline, being polite, honoring parents and elders.

Tradition -

Respect, commitment, and acceptance of the customs and ideas that traditional culture or religion provide the self. Associated single values are: respecting tradition, being devout, accepting one's own portion in life, being humble, and taking life in moderation.

Security -

Safety, harmony, and stability of society, of relationships, and of self. Associate single values are: ensuring national security, reciprocation of favors, ensuring family security, having a sense of belonging, preserving the social order, being healthy and clean.

Self-Direction -

Independent thought and action; choosing, creating, exploring. Associated single values are: freedom, creativity, independence,

choosing one's own goals, being curious, having self-respect.

Stimulation -

Excitement, novelty, and challenge in life. Associate single values are: having an exciting and varied life, being daring.

Hedonism -

Pleasure and sensuous gratification for oneself. Associated single values are: experiencing pleasure and enjoying life.

Power -

Social status and prestige, control or dominance over people and resources. Associate single values are: having social power, wealth, and authority, preserving one's own public image, and having social recognition.

Achievement -

Personal success through demonstrating competence according to social standards. Associated single values are: being ambitious, influential, capable, successful, intelligence, and having self-respect.

Value Compatibilities:

These ten motivations also show patterns of compatibility and conflict. The following compatibilities have been noted.

Power and Achievement - both emphasize social superiority and esteem.

Achievement and Hedonism - both are concerned with self-indulgence and self-centeredness.

Hedonism and Stimulation - both entail a desire for affectively pleasant arousal.

Stimulation and Self-Direction - both involve intrinsic motivation for mastery and openness for change.

Self-Direction and Universalism - both express reliance on one's own judgment and comfort with the diversity of existence.

Universalism and Benevolence - both are concerned with enhancement of others and transcendence of selfish interests.

Benevolence and Tradition/Conformity - both promote devotion to one's in-group.

Tradition and Conformity - both stress self-restraint and submission. These two are combined by Schwartz in later versions of the theory.

Tradition/Conformity and Security - both emphasize conservation of order and harmony in relations.

Security and Power - both stress avoiding or overcoming the threat of uncertainties by controlling relationships and resources

Values Conflicts:

The following conflicts occur.

Self-Direction and Stimulation versus Conformity, Tradition, and Security

- This dimension reflects a conflict between emphases on own independent thought and action and favoring change versus submissive self-restriction, preservation of traditional practices, and protection of stability.

Universalism and Benevolence versus Achievement and Power

- This dimension reflects a conflict between acceptance of others as equals and concern for their welfare versus pursuit of one's own relative success and dominance over others.

Alignment and its Relation to Intelligence

The problem of alignment is an old and complex one. If a player really wishes to use his character's alignment to guide him in play, he may find the paragraphs pertaining to alignment in the game rules to be too general and difficult to apply. The solution to this difficulty lies with the gaming group and DM, who have the authority to define specifically what is meant by each alignment in the context of the particular campaign.

There is another difficulty involved in using alignment in role-playing. A chaotic character may realize that acting on his own behalf would destroy the group and all its members. Is he playing out of character by going along with the others? A lawful character may feel compelled to obey a senseless command, a good character may have to kill to survive, and so on. Many players feel that there is often a conflict between "playing in alignment" and playing intelligently. This dilemma is not a real dilemma. It comes from considering the requirements of alignment too superficially and not integrating alignment with intelligence and wisdom to produce a consistent character. Intelligence dictates the degree to which a character's outlook (alignment) is rationalized.

An unintelligent chaotic merely resents being bossed around, whereas an intelligent chaotic consciously espouses some philosophy, such as anarchism or existentialism, that promotes the individual over the group. These two chaotics will act quite differently if given an order. The unintelligent chaotic will resent any order and will probably have to be physically coerced if what is asked of him is in any way difficult or dangerous. The intelligent chaotic, on the other hand, will readily obey any order that he considers to be logical and in his own best interest. He may resist authority that he believes to be in error, although he is open to persuasion if any one can convince him that he will ultimately benefit from obedience. He will never consider obedience beneficial as an end in itself, but as a means to personal advancement he will accept it. The following notes summarize how intelligence and alignment can affect a PC's personality:

Intelligence of 7 or less

The character's alignment is inarticulate and unrationalized. He cannot give reasons for his behavior, but he acts on his natural inclinations. A neutral character of low intelligence is easily swayed by circumstance and peer pressure. A chaotic character is contrary, while a lawful one is docile and obedient. A good character is naturally sympathetic and helpful toward anyone he meets, while an evil character dislikes everyone equally.

Intelligence of 8-11

This character has at least some rational justification for his alignment tendencies. A good character may quote the golden rule or appeal to the authority of the prevailing culture. An evil character may take a "do unto others before they do it to you" attitude. A lawful character will point to the stabilizing effects of order, while a chaotic one may condemn law as a first step to slavery. A neutral character will be motivated by a simple kind of relativism ("It takes all kinds."). Characters of average intelligence can be persuaded from their natural inclinations only with some difficulty, force or threat often being more effective than words.

Intelligence of 12-15

A character in this category belongs to some specific philosophical school or holds some specific religious doctrine. He will discuss his principles and attempt to apply them when an important decision arises. However, he usually has a number of uncertainties regarding the philosophy he holds and is readily persuaded to take the most sensible course of action when in doubt. A chaotic character would speak in terms of individual rights and freedom, but a lawful character would appeal to a principle such as the divine right of kings. A good character will seek the greatest good for the greatest number and will have some interest in the survival of good on the large scale, rather than just an inclination toward generosity. An evil character will see history as a pattern of force and will measure success by the injury done to opponents.

Intelligence of 16-17

A highly intelligent character will have a detailed personal philosophy, often of his own devising. His justifications for his actions will be well reasoned and distinctive. Much of his life's goal consists of the creative realization of his philosophy. Many such characters are quite subtle, seeking to achieve some grand design that is not obvious to others. However, some find an intellectual challenge in holding to a strict code of ethics at all times. A good character of this latter sort might go to great lengths to survive a battle without taking another's life or shedding blood.

Intelligence of 18 or above

Such a genius character is a philosopher with a detailed moral system of his own devising (or at least his own unique interpretation of an existing system). Most such characters will endeavor to become philosopher-kings, found religions, or establish places of learning from which to put forth their ideas. They are looked upon as spokesmen for their alignments.