D&D (2024) One D&d and alignment: new approach

[delericho]

I would be very surprised to see them get rid of alignment. IMO, they should.

 

[Baumi]

I do think there will be still alignment, but I bet that it will have even less impact thant it has with 5E (if that is even possible). But I am curious how they will handle it with monsters, where they made already changes especially with humanoids.

There are actually a few things missing from the first playtest. There are no personalities/flaws/.. from the backgrounds and no trinkets. Which might be just becaus it is only a playtest, but the Characters of the new Starter Set don't have those either.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I think there's more than enough things to debate, discuss, or argue about with OneD&D based on what we know or actually have some evidence to speculate based upon. We really have no evidence of what new plans, if any, they have for alignment for OneD&D.

Now if anyone has noticed a new alignment trend in other recently released 5e materials that might merit a discussion as to the future of it. But debating based on a completely unsourced rumor seems unusually silly, even for an alignment thread.

 

[Azzy]

I read some time ago a post (likely not here, but honestly i do not remember where it was!) where it was explained that with one d&d the alignment will be replaced by a new feature with a completely different mechanics (devotion iirc).

Sounds like something someone made up. There is no evidence for it.

 

[aco175]

Don't you think that alignment has never been fully deployed in the game for its potential? ...and now it appears that the got rid of... It is like having a Ferrari and use that car to go to buy milk and newspapers only (and then get back to home). After long time you use a Ferrari in this way you find it useless and you sell it...

Some might think it is like having a Ferrari but only get invited to go on hunting trips to the woods, so it becomes impractical. But, others might be able to use it so I feel something should be kept.

 

[payn]

I really enjoyed the mechanical heft of alignment in 3E/PF1, but I think it was poorly applied in materials and folks never saw its good potential. Instead they only saw its GM beatstick side, which to be fair, was ripe for abuse and fun killing. So damaging was it, that I dont think we will ever see alignment back in the game again. Though, it is a legacy item and will likely always just eat a page in the rulebook.

 

[delericho]

What I would like them to do is to essentially drop it down to the same status as Bonds, Ideals, Flaws, and Traits. That is, give players a box in which they can define a bunch of role-playing 'stuff' about their character (that may or may not actually mean anything).

One of the fun things about that is that, rather than just writing the standard two words and leave it at that, players can define what the stated alignment means to that individual character - which could bear no relationship at all to what those words actually mean.

Of course, one of the small problems with that is that the BIFTs appear to be going with the revision...

 

[payn]

Of course, one of the small problems with that is that the BIFTs appear to be going with the revision...

BIFTs was so poorly thought out and implemented. I mean, its essentially a different paragraph, with 4 not necessarily related items, for each character that folks are supposed to some how remember. Alignment at least had definitions and a general application which allowed for a myriad of personalities and character types. BIFTs, when folks bothered to use it, just reduced characters to sit com class levels of caricaturization. A revision is the least of its needs.

 

[delericho]

BIFTs was so poorly thought out and implemented. I mean, its essentially a different paragraph, with 4 not necessarily related items, for each character that folks are supposed to some how remember.

After our first campaign (in which we never once remembered Inspiration), we dropped any mechanical impact of BIFTs. They became an entirely opt-in item for the players to use, or not, if it helped them remember their character. It was somewhat useful in that regard.

(They were actually a bit more useful still on those occasions when I gave out pregen characters, for whatever reason. Even then the players could use them or ignore them, but they at least gave a starting point.)

 

[payn]

(They were actually a bit more useful still on those occasions when I gave out pregen characters, for whatever reason. Even then the players could use them or ignore them, but they at least gave a starting point.)

I can see that. Folks tend to look for aids in one shots, board games, whatever pre-gens they have. They dont seem to mind playing a prescribed role if its for a limited time. Can be a fun exercise in getting out of your comfort zone or working on general role play skills.