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

[Charlaquin]

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.

I do think a few words (no more than a sentence) each would have been better. Also I think it should be up to the players to decide when they have acted in accordance with a trait rather than the DM.

 

[payn]

I do think a few words (no more than a sentence) each would have been better. Also I think it should be up to the players to decide when they have acted in accordance with a trait rather than the DM.

I would rather actual mechanics be tied to this. You can activate them with inspiration points. For example, being charismatic and getting advantage in a social situation, or being highly perceptive and getting advantage to search for traps and hidden stuff during exploration. Whatever they can do to put mechanics on tangible game items and away from actual general role playing. I'd prefer that to be unsullied by rules if possible.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

It will be interesting to see any changes they come up with. For me, one of the core things that make D&D D&D is the possibility for philosophical concepts such as evil taking anthropomorphic shape in the physical world, for example as a demon. Hopefully they keep that, even if they change alignment as such.

 

[Stalker0]

I think 4e's approach was my favorite. The vast majority of creatures were "unaligned", meaning that you just did your own thing, and alignment was not a major aspect of your character.

Then you had characters that were actually aligned, which represented a major part of your character, and had some mechanical impacts.

I feel like 5e basically adopted this, just not obviously. Alignments exist but they have very little mention both for flavor or mechanics. So its there for people to use, but it doesn't have any strong integration in the system.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think 4e's approach was my favorite. The vast majority of creatures were "unaligned", meaning that you just did your own thing, and alignment was not a major aspect of your character.

Then you had characters that were actually aligned, which represented a major part of your character, and had some mechanical impacts.

I feel like 5e basically adopted this, just not obviously. Alignments exist but they have very little mention both for flavor or mechanics. So its there for people to use, but it doesn't have any strong integration in the system.

Seems like the opposite: from most people have no alignment but for those that do have one it really matters, to everyone has an alignment but it basically never matters.

 

[Composer99]

Alignment likely still has a role to play (har!) in D&D, since both the Ardlings and Tieflings refer to Outer Planes of particular alignments.

To what extent it will be even akin to alignment's vestigial status in 2014 5e remains to be seen.

Edit to add: At any rate, barring any changes in forthcoming playtest documents, the fact of this reference means that any suggestion that One D&D will do away with alignment is false as of this writing.

 

[Lanefan]

I would rather actual mechanics be tied to this. You can activate them with inspiration points.

Except that means you have to keep inspiration, a purely meta-mechanic that IMO has no place in D&D.

 

[payn]

Except that means you have to keep inspiration, a purely meta-mechanic that IMO has no place in D&D.

Not a surprise based on your playstyle, but the times-are-a-changin.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I'm fine with alignment vanishing for players and 'normal' creatures.

I'd like it to stay for the outer planes and their denizens though. It's such a huge part of DnD worldbuilding.

 

[Marandahir]

Seems like the opposite: from most people have no alignment but for those that do have one it really matters, to everyone has an alignment but it basically never matters.

Those seems like two sides of the same coin to me.

When it matters, It really matters. I think it’ll matter a lot next year with Planescape. Meanwhile, I’m here off in Wildspace avoiding killer clowns and buying junk from not-quite-so-LE Illithids…