Alignment & Spell Casting

                I use alignment to power SPELL selection
therefore, alignment has real meaning and game application.
...You can cast a spell repeatedly provided you don't exceed level based limits for SPELLS ALLOWED PER DAY if any only if your alignment is congruent with the magic school.

        Lawful creatures are reliable and dependable.  They respect authority and tradition. Lawful characters can be counted on to follow rules and leaders, even when leadership or regulations appear to be inconsistent or erroneous.   Lawful civilizations often have a hereditary monarchy whom are limited by feudalism  and/ or codified law.  The vast majority of property is passed to the oldest son; thereby, insuring the wealth and integrity of familial estates.

            Divine spheres or magical schools that are considered Lawful (L) are abjuration, alchemy, earth, justice, protection, runes, and strength.

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CHAOTIC individuals avoid details, platitudes and commitment.  Some may view them as reckless and undependable; however, they tend to be tolerant and accepting of others. They place a great value on liberty and choice. Chaotic societies tend to be organized by clans or tribes with property being inherited by the strongest progeny or the bulk of the estate is buried with the decedent.

            Divine spheres or magical schools that are considered Chaotic (C) are air, charm, enchantment, illusion, liberation, luck, trickery and wind/ zephyr.

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            NEUTRAL creatures value their families and personal security over cosmic or moral issues.  They will only take a risk if the gains are large or if their family or homes are threatened.  Neutral civilizations tend to be ruled by elected officials or guilds.  Property is inherited thru adherence to a written will.

            There are no ‘neutral’ magical spheres, but Nature has her own adherents (plants, animals, weather). Any caster may use general or unassigned spheres ( - ) of magic such as conjuration, evocation, fire, knowledge, transmutation, travel, war and wish.

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      GOOD creatures revere truth, beauty, charity, chastity, sobriety and the property rights of the weak. Good PCs will pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to defeat tyranny.

          Divine spheres or magical schools that are considered Good (G) or white magic are divination, creation, healing, honor, nobility, sun and water  .

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EVIL creatures do not respect the life, liberty or the property rights of others. They are motivated by personal gain and a sense of entitlement.  They take, kill or deceive without remorse and follow leaders because of ambition, fear or greed, not adoration. 

            Divine spheres or magical schools that are considered evil or black magic are curses, darkness, death, destruction, disease and necromancy.

 

      Players may choose any alignment they want and need not reveal it to others.  There are some magical items that can only be used by one alignment of characters.       If the Dungeon Master feels that a character has begun to behave in a manner inconsistent with his declared alignment he may rule that he has changed alignment and penalize the character with a loss of one level. 

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No cleric, priest, agent or mage can know or learn spells that are of opposite alignment than their own;

lawful mages cannot cast charm or illusions.   And 

 good priests may cast cure wounds multiple  provided they don’t exceed their level based limits or spells allowed per day.

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             Evil people seldo declare their motivations.    Evil NPCs will attend charity events, political rallies and worship services alongside decent and loyal villagers. Many evil people actually have little insight into their true nature, hiding behind half-truths and excuses, insisting that the problem lies in other people’s misinterpretation of their behavior.  Part of being an effective conman, charlatan, politician, blogger troll or trial lawyer is to actually deceive yourself into believing that the product, cure, cause or argument that you champion is just or righteous.  

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Evil people depend upon duplicity and deceit to further their selfish and malicious goals.  The wiser and more powerful the being, the more established and influential their social ties; therefore, even if the truth is openly declared, it will often be ignored, distorted, mocked or violently denounced as slander. Although know alignment spell is personally edifying to the caster, it will seldom convince others that an influential NPC is a crook, liar, undead or worse. 

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                Real people (your friends, family and neighbors) are often more complex than fantasy characters. Discretion and tact dictates it is best to avoid using fantasy game mechanics to categorize individuals or political parties as good or evil & lawful or chaotic. Real people tend to have diverse motivations and do not readily settle on Table 4.1 that was liberated from the blog of Roger the GS on 29 Sep 2010.