Would anyone mind helping me figure out the proper RP alignment?

[Legacy_Disturbed_Whisper]

                I've been having trouble with this characters proper alignment for years, but I love to play him

Regarding law/chaos: He obeys the laws for the most part, more so when other people are around, not because he feels that he needs to obey them, but simply to keep himself out of trouble with the law. If he can find loopholes in the laws to get his way, he would gladly use them, or simply make sure no one notices him breaking said laws for self gain or the elimination of stupid people.

Regarding good/evil: He's a nice guy for the most part, helps people in need at times, more so the people considered to be close to him than others. Then there are the times he just gets fed up with some people & decide to introduce steel or fist to their face. Other times he could just care less what happens to people he doesn't consider close.

I've seem him as LG, NG, CG & CN, but I'm just not sure, so I ask for assistance.

Thank you.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pearls]

               TN/CN would be my guess
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Highv Priest]

               I oversimplify all the alignments by thinking of examples for each one:
chaotic good = vigilante(the guy who does what HE thinks is good regardless of what the law says).
neutral good = Town Sheriff(follows the rules and enforces them when it's necessary, helps others when they can)
lawful good = ZEALOT!(Rules MUST be followed at ALL times. Those who stray even the slightest are impure, heretics, or scoundrels! He represents that guy who points out McDonald accidentally gave someone an extra hamburger knowing full damn well they are going to throw it in the trash. It doesn't matter that it was pointless, the rule NEEDED to be followed.)
chaotic neutral = Your typical hero(He didn't want to be a part of all the drama associated with good/evil. He doesn't particularly feel strongly towards the good side or the evil side, but he does what he must according to the situation. If he feels the law is too strict he will fight the "good", if he sees someone trying to kill an innocent he will help, but he's not going to stop a pickpocket from robbing someone. This is really the most human alignment as it encompasses the majority.)
true neutral = Drifter(He doesn't care at all of either side. If a village of people are being slaughtered by orcs, he will just whistle and pass on through unless they provoke him, herbivorous animals for instance are true neutral, they don't attack unless provoked).
lawful neutral = Samurai(Follows a code either set forth by tradition or himself. His code is law, he may abstain from killing to instead knock out, he may not kill women but kills men or vice-versa)
chaotic evil = psycho(does whatever he wants and tramples over anyone weaker then him, if he sees a helpless girl/boy he'll rape them. If he can kill/steal from someone and get away with it he's going to do it)
neutral evil = Gang Member(does whatever they can get away with. They don't want to draw too much attention, but if they can steal some gold they'll go for it).
lawful evil = Corrupt Official(Uses the law to protect themselves and makes others do there dirty work because they view it as beneath them.)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <chiming in...>

Disturbed_Whisper wrote...
...Then there are the times he just gets fed up with some people & decide to introduce steel or fist to their face. Other times he could just care less what happens to people he doesn't consider close.
...

That suggests to me Chaotic Neutral. The impulsiveness is definitely chaotic. The rest of your description puts him pretty much middle of the road.

<...with a less-than-ringing opinion> 
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               I don't see Alignment necessarily as a determinant or indicator of personality.

I think of alignment in much the same way as Moorcock seems to in his Elric stories with beings of Chaos and Law etc.... Alignment in my view indicates which "team" your character is associated with.

How your character behaves can be decoupled from that.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par henesua, 01 janvier 2013 - 08:29 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

Rolo Kipp wrote...

<chiming in...>

Disturbed_Whisper wrote...
...Then there are the times he just gets fed up with some people & decide to introduce steel or fist to their face. Other times he could just care less what happens to people he doesn't consider close.
...

That suggests to me Chaotic Neutral. The impulsiveness is definitely chaotic. The rest of your description puts him pretty much middle of the road.

<...with a less-than-ringing opinion> 

I would call him neutral-good (chaotic). He basically sounds like he has a moral center that isn't always in line with what other view as morally correct - hence his capability to disregard laws that don't suit his personal code of ethics. This doesn't necessarily make him a bad person and certainly not the anti-social characteristics that tend to define chaotic neutrals (insanity as some might call it).

As far as getting fed up with people - that happens to the best of us. If its a fairly frequent occurence then it wouldn't be out of line to call him chaotic good.

When I was DM I always viewed alignment more as an inclination than anything concrete. Even Paladins were allowed to "lose it" now again - but they'd better be roleplaying a serious guilt-trip afterwards. What I did pay closer attention to was good vs. evil. Some actions you just can't justify no matter how hard you try.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Pstemarie, 01 janvier 2013 - 08:46 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               

Disturbed_Whisper wrote...
I've seem him as LG, NG, CG & CN, but I'm just not sure, so I ask for assistance.

Hmmm... both NG & CN seem reasonable to you, yet TN is not mentioned.

Most of your choices lean towards a good alignment except CN.  The L-C axis is always the most vague because players and builders alike have a real tough time developing logical, universally-accepted, action-dependent consequences.  It's more like "I guess what I just did influenced my alignment.  Imagine that!" I've yet to find a single PW that I agreed with whole-heartedly on their interpretation of cause-to-effect alignment influence.  Probably one reason that some steer away from that rat's nest completely.

I agree with a few other perspectives as to how they treat alignment.  To me, it is a club you join that you feel best fits your current mood, but like any club, they can't control the many diverse ways that your personality might be expressed, unless you intentionally want them to, that is.  It still comes down to accountability for your actions regardless of which club holds your membership card.  And they can easily tear up your membership card depending on which direction the wind blows. '> 

TN is the all-purpose, dunno-which-club-I-should-join, choice... the one that can most easily migrate towards other axis.  Whether you can design your toon to fit a well-considered alignment bias, well... that's an entirely different ball 'o wax.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WebShaman]

               He is definitely CN.  He basically does what he wishes, on a whim.  This is the deciding part in determining his alignment.

I see some major problems in what some are suggesting in this thread.  Note that we are not talking about "real life" here, but a game.

In the D&D Universe, alignment is real.  It is not a "philosophical construct", but an actual, real thing, existing in Nature.  And it has real consequences.

This character does what he wishes, regardless, whenever he so chooses, as the fancy strikes him.  Sometimes he follows Laws, social niceties, etc, sometimes he doesn't.  Sometimes he is nice, sometimes capricious.  

CN, to the core.  It is all about himself.