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Okay, so I'm a newbie to the Hero system. I am currently writing my ideal RPG for a PC, which will (hopefully) be eventually ported to a console (probably XBox 360 but that remains to be determined). For the past 2 years or so, I had been using the d20 system. However, I only recently (about 2 weeks ago) discovered the Hero system at a local games store. As I'm sure most people on these forums will agree, the Hero system is far superior to d20 and is EXACTLY what I was looking for with which to write my game. So I converted. But I have some issues...

 

I very much like the idea of Alignment in the d20 system. I like the idea of good, evil, law and chaos as determining factors in the universe. Also, certain characters must be of a certain alignment. For example, Paladins must be Lawful Good; if they ever do anything to change their alignment -- even if it's "only" to Neutral Good -- they "fall" from their Paladin status and become a Fighter. Similarly, Druids must be Neutral. I like that and want to reflect it in my game. But unless I completely overlooked it, Hero doesn't (inherently) support alignments. (If it does, please let me know where I can find this information.)

 

So... does anyone have any good ideas as to how to do this with Hero? I was thinking of using a simple 1-100 scale (or similar) for each Alignment axis but am open to other ideas.

 

Thanks!

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Silly rabbit, alignments are for mechanics

 

Welcome to Hero. Alignment is only one of many conventions Hero did not bring along. You are not overlooking it. It simply is not needed in Hero.

 

I am sure there will be plenty of responses telling why you should simply discard the concept. I am also a member of that camp. However, you specifically asked how to include it in Hero, so I shall endeavor to offer you suggestions to that end.

 

Disadvantages can go a long way to re-create the concept. Specifically Physical Limitation, Psychological Limitation and maybe even Hunted if you want to include 'retribution' from the gods.

 

You could probably bring them over as is from The Game Which Shall Not Be Named and attached Advantages and Limitations to abilities which require someone to be of a certain alignment to use.

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

This probably won't end well (responses to my comment below that is), but..

 

Why must Paladins be the 'ol LG? Don't other, non-LG, gods have holy warriors working for them?

 

Kudo's for making a PC game BTW and the HERO system is ideal for this particularly since it squares exactly with my own game design philosophy.

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

Why must Paladins be the 'ol LG? Don't other, non-LG, gods have holy warriors working for them?

 

I'm in this camp. Paladins (IMO) are religious "special forces" and can be of any "alignment," not just "Lawful Good." So there is no such thing as an Anti-Paladin, just one who is a demon-worshipper.

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

I'm in this camp. Paladins (IMO) are religious "special forces" and can be of any "alignment' date='" not just "Lawful Good." So there is no such thing as an Anti-Paladin, just one who is a demon-worshipper.[/quote']

 

Who is to say a LG God's paladin can not be corrupt? Or even worse, so single-minded that they see the world as black and white. Non-believers must be purged from the world! Can you say, 'Militant Islam', boys and girls?

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

Actually, I agree with others that characters should never be required to be of a certain alignment. I have no problem with Evil Paladins or Good Druids. But alignment will play a major role in my game.

 

Most RPGs limit a character's alignment to "good"; even games that espouse evil characters almost always severely limit those characters' actions and abilities and end up rewarding only those characters who obey the law. In my game, your alignment will definitely carry consequences. For example, evil characters entering most towns will almost certainly be persecuted or at least heavily monitored. Likewise, good characters encroaching into "evil" lands will be particularly sought after by their residents.

 

In my game, if you really want to be evil, you can be. You want to murder children? Go for it! Just beware that officers of the law (and possibly Heaven) will be on your trail!

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

Actually, I agree with others that characters should never be required to be of a certain alignment. I have no problem with Evil Paladins or Good Druids. But alignment will play a major role in my game.

 

Most RPGs limit a character's alignment to "good"; even games that espouse evil characters almost always severely limit those characters' actions and abilities and end up rewarding only those characters who obey the law. In my game, your alignment will definitely carry consequences. For example, evil characters entering most towns will almost certainly be persecuted or at least heavily monitored. Likewise, good characters encroaching into "evil" lands will be particularly sought after by their residents.

 

In my game, if you really want to be evil, you can be. You want to murder children? Go for it! Just beware that officers of the law (and possibly Heaven) will be on your trail!

 

Or even other PC's I imagine.

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

In my game' date=' your alignment will definitely carry consequences. For example, evil characters entering most towns will almost certainly be persecuted or at least heavily monitored. Likewise, good characters encroaching into "evil" lands will be particularly sought after by their residents.[/quote']

 

What about people of Neutral alignment?

 

Actually, this is starting to sound more like a Social Limitation. As in, how people react has less to do with your actions and more with what brand of alignment you wear.

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

What about people of Neutral alignment?

 

Actually, this is starting to sound more like a Social Limitation. As in, how people react has less to do with your actions and more with what brand of alignment you wear.

 

But how do they know? Is it like a Yakuza lapel pin?

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

Remember the old days of alignment languages? I am still confounded how every person of a certain outlook could communicate each other regardless of race/culture and it was just inuitively learned when you were born and had the "letters of fire" stamped on your forehead.

 

Kind of like the Masons, I imagine.

 

If we want to get all nostalgic, remember when your Race was your Class?

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

If you really want to make sure that your characters follow a certain mindset if they want to lean toward one set of powers or another, you could work up a package deal which suggests the powers, skills and talents they might have, as well as the particular PsychLims and SocLims they'd have to take. I strongly suggested to my players that the Knight character took PsychLim: Honor Code, and I plugged in his SocLim: Subject to Orders and let him determine how strongly he stood by that and how often he wanted it coming up.

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

But how do they know? Is it like a Yakuza lapel pin?

 

More like being a mutant, at least in the case of D&D. There are people and things that can detect it.

 

As far as Hero system goes, one simple approach, and the approach which is is in fact already used to some extent, is to make alignment a special effect. If you are Holy aligned, then your magic is going to have a Holy special effect. Things that are vulnerable to Holy attacks are going to get the smackdown. NNDs and other attacks that are specifically aimed at those who are not Unholy are going to hurt you. Detects that are aimed at Holiness will ping you. But people who have no or neutral (if such exists) supernatural connections? No alignment. Of course Detect Unholy will also ping on you if you happen to be carrying something with a Unholy enchantment on it, or even if you yourself are under an Unholy spell, so it's not as simple as seeing if someone pings as Unholy and then whacking them, if you are not an irresponsible fanatic.

 

Of course a bipolar approach may or may not suit your purposes. It was good enough for Norton, Moorcock and Lewis, but it isn't for everyone. I kind of like the Master of Magic system where there were 5 flavours, Life, Death, Nature, Chaos and Sorcery. (One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong...)

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

Personally' date=' I think that alignment is a hopelessly simplified way of looking at personality, decisions, and behavior, and I'm not sure why it was ever introduced.[/quote']

 

Gygax was influenced by Moorcock's Elric mythos and Eternal Champion cycle.

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

Personally' date=' I think that alignment is a hopelessly simplified way of looking at personality, decisions, and behavior, and I'm not sure why it was ever introduced.[/quote']

 

Tosh. That's not what alignment is for as far as I'm concerned. Its for deciding whether when you touch the Grail or the Black Sword, you get burned.

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

Gygax was influenced by Moorcock's Elric mythos and Eternal Champion cycle.

 

The difference is, at least as I understand, Moorcock's Law and Chaos were much more nuanced and complicated than D&D's alignment, and if Moorcock had written that section of D&D/AD&D, we'd never have heard the following phrase uttered by a gamer: "He wouldn't do that, he's Lawful Good!" :ugly:

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Re: Alignment Issues

 

Tosh. That's not what alignment is for as far as I'm concerned. Its for deciding whether when you touch the Grail or the Black Sword' date=' you get burned.[/quote']

 

Maybe it's just because I have a hard time accepting a systemized view of morality that reduces it to cartoonish Good vs Evil, and the idea of almost anyone human being that good, or that evil. Most people can't use either item. Good people do bad things, and bad people still sometimes do good things.

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