Aligning Misconceptions

I'm going to briefly dip my toe into talking about alignments. Eventually there will be a longer discourse on each individual alignment with ideas on how each of them can play.

This is more about how people, in my view, misconstrue alignments. Specifically, people look at alignments as absolute boundaries. Once you've picked your alignment; that is all you can ever be. If you act out of it; then you've changed alignments.

In reality, everyone (except Paladins and Blackguards) have flexibility. You can stray from your alignment, you can be morally challenged, you can grow and change. You can make a decision in the moment and your character can experience remorse, regret, or joy at the consequences.

A character that is against torture can find themselves in a position where they have to torture or allow torture to take place to further their righteous and vital mission. This provides a tremendous situation for roleplaying (in a Hack and Slash System? How dare I.)

Do they fail in their mission? Can they face their comrades, their superiors, the people they were protecting? Do they compromise their beliefs? If they do, do they secretly love it? Do they start down a darker path? Do they hate themselves and find ways to make amends? (Atonement and Gaeas Spells exist for a reason)

Don't let alignment be the entire character. If you deviate from your alignment, figure out if it was a one time thing or if it is the beginning of an alignment switch. Letting your alignment determine everything, with no consideration to the greater good or personal gain, leads to very flat, stereotypical characters.