Aligning Misconceptions #10 - Alternates to Alignments

As much as I love D&D, the alignment system is somewhat (incredibly) flawed. The system may have made sense in the early days of gaming, but with advent of more story based systems (such as White Wolf's WWoD) the rigid and largely inflexible structure of the alignments is showing its age.

While doing away with alignments on one level would be great, they are worked deeply into fabric of D&D. The various planes in the game as well as the inhabitants of those planes are supposed to embody the alignments they represent. Various spells and even item enhancements key off of the wielders having specific alignments.

Is there even a "fix" for the system? I think an alternative to alignments isn't necessarily in making any changes to the system, but just altering our perceptions of alignments. The book currently makes out alignments to be moral codes of conduct. If you are Lawful Good you can't do this and if you are Chaotic Evil you wouldn't do that. However, alignments can be viewed as beliefs. Belief in something doesn't mean that you are able to follow them 100% of the time.

Real world believers of modern day faith have this problem. Incredibly few people can live up to the commandments of their faith; but it does not stop them with identifying with their faith. A character that believes in Lawful Good tries to embody the ideals and precepts of Law and Good, but may fail, intentionally or not.

Repeated transgressions may require a person to change their beliefs, mirroring previous alignments changes. However, this model allows for some flexibility in actions leading to richer and deeper roleplay. The difference is very subtle; but I think that it adds to the game.