Good aligned characters, fallacies and possible tips

[thids]

Better yet, Players on opposite sides of the fence should be actually working together, in order to make their PCs have a greater, more challenging "life" on the Sword Coast. Instead of bickering OOC, try to work out the differences and create a story between the opposed alignment PCs or Guilds, and make a bit of history for each other.

Yes, more of this please. If someone has a story/relevant RP/character development/player driven event and they would like to include one of the good/evil factions, they should contact them and ask. It doesn't hurt really and you might get an enthusiastic "YES!" as an answer as long as you are honest about your intentions.

[c2k]

You can (and ideally should) be as active and, in a way, agressive as the bad guys. If you don't do anything you're neutral aligned ... at best

Bad guys really can't be as aggressive as the good guys can be on this server because they would hurt too many players feelings. And for all intents and purposes, most of those neutral characters tend to fluctuate toward good side when they need to make a decision.

And if the good guys have to work double, evil characters have to work double that.

Other than that, however, I do agree with your post in regards to the fallacies of how good characters view their place on the server.

[Valefort]

See, I think the exact contrary of your last post. So either one of us is lying or blind or ... perhaps it is safe to cut it in the middle and stop the pissing contest !

[Baboonicorn]

Really, to be effective, both sides need to work as hard as the other.

As Valefort said, good characters must actively combat evil and cannot turn a blind eye to it. Whereas many evil characters can safely ignore any good activity that doesn't impact on their plans.

Evil characters, on the other hand, are not inhibited by any codes of conduct that can hamstring good players (e.g. plans to destroy Triel's grain stores and poison its water supply ahead of the black orc invasion being blocked by other goodies who utterly opposed such methods) and can use whatever methods they consider expedient to achieve their goals.

No matter how mean we are to one another IC, OOC cooperation can only enhance RP in my view.

[Hitman Hard]

How about the fact that good guys don't agree with each other either ? It's not Alice in Wonderland and the powerplay and dissent among good guys is present, as is the constant threat of backstabbery by hidden infilitrators.

Not the same as Baddies not agreeing, which often involves bloodshedding and worse. Testmon already covered this.

I'm sure the DM team throws stuff at you but really, can it compare to the rest ? Sorry I'm not buying that Xanfryst. As for metagaming hurting evil more than good ... just no, it is as hurtful for everyone. Between that and your last sentence toning down the arrogance would be wonderful, it's a cooperative story telling and you're not helping with derogatory comments and this condescending attitude, you're no better.

Yeah, they can compare. You also forget that certain Baddies, such as the Zhentarim and the Thayans aren't interested in a Sword Coast that is burning. They are interested in money and political power. You don't get that from burned out husks and razed down buildings. So, such groups of Baddies often have the same plights that Goodies have.

And meta-gaming IS more hurtful for Evil as it can ruin months or years of work. Sure, Goodies such as Harpers also risk getting outed, but that's not exactly just as devastating. An outed Harper may be forgiven, a Zhentarim infiltrator won't. Ever.

And it's not arrogance or meant as an insult, it's just the bloody truth. I play on both sides and every time I'm on my goodie and I join an event, I either see Team Good run around like a headless chicken, or if they have a resemblance of order, they choose the wrong leaders and take the wrong decisions, in spite of protests from those few who knows how to deal with the situation. I've seen this countless times now and I don't know if I should laugh or cry.

Evil guys aren't bereft of occasions to hugely screw it up as well. I'd say that things are currently balanced between goodies vs baddies, in the sense that no side is hugely advantaged against the other, the way things currently are (especially after the showdown at Triel).

.

You know quite well that the Triel thing wasn't a screw-up by the Zhentarim.

The Triel debacles were always fun but you can't deny that the zhentarim had an edge when lag spikes set in and the NPC zhents were still shooting away with those crossbows.

As for Team Good running around like a headless chicken, some definite truth to that, but it's more a matter of too many people flocking togther, lags setting in, terrible IC communication, etc.

Safe to say, at this point, Evil has a huge array of enemies lined up against the declining good.

[Ricastle]

If you look at evil in fantasy or even in historical context, evil empires always have enemies from factions that are evil aligned or more neutral aligned. To me, it doesn't appear this way. I don't see any evil organizations trying to hijack or openly attack any other evil factions. I'm not saying this does not happen in a limited extent, but I don't even hear any rumors to that regard. I'm sure it happens all the time in the underdark though and it should be that way on the surface.

For example: During this last event with Triel would have been a great time for the shadow thieves of amn and Red Wizards or other to take advantage of zhentarium plans and control trade themselves. Spreading their own influence and minimizing their enemies and rivals.

[kleomenes]

Honestly, I think even using the term "the goodies" is a misnomer on this server. The divisions are more fault lines - perhaps to be healed by RP, perhaps not in the case of fundamental differences.

[7threalm]

Yes I wouldn't mind throwing my paladin or a goody charater to be a roadblock or distraction for an evil event ran by a dm. If they overall theme is for an evil quest.

I mean as an rp diversion not taking over the entire quest.

He prolly won't suceed but it would make for more interesting good vs evil dynamics.

[DM Novus]

6 Surprising Scientific Findings About Good and Evil

What one should ask themselves, is: how does our moral reality as Real Life Human Beings breakdown when we take on a Role within the codified Alignment System of D&D?

A PC's alignment is a guide for it's morality. Within the Game, that Alignment can change based on actions, experiences and other factors. The Good Aligned have the challenge to constantly be active in defining what it means to be good. The Evil Aligned have the challenge to constantly be active in testing the Good on what it means to be good. You cannot have one without the other—a fact of opposites—so I submit to you all that each pole is EQUALLY CHALLENGED, since they essentially rely on the other for existence.

This Game is not called Fantasy & Utopia for a reason.

And, being Neutral Aligned means you are more prone to a swaying morality, or, you are less swayed by the weight of a heavy moral code. To be either Chaotic or Lawful...that is self-explanatory.

Just like Abilities and Skills, Alignment exists as a form of measure—it allows a DM, mostly, to judge the nature of the Character before them.

Interestingly enough, a not-so-different measure was taken about BGTSCC long ago, and Staff has made it a mandate to create a practical balance for all Alignments to thrive, one that has been worked on for over two years now.

The Balance will be fragile, intentionally, so that you the Players can actively shift the weight, depending on the Role-play, from time to time. How about that for a challenge?