The Innkeeper is Evil
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2024
- Talking today about:
What the alignment system is
Why people avoid using it
An alternative option
Art from: CC0
TheGrandGame
www.amazon.com/dp/B09X1V95YN?...
#dnd #dnd5e #pathfinder #pathfinderrpg #modular #modulargames #gamedesign #rpg - เกม
I like the idea of Spirit Signatures when applied well.
I would want to use them for characters who are actually agents or entered into relationships with powers, and those who ceremonially serve those powers. And through that you'd have a concrete basis for an alignment system, yes... otherwise the system might coopt the entire setting or any narratives, factions, or motivations which would otherwise exist.
This sounds like the kind of thing that could be implemented really cleanly and easily. 'Only people who have ceremonial relationships with... will have spirit signatures'. In that case it would really only be priests, knights, etc which would have them.
Although, if a certain community was ruled by a dragon, beholder, etc, that might have a strong enough influence to create spirit signatures as well. If that were the case, people from different nations could be identified by spirit signature, even if they were not closely connected to the rulers--just exposed to their supernatural aura. This could be used to drive a story, rather than detract... I think.
Overall though, you make a strong point: over emphasis on alignment can derail from other focuses in the story, when poorly handled that is.
@@ModularGames The way I'm imagining it, it could be like "The Great Game" between intelligence operatives of the CIA and KGB. They knew... (know?) how to recognize each other and interacted in what's like a parallel world. Definitely having an effect, but not necessarily known by regular people beyond what their rank or station is when it's a public office.... while loyalty and what those agents actually DO is watched and the rumor mill of those on the inside discuss and debate on their methodologies constantly.
Is it more nuanced? Or, is it perhaps less?
Consider the situation in which alignment was prominent. The game which the axis arose from was a wargame. It was about campaigns for the purpose of, and context of, one cultural view... the survival, wellbeing, and service of a kingdom. Good/Evil and Law/Chaos were clearly in context of the one nation and one people.
If that is a nuance, then what has it been replaced by? A superficial amiability is perhaps converse to nuance.
You know.. just for the sake of conversation.
In some ways, alignment systems are easiest to track when they are simply fealty to a certain power...
They seem more interesting to me when they have nothing to do with that, but it's certainly easier to track.
@@ModularGames Yeah, definitely more interesting to analyze and compare from different philosophies and have robust arguments. But you don't need a game mechanic to do that... and trying would be very very difficult to practice "show don't tell" with, especially without that debate (and all the cognitive dissonance thereof) eclipsing the rest of the gameplay