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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: HappyDaze on October 04, 2021, 12:18:31 PM

Title: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: HappyDaze on October 04, 2021, 12:18:31 PM
Killed a bit of time in a local bookstore thumbing through The Wild Beyond the Witchlight adventure by WotC.

Contrary to some rumors, the monsters seem to feature alignment, but often preceeded by the word "typically" such as "typically chaotic evil." There were also named NPCs, including some oldies like Kelek the sorcereror, Ringlerun the wizard, Warduke the fashionably impaired, and more. All of these NPCs had alignments listed (without the "typically" bit, so apparently individual variations or waverings are still unstated just as they often have been).

Also, no signs of wheelchairs anywhere in the book that I could find on a 40-min flip-through.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: rytrasmi on October 04, 2021, 12:31:38 PM
40 minutes? This is not a library buddy, buy something or get out.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: HappyDaze on October 04, 2021, 12:45:26 PM
40 minutes? This is not a library buddy, buy something or get out.
Oh, I did buy a few novels, but I don't buy my game books from there, and I don't buy 5e stuff anymore at all.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Mishihari on October 04, 2021, 03:47:37 PM
40 minutes? This is not a library buddy, buy something or get out.

I generally don't buy a game book unless I've read most of it.  How else can I tell if it's something I'd want to play?  Fortunately I read very, very fast.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Kanyenya on October 04, 2021, 09:51:29 PM
Crawford talks about alignment here:

https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage-advice/creature-evolutions (https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage-advice/creature-evolutions)

Essentially, alignment is back, but will be preceded with the word "typically", because some people can't figure that out for themselves. Except for humanoids, who can be any alignment, to prevent racism or something.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: DM_Curt on October 04, 2021, 11:26:41 PM
Crawford talks about alignment here:

https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage-advice/creature-evolutions (https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage-advice/creature-evolutions)

Essentially, alignment is back, but will be preceded with the word "typically", because some people can't figure that out for themselves. Except for humanoids, who can be any alignment, to prevent racism or something.

Lol. Crawford almost understands D&D.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: jhkim on October 05, 2021, 12:47:28 AM
Essentially, alignment is back, but will be preceded with the word "typically", because some people can't figure that out for themselves. Except for humanoids, who can be any alignment, to prevent racism or something.

That's how alignment was in 3rd edition. All the monster alignments were listed as things like "Always chaotic evil" (for demons) or "Usually lawful neutral" (for material monsters) and such. They went back to unqualified alignment originally in 5th ed, but I guess they're reviving that style.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Eirikrautha on October 05, 2021, 06:45:34 AM
Crawford talks about alignment here:

https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage-advice/creature-evolutions (https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage-advice/creature-evolutions)

Essentially, alignment is back, but will be preceded with the word "typically", because some people can't figure that out for themselves. Except for humanoids, who can be any alignment, to prevent racism or something.

Lol. Crawford almost understands D&D.
No, no he doesn't...
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Omega on October 06, 2021, 04:21:21 PM
I probably still have most of the action figures from way back.
Warduke, Strongheart, Ringlerun, Kelek, Peralay, and Zerak.

Too bad they couldnt get Tim Truman to do the art again.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: tenbones on October 07, 2021, 11:31:47 AM
NECA is making new versions of those figures.

If this is "alignment striking back" - it's as limpdick of a "strike" as I would expect.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: ArtemisAlpha on October 07, 2021, 04:51:26 PM
Demons. Usually Chaotic Evil. Usually.

See "Falls From Grace" as a counter example.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Shasarak on October 07, 2021, 06:01:16 PM
Demons. Usually Chaotic Evil. Usually.

See "Falls From Grace" as a counter example.

If you divide the number of good Demons by the infinite number of evil Demons then the number of Demons that are evil is closer to always then usually.

But you know maths is hard.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: GeekyBugle on October 07, 2021, 06:50:00 PM
Demons. Usually Chaotic Evil. Usually.

See "Falls From Grace" as a counter example.

If you divide the number of good Demons by the infinite number of evil Demons then the number of Demons that are evil is closer to always then usually.

But you know maths is hard.

LOL, best response in this subject ever. Also a Good Demon isn't a Demon anymore, period.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Wrath of God on October 16, 2021, 07:30:04 AM
Quote
Also a Good Demon isn't a Demon anymore, period.

What about Lawful Demon?
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: DM_Curt on October 16, 2021, 07:40:18 AM
Quote
Also a Good Demon isn't a Demon anymore, period.

What about Lawful Demon?
That's a Devil, then. 
Slightly fewer mindless homicidal rampages, but more bureaucracy. Possibly followed by intentional homicidal rampages.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Wrath of God on October 20, 2021, 03:53:46 PM
Well Fall-From-Grace did not seem to turn really diabolic, or loose overal succubi form.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Ghostmaker on October 20, 2021, 04:03:55 PM
Well Fall-From-Grace did not seem to turn really diabolic, or loose overal succubi form.
Except that many of her normal succubus powers weren't functioning in Planescape. She's not immune to nonmagical weapons and can't cast innate spells at will like normal.

There's also an interesting theory that because she inhabits Sigil, the nature of that plane prevents her from transforming into something else despite her philosophy being completely at odds with her usual nature.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Mistwell on October 20, 2021, 06:53:48 PM
Killed a bit of time in a local bookstore thumbing through The Wild Beyond the Witchlight adventure by WotC.

Contrary to some rumors, the monsters seem to feature alignment, but often preceeded by the word "typically" such as "typically chaotic evil." There were also named NPCs, including some oldies like Kelek the sorcereror, Ringlerun the wizard, Warduke the fashionably impaired, and more. All of these NPCs had alignments listed (without the "typically" bit, so apparently individual variations or waverings are still unstated just as they often have been).

Also, no signs of wheelchairs anywhere in the book that I could find on a 40-min flip-through.

You mean its been exaggerated Internet-driven click-bait panic? Color me shocked.

They basically removed alignment from ONE book (Candlekeep) and they did that POORLY (it was obviously written with alignment in it originally and wasted people's time without it being there) on an "emergency" basis and then immediately went back to including it again. Only this time with the "typically" WHICH WAS ALWAYS THE RULE.

But that's how things go around here lately. WOTC does something one time and everyone absolutely loses their shit. Did an adventure come out which can be completed without combat? It's THE END OF COMBAT IN D&D! Did someone somewhere mention a battle wheelchair? WHEELCHAIRS ARE NOW THE STANDARD FOR D&D! Did one adventure remove alignment? ALIGNMENT IS NOW DEAD FOR D&D! Did an adventure include an LGBTQ+ NPC? ALL ADVENTURES WILL FEATURE AN LGBTQ+ NPC FOREVERMORE!

Fucking snowflake drama queens! Stop panicking at the drop of a hat. It is OK for WOTC to experiment with new things after 7 years of an edition. Their experimentation does not mark the end of things as we know it. Sometimes, it's just a one-off experiment. D&D has always had those kinds of things, particularly around this phase of publication for a game version.
Title: Re: 5e: Alignment Strikes Back
Post by: Wrath of God on October 25, 2021, 07:35:37 PM
Quote
Except that many of her normal succubus powers weren't functioning in Planescape. She's not immune to nonmagical weapons and can't cast innate spells at will like normal.

Point taken. TBH I'd expect some powers to change slightly, though in this case I think it's more matter of her being viable not-OP joinable NPC.