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« on: March 06, 2012, 11:02:50 PM »
Understanding the Chaos alignment (Or how I stopped worrying about stupid evil and learned to love demons)
Ah yes the chaotic alignment. The alignment of chaotic evil stupid wanton destruction and pain for the sake of wanton pain and destruction as well as the alignment of selfishness to some. Yes those might be chaotic to an extent, but I don't think they embody what chaos really is. Good, evil, and law as primal forces are fairly easy to understand as far as I can see, but not chaos. My question is what is chaos? How does it act as an alignment? How does it act as a primal force as it pertains to Good, Evil, and Law? What about outsiders such as demons and Elidrin? I'll have these questions in separate paragraphs.
First of all the question fundamental to understanding Chaos; what is chaos?
I have yet to find a suitable answer for this as it pertains to an alignment. Chaos itself is the primal force of chance and change. And the plane of Limo itself is the true embodiment of Chaos. A plane where everything is different and a great enough force of will is enough to change the plane. Assuming that primal Chaos has a goal what is it? Is there some overarching goal all chaotic beings have? This is a question I'll ask in a deeper sense when I talk about planar exemplars.
What is a chaotic person like?
I know there is varying degrees of personalities and this is a stupid question to ask, but if you were designing a character what would a chaotic neutral person be like? I see a chaotic neutral person as a free thinker. Following his or her own beliefs without little care or worry what others think. These beliefs and ideals have a habit of changing quite often. This may or may not include disorganization at times in thought or in physical life. I do think that a person is capable of long goals, just maybe not planning. I do not think that chaotic evil means a hunger for wanton destruction. I think chaotic evil means that one is willing to do what's necessary to get what he or she wants. Though the short term plans constantly change with every little new detail.
Exemplars of Chaos
This one is a tough one because I'm fairly sure it states in the books that chaotic evil hungers for destruction above all else. But is it realistic to say that demon lords and princes only hunger to cause destruction and pain? I honestly don't think so. They may revel in it, but even Demigorgon who is the very definition of insane has plans and aspirations right? Personal power, glory, or who knows what drives the demented minds. I'm most interested in seeing what comes up about demons. I don't really understand a thing about the creatures so as a DM I don't think I can use them quite effectively.