[UAP] Universal Alignment Profile

There have been several attempts to quantify the alignment system from the beginning. OD&D had the alignment chart; Judges Guild released their “Alignment Adders” system on the Character Checklist (likely based on the listing of Lawful/Chaotic and Good/Evil traits in Gary’s article “THE MEANING OF LAW AND CHAOS IN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS” in Strategic Review #6); GAZ7 The Northern Reaches, a gazetteer for the world of Mystara, included “Personality Traits,” likely based on a similar system used in King Arthur Pendragon by Chaosium.

And here is my attempt at a system… for all that anyone uses alignment anymore, hopefully it is helpful.

The Universal Alignment Profile (UAP), based loosely on the Universal Personality Profile from Traveller, is a series of 10 numbers that provide a basic breakdown of the Lawful ethics and Good morals – or lack thereof – of player characters and NPCs. 

The first five numbers create the Law/Chaos axis, the second set of five the Good/Evil axis. Numbers range from 0 to 13, though only Demons and creatures of like ilk may have 0 in any trait, and only Angels and similar beings may have a 13 in a trait. The higher the trait, the more toward the Law or Good state of the trait. An 11 in Honest means the being is very honest; a 2 in Loyal means the being is very treacherous.

For player-characters, let the player set each trait at the beginning of the campaign. If a character is thereafter tempted by Chaos or Evil in regard to any of the traits – say, for example, offered a bribe – and the player is not quite certain how the character would react, roll a d12 against the trait or traits affected. A bribe, for example, might indicate that a character’s Honesty is being tested; if the Honest trait is 8, and the roll is 9 or greater, the character would accept the bribe.

These traits are not intended to remove player agency; they are a guideline only, to help the player better characterize their character’s alignment traits. If the player above decides that the character would accept the bribe, perhaps the player would then lower the Honest trait from 8 to 7.

When creating an NPC, roll for the traits, as listed below. Then list the traits in order using only the numerical value. For example, a character with the following:

7 Cautious (Rash)

4 Industrious (Slothful)

10 Loyal (Treacherous)

9 Principled (Anarchic)

3 Vigilant (Negligent)

10 Generous (Greedy)

11 Honest (Deceitful)

8 Humble (Prideful)

8 Kind (Cruel)

7 Patient (Wrathful)

Would be 33 and 44, thus Neutral Good, and would list the UAP as 74A93AB887. The character is Loyal, Generous, and Honest, but rather Lazy and Careless. He would make a good friend, but a terrible guard.

Note that the overall totals of each lean toward Neutrality and Law, and Neutrality and Good; this is in keeping with Gary’s advice that most people lean toward Law and in general, Good, and that few are truly Chaotic or Evil. Feel free to play with the numbers and the traits as you wish, of course.

LAW (CHAOS)

Cautious (Rash)

Industrious (Slothful)

Loyal (Treacherous)

Principled (Anarchic)

Vigilant (Negligent)

Each is assigned a number, 1 to 12 (for the UAP 10 is A, 11 is B, 12 is C, and 13 is D).

Demons can have 0 in a trait; Angels can have 13 in a trait.

Individually, 1 to 4 is CHAOTIC, 5 to 8 is NEUTRAL, and 9 to 12 is LAWFUL.

For a known Chaotic being, roll 1d4 for each;

For a known Neutral being, roll 1d4+4 for each;

For a known Lawful being, roll 1d4+8 for each.

Total all five Lawful traits: 5 to 20 is CHAOTIC, 21 to 40 is NEUTRAL, and 41 to 60 is LAWFUL.

GOOD (EVIL)

Generous (Greedy)

Honest (Deceitful)

Humble (Prideful)

Kind (Cruel)

Patient (Wrathful)

Each is assigned a number, 1 to 12 (for the UAP 10 is A, 11 is B, 12 is C, and 13 is D).

Demons can have 0 in a trait; Angels can have 13 in a trait.

Individually, 1 to 4 is EVIL, 5 to 8 is NEUTRAL, and 9 to 12 is GOOD.

For a known Evil being, roll 1d4 for each;

For a known Neutral being, roll 1d4+4 for each;

For a known Good being, roll 1d4+8 for each.

Total all five GOOD traits: 5 to 20 is EVIL, 21 to 40 is NEUTRAL, and 41 to 60 is GOOD.

[The Realm] Divine Spell Caster Types and Spell Lists

Clerics of Lawful Temples
Must be Neutral, Lawful, or Lawful Good
Turn Undead, Demons, and Devils; Command Angels

Level 1
Cure Light Wounds
Detect Evil
Detect Magic
Light
Protection from Evil
Purify Food and Water
Remove Fear
Sanctuary

Level 2
Augury
Bless
Delay Poison
Find Traps
Hold Person
Resist Cold
Resist Fire
Silence

Level 3
Continual Light
Cure Blindness/Deafness/Muteness
Cure Disease
Cure Serious Wounds
Remove Curse
Locate Object

Level 4
Create Food and Water
Divination
Exorcize
Neutralize Poison
Protection from Evil 10’ Radius
Tongues

Level 5
Commune
Cure Critical Wounds
Dispel Evil
Divine Strike
Quest
Raise Dead

Level 6
Heal
Heavenly Bridge
Summon Angelic Protector
Wall of Light

Level 7
Holy Word
Restoration
Resurrection
Righteous Wrath

Clerics of Chaotic Temples
Must be Neutral, Chaotic, or Chaotic Evil
Command Undead, Demons, and Devils; Turn Angels

Level 1
Cause Fear
Cause Light Wounds
Command
Darkness
Detect Magic
Mask Evil
Protection from Good
Putrefy Food and Water

Level 2
Bane
Chaotic Cacophony
Felonious Freedom
Fiendish Fetters
Gout of Flame and Fire
Obscure Trap
Ray of Cold
Speed Poison

Level 3
Animate Lesser Undead
Bestow Curse
Cause Blindness/Deafness/Muteness
Cause Disease
Cause Serious Wounds
Continual Darkness

Level 4
Baleful Babble
Black Tendrils of Chaos
Envenom
Magic Jar
Protection from Good 10’ Radius
Summon Least Demon/Devil

Level 5
Animate Greater Undead
Cause Critical Wounds
Domination
Embolden Evil
Finger of Death
Summon Lesser Demon/Devil

Level 6
Animate Objects
Harm
Summon Greater Demon/Devil
Wall of Darkness

Level 7
Destruction
Gate
Sinister Symbol
Unholy Word

Mystics
Must be Neutral
Str 12+, Dex 12+, Wis 12+
Advance and Cast Spells as Druids
May use any weapon but may not wear armor
Dodge Missiles, AC Bonus, Unarmed Attacks, and Movement Rate as per AEC Monk class
Modifies AC based on Wisdom or Dexterity, whichever is worse
No other Monk abilities; No Turn or Command abilities

1st Level
Comprehend Languages
Detect Evil
Detect Illusion
Detect Magic
Jump
Resist Cold
Sanctuary
Strength

2nd Level
Delay Poison
Detect Invisibility
Feign Death
Invisibility
Levitate
Resist Fire
Rope Trick
Speak with Animals

3rd Level
Dimension Door
Snake Charm
Speak with Dead
Speak with Plants
Striking
Tongues

4th Level
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
Haste
Neutralize Poison
Nondetection
Protection from Electricity
Protection from Fire

5th Level
Power Word Stun
Project Image
Speak with Creatures
Telekinesis
Teleport
Water Walk

6th Level
Legend Lore
Lesser Globe of Invulnerability
Power Word Blind
True Seeing

7th Level
Astral Projection
Globe of Invulnerability
Power Word Kill
Wind Walk

Druid Spells
Must be Neutral
Con 12+, Wis 12+, Cha 12+
Advance and Cast Spells as Druids
Turn (at +1 level) or Command (at -1 level) Animals and Plants
Identify plants/herbs, animals, and clean water, plus pass through thick vegetation with no penalty at 1st level; assume small and medium animal shapes at 3rd; assume large animal shapes and immune to sylvan charm at 7th.

1st Level
Animal Companion
Detect Snares and Pits
Divine Weather
Entangle
Locate Creature
Pass Without Trace
Shillelagh
Speak with Animals

2nd Level
Animal Invisibility
Barkskin
Charm Mammal
Find Plant
Snake Charm
Stumble
Summon Animal I
Warp Wood

3rd Level
Hold Animal
Insect Swarm
Neutralize Poison
Plant Growth
Snare
Tree Shape

4th Level
Hallucinatory Terrain
Hold Vegetation and Fungus
Passplant
Repel Vermin
Speak with Plants
Summon Animal II

5th Level
Animal Growth
Anti-Plant Shell
Commune with Nature
Insect Plague
Sticks to Snakes
Tree Stride

6th Level
Anti-Animal Shell
Repel Wood
Summon Animal III
Wall of Thorns

7th Level
Creeping Doom
Summon Sylvan Beings
Reincarnate
Transport via Plants

Elementalist Spells
Must be Neutral
Int 12+, Wis 12+, Cha 12+
Advance and Cast Spells as Druid
May use any weapon; may not wear any armor
Turn or Command Elementals (+1 level) and Genies (-1 level)

1st Level
Burning Hands
Create Water
Feather Fall
Fiery Aura
Manipulate Fire
Resist Cold
Resist Fire
Shocking Grasp

2nd Level
Elemental Weapon
False Gold
Fire Shield
Fog Cloud
Heat Metal
Obscuring Mist
Produce Flame
Resist Fire

3rd Level
Call Lightning
Gust of Wind
Protection from Fire
Pyrotechnics
Stone Shape
Water Breathing

4th Level
Flame Charm
Flash Fire
Lesser Move Earth
Lower Water
Protection from Electricity
Temperature Control

5th Level
Control Winds
Flame Strike
Transmute Rock to Mud
Stone to Flesh
Wall of Fire
Wall of Ice

6th Level
Move Earth
Part Water
Fire Chariot
Wind Walk

7th Level
Commune with Elements
Conjure Elemental
Fire Storm
Wall of Stone

This is a work in progress; still considering changing out some spells, especially for the Elementalist.

[LL House Rules] Alignment in the Realm

Alignment in the Realm is not merely an issue of ethics and morals; taking on an alignment is spiritually aligning oneself metaphysically with one or the other of the opposing Cosmic Forces of Nature, either Law or Chaos. The vast majority of peoples (“Normal Men and Women”) will be Neutral in this battle, as will many adventurers, and even no few clerics. Declaring oneself for Law or Chaos is a very deep and personal action that cannot lightly or easily be undone, though one can all too easily “fall from grace” with one’s Cosmic alliance. There also exists the possibility of Apostates, even hidden within Hierarchies (NB: In this campaign setting, the know alignment spell does not work, and detect evil only senses immediate intent). [Alignments in brackets refer to where a character in the standard 9-alignment system would fall in this new system]

Lawful Good: This alignment represents the best of all that is Good about Law. This is the alignment of the truly Saintly; thus, very, very few fall into the Lawful Good category. Should they ever lift their hand in anger, save against Chaos, they lose Lawful Good status and merely become Lawful, until they can atone through an appropriate quest. Lawful Good clerics need not memorize their spells in the morning; they still need to pray for an hour after eight hours of rest, but they can miraculously (“spontaneously”) cast their spells as they need them; they may only cast “Good” versions of spells, never the Evil versions. They can use any spells listed in the Labyrinth Lord Core book; additional spells from the AEC and otherwise can only be cast after the nature of the miracle has been revealed to them by their deity or one of its servants. Even non-clerical Lawful Good characters and NPCs can gain miraculous benefits, if the need is dire and their faith is strong. [Lawful Good]

Lawful: The Cosmic Force of Law involves all things that are Good and Orderly; Law seeks to bring Order unto Chaos (often, placing Order before individual Freedom) and bring the most Good unto the most beings (often counterpoised with the idea that “The needs of the Many outweigh the needs of the Few”). Note that one cannot truly be Lawful and Evil; Evil is by its nature Chaotic. At best, one who is Lawful can be dispassionate about individual weal, but cannot proactively seek to oppose it. Conversely, one who is Good cannot truly be Chaotic, as Chaos is by its nature Evil and thus opposed to Good (seeking “aggrandizement of the Self whatever the cost to the Other”). Lawful clerics must pray for and memorize spells as per the normal rules; like Lawful Good clerics, they can only choose from the LL Core book, and only the “Good” versions of spells, though they too may have additional spells revealed to them by the Gods of Law. [Lawful Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good (sometimes)]

Neutral: Most beings fall into this category, choosing neither Law nor Chaos, whether out of a lack of passion for either side or merely because they seek to remain independent from either force. Neutrals can be good or evil, orderly or disorderly, even saintly or diabolic in word and deed; many can be as good as one who is Lawful Good, or as vile as one who is Chaotic Evil. However, Neutrals do not actively serve these Cosmic Forces, even if they may do so unwittingly. Those who act regularly in such a fashion do, however, become targets for recruitment by the servants of the Powers Cosmic. Neutral clerics serve both the Gods of Law and the Gods of Chaos; however, these devout if less-than-zealous clergy cannot advance beyond 6th level without first fully committing themselves to their Cosmic Force. Neutral clerics must keep a Prayer Book/Grimoire, from which they memorize their spells as does a magic-user. The Prayer Book/Grimoire normally contains only the spells their specific Hierarchy allows; to learn to cast any other spell, even a spell otherwise appropriate to their alignment, is considered Heresy! Neutral clerics serving Law, like their Lawful and Lawful Good brethren, cannot wield bladed/piercing weapons. Neutral clerics serving Chaos can use any weapon, even bladed ones (and usually prefer to wield daggers and scimitars). Neutral clerics of Lawful deities, like Lawful and Lawful Good clerics, can only cast the “Good” versions of spells; Neutral clerics of Chaotic deities can cast only the “reversed” or “Evil” versions of spells (yes, this means that there are no normal cure spells available to clerics of Chaotic deities). [Neutral, Chaotic Good (mostly), Lawful Evil (sometimes)]

Chaotic: Metaphysically, Chaos is simply that… Chaos, unbridled action without concern for reaction or causality… it is Eternal, Infinite Cosmic Madness, after a fashion. Chaos doesn’t make sense, as there is no sense, no reason; things just… are, with Chaos. On a personal, mortal level, Chaos is all about Evil, Anarchy, Personal Power, Domination of Others, and Whatever Else We Can Get Away With. That said, followers of Chaos aren’t stupid, or foolish, or even insane, necessarily; they merely place personal self-interest and gratification above all other considerations in all situations. Personal loyalty, notably, isn’t out of order; many Chaotic minions serve their masters unto death not necessarily out of fear, but out of a weird, often sick, and invariably perverse joy… they like giving themselves and their will over to more powerful beings, though most also expect rewards on a quid pro quo basis. Devils, with their strict (if usually roiling and ever-shifting) hierarchy, epitomize the best, “organized” form of Chaos, where terrible and powerful being co-operate enough toward their common goals, if they are still ever out to stab each other in the back to gain a bit of leverage or power. Chaotic and Chaotic Evil clerics, like Neutral clerics of Chaotic deities, may only learn and memorize spells from their Grimoire, or as otherwise provided from time to time (often without rhyme or reason) by their Masters… and woe betide an ambitious lesser functionary who is granted greater powers than his Hierarchal superiors! Chaotic clerics may wield any weapon, preferring daggers, scimitars, and especially poison. [Lawful Evil (mostly), Neutral Evil, Chaotic Neutral]

Chaotic Evil: The epitome of all that is Evil and Nasty in Chaos, Chaotic Evil beings have zero consideration for other beings, and often little enough for themselves; psychopathy and sociopathy are but limited forms of the true Evil that is one who is Chaotic Evil. Merest whims are as great Cosmic Truths; perversions and horrors are as bread and butter. The pain of others is the greatest source of pleasure, whether said pain is a means in pursuit of another end or merely the end in and of itself. Demons and their ilk are the metaphysical personification of Chaos and Evil; they are great enemies of Devils not merely out of simple rivalry over power and influence, but also out of a “lack of dedication” to “The Cause,” whatever that may be to each Demon Lord. Chaotic Evil clerics must use Grimoires, as above, for spell memorization; they may wield any weapon, preferring daggers, scimitars, and especially poison. [Chaotic Evil]

Notes: This system is inspired by the original Law vs. Chaos system from B/X, with a helping of the five-fold alignment system that briefly existed between OD&D and AD&D (LG, LE, N, CG, CE), and a retrenchment of influence from the current alignment system of (gasp!) D&D 4E (LG, G, U, E, CE). The Metaphysical Cosmic Force aspect of it comes from the original sources, the works of Poul Anderson and Michael Moorcock.