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InfinitumAdmin- Posts : 11
Join date : 2023-02-25 
Alignments
Sat Feb 25, 2023 4:14 am
Alignment is a tricky business. Every table has a different system for alignment and every DM chooses to enforce it in different ways. Some GMs are very casual about alignment, allowing the party to get away with most things with no real consequences. Others are rigid, claiming that any ever so slight deviation from their concept of an alignment will cause yours to change.
In Infinitum, alignments are fluid. Our characters are meant to simulate people, and people are not locked into a single belief their entire lives, or at the very least, they don't have to be. Thus alignment can shift over time. This shift is far more likely to occur on the lawful/chaotic axis than the Good/Evil one, but it is not entirely unheard of.
As a Living World with multiple GMs we don't have the freedom to allow alignment definitions to change from GM to GM and as such, a definition of alignments will be laid out here. Keep in mind that these are generalizations. Not every character will fit their alignment perfectly and some variance is to be expected. References will be provided for each alignment for more reading if you are interested.
Lawful Good
"If you people want to have your plots and your shadowy wars in private, you should take them to Antarctica or somewhere. Or you could do this in New York, or Boise, and this isn’t any of my business. But you aren’t in any of those places. You’re in Chicago. And when things get out of hand, it’s the people I’m sworn to protect who are endangered."
-Karrin Murphy, Jim Butcher "Small Favors"
A lawful good character is the person you look up to. That friend or person you know that you always feel a bit guilty in the presence of because they are just such a good person. Sure they have their flaws, but if there were an afterlife for the righteous you are pretty certain they'd be a shoe-in. They don't seek to condemn you, nor would they ever claim that you personally are a bad person, but you don't want to do anything in their presence that might disappoint them. They inspire you to be a better you through example alone.
That being said, lawful good doesn't mean lawful pushover. In the face of a threat to their friends and allies they will rise to the occasion and give battle to protect the people they care about. While they believe that no one is beyond redemption, they also understand that sometimes, killing a threat may be the only way to neutralize it.This is what it is to be lawful good.
Working with a lawful good character can be difficult however, because they act as a mentor figure to many, they may often think that their way, the righteous way, is the only method of accomplishing their goals. As such, when plans go wrong and they lead people into harm, they may feel especially guilty for doing so.
Additional reading:
"To March into Hell for a Heavenly Cause" -Zrak, Giant in the Playground
Neutral Good
Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling... makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary. The definitions blurred. If I'm to choose between one evil and another, I'd rather not choose at all.
— Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Neutral good characters are the arbiters. The calm and rational friend that can see either side of the argument and serves as a peacekeeping force between the righteous lawful good and the hot-headed chaotic good. They follow no code of law, nor do they seek to take brash action for a cause. Instead they aim to seek the good of the many, often over the good of the few (although this may be phrased better as "the best for everyone involved." Although both phrases have negative connotations, each is meant in the true spirit of the original phrase: seeking the best outcome for the most people, as opposed to the poor justifications given in TV and movies.)
The difficulty of being neutral good is the same as their boon. As arbiters, they wish to come to the best conclusion for all, and this can cause them to hesitate in key moments. This can also cause them to be accused of being incapable of picking a side.
Additional reading:
"Selfless Service for the Good of All" -Cruiser1, Giant in the Playground
"The Right Thing for the Right Reason" -Jallorn, Giant in the Playground (Note: normally I try to avoid putting incomplete guides as references, but this guide better covers how Infinitum treats Neutral Good, even if it is incomplete and likely will never be finished.)
Chaotic Good
"You defy beings that should cow you into silence. You resist forces that are inevitable for no more reason than that you believe they should be resisted. You bow your head to neither demons nor angels, and you put yourself in harm's way to defend those who cannot defend themselves....I think I like you."
-Donar Vadderung, Jim Butcher Changes
A Chaotic good character is a being of instinct. That is not to say they are unintelligent, but they are likely to be unable to keep their cool for long when they see an injustice. Even if they can, they are going to right the wrongs they see at the soonest opportunity, and there is little anyone can do to convince them otherwise. They do what they think is right and society be damned. This impulsiveness can serve them well, or it can get them into trouble.
Chaotic good characters will likely be seen as hotheaded and impulsive, and such descriptions are generally not inaccurate. Moreover, chaotic good must be careful to never let their morals be corrupted, as their chaotic nature can risk leading them down a path of doing the wrong thing for the right reason.
Additional reading:
"Rules are for Jerks" -ThinkMinty, Giant In The Playground
Lawful Neutral
They laugh at the law. The rich ones who buy it and twist it to their whims. The other ones, who have nothing to lose, who don't care about themselves, or other people. All the ones who think they're above the law, or outside it, or beyond it. They know all the law is good for is to keep good people in line. And they all laugh. They laugh at the law. But they don't laugh at me.
— The Punisher
Lawful neutral characters are motivated entirely by a belief in the law. Some take to it nearly religiously, while some simply treat it as a societal necessity, but almost every character that falls within this alignment believe in a set of codes that, for good or for ill, must be followed in all circumstances.
Lawful neutral character will often find themselves at odds with good members of the party. Even lawful good character understand that a system may very well be corrupt and need to be overthrown, but lawful neutral characters will support the system regardless in most cases, feeling that there will be peace so long as everyone follows the law. This can continue until the system has been shown to provably be doing more harm than good, at which point they will likely advocate for overthrowing it, only to establish a new system which they believe will better society. More often however, they become disillusioned and no longer fall under this alignment.
(Note: This does not mean they believe all systems to be correct, simply the one that they have subscribed to. They can be strict, even to a seemingly foolish degree, but it is only their own beliefs that they often are blind to.)
Additional reading:
"My Country, Right or Wrong" -Saintheart, Giant In The Playground
True Neutral
It is simple. I fight for myself. Boring ways of the world, justice, ideal... such vague reasons are meaningless. I fight to fulfill my own desires. There is no other reason. [...] If you want to save others so much, go ahead. But only if it is truly your own desire.
— Archer to Shirou, Fate/stay night
One of the most uncommon alignments, to be truly neutral is to have no opinion. It is often confused with neutral evil, however, while both neutral evil and true neutral characters are only looking out for themselves, true neutral characters are unlikely to go out of their way to cause anyone harm. They'll respect the rights of others, they only wish to be left well enough alone.
True neutrality is difficult to maintain, but those that achieve it will find themselves in a middle state. A crossroads of light and dark, of order and chaos, and will be able to balance all sides carefully. This can lead to truly zen-like characters. However, for many, this alignment is just that, a crossroads through which they merely pass before reaffirming their previous beliefs, or possibly changing them entirely.
Additional reading:
"Pursuit of Happiness" -Seto, Giant in the Playground
Chaotic Neutral
if you think about it, other than this, what do we really value in life? God? Love? Don't make me laugh. Back when I was just a brat, crawling around that shit-hole city, it seemed God and Love were always sold out when I went looking. Before I knew better, I clung to God and prayed to Him every single night — yeah, I believed in God right up until that night the cops beat the hell out of me for no reason at all. All they saw when they looked at me was another little ghetto rat. With no power and no God, what's left for a poor little Chinese bitch to rely on? It's money, of course, and guns. Fuckin' A. With these two things, the world's a great place.
-Revy, Black Lagoon
Chaotic Neutral is out for the hell of it and to have a good time. Often considered to be arguable insane, chaotic neutral laughs at all the other alignments, mostly because they believe them all fools and charlatans. While they aren't going to kill people for the hell of it (that's evil's shtick), they can't guarantee that any nearby buildings are going to be left standing.
Chaotic Neutral characters are their own greatest drawback. All that you can really expect out of them is not really expect anything at all. That's not to say they don't have reasons for being so. Chaotic neutral may be inspired by nihilism, or a near-death experience. They may also be scared of missing out on life.
Or maybe they're just bat-shit crazy. Who knows?
Additional reading:
"We're Rebels without a Clue" -AvatarVecna, Giant in the Playground
[warning]A note before we continue. Evil characters are hard to play. You cannot simply write them off as murderhobos and call it a day, especially in a world such as infinitum. Such actions will cause the police to begin hunting you, and in all likelyhood, will cause players to begin hunting you. Therefore, you must toe the line. There is nothing wrong with playing an evil character in Infinitum, but there are consequences, and you will have to be smart if you want to avoid these consequences
The quotes provided are from characters in literature I am familiar with that are examples of evil characters that I feel would make good evil player characters. They are smart and either ensure they are untouchable, make allies that make them untouchable, or are powerful enough to be untouchable by their adversaries.
That being said, this is a place to play what you want and enjoy yourself. It's no fun if everyone is a good guy. We just don't want our bad guys being instantly caught. A good rule of thumb for you: "Can the villian carry the plot forward if they defeat or kill the hero? If not, they are not a good villian."[/warning]
Lawful Evil
"One day, probably soon, you'll get yourself killed thanks to that irrational set of compulsions you call a conscience, long before my name tops your list. I needn't lift a finger. Giving you information seems an excellent way to accelerate that process. It will also tax the resources of my enemies. And . . . I believe I have no objection to contributing against any organization that would victimize children so."
-"Gentleman" Johnny Marcone, The Dresden Files
A LE character is likely the least recognizable as evil, as they are often the spider in the center of a web, relaying orders to minions that ensure nothing can lead back to their employer. These characters toe the law, and are likely untouchable legally, as everything they do is adherent to the law, even as their actions are morally reprehensible.
Often a Lawful Evil character's driving force is a personal moral code, whether that be that they never lie, or perhaps they won't harm innocents. Whatever it may be, they adhere to that code closer than they do to the law, and to break it would be anathema to them.
That isn't to say that lawful evil can't take an even darker turn. Not all lawful evil characters are so "noble" and some merely hide behind the law in it's entirety. As opposed to appearing to be upstanding citizens, they are obviously reprehensible beings, toeing the line of the law and flaunting the fact they are uncatchable, as no judge could ever convict them, and any vigilante action against them would be assault.
Compliance will be Rewarded -Red Fel, Giant in the Playground Forums
Neutral Evil
"I do not consider you to be truly alive. Ergo, I will not be guilty of murder if I kill you." -Emet Selch, Final Fantasy XIV
NE is opportunistic. They don't have the scheming plots of the lawful evil, nor are they the kill-happy murderhobos of chaotic evil. They seek to gain, nothing more, and will do anything which they can get away with to do so. Often, Neutral Evil characters see other beings as lesser than themselves, and generally lack the empathy to relate to someone else. They are not simple however. A Neutral evil character still has goals and motivations, and being unbound by morality and laws does not mean there are not still obstacles in the way.
Additional Reading:
By NE Means Necessary -Mrs Kat, Giant in the Playground
Chaotic Evil
"Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just... do things. The mob has plans, the cops have plans, Gordon's got plans. You know, they're schemers. Schemers trying to control their little worlds. I'm not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are." -The Joker, The Dark Knight
So. everything I said about evil characters before? Throw it out. Well most of it. CE is the murderhobo. They can and will kill indiscriminately, purely for the hell of it. Honestly, there are far too many fantastic quotes for this alignment, and I nearly couldn't pick. The only reason Vaas from Far Cry 3 didn't win was because his quote was too long.
Now, the important thing to know is that Chaotic Evil is not Chaotic Stupid. They are perfectly capable of planning, and in all likelihood, they will prefer to plan for maximum destruction. If they aren't they are going to be caught. Quickly. As fun as it is to be completely spontaneous and kill anybody you want, it's hardly the recipe for a long-term character. However, sometimes, these CE villians are lucky enough to be put on a figurative (or literal) leash by a villain who recognize the value of the long-term plan. That see the destructive power behind a CE character and want to have that weapon on standby. These masters have a lot of trouble ahead of them, satiating the CE's lust for violence so they don't escape, without revealing their secret weapon. But it makes the reveal all the more interesting.
Additional Reading:
No Limits, No Regrets TheAltruistOrc, Giant in the Playground
In Infinitum, alignments are fluid. Our characters are meant to simulate people, and people are not locked into a single belief their entire lives, or at the very least, they don't have to be. Thus alignment can shift over time. This shift is far more likely to occur on the lawful/chaotic axis than the Good/Evil one, but it is not entirely unheard of.
As a Living World with multiple GMs we don't have the freedom to allow alignment definitions to change from GM to GM and as such, a definition of alignments will be laid out here. Keep in mind that these are generalizations. Not every character will fit their alignment perfectly and some variance is to be expected. References will be provided for each alignment for more reading if you are interested.
Lawful Good
"If you people want to have your plots and your shadowy wars in private, you should take them to Antarctica or somewhere. Or you could do this in New York, or Boise, and this isn’t any of my business. But you aren’t in any of those places. You’re in Chicago. And when things get out of hand, it’s the people I’m sworn to protect who are endangered."
-Karrin Murphy, Jim Butcher "Small Favors"
Paizo wrote:A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. She combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. She tells the truth, keeps her word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.
Lawful good combines honor with compassion.
A lawful good character is the person you look up to. That friend or person you know that you always feel a bit guilty in the presence of because they are just such a good person. Sure they have their flaws, but if there were an afterlife for the righteous you are pretty certain they'd be a shoe-in. They don't seek to condemn you, nor would they ever claim that you personally are a bad person, but you don't want to do anything in their presence that might disappoint them. They inspire you to be a better you through example alone.
That being said, lawful good doesn't mean lawful pushover. In the face of a threat to their friends and allies they will rise to the occasion and give battle to protect the people they care about. While they believe that no one is beyond redemption, they also understand that sometimes, killing a threat may be the only way to neutralize it.This is what it is to be lawful good.
Working with a lawful good character can be difficult however, because they act as a mentor figure to many, they may often think that their way, the righteous way, is the only method of accomplishing their goals. As such, when plans go wrong and they lead people into harm, they may feel especially guilty for doing so.
Additional reading:
"To March into Hell for a Heavenly Cause" -Zrak, Giant in the Playground
Neutral Good
Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling... makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary. The definitions blurred. If I'm to choose between one evil and another, I'd rather not choose at all.
— Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Paizo wrote:A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them.
Neutral good means doing what is good and right without bias for or against order.
Neutral good characters are the arbiters. The calm and rational friend that can see either side of the argument and serves as a peacekeeping force between the righteous lawful good and the hot-headed chaotic good. They follow no code of law, nor do they seek to take brash action for a cause. Instead they aim to seek the good of the many, often over the good of the few (although this may be phrased better as "the best for everyone involved." Although both phrases have negative connotations, each is meant in the true spirit of the original phrase: seeking the best outcome for the most people, as opposed to the poor justifications given in TV and movies.)
The difficulty of being neutral good is the same as their boon. As arbiters, they wish to come to the best conclusion for all, and this can cause them to hesitate in key moments. This can also cause them to be accused of being incapable of picking a side.
Additional reading:
"Selfless Service for the Good of All" -Cruiser1, Giant in the Playground
"The Right Thing for the Right Reason" -Jallorn, Giant in the Playground (Note: normally I try to avoid putting incomplete guides as references, but this guide better covers how Infinitum treats Neutral Good, even if it is incomplete and likely will never be finished.)
Chaotic Good
"You defy beings that should cow you into silence. You resist forces that are inevitable for no more reason than that you believe they should be resisted. You bow your head to neither demons nor angels, and you put yourself in harm's way to defend those who cannot defend themselves....I think I like you."
-Donar Vadderung, Jim Butcher Changes
Paizo wrote:A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. He makes his own way, but he’s kind and benevolent. He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society.
Chaotic good combines a good heart with a free spirit.
A Chaotic good character is a being of instinct. That is not to say they are unintelligent, but they are likely to be unable to keep their cool for long when they see an injustice. Even if they can, they are going to right the wrongs they see at the soonest opportunity, and there is little anyone can do to convince them otherwise. They do what they think is right and society be damned. This impulsiveness can serve them well, or it can get them into trouble.
Chaotic good characters will likely be seen as hotheaded and impulsive, and such descriptions are generally not inaccurate. Moreover, chaotic good must be careful to never let their morals be corrupted, as their chaotic nature can risk leading them down a path of doing the wrong thing for the right reason.
Additional reading:
"Rules are for Jerks" -ThinkMinty, Giant In The Playground
Lawful Neutral
They laugh at the law. The rich ones who buy it and twist it to their whims. The other ones, who have nothing to lose, who don't care about themselves, or other people. All the ones who think they're above the law, or outside it, or beyond it. They know all the law is good for is to keep good people in line. And they all laugh. They laugh at the law. But they don't laugh at me.
— The Punisher
Paizo wrote:
A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs her. Order and organization are paramount. She may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or she may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government.
Lawful neutral means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot.
Lawful neutral characters are motivated entirely by a belief in the law. Some take to it nearly religiously, while some simply treat it as a societal necessity, but almost every character that falls within this alignment believe in a set of codes that, for good or for ill, must be followed in all circumstances.
Lawful neutral character will often find themselves at odds with good members of the party. Even lawful good character understand that a system may very well be corrupt and need to be overthrown, but lawful neutral characters will support the system regardless in most cases, feeling that there will be peace so long as everyone follows the law. This can continue until the system has been shown to provably be doing more harm than good, at which point they will likely advocate for overthrowing it, only to establish a new system which they believe will better society. More often however, they become disillusioned and no longer fall under this alignment.
(Note: This does not mean they believe all systems to be correct, simply the one that they have subscribed to. They can be strict, even to a seemingly foolish degree, but it is only their own beliefs that they often are blind to.)
Additional reading:
"My Country, Right or Wrong" -Saintheart, Giant In The Playground
True Neutral
It is simple. I fight for myself. Boring ways of the world, justice, ideal... such vague reasons are meaningless. I fight to fulfill my own desires. There is no other reason. [...] If you want to save others so much, go ahead. But only if it is truly your own desire.
— Archer to Shirou, Fate/stay night
Paizo wrote:A neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. She doesn’t feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos (and thus neutral is sometimes called “true neutral”). Most neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character probably thinks of good as better than evil—after all, she would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, she’s not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way.
Some neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run.
Neutral means you act naturally in any situation, without prejudice or compulsion.
One of the most uncommon alignments, to be truly neutral is to have no opinion. It is often confused with neutral evil, however, while both neutral evil and true neutral characters are only looking out for themselves, true neutral characters are unlikely to go out of their way to cause anyone harm. They'll respect the rights of others, they only wish to be left well enough alone.
True neutrality is difficult to maintain, but those that achieve it will find themselves in a middle state. A crossroads of light and dark, of order and chaos, and will be able to balance all sides carefully. This can lead to truly zen-like characters. However, for many, this alignment is just that, a crossroads through which they merely pass before reaffirming their previous beliefs, or possibly changing them entirely.
Additional reading:
"Pursuit of Happiness" -Seto, Giant in the Playground
Chaotic Neutral
if you think about it, other than this, what do we really value in life? God? Love? Don't make me laugh. Back when I was just a brat, crawling around that shit-hole city, it seemed God and Love were always sold out when I went looking. Before I knew better, I clung to God and prayed to Him every single night — yeah, I believed in God right up until that night the cops beat the hell out of me for no reason at all. All they saw when they looked at me was another little ghetto rat. With no power and no God, what's left for a poor little Chinese bitch to rely on? It's money, of course, and guns. Fuckin' A. With these two things, the world's a great place.
-Revy, Black Lagoon
Paizo wrote:A chaotic neutral character follows his whims. He is an individualist first and last. He values his own liberty but doesn’t strive to protect others’ freedom. He avoids authority, resents restrictions, and challenges traditions. A chaotic neutral character does not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign of anarchy. To do so, he would have to be motivated either by good (and a desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those others suffer). a chaotic neutral character may be unpredictable, but his behavior is not totally random. He is not as likely to jump off a bridge as he is to cross it.
Chaotic neutral represents freedom from both society’s restrictions and a do-gooder’s zeal.
Chaotic Neutral is out for the hell of it and to have a good time. Often considered to be arguable insane, chaotic neutral laughs at all the other alignments, mostly because they believe them all fools and charlatans. While they aren't going to kill people for the hell of it (that's evil's shtick), they can't guarantee that any nearby buildings are going to be left standing.
Chaotic Neutral characters are their own greatest drawback. All that you can really expect out of them is not really expect anything at all. That's not to say they don't have reasons for being so. Chaotic neutral may be inspired by nihilism, or a near-death experience. They may also be scared of missing out on life.
Or maybe they're just bat-shit crazy. Who knows?
Additional reading:
"We're Rebels without a Clue" -AvatarVecna, Giant in the Playground
[warning]A note before we continue. Evil characters are hard to play. You cannot simply write them off as murderhobos and call it a day, especially in a world such as infinitum. Such actions will cause the police to begin hunting you, and in all likelyhood, will cause players to begin hunting you. Therefore, you must toe the line. There is nothing wrong with playing an evil character in Infinitum, but there are consequences, and you will have to be smart if you want to avoid these consequences
The quotes provided are from characters in literature I am familiar with that are examples of evil characters that I feel would make good evil player characters. They are smart and either ensure they are untouchable, make allies that make them untouchable, or are powerful enough to be untouchable by their adversaries.
That being said, this is a place to play what you want and enjoy yourself. It's no fun if everyone is a good guy. We just don't want our bad guys being instantly caught. A good rule of thumb for you: "Can the villian carry the plot forward if they defeat or kill the hero? If not, they are not a good villian."[/warning]
Lawful Evil
"One day, probably soon, you'll get yourself killed thanks to that irrational set of compulsions you call a conscience, long before my name tops your list. I needn't lift a finger. Giving you information seems an excellent way to accelerate that process. It will also tax the resources of my enemies. And . . . I believe I have no objection to contributing against any organization that would victimize children so."
-"Gentleman" Johnny Marcone, The Dresden Files
Paizo wrote:Lawful evil represents methodical, intentional, and organized evil.
Lawful evil characters believe that law and structure mean power and safety. In their view, a strict, systematic hierarchy enables outcomes impossible for a single individual, so they seek power and security by positioning themselves advantageously within such systems. They may operate according to strict personal codes—private ethics or creeds that may not align with an observer’s concept of morality—but more often choose to operate within (and take advantage of ) the framework of the society around them. Many are quick to cite their law-abiding natures when defending their actions. This alignment is particularly appealing to those who want to get ahead and don’t care whom they hurt, yet who also want to maintain a sense of self-righteousness or don’t want to open themselves up to unnecessary risk. They may take great pride in never breaking their word—and thus rarely make promises—and are invariably methodical and organized in their machinations.
A LE character is likely the least recognizable as evil, as they are often the spider in the center of a web, relaying orders to minions that ensure nothing can lead back to their employer. These characters toe the law, and are likely untouchable legally, as everything they do is adherent to the law, even as their actions are morally reprehensible.
Often a Lawful Evil character's driving force is a personal moral code, whether that be that they never lie, or perhaps they won't harm innocents. Whatever it may be, they adhere to that code closer than they do to the law, and to break it would be anathema to them.
That isn't to say that lawful evil can't take an even darker turn. Not all lawful evil characters are so "noble" and some merely hide behind the law in it's entirety. As opposed to appearing to be upstanding citizens, they are obviously reprehensible beings, toeing the line of the law and flaunting the fact they are uncatchable, as no judge could ever convict them, and any vigilante action against them would be assault.
Compliance will be Rewarded -Red Fel, Giant in the Playground Forums
Neutral Evil
"I do not consider you to be truly alive. Ergo, I will not be guilty of murder if I kill you." -Emet Selch, Final Fantasy XIV
Paizo wrote:A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusions that following laws, traditions, or codes would make her any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn’t have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has.
Neutral evil represents pure evil without honor and without variation.
NE is opportunistic. They don't have the scheming plots of the lawful evil, nor are they the kill-happy murderhobos of chaotic evil. They seek to gain, nothing more, and will do anything which they can get away with to do so. Often, Neutral Evil characters see other beings as lesser than themselves, and generally lack the empathy to relate to someone else. They are not simple however. A Neutral evil character still has goals and motivations, and being unbound by morality and laws does not mean there are not still obstacles in the way.
Additional Reading:
By NE Means Necessary -Mrs Kat, Giant in the Playground
Chaotic Evil
"Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just... do things. The mob has plans, the cops have plans, Gordon's got plans. You know, they're schemers. Schemers trying to control their little worlds. I'm not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are." -The Joker, The Dark Knight
Paizo wrote:A chaotic evil character does what his greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drive him to do. He is vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. If he is simply out for whatever he can get, he is ruthless and brutal. If he is committed to the spread of evil and chaos, he is even worse. Thankfully, his plans are haphazard, and any groups he joins or forms are likely to be poorly organized. Typically, chaotic evil people can be made to work together only by force, and their leader lasts only as long as he can thwart attempts to topple or assassinate him.
Chaotic evil represents the destruction not only of beauty and life, but also of the order on which beauty and life depend.
So. everything I said about evil characters before? Throw it out. Well most of it. CE is the murderhobo. They can and will kill indiscriminately, purely for the hell of it. Honestly, there are far too many fantastic quotes for this alignment, and I nearly couldn't pick. The only reason Vaas from Far Cry 3 didn't win was because his quote was too long.
Now, the important thing to know is that Chaotic Evil is not Chaotic Stupid. They are perfectly capable of planning, and in all likelihood, they will prefer to plan for maximum destruction. If they aren't they are going to be caught. Quickly. As fun as it is to be completely spontaneous and kill anybody you want, it's hardly the recipe for a long-term character. However, sometimes, these CE villians are lucky enough to be put on a figurative (or literal) leash by a villain who recognize the value of the long-term plan. That see the destructive power behind a CE character and want to have that weapon on standby. These masters have a lot of trouble ahead of them, satiating the CE's lust for violence so they don't escape, without revealing their secret weapon. But it makes the reveal all the more interesting.
Additional Reading:
No Limits, No Regrets TheAltruistOrc, Giant in the Playground
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