Breaking Down the Character Alignment System: Chaotic Good

*Originally published on 3/25/12



Chaotic good characters are the type of characters who will break the law and defy authority in order to achieve a greater goal and preserve the rights of others. Often times, these characters fall under the category of "freedom fighter" or "rebel".

This isn't, of course, a necessary part of the alignment, but it is a pretty solid example of how the alignment works. It gives you a starting point to get a general grasp of the concept, though there are plenty of characters that fall under the alignment, but don't necessarily fit the bill of either freedom fighter or rebel.

Much like with neutral good, the morality of a chaotic good character is inherent in the people themselves as opposed to being part of a sense of duty or obligation. They choose to do what they do, and they do it with a passion.

While chaotic good characters often flout whatever laws or rules may intend to impede them, these characters aren't anti-heroes in the sense that you normally think of the term. They rarely use extreme measures unless absolutely necessary.

They are, first and foremost, free spirits. They don't care for any sort of system getting in the way of personal liberty and strongly believe in people using their own conscience as their guide.

Not surprisingly, this leads to some interesting interaction when said chaotic good character is interacting with some figure of authority. Suffice it to say the authority figures don't care for people of this type. Conversely, chaotic good characters don't care for the authority figures either. Even when their goals may be aligned, there could still be clashes between the two different philosophies.

There is a bit of a hedonistic streak to this alignment. They act impulsively and this short-term thinking can sometimes prove problematic. They may topple an oppressive government, but won't plan for what would take its place. Or they may just assume that letting people do as they do is system enough and just walk away.

In terms of role playing, chaotic good does seem to be one of the alignments that has the most appeal. It has a certain flair that, I think, gives players something to really bite into when giving their character a personality. It would also make for great interaction as the other character types might or might not buy into the philosophy.