Quote Originally Posted by willpell View Post
I've often thought that alignment should perhaps work by a points-based system - every act has a morality value, adjusted based on circumstances, and a certain number of evil acts eventually make you Evil if not balanced by good acts, with perhaps automatic accumulation of points of whichever side is dominant, so that the slope grows slipperier once you pass a tipping point and start to find the once-taboo idea growing more seductive. It'd be very difficult to adjudicate well, and very easy to do so poorly, and double that on the L/C axis. But for a video game or something it'd be perfect, and for a game where the DM doesn't mind being a little OCD, it might work.
I have a 3rd party book (GASP!!HORROR!!) by RPGObjects about using D&D to play in Arthurian England; it's called Legends of Excalibur. Instead of alignment, LoE has a mechanic called Nobility- it's rated on a scale of 0-100, with 0 basically meaning you're Adolf Hitler and 100 meaning you're Galahad-pure-and-good. Acts that protect the innocent and helpless or defend society and its mores increase Nobility, while acts against the powers that be or of despicable barbarism decrease your Nobility.

Your nobility has additional in game effects, such as a weapon property that gives bonus damage against those whose Nobility is less than yours. It may also affect how NPCs interact with you; wanna hobnob with and make contacts among the nobility? Better get yours up to be commensurate with theirs, as a "robber baron" with low low Nobility is gonna get the cold shoulder, no matter how wealthy and finely dressed he is.

I myself like the mechanic. It gives your actions more of an in-game effect beyond "I'm Lawful Evil so Holy weapons do extra damage to me and I make Paladins uncomfortable".


Mostly that they're really, really weak...and more to the point, <SNIP>
For a more detailed assessment, check out this long-beloved guide: Zaq's Truenamer guide/warning.
Yeah, I started reading that this morning. Pretty much has all the same problems I saw and encountered in play with the TNamer. :( A shame, really. I like the idea... really, I do. :'(