Character suggestion - chaotic bend

[KyleG]

Suddenly find myself in need of a new character but looking thru my ideas I seem to always create characters of a lawful nature. Now for my second attempt with this party I want to be more closely aligned.
The party consists of level 6, trickster rogue, barbarian, moon druid, and ranger/scout - archery based.

Obviously we lack a magical focus so I have very unfleshed out ideas for the following:
1. Fighter 1/ necromancer 5 - a character who murdered a wizard for his spellbook just so he could raise his brothers and is now directionless.
2. I really like tempest cleric but I can't think of how to give a chaotic bend being okay with blatant theft or murder, the current idea is far too honourable/lawful
3. Wild magic sorcerer could be fun and this character I feel could be young and impressionable enough that alignment shouldn't be a problem
4. Some other sort of wizard, but abit mix matched like a goliath perhaps.
5. ?????

Each of these would play quite differently I imagine but its getting that chaotic aspect in right that I need help with the most.

[Magicspook]

I really like your first idea (the fighter/necro)!

I think it's uncommon for players to be lawfuk by default (you're special!). I wish some of the people I played with were like that.

#1 when playing a chaotic character: *don't* be some random ass who does stuff 'for the lolz' or otherwise for no reason. The thing about chaotic characters is that they take the shortest route towards their goal, without sticking to convention or law.
A lawful character walks that little extra bit towards the crosswalk before crossing the street, while the chaotic character waits until no cars are coming and then legs it across. Neither character crosses the streets randomly when there's cars coming, because neither have a death wish.

[dragoeniex]

I agree that lawful tendencies, in my experience, are a bit rarer. Nothing wrong with that, but it's interesting to hear from someone who tends that way by default!

Many of the Tempest Cleric's would-be deities are evil, and I believe one or two are neutral. Ferocity of nature and the storm and all. You don't have to be evil or brutal to serve an entity like that, but I'm sure having some obligation to one would at least see you more accustomed to harsh methods.

I'd like to ask: Is your party chaotic-leaning, or evil-leaning? It's hard to tell from the description. And there's a difference between someone who uses espionage, deception, and the calculated removal of threats to the greater good and someone who looks for opportunities to get murder happy, imo.

I'm a big fan of guile heroes, but it's unclear if that's what you're wanting here.

[KyleG]

I agree that lawful tendencies, in my experience, are a bit rarer. Nothing wrong with that, but it's interesting to hear from someone who tends that way by default!

Many of the Tempest Cleric's would-be deities are evil, and I believe one or two are neutral. Ferocity of nature and the storm and all. You don't have to be evil or brutal to serve an entity like that, but I'm sure having some obligation to one would at least see you more accustomed to harsh methods.

I'd like to ask: Is your party chaotic-leaning, or evil-leaning? It's hard to tell from the description. And there's a difference between someone who uses espionage, deception, and the calculated removal of threats to the greater good and someone who looks for opportunities to get murder happy, imo.

I'm a big fan of guile heroes, but it's unclear if that's what you're wanting here.

The party isnt what i would define as evil, although they have done evil things but they are all more about either themselves or the lines of "if i can, why not". My previous character was LN and his whole shtick was a sense of purpose, honour and his own definition of right and wrong. Stealing because he looked rich = wrong. Stealing because this guy had stolen/killed others "because they could" = ok.
Killing villagers who attacked the party = ok. Going back to finish off the villagers after they retreated not so much. And guilt wasnt an issue either, even after finding out why they attacked. He was an eye for an eye sort of guy.

I define Lawful not about societys rule but about a characters core beliefs (which in a lot of cases are defined by society).

Funnily enough the tempest i had been playing around with is also Lawful by that standard. Possibly more lawful good in service of his god bringing change as directed. Change with a purpose not for the sake of it. Which is why I've lent away from this.

[GreyBlack]

Suddenly find myself in need of a new character but looking thru my ideas I seem to always create characters of a lawful nature. Now for my second attempt with this party I want to be more closely aligned.
The party consists of level 6, trickster rogue, barbarian, moon druid, and ranger/scout - archery based.

Obviously we lack a magical focus so I have very unfleshed out ideas for the following:
1. Fighter 1/ necromancer 5 - a character who murdered a wizard for his spellbook just so he could raise his brothers and is now directionless.
2. I really like tempest cleric but I can't think of how to give a chaotic bend being okay with blatant theft or murder, the current idea is far too honourable/lawful
3. Wild magic sorcerer could be fun and this character I feel could be young and impressionable enough that alignment shouldn't be a problem
4. Some other sort of wizard, but abit mix matched like a goliath perhaps.
5. ?????

Each of these would play quite differently I imagine but its getting that chaotic aspect in right that I need help with the most.

Easy. Make a Robin Hood type character; a character who thinks the current order needs to be brought low in order to restore some better order. Still Chaotic, just not "trolololrandom". This could be great for the Tempest cleric if you wanted to go that route.

[KyleG]

Easy. Make a Robin Hood type character; a character who thinks the current order needs to be brought low in order to restore some better order. Still Chaotic, just not "trolololrandom". This could be great for the Tempest cleric if you wanted to go that route.

Maybe MY interpretation of lawful and chaotic is off as i would consider Robin Hood lawful with his own sense of honour and right and wrong. Maybe im twisting my sense of good and evil into the chaotic lawful spectrum.
I think of lawful-chaotic more like order-chaos and Robin Hood wants to restore order from the current one under the sheriff etc.

[GreyBlack]

Maybe MY interpretation of lawful and chaotic is off as i would consider Robin Hood lawful with his own sense of honour and right and wrong. Maybe im twisting my sense of good and evil into the chaotic lawful spectrum.
I think of lawful-chaotic more like order-chaos and Robin Hood wants to restore order from the current one under the sheriff etc.

Entirely possible. I'm a veteran of older editions (started in 2e) and originally, the Law/Chaos continuum was literally a question of whether you thought society was a good idea or not. Lawful Evil wants society to exist so they can twist it to their own ends, while Chaotic Good wants to break society because they view it as corrupt. In that vein, Robin Hood is the prototypical Chaotic Good character; he robs from society and fights against it for the benefit of those who are trodden upon by the powers that be. A Lawful Good character would try to work within the system to bring about change to benefit the downtrodden, but he wouldn't generally go so far as to bring down society unless he thought it was corrupt.

Lawful good (LG) creatures can be counted on to do the right thing as expected by society

Chaotic good (CG) creatures act as their conscience directs, with little regard for what others expect.

Except those last 2 lines (direct quotes from the PHB), take all of that with a mountain of salt.