Introduction
Alignment. We all know about it, but not all of us like or care about it. That said, there are plenty of posts on the r/DnDBehindTheScreen regarding alignment, variants of it, the philosophy behind it, etc, if you wish to read them. I personally enjoy alignment, but I understand the reason why some people criticize it. That said, I will say that this post can be useful to you no matter where you stand on alignment.
Basically, after looking through the r/DnDBehindTheScreen subreddit and the official books, I found that there was plenty of stuff about alignment, but none of them said anything like "these are the types of ideals that someone of this alignment might have". So, after pouring through the EasyDamus Aligment page and the various backgrounds in the PHB and other books, I compiled a list of ideals according to alignment, and then added some original ideals for a total of ten per alignment.
Usage
These ideals can be used to flesh out the NPCs in your world. You can choose ideals according to their alignment, or you can choose some ideals and then decide alignment afterwards.
While these ideals can obviously be given to PCs, they are primarily meant for use with your NPCs. For example, say you want to make a master thief NPC that runs the Thieves Guild in a backwater city. Perhaps you want her to be CN with a slightly evil bent, which would encourage her to conflict with your party in some way. You can give her the following ideals listed at the end of this post:
- Simplicity (Neutral). Perhaps this thief is laid back and lazy in personality
- Dishonesty (Chaos). It would make sense for her to frequently use deceit to help advance herself and the Guild
- Greed (Evil). As long as she gets her money, she won't care that much if others get hurt in the process
- Indulgence (Chaos). Perhaps she uses her money to buy luxuries and alcohol
- People (Neutral). Give this thief some friends or family that she has a soft spot for
Now, let's see how these ideals interact:
- Simplicity and Indulgence work together to create the ultimate dream for her: a simple life of booze, luxury, and relaxation.
- Greed and People conflict with each other: she likes her close friends and family, but if the situation arises, would she be greedy enough to screw them over for more money?
- Dishonesty is a method to satisfy her Greed, which in turn feeds her Indulgence. Pretty vicious cycle if you ask me.
So in conclusion, this example shows that just by starting with an alignment and general background, you can use these ideals to build a multi-faceted, unique NPC just by filling in the blanks as you see fit.
That said, this specific list of ideals is not meant to be encompassing or definitive. You obviously can't sum up all of morality via fifty one-line statements. They are a starting point, or an extra tool in your toolbox, for you to build characters with, as shown above. These ideals are also designed not to "take over" a character, or to force them into one personality trope.
Do note that characters can have multiple ideals that conflict with each other or are part of different alignments. For example, the githzerai are typically lawful neutral, but they have many ideals that fall under the chaotic neutral category. You can use this to your advantage: perhaps it can set up a moral dilemma that the character might need to face, or maybe it can be used as a way to deconstruct the very idea of alignment in your game world.
Major and Minor Ideals
Each alignment below has five major ideals and five minor ideals. Major ideals are what I consider to be the "core" of the alignment, the most common ideals that its paragons might share. Meanwhile, minor ideals might be a little less common, or perhaps they represent different "branches" of the same alignment. This doesn't mean that minor ideals are "less important", though: it all depends on the character itself to prioritize their ideals.
Determining Alignment
You may wish to decide on an alignment based on the ideals you give a character. If you'd like, you can weigh major ideals more heavily than minor ideals, but this isn't a requirement. Similarly, you can weigh neutral ideals towards True Neutral, or maybe you can simply not count them at all, as appropriate. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide how you want to use these.
Rolling the Dice
Want to roll some dice? Roll 2d6. The first die represents good versus evil: 1-2 is good, 3-4 is neutral, and 5-6 is evil. The second represents law versus chaos: 1-2 is lawful, 3-4 is neutral, and 5-6 is chaotic. This determines your desired alignment.
For each result you get, you can roll one major ideal and one minor ideal. For each category (major and minor), roll a d6, rerolling a 6 until you get a value between 1 and 5. The value you get determines which ideal you pick. If you don't care about the major and minor distinction, you can just roll a d10 for the whole list.
Disclaimer
I'm not that good at writing fluff and flavor text. You might find that some of the ideals here aren't that good, or perhaps they are entirely wrong. Please point them out when you find them.
You might also find that building a character with just these ideals is a bit shallow. A character should have more to them than just their alignment. Even if their personal goal is to further the cause of their alignment (I'm looking at you, Vhailor), personality traits and flaws are needed to fully flesh them out.
Also, note that the summaries for each alignment below are taken from the EasyDamus site linked earlier.
Good
"Good" implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Good characters make personal sacrifices to help others.
Major
Here are some major good ideals.
Beauty. The joys of life must be protected and cultivated.
Compassion. I show kindness and love to those that deserve them.
Charity. I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost.
Humane. Cruelty and suffering directed at the innocent are to be avoided and resisted.
Teamwork. Working together allows us to help more people in need.
Minor
Here are some minor good ideals.
Lead by Example. By performing good acts, I can inspire others to do the same.
Optimism. Even in the worst of tradegies, I try to inspire hope and well-being in myself and others, knowing that our wounds can be healed with both time and effort.
Peace. Violence is a weapon of last resort. Diplomacy and understanding are the paths to long-lasting peace.
Redemption. There's a spark of good in everyone.
Righteous. If I come across some form of evil, I am obliged to oppose it. I will not stand idle or remain a bystander.
Evil
"Evil" implies hurting, oppressing, and killing others. Some evil creatures simply have no compassion for others and kill without qualms if doing so is convenient. Others actively pursue evil, killing for sport or out of duty to some evil deity or master.
Major
Here are some major evil ideals.
Ambition. The need to improve my station drives my every action.
Cruelty. Strength without regular demonstrations of its potential is an empty weapon.
Greed. I am at the center of all my actions. Everything I do is meant to benefit me in some way.
Malice. Kindness and compassion are for the weak. I only use them to further my ambitions.
Might. Those who are faster, stronger, or more cunning deserve to be on top.
Minor
Here are some minor evil ideals.
Competition. In order to remain on top, I need to suppress those that would threaten me.
Cunning. I take advantage of opportunities and favorable situations in order to further my goals.
Pessimism. I live in a cruel, uncaring world. I need to do whatever I can do survive and to succeed.
Uncaring. Death, torture, and suffering are permissible and even desirable in many cases. There isn't much that phases me.
Vengeful. One day, I will have revenge on those who have wronged me.
Law
"Law" implies honor, trustworthiness, obedience to authority, and reliability. On the downside, lawfulness can include close-mindedness, reactionary adherence to tradition, judgmentalness, and a lack of adaptability. Those who consciously promote lawfulness say that only lawful behavior creates a society in which people can depend on each other and make the right decisions in full confidence that others will act as they should.
Major
Here are some major lawful ideals.
Code. I have a personal code or set of principles that I use to guide my thoughts and actions.
Justice. A community built upon just foundations will uphold prosperity for all.
Loyalty. I keep my vows and respect those who do the same. My word is my bond.
Order. Society functions only if people do their duty and respect those in authority.
Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine.
Minor
Here are some minor lawful ideals.
Austerity. Punishment must be given to those who break the law or otherwise invite disorder into my community.
Community. It is the duty of all people to strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilization.
Honor. I treat others with fairness and civility with the expectation that others will do the same.
Logic. Emotions must not cloud our sense of what is right and true, or our logical thinking.
Tradition. I bring honor to my community by upholding their laws and traditions.
Chaos
"Chaos" implies freedom, adaptability, and flexibility. On the downside, chaos can include recklessness, resentment toward legitimate authority, arbitrary actions, and irresponsibility. Those who promote chaotic behavior say that only unfettered personal freedom allows people to express themselves fully and lets society benefit from the potential that its individuals have within them.
Major
Here are some major chaotic ideals.
Anti-Authority. I actively avoid or challenge any authority that would restrict my freedom.
Freedom. Everyone should be free to pursue their own livelihood.
Independence. I am not beholden to any one community, organization, or person.
Self-Fulfillment. Achieving my goal comes before everyone and everything else.
Spontaneity. I listen to what my gut tells me, rather than debating about the correct course of action.
Minor
Here are some minor chaotic ideals.
Change. Traditions and laws are worthless and should be discarded.
Dishonesty. I am not afraid to lie or to break my promises if it means getting my way or advancing my goals.
Indulgence. I strive to take as much pleasure as I can from every moment of life.
Flexibility. I can adjust easily to new situations, environments, and people.
Variety. I tend to search for new opportunities for success, better places to live, or fresh new ways to derive excitement and joy in my life.
Neutrality
A neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. They don't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil-after all, they would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, they are not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way.
Major
Here are some major neutral ideals.
Balance. Too much of any single ideal can be dangerous if left unchecked.
Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of others is a great way to get into trouble.
People. I'm committed to the people I trust, love, and respect, rather than (just) ideals.
Tolerance. I tolerate those that tolerate me and my way of life, even if I disagree with them.
Stoicism. The universe does as it pleases, and will continue on with or without me.
Minor
Here are some minor neutral ideals.
Conformity. I go along with what everyone else is doing.
Impartial. I prefer not to take sides during an ethical debate.
Nature. The natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilization.
Perseverance. No injury or obstacle can turn me from my goal.
Simplicity. Life is best when I can take it easy without any complications.