Anaya Nolan
In the world of Dungeons and Dragons, an arcane trickster is a character class that wields magic and has stealth capabilities. To become an arcane trickster, a character must be of any non-lawful alignment and meet certain skill requirements. Alignment in D&D is a spectrum that determines a character's morality and values, with 'Lawful Neutral' indicating a character who cares more about law and order than about other people. While an arcane trickster cannot be 'Lawful Neutral' due to the class requirement of being non-lawful, players can create characters with a range of alignments, including Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, and True Neutral. Ultimately, a player's character alignment is determined by their motivations and actions, and it is up to the player to decide how their character behaves and evolves throughout the game.
What You'll Learn
Arcane tricksters must be non-lawful
To become an arcane trickster, a character's alignment must be non-lawful. This means that an arcane trickster cannot be lawful neutral, as this would contradict the requirement for a non-lawful alignment.
An arcane trickster is a character class in the role-playing game Pathfinder, and later editions of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). In these games, a character's alignment represents their moral and ethical outlook, and how they interact with the world around them. The alignments are typically divided into two categories: Lawful or Chaotic, and Good or Evil.
A lawful character tends to follow rules and traditions, and they value order and structure. On the other hand, a chaotic character prioritizes freedom and flexibility, often acting unpredictably and embracing change. Neutral characters fall between these two extremes, and they may have a mix of lawful and chaotic tendencies, or they may strive for balance between the two.
When it comes to good or evil alignments, a good character generally acts with compassion and seeks to help others, while an evil character may be selfish or cruel, prioritizing their own desires over the well-being of others. A neutral character in this context does not actively seek to harm others, but they may be indifferent to the suffering of those around them.
Arcane tricksters, as a character class, are known for their cunning and their ability to use magic and stealth to their advantage. Their non-lawful alignment suggests that they embrace a certain level of chaos or neutrality in their approach to problem-solving and decision-making. They may be willing to bend or break rules, act deceptively, or prioritize their own interests over strict adherence to laws or societal norms.
While an arcane trickster cannot be lawful neutral, they can still exhibit a range of behaviours and motivations within the non-lawful alignment. They might be chaotic neutral, embracing change and freedom while remaining indifferent to the concepts of good and evil. Alternatively, they could be chaotic good, striving to do what they believe is right, even if it means breaking rules or acting outside the boundaries of traditional morality. Ultimately, the specific alignment and personality traits of an arcane trickster character will depend on the player's choices and the narrative direction of the game.
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Alignment is flexible and depends on character motivations
In the D&D universe, alignment is a way to categorize a character's moral and ethical outlook, encompassing both their philosophical leanings and their approach to interacting with others. The "lawful neutral" alignment, for example, suggests a character who prioritizes order, structure, and a consistent set of rules above individual desires or community expectations. They may believe in the inherent goodness of maintaining a stable society, even if that means occasionally restricting personal freedoms.
However, an arcane trickster character could still exhibit lawful neutral tendencies. For instance, they might be motivated by a desire to uphold a specific code of conduct or set of principles that guides their actions. Perhaps they have a personal code of honor that dictates their behavior, or they could be devoted to a deity or organization with a strict set of rules that they strive to follow. In this case, their trickster nature could manifest as a cunning and mischievous approach to upholding their chosen code, rather than outright chaos or rule-breaking.
Additionally, the concept of "lawfulness" can be interpreted in different ways. A lawful character might be committed to a personal code of conduct, a specific set of laws within their society, or a broader sense of cosmic order. Their adherence to this code could be rigid and unwavering, or it could be more flexible, allowing for exceptions and adaptations as they see fit. The specific motivations and interpretations of the character can thus influence how their alignment is expressed.
Ultimately, alignment is a tool to help guide role-playing and decision-making, but it is not meant to be a restrictive label. As one player noted, "Your character isn't driven to do what they do because they're Chaotic Good, they're Chaotic Good because of what they're driven to do." This perspective underscores the idea that a character's alignment should reflect their intrinsic motivations and values, rather than being a prescriptive set of rules that dictate their every action. As such, an arcane trickster can certainly exhibit lawful neutral tendencies if their motivations and values align with that particular alignment.
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Lawful neutral characters value law over people
To become an arcane trickster, a character's alignment must be non-lawful. This means that an arcane trickster can be chaotic good, chaotic neutral, chaotic evil, neutral good, true neutral, or neutral evil. They cannot be lawful good, lawful neutral, or lawful evil.
Lawful neutral characters value law and order over people. They are obsessed with justice and punishing criminals, but they lack the drive to be moral. They are often creatures of habit and highly organised. They are only interested in maintaining or expanding laws to cover every foreseeable problem within society without compassion or moral judgment. They are not concerned with the effectiveness of the government as long as it functions. They apply laws in a rigid manner, focusing on the letter of the law rather than its spirit.
Lawful neutral characters respect authority figures and obey their mandates. They value lifelong commitment to a romantic partner and obey all personal contracts. They support the legal procedures of their nation, even if it causes them discomfort. They consider public service in a leadership role an honour.
Examples of lawful neutral characters include Dwight Schrute from "The Office," who wants complete control over the branch, and the Blue Fairy from "Once Upon a Time," who strictly enforces the rules, even when they lead to questionable moral judgments. In "Unforgiven," Sheriff Daggett is another example; he enforces the law brutally but consistently.
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Chaotic neutral characters steal from those who can spare it
To become an arcane trickster, a character's alignment must be non-lawful. This means that a character can be chaotic neutral and become an arcane trickster.
Chaotic neutral characters are often portrayed as "greedy", and stealing is a common trait associated with them. However, this does not mean that they steal indiscriminately or with malicious intent. Chaotic neutral characters are not inherently evil and do not go out of their way to harm others. They steal when they need to, or when it serves their self-interest, but not purely for the pleasure of causing despair. They do not steal from those who need what is being stolen, but rather from those who can spare it or will not miss it.
For example, in the movie "Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland", the character Flip is described as chaotic neutral. He is willing to steal, but only when he needs to or wants to, and he does not intentionally cause harm. Similarly, in "Star Wars", Han Solo and Lando Calrissian are initially portrayed as chaotic neutral characters, as they are criminals who are only out for themselves but are not malicious.
Chaotic neutral characters lack an inherent, objective value system, but this does not mean they lack values and morals altogether. They simply do not project their values onto others or consider them important outside of themselves. They generally leave others alone, and any harm that comes to others because of their actions is incidental.
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Arcane tricksters can be high elves
To qualify as an arcane trickster, a character's alignment must be non-lawful. This means that an arcane trickster can be lawful neutral if their alignment is neutral towards the law, but they cannot have a lawful alignment.
High-elf arcane tricksters can also make use of certain racial abilities. For example, high elves receive a longbow as their racial weapon, which means they don't need a ranged cantrip. Additionally, high elves have access to the Cantrip Prestidigitation, which can be used for a variety of creative purposes.
When building a high-elf arcane trickster, it is important to consider the character's abilities and how they can be used creatively to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Players should also keep in mind the character's background and personality, which can influence their alignment and the way they interact with the world and other characters.
Overall, being an arcane trickster offers players the best of both the rogue and caster worlds, allowing them to be versatile in their playstyle and approach to challenges.
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Frequently asked questions
No, an Arcane Trickster cannot be Lawful Neutral as the prerequisite alignment for this character class is any non-lawful alignment.
A character with a Lawful Neutral alignment cares more about the law itself than other people. They value order and rules above the needs of individuals.
An Arcane Trickster can be any non-lawful alignment. This includes Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil, or True Neutral.
Alignment is a tricky subject, and different players will have different interpretations. Generally, a character's alignment is determined by their motivations and actions. A good rule of thumb is that a Good character will avoid harming innocents, a Neutral character will avoid actively causing harm, and an Evil character will actively harm innocents to achieve their goals.
