en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alignment_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)
2 corrections found
AD&D 2nd Edition, released in 1988, retained the two-axis system.
AD&D 2nd Edition was released in 1989, not 1988.
Full reasoning
This sentence gives the wrong release year for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition. Bibliographic and archival records for the 2nd-edition Player's Handbook list it as published in 1989 (including a March 1989 edition), not 1988. Since the core 2nd-edition rulebooks debuted in 1989, saying the edition was released in 1988 is incorrect.
2 sources
- 2nd Edition Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook 1st print ... Item Code: 2101 ... Published: 1989 ... Format: 256-page hardback book.
- Player's Handbook by David Cook | Open Library
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition, Player's Handbook ... Publish Date 1989 ... Player's Handbook March 1989 ... Copyright Date 1989.
In that edition, "good" replaced neutral good and did not encompass chaotic good; "evil" replaced neutral evil and did not encompass lawful evil; "unaligned" replaced true neutral and did not encompass lawful neutral and chaotic neutral.
This misstates how 4th-edition alignments mapped to other editions. Official Wizards guidance says 4e good corresponds to neutral good or chaotic good, evil to lawful evil or neutral evil, and unaligned to lawful neutral, neutral, or chaotic neutral.
Full reasoning
This sentence incorrectly says 4th edition's simplified alignments did not encompass several older alignments. Wizards of the Coast's official conversion guidance says the opposite:
- a 4th edition good character should become neutral good or chaotic good;
- a 4th edition evil character should become lawful evil or neutral evil;
- a 4th edition unaligned character should become lawful neutral, neutral, or chaotic neutral.
So 4e's simplified categories did in practice cover those older alignment positions. The article's claim that good did not encompass chaotic good, evil did not encompass lawful evil, and unaligned did not encompass lawful neutral and chaotic neutral is contradicted by official Wizards guidance.
1 source
- Conversions to 5th Edition D&D
For fourth edition, a good character should be your choice of neutral good or chaotic good. An evil character should be your choice of lawful evil or neutral evil. An unaligned character is your choice of lawful neutral, neutral, or chaotic neutral.