Quote from: RPGPundit;564720Maybe "alignment language" is more how like, when you meet someone new and after sussing out how they're dressed, how they talk, their attitudes, you tell yourself "this guy's probably a tea-party republican".

Or maybe its like gaydar.

RPGPundit

Now I want to ask someone how is their Feydar.

Quote from: RPGPundit;564720Maybe "alignment language" is more how like, when you meet someone new and after sussing out how they're dressed, how they talk, their attitudes, you tell yourself "this guy's probably a tea-party republican".

Or maybe its like gaydar.

RPGPundit

I think that makes quite a bit of sense.  Each political affiliation has their 'code words', like "job creators" or maybe "deficit reduction".  As you say, listen for a few minutes and you can usually tell which side of the aisle someone is most likely to sit.

Quote from: StormBringer;564729I think that makes quite a bit of sense.  Each political affiliation has their 'code words', like "job creators" or maybe "deficit reduction".  As you say, listen for a few minutes and you can usually tell which side of the aisle someone is most likely to sit.

That's my thinking as well.  Certain code words identify political affiliation, and I'm sure that certain code words identify other portions of an NPCs/PCs outlook.  That's what I get as far as alignment languages go.

Quote from: flyerfan1991;564740That's my thinking as well.  Certain code words identify political affiliation, and I'm sure that certain code words identify other portions of an NPCs/PCs outlook.  That's what I get as far as alignment languages go.

It still sort of implies that people in D&D-land actually know what "lawful good" or "neutral evil" are, doesn't it? They are actually in-game phenomena - not just ways of categorising beliefs on the meta-game level.

Quote from: noisms;564935It still sort of implies that people in D&D-land actually know what "lawful good" or "neutral evil" are, doesn't it? They are actually in-game phenomena - not just ways of categorising beliefs on the meta-game level.

worse it also assumes that they communicate with other people of the same ideology

Cult tongues fine; political languages that trickle along with certain underground ideologies fine; secret trade craft tongues fine; alignment languages ...daft.

Quote from: flyerfan1991;564740That's my thinking as well.  Certain code words identify political affiliation, and I'm sure that certain code words identify other portions of an NPCs/PCs outlook.  That's what I get as far as alignment languages go.

I don't think it was supposed to be any more complicated than that, anyway.  The section on alignment languages even states you don't carry on a conversation in "chaotic good"; it's more of a poor man's detect alignment that doesn't always work partly due to assassins being able to learn different alignment languages.

I always took alignment languages to be a representation of slang and body language.

IRL I have a friend is who is very like minded to me. I usually tell the story where we were on opposite side of the room at a party, and without words I let him know I was going to fight this one particular a-hole. No words, and barely even even gestures but he knew what I needed.

Generally, I let players use alignment language to speak out loud to each other in slang and innuendo, or to convey simple ideas silently (like "Imma about to bust this punk's face.")

Quote from: Pariah74;565047I always took alignment languages to be a representation of slang and body language.

IRL I have a friend is who is very like minded to me. I usually tell the story where we were on opposite side of the room at a party, and without words I let him know I was going to fight this one particular a-hole. No words, and barely even even gestures but he knew what I needed.

Generally, I let players use alignment language to speak out loud to each other in slang and innuendo, or to convey simple ideas silently (like "Imma about to bust this punk's face.")

Cool story bro.

Quote from: Pariah74;565047I always took alignment languages to be a representation of slang and body language.

IRL I have a friend is who is very like minded to me. I usually tell the story where we were on opposite side of the room at a party, and without words I let him know I was going to fight this one particular a-hole. No words, and barely even even gestures but he knew what I needed.

Generally, I let players use alignment language to speak out loud to each other in slang and innuendo, or to convey simple ideas silently (like "Imma about to bust this punk's face.")

The First Rule about Alignment Languages is that you Dont Talk about Alignment Languages.

Quote from: noisms;565195Cool story bro.

People still say that? Okay. You're welcome.

Quote from: noisms;564935It still sort of implies that people in D&D-land actually know what "lawful good" or "neutral evil" are, doesn't it? They are actually in-game phenomena - not just ways of categorising beliefs on the meta-game level.

Inhabitants don't sit around saying "I'm Lawful Good," because that's a meta-game thing.  However, they let slip certain phrases, like "legality", "rightful rule", and "code of laws" in their speech that reflect lawful intent.  And words like "do the right thing" or "do good" reflect the goodness behind their intent.

So while the inhabitants don't understand alignments as we know them, they do understand those code words.  People who have a similar outlook will recognize them more easily than those who don't, and people who try to espouse those words without deeds to back them up sound fake.

I consider alignment languages one of the all-time silliest concepts ever introduced to gaming. Just absurd.

You don't think absolutely absurd is a bit close minded, since several people gave reasonable real world analogies for it?

If you don't like it as a game device, that's one thing, but it doesn't sound like that's what you're saying.

Could you explain what you mean by absurd?

Quote from: Pariah74;565287You don't think absolutely absurd is a bit close minded, since several people gave reasonable real world analogies for it?

If you don't like it as a game device, that's one thing, but it doesn't sound like that's what you're saying.

Could you explain what you mean by absurd?

There is a difference between code words and phrases or framing references and an actual language. And that switching alignments would somehow magically transfer that knowledge to the person. This was such a left-field idea I just could not fathom how anyone thought it should be included in the game. What purpose did it serve? It was possibly the first rule we ignored. It added nothing.

There actually is little difference between code words, references and body language and an actual language. But then, the game never says it's an actual language. Language is a mode for conveying thoughts and ideas. If your paradigm shifts, so would your mode of referencing that. Somebody who is in deep with a particular culture could convey ideas simply by referencing common things.

Your grandmother would likely be utterly confused by the sentence, "He kept rolling that d20 but his weapon was nerfed. But the encounter was just a big gazebo situation or we would have had a TPK," but everyone on this board got the gist of what I said.

I think sometimes people get caught up on it being a "language" and read the word "hand signals" and think of something formal and structured like military hand signals. I don't think that's what it is at all. It's more like knowing what somebody is thinking, because you think in the same way they do.

I don't really think it's absurd at all. If you don't like it, don't use it, but calling it absurdity is pretty close minded IMO.

As far as what it added? That's easy. My players used it repeatedly to convey thoughts, actions, and plans during a fight without the enemy being wise. I'm sure in your games it was fine to shout, "Hey! Maneuver him under the chandelier and I'll make it fall on him!" and the enemy just didn't hear it, but in my games we used alignment language for it.

End result is the same, and they both work, and I find your aesthetic unbelievable and wouldn't want it my games. The difference is, I don't think you're absurd for doing it that way. It's how you play, it's just different.