Swordflight Alignment

A large portion of my two-part coverage of Swordflight consisted of general remarks and a focus on its peerless itemization and resource management, perhaps at the expense of its on-par dialogue and role-playing aspects. Hopefully, this post will go some way to addressing that inadequacy. What follows mainly refers to Swordflight Chapter 1; the series currently being replayed by me -- as a Paladin of Tyr -- in anticipation for Swordflight Chapter 3, upcoming!

Alignment is dynamic in NWN; that is, depending on your actions and dialogue choices, alignment shifts between the two dimensions of Good & Evil (morals) and Law & Chaos (ethics). Alignment shifts are a form of cRPG Reactivity. Unlike the official campaigns and most community-made content, Swordflight is reactive as it pertains to alignment. For example, my Paladin began the campaign at Lawful (85) Good (85) on the alignment scale, and by the time she was ready to leave the Shifting Sands Inn and embark on her adventure as a caravan guard, her alignment had already shifted +5 Lawful and +7 Good.

Now, in order to achieve this I had to actually role-play my character and pay attention to the dialogue. I felt compelled to be principled, honest, compassionate and self-sacrificing; and not to engage in theft (that would shift me towards Evil), say silly things to people, or kill non-hostile creatures (both of which would shift me towards Chaotic).

By the end of Chapter One, my Paladin had attained Lawful (95) and Good (100). So yeah, with the morals maxed and the ethics close to it, I will likely attain "purity" and the Crusader honorific before I step out of Galhadr Estate into the city of Calimport (in Planescape: Torment it was also easier to max Good than Lawful).

But what happens when I'm maxed? Well, I still receive a minor experience point bonus for reinforcing perfect dimensions.

The rest of this post is given over to a breakdown of my alignment shifts (Lawful & Good), listed in the order in which they occurred (I make no claims that I have covered them all but I have been fairly thorough).

Many's the time you will notice a parodying tone, one which has caused some players to conclude that parts of the dialogue are cliché. Swordflight being a homage to traditional cRPGs, this is actually done on purpose. You will also note the tongue-in-cheek explanatory messages, like, for example:

• "You have compassion even for monsters"
• "For extraordinary concern for property rights"
• "For your hatred of Evil"

Taken in the context of the actual dialogue response (and animations), I found these quite amusing!

While alignment is more important to a Paladin than other classes (I would become "Fallen" if I failed to uphold the LG outlook on life), in my first run of the campaign I also felt encouraged to role-play my Rogue to the point of Malefactor, so I think Swordflight succeeds in making alignment meaningful enough for those who desire to role-play their character.

The breakdown:

Glebur Swiftaxe is one of the seasoned adventurers boozing up at the Shifting Sands Inn. The extended dialogue segment with his adventuring party is (necessarily) "tutorial-ish" in tone; and here is my first level scrub stating her position...

The adventuring party pointed me to a few patrons in need of assistance, one of whom is Haldin Khadash, a wizard who needs a stolen tome recovered...

The tome is recovered and the monetary reward declined, in true Paladin style.

Salud Sherad, innkeeper of the Shifting Sands, gives you what appears to be your typical "KEEL DAH RATZ" quest but it turns out to be a potentially lethal encounter that includes a moral consideration, lore on lycanthropes and multiple solutions. Here, my Paladin returns from having spoken to a wererat, hoping to find a peaceful solution to its problem...

Back down in the basement with the elixir in hand, I return to Wagu the Wererat and attempt to persuade him to quaff it. This dialogue is quoted in full because it's such a tough persuasion check to pass - yet is quite satisfying if it succeeds...

 

I once again decline the monetary reward.

Gaduish Sherkal is a noble half-orc who, after a certain violent incident, is doubting whether he should continue his attempt to civilize goblinoid slaves...

Now on the streets outside the inn, my Paladin encounters a Belligerent Drunk who demands some chump change...

Bunglo Bofmer is a halfling rescued by me from the sewers beneath the inn...

Once the above quests have been completed, Zarala Galhadr may finally be recruited as a companion. The highlighted response results in Good +1.

Having been accidentally shot in the back and (seemingly) killed by Zarala during a bandit raid on Saman Waladi's caravan convoy, I awaken on the Plane of Air, where a Strange Elemental Being gifts me the Orb of Life and tasks me with protecting my Air Genasi companion...

Back in the Calim Desert, somewhere between Calimport and Memnon, a priest of Oghma gives me a lead on where the bandits took Saman and Zarala...

The bandits are tracked across the desert; and deep in the bandit caves, a shrine is found...

Having slain the bandit chief and looted his corpse for the key to the dungeon, I free Zarala from her captivity...

Zarala's alignment scale starts at Chaotic (0) Neutral (50) but she may also be influenced by the PC to shift towards Good (or Evil) on a few occasions. This seems to be an innovation of Swordlflight that I have not seen in other NWN modules; though I have seen (one-off and permanent) player-affected companion alignment changes in Baldur's Gate 2 (Viconia & Sarevok). However, the influence is gradual, malleable and makes more sense in Swordflight: it is made clear that Zarala is bright but also youthful and innocent; and therefore, impressionable.

I was able to influence Zarala three times in Swordflight Chapter One:

1.) Delving to the third level of the Buried Ruins, a second shrine of evil is located... Note the reciprocal effect at work, here: as my character influences Zarala's beliefs, her agreement then reinforces mine, in turn. 

Particularly intelligent or wise PCs may be able to reason with Zarala more thoroughly, resulting in extra experience points and influence. Thanks to Rogueknight 333 for reminding me of this!

2.) The duo escapes the Buried Ruins and find themselves back in the Calim Desert. However, in order to reach the caravan camp to consult with Kadath they must first penetrate Asabi Caves, in which they encounter a non-hostile orc...

3.) Also in the Asabi Caves an Asabi Mother expresses concern for her eggs...

In future installments I would like to see solid consequences in Zarala's outlook based on how the PC has influenced her; and, perhaps some kind of grand event that checks her alignment and is modified accordingly. It would make sense for a PC to be able to greatly influence a similarly-aligned companion in a key moment (as Charname is able to do with Balthazar in Ascension BG2).

Anyway, continuing on:

En route back to the Buried Ruins (after consulting with Kadath), the duo is waylaid by a Strange Monk...

Delving to the fourth level and deepest point of the Buried Ruins, the duo encounter the formidable Ramurg, a Mummy Warlord whose passivity is not to be tested lightly.

Note the flavor check on the PC's deity ("Paladin of Tyr"). For this to appear you will need to type in a deity name during chargen; otherwise, it will come up blank! Thanks to Rogueknight 333 for instructions on how to add a deity, post-chargen. See: Alter Deity.

If the Persuade check succeeded I would have been able to "turn" Ramurg. Turn undead dialogue checks crop up more in Chapter Two, allowing you to also break necromantic wards and shatter phylacteries! How cool is that?

On the verge of conquering the infamous Buried Ruins, a foe that is completely out of our league threatens to end our adventure...

The first Chapter all but over, my Paladin returns to camp and gifts Roigo Zedan the Necromantic Manual, found in the Spider Caves (I could have delivered this much earlier, but whatevs).

Swordflight Chapter Two introduces another consequence to alignment, one that occurs when you pray at the altar to a deity. In the below pic, my Crusader and pious Paladin of Tyr prays to her God of Justice to receive a 1 point shift towards Good and Lawful plus an experience point bonus based on her "degree of goodness and lawfulness" (already attained). This worship may be attempted at each "level-up" but subsequent experience point boosts are not guaranteed. While its affect on power progression is minimal, in a tough campaign like Swordflight every lil' advantage counts; and aside from that it's simply a nice touch.

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Neverwinter Nights	Swordflight Chapter 3	Buried Ruins 2	Thieves' Guild	Mazar's Golems
Swordflight	Swordflight Alignment	Buried Ruins 3	Goblinoid Army	Precious Metals
Rogueknight Interview	Swordflight Walkthrough	Buried Ruins 4	Orc Army	Hammer & Anvil
Swordflight Chapter 1	Shifting Sands Inn	Calimport	Dragon Cult	Bloody Blades
Swordflight Chapter 2	Buried Ruins 1	Zataroth	Aranea Base	Zagash the Terrible