Is your character good, for goodness’s sake?
Do they do the right thing, whether within or outside the confines of the law?
You have a neutral good character, according to the Dungeons & Dragons alignment system.
Dungeons & Dragons Character Alignments
Dungeons and Dragons Character alignments can help players of the iconic game build characters that follow specific guidelines. With the rise of nerd culture, this alignment system became more popular and widely used to describe characters in various fictional works.
There are nine primary D&D character alignment types:
- Neutral Good
- Lawful Good
- Chaotic Good
- True Neutral
- Lawful Neutral
- Chaotic Neutral
- Neutral Evil
- Lawful Evil
- Chaotic Evil
The alignments describe where a character falls on two axes, one describing their morality (good vs evil) and the other showing how they approach their world’s legal structure (lawful vs. chaotic).
What is Neutral Good?
Neutral good characters are the good guys but indifferent to the law. If the law is righteous, they’ll uphold it, but if it is broken, they have no qualms about stepping outside it.
As Devon Chulick, Founder and COO of StartPlaying, a website dedicated to connecting D&D (and other tabletop gamers) online, says, “Neutral Good characters are driven to do good, but without being restricted to law and order. They follow their own moral compass and will help those in need, without a strict adherence to laws or rules. They also don’t follow an “ends justify the means” mentality that might be more common in chaotic good.”
Neutral vs. Lawful vs. Chaotic Good
The best way to understand how a neutral good character works is to compare them to their counterparts on the “good” side, the lawful and the chaotic.
In dystopian fiction, laws oppress and subjugate. Chaotic goods thrive in stories like this, breaking down systems and freeing the populace.
In normal, non-dystopian societies, laws protect the public good. Lawful goods work to maintain law and order in these works. Chaotic goods won’t have much to dismantle, limiting their roles in these stories.
The stark contrast makes the differences between chaotic good and lawful good characters easy to understand.
Neutral goods are a little harder to pin down. To them, laws are neither good nor bad. They don’t have strong feelings about breaking or maintaining the law.
As good people in general, a neutral good will obey most laws in a normal society. However, they won’t hesitate to break a rule for the greater good, whereas a lawful good might.
The difference between neutral goods and chaotic goods is that for neutrals, breaking the law is a side effect, and more often than not, abolishing unjust laws is the point for chaotics.
Neutral Good Ideals
Neutral good characters are genuinely good people. They truly believe that good should triumph over evil and that humans are ultimately on the side of good.
However, they don’t wear rose-colored glasses.
Neutral goods are keenly aware that some people are evil, and good intentions often lead to unintended consequences. Because of their innate understanding of how the world works, neutral good characters realize that the law isn’t perfect.
Although these characters have no strong feelings towards the law, they generally obey it in normal societies.
However, they aren’t bound by it. Neutral goods will break the law to do the right thing without hesitation, but breaking the law is rarely the point of their actions.
Personality Traits of Neutral Good Characters
Although there are numerous neutral good characters with various motives and traits, you will typically find a few similarities.
Neutral good characters tend to be:
- Righteous – Believe that they know what is right and wrong
- Honest – Genuinely good people at heart will be truthful the majority of the time
- Brave – Not afraid to stand up for what they believe is right
- Benevolent – Will help others at their own expense if needed
How to Play a Neutral Good Character
The most important thing to remember when playing a neutral good character is to do the right thing. Consider what will help the most people, defeat the evil, and help your crew.
The rules and the law shouldn’t be a crucial part of your decision-making, but in a just society, neutral goods will try to stay in the law if they can help it.
However, these characters realize that laws have limits and will always prioritize defeating evil over following the law.
Some neutral goods believe they are above the law but don’t let that go to their head.
Consider these characteristics when playing as a neutral good character:
Flexible
Richard Becker, author of the coming-of-age thriller Third Wheel and avid Dungeons & Dragons player, says that a neutral good character’s flexibility can help them build consensus among the group.
“Neutral good characters want to do good by helping others, but aren’t against bending the rules to do it,” he explains, adding that “This sometimes gives them an edge in building consensus among a party, recognizing mission parameters while also calling out when a side objective might be the right thing to do.”
As an example, Becker says that neutral good characters want to thwart the slave lords, but they’ll also stop to reunite a slave girl with her family, even if it slows the mission down. He also says they’ll join the looting but ensure the poor get their share.
Pragmatic
Lucas Wyland, the founder of Steambase, calls neutral goods pragmatic.
“They focus on practical solutions that benefit the majority,” he says, adding that they’ll go the extra mile to bend rules if it means doing the right thing.
Long-time D&D player Collin Schuck also says they will take the pragmatic option, even if they don’t like it.
“If killing or stealing is the only resort left, then they’ll be willing to look the other direction because they know it’s helping people, and they’re out of options,” he shares.
Willing to Hear the Other Side Out
Schuck says neutral goods want the best solution for everyone, so they’re always willing to hear the other side out to come up with a compromise.
“They’re still looking out for the good of others, but they just want to see the whole canvas laid out before them and will take some convincing,” he explains.
However, that doesn’t mean they play devil’s advocate or argue for the sake of arguing. “Don’t let that make you feel like you have to play a railroad character or one that just muddies for the sake of it,” says Schuck. “ If there’s an obviously good outcome ahead and one way to do it, they’ll go for it, but if it involves unlawful actions, it’s going to take some time and may only be able to look the other way occasionally.”
Follow Your Conscious
Neutral goods let their conscience be their guide.
As Becker explains, “They believe in the rule of law but aren’t beholden to a higher authority. For example, they might turn a blind eye to seeing a starving child steal some bread or even intervene and claim to have been buying the bread for the child in order to stave off punishment.”
They’ll do what they believe is right.
The Moral Dilemma
An interesting challenge in playing neutral good characters is that everyone has a slightly different moral compass, even if they’re all on the side of good.
Becker says there’s plenty of wiggle room.
“I see them as trying to weigh the merits of their actions,” he shares. “If the party stumbles onto a caravan being raided and they slay the raiders, the neutral good character is most likely to ask, ‘But what about the survivors? We should probably do something for them.’”
But what should they do?
“One neutral good character might want to guide them to safety, whereas another might give them rations or a better weapon to improve their chances.”
Becker also shares how neutral goods’ actions contrast with those of the lawful good character, who reminds everyone that they have a higher purpose, and the chaotic good, who wonders if they’ll get a reward for saving the people.
Character Classes and Races that Tend Toward Neutral Good
Although you can build your character however you want, some character classes or races tend towards the neutral good alignment.
A class is a character’s job and defines their role in a party, while their race gives them specific skills, abilities, and tendencies.
Celestials, Cloud Giants, and Gnomes tend toward neutral good.
Examples of Neutral Good Characters in Fiction
Most fictional characters don’t fall neatly into a specific character alignment. Compelling characters learn and grow, make bad choices, and learn harsh lessons. Static characters often fall flat, coming across as one-dimensional or bland.
However, many characters showcase the traits of neutral good characters, even if they don’t always fit neatly into the box.
Here are some great examples.
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers, the title character of the iconic show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is the epitome of neutral good.
She is good for the sake of good, not because there are rules that tell her she should be. Buffy usually follows the rules, but she breaks the law when necessary.
A great example of Buffy’s neutral good nature comes in season 4. Buffy’s world is juxtaposed with a military world, which, in theory, is lawful good. The soldiers obey their commands without question, believing the rules and law to be righteous because they fight monsters.)
Buffy, on the other hand, questions all of the orders. She refuses to wear camo and refuses to kill a harmless monster, despite the military’s rules. She values her own sense of ethics and morality more than the law and knows that the law isn’t always perfect.
Throughout the series, Buffy displays neutral good behaviors and ideals. Although she generally followed the rules of the Counsel in the early seasons, she quit when she realized their methods were sexist and designed around control.
She often works outside the law in her battle against the forces of evil.
Gandalf the Grey
Becker calls Gandalf, the heroic wizard from Lord of the Rings, a classic example of neutral good.
“He cares about everyone, regardless of stature or status, and uses his powers to propel them along on their quest for good,” says Becker.
“At the same time, he frequently calls out authority figures who want to place their needs or the needs of their people ahead of others. The ends do not always justify the means. The needs of the many do not outweigh the needs of the few.”
Gandalf constantly showcases his neutral good leanings. He fights for justice throughout Middle Earth. He refuses to join the white wizard Saruman when discovering he’s in cahoots with the enemy, and he won’t let Pippin blindly follow the steward of Gondor’s order to burn his son alive.
Harry Potter
Wyland says Harry Potter is a prime example of neutral good in fiction.
“Harry is a sworn enemy of Voldemort and consistently fights him and helps his friends,” he shares, highlighting Harry’s place on the good axis. But Harry’s willing to do what it takes in his battle against evil; as Wyland explains, “Rules do not hold him back, as he is always willing to break them when necessary to achieve his goals.
Schuck agrees that Harry Potter serves as the ideal example of neutral good in fiction, highlighting his good heart and slightly rebellious side. “At his heart, he just wants the best for his friends and others and tends to stay in line with rules and laws,” says Schuck.
But he’s willing to break the law or bend the rules. He leaves the safety of the great hall against orders because he fears for another student’s safety, and he creates a secret organization to thwart the lawful neutral administration that doesn’t seem to care about the great evil brewing in the world.
Superhero Side Kick Characters
The sidekicks and one-off characters in superhero movies tend towards neutral good. Often, superheroes will enlist the help of a trusted friend, a wise sage, or an ally with specific skills to help them in the ultimate quest against evil.
The enlisted assistants were so wrapped up in their own lives that they didn’t worry about the pending evil. However, upon being asked to do the right thing and get involved, they will.
Sidekick characters showcase a unique aspect of the neutral good alignment: neutrality. Unless directly asked to get involved in a situation, they won’t. They stay neutral. However, because they lean towards good, they can’t turn down a request for assistance, especially in a battle against evil.
Character Alignments are Just a Guide
Character alignments offer a baseline for how to play a particular character, but they aren’t perfect. Good characters are capable of evil, and evil characters can do good things.
Alignments are general rules of behavior that guide Dungeons & Dragons players in their decision-making process. However, the choice is ultimately up to the player. You don’t need to stick to the character alignment framework in every decision.
Choose the path that makes the game most fun for you, and enjoy your adventure!