Alignments are an important part of character building in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. These attributes, like Chaotic Good or Neutral Evil, allow players guidance when making decisions in character, and help provide a framework for how certain characters will react in any given situation. However, it is possible to change alignments throughout the course of a D&D campaign by taking the events of the story and how they would affect a character into consideration.
Often times when building a character for a D&D campaign, the traits and alignments players put down on their sheet can feel binding. A character's alignment is often used as a description alongside their class, race, and hair color. However, alignments aren't an immoveable or unchangeable trait. One of the most exciting parts of playing a Dungeons & Dragons campaign is the adventure players go on, and how that adventure shapes the character they choose to use. Leaving room for that growth in their personality can create a more fulfilling experience both for the player, and the party interacting with them.
To encourage growth that can change alignment, a DM can spend a bit of extra time reading up on each backstory in the party while running the campaign. Knowing where they came from, and what makes up their D&D alignment, can give the DM ideas on how to create challenging opportunities for character growth. For example, a Neutral Half-Elf, who has been jaded all their life by full-blooded Elves, can have the chance to take revenge on an encampment one night. They could choose to murder everyone in the encampment, pushing them into the Evil alignment, or they could choose to steal every left shoe, leading to a more Chaotic alignment. By the end of the campaign, this character could be completely bent on removing all full-blooded Elves, or have moved on entirely from their past hurts for a better future.
Dungeons & Dragons Character Alignment Shifts Can Happen On Accident
Character alignments can also shift by accident thanks to interactions with the D&D narrative, other party , or NPCs. For example, a Lawful Evil Paladin who believes their actions are justified based on the beliefs they uphold could meet a Druid who shows them a belief system outside of their own. If a part of the party, the Druid could continually give the Paladin opportunities to look outside of their own personal creed, leading to a change of heart. If they are an NPC, the Druid could do something dramatic that changes the way the Paladin looks at the world, for better or worse, altering their perspective on their own beliefs. The situations could be completely unplanned, but the impacts may be so great the player chooses to shift the character's alignment to accommodate the experiences.
It is also possible to start a D&D campaign without any character alignments. By removing any initial alignments, players won't be limited to boxes or stereotypes when playing their characters. This can lead to unique interactions between D&D players, and interesting reactions to certain narrative events. The DM could then give the party a chance to choose alignments later in the story, taking into everything that has happened in the Dungeons & Dragons gameplay they've been a part of. Doing so would base a character's alignment entirely on the adventures they've had, and not on limiting tropes decided on by previous players of the game.
