All nine DnD alignments explained

The current DnD alignment chart has been a part of Dungeons and Dragons since the release of Advanced D&D in 1977: a set of nine categories that describe a character’s morality and lawfulness, giving a sense of their personality and how they’ll act in the game. Alignments have long stirred controversy and debate among players and, as of the new DnD 2024 rules, the system has seen some subtle changes. This guide explains all nine alignments, how they work in 2025, and how to use them in your games.

If you’re reading into alignments to prepare for an upcoming game, you should also check out our complete guides to all the DnD classes and DnD races in 5th edition – freshly updated with the latest DnD 2024 rules.

What are DnD alignments?

The nine DnD alignments are broad categories, applied to each character or creature, to measure their morality and lawfulness. The general idea is to give each actor in your DnD game – players and NPCs – the DnD alignment chart above works as a rough moral compass that simply describes (rather than dictates) the way they think and act.

The DnD 2024 player’s handbook summarises alignments like this:

“A creature’s alignment broadly describes its ethical attitudes and ideals. Alignment is a combination of two factors: one identifies morality (good, evil, or neutral), and the other describes attitudes toward order (lawful, chaotic, or neutral).”

Your alignment is split into two parts, then: your position on the good-evil scale, and your position on the lawful-chaotic scale – with the Neutral alignments in the center. Before we profile all nine alignments, here’s a breakdown of those two key scales, and what they mean.

Good vs evil

Good characters care about other people, will try to help those in need, and are often self-sacrificing. In contrast, Evil characters prioritize their own wellbeing, and will often perform actions that benefit themselves even if (or sometimes especially if) it causes harm to other people.

Lawful vs chaotic

Lawful characters are naturally rule-abiding, and typically work within the rules of society to achieve their aims. They may hold concepts of honor or tradition in high esteem, respect authority figures, and keep their promises.

Chaotic characters, on the other hand, listen to their conscience over what society tells them to do, valuing a personal code over whatever may be written down on paper. They may seem rebellious, and they tend to be more flexible than lawful characters. They’ll value personal freedoms highly, and won’t care about rank or title.

What are ‘Neutral’ alignments?

Some characters like to sit on the fence, and this is when the word ‘neutral’ tends to sneak into their DnD alignment. To be Neutral, a character must not feel particularly strongly about matters like law, chaos, good, or evil – or perhaps instead, they believe the world needs a bit of all of them.

How has alignment changed in the DnD 2024 rules?

The brand new DnD 2024 core rulebooks make almost no change to the form or function of the nine DnD alignments. However, the wording of each alignment in Wizards of the Coast’s 2024 Player’s Handbook has changed slightly – we’ll include the up to date descriptions in our summaries below.

The biggest changes, though, have been in how alignments are used for characters and creatures in official DnD books – generally phasing out Dungeons and Dragons’ long debated issues with biological determinism by removing racial alignments – something that started in the latter days of vanilla 5th edition, and is now firmly imprinted in the 2024 rules.

Alignments no longer automatically categorize certain DnD species as Evil – a positive and long overdue shift in our opinion – but they remain a useful roleplaying tool for many Dungeon Masters and players – so read on to find out how to use each of the nine categories in your DnD campaigns. 

All nine DnD alignments, explained

The nine DnD alignments are:

• Lawful Good (LG)
• Neutral Good (NG)
• Chaotic Good (CG)
• Lawful Neutral (LN)
• Neutral (N)
• Chaotic Neutral (CN)
• Lawful Evil (LE)
• Neutral Evil (NE)
• Chaotic Evil (CE)

Lawful Good (LG)

According to the 2024 Player’s Handbook: “Lawful Good creatures endeavor to do the right thing as expected by society. Someone who fights injustice and protects the innocent without hesitation is probably Lawful Good.”

Lawful Good characters follow the rules, and work within the system to achieve benevolent goals, assisting those in need and fighting evil wherever it lurks. Lawful Good characters tend to be the most well-liked by NPCs, who can be sure that a lawful good party will not only rid them of nearby monsters, but obey local laws while doing so.

Lawful good characters might worship the following gods:

• Ilmater, god of endurance
• Torm, god of courage
• Tyr, god of justice

Lawful good characters in fiction:

• Gandalf the Grey (Lord of the Rings)
• James Wilson (House)
• Superman

Neutral Good (NG)

According to the DnD 2024 player’s handbook: “Neutral Good creatures do the best they can, working within rules but not feeling bound by them. A kindly person who helps others according to their needs is probably Lawful Good.”

The ultimate DnD utilitarian, a neutral good character chooses the course of action which does the most good possible. Characters with a neutral good alignment are not particularly attached to order or chaos, but they do love being nice. They’ll often follow the rules simply because this causes the least friction, but will not be especially hesitant to break those rules if they think a better outcome will be achieved by doing so.

A neutral good character might worship these gods:

• Chauntea, goddess of agriculture
• Deneir, god of writing
• Mystra, goddess of magic

Neutral good characters in fiction:

• Spiderman
• Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)
• Merry Brandybuck, Peregrin Took (Lord of the Rings)

Chaotic Good (CG)

According to the 2024 Player’s Handbook: “Chaotic Good creatures act as their conscience directs with little regard for what others expect. A rebel who waylays a cruel baron’s tax collectors and uses the stolen money to help the poor is probably Chaotic Good.”

Chaotic good characters try to do what is right, but on their own terms, not those set by society. As a result, they may end up breaking rules in an effort to do the right thing. They’ll have benevolent intentions, but will follow their own consciences first and foremost. Chaotic good and lawful good characters will often disagree on the best solution to a problem.

Chaotic good gods include:

• Lliira, goddess of joy
• Selûne, goddess of the moon
• Sune, goddess of love

Chaotic good characters in fiction:

• Tom Bombadil (Lord of the Rings)
• Robin Hood

Lawful Neutral (LN)

According to the DnD 2024 player’s handbook: “Lawful Neutral individuals act in accordance with law, tradition, or personal codes. Someone who follows a disciplined rule of life – and isn’t swayed either by the demands of those in need or the temptations of evil – is probably Lawful Neutral.”

Lawful neutral characters follow their chosen rules, and they don’t question whether those rules are morally just. These characters aren’t overly concerned with ethics, instead valuing order and authority above all else. Or perhaps they’re just not brave enough to upset the status quo. Either way, chaotic good characters hate them.

Lawful neutral gods include:

• Azuth, god of wizards
• Helm, god of protection
• Kelemvor, god of the dead

Lawful neutral characters in fiction:

• Denethor, Steward of Gondor (Lord of the Rings)
• Santa Claus
• Judge Dredd

Neutral (N)

According to the DnD 2024 player’s handbook: “Neutral is the alignment of those who prefer to avoid moral questions and don’t take sides, doing what seems best at the time. Someone who’s bored by moral debate is probably Neutral.”

The fence-sitters of all DnD settings, Neutral (a.k.a. True Neutral) characters aren’t particularly dedicated to stamping out evil, but nor are they especially diabolical themselves. They won’t seek to break the rules but won’t put undue effort into upholding them either.

Which admittedly all sounds a bit grey. What do true neutral characters care about? Well, most of them are just middle-of-the-road folk, getting on with their lives without worrying about sticking to any kind of strong code. Deep down, we’re probably all a little bit ‘true neutral’. However, there are some characters with this alignment that take their neutrality to a (relative) extreme, determined to uphold a balance between law and chaos, good and evil.

A Neutral character might follow these gods:

• Tempus, god of war
• Silvanus, god of wild nature
• Gond, god of craft

Neutral characters in fiction:

• The Dude (The Big Lebowski)
• Lord Varys (Game of Thrones)
• Melisandre (Game of Thrones)

Chaotic Neutral (CN)

According to the DnD 2024 player’s handbook: “Chaotic Neutral creatures follow their whims, valuing their personal freedom above all else. A scoundrel who waders the land living by their wits is probably Chaotic Neutral.”

Chaotic neutral characters put their own independence above all, regardless of how ethical their choices might be in the current moment. They are at the mercy of their own whims, always doing what’s best for themselves at any given moment. They value immense personal freedom, but won’t put that at risk to protect the freedoms of others.

This D&D alignment has a bit of a bad reputation. It’s sometimes associated with the kind of ‘murder hobo’ player who’ll save a village from a marauding army, then steal all its gold, set the inn on fire, shout ‘chaotic neutral, baby!’, and ride off into the sunset. That is a way you can play the chaotic neutral alignment, but be warned that in most games, this won’t get you an invitation to session two.

Chaotic neutral gods include:

• Leira, goddess of illusion
• Mask, god of thieves

Chaotic neutral characters in fiction:

• Bojack Horseman
• Gregory House (House)
• Harrier DuBois (Disco Elysium)

Lawful Evil (LE)

According to the DnD 2024 player’s handbook: “Lawful Evil creatures methodically take what they want within the limits of a code of tradition, loyalty, or order. An aristocrat exploiting citizens while scheming for power is probably Lawful Evil”.

Some lawful evil characters may believe they’re actually good, simply because they’re following the rules. They may uphold the law, but apply it methodically and mercilessly, without nuance, or using loopholes for selfish and destructive reasons.

Other lawful evil characters may know full well that they’re rotten, and seek to dominate and rule in an authoritarian, but lawful, manner. These are likely to be the most dangerous villains of all, combining evil intent with the discipline and organisation to achieve their aims.

Lawful evil gods include:

• Bane, god of tyranny
• Loviatar, goddess of pain

Lawful evil characters in fiction:

• Sauron and Saruman (Lord of the Rings)
• Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones)

Neutral Evil (NE)

According to the DnD 2024 player’s handbook: “Neutral Evil is the alignment of those who are untroubled by the harm they cause as they pursue their desires. A criminal who robs and murders as they please is probably Neutral Evil.”

Above all else, a neutral evil alignment means complete selfishness, doing whatever wrongs one can get away with no hesitation and no compassion. A character with the neutral evil alignment isn’t ied to any kind of code (like a lawful evil character), but is also not wantonly destructive or bloodthirsty (like a chaotic evil one). They’re simply committed to evil.

Neutral Evil gods include:

• Shar, goddess of darkness
• Auril, goddess of winter
• Bhaal, god of murder

Neutral Evil characters in fiction:

• Grima Wormtongue (Lord of the Rings)
• Agent Smith (The Matrix)
• Ramsay Bolton (Game of Thrones)

Chaotic Evil (CE)

According to the DnD 2024 player’s handbook: “Chaotic Evil creatures act with arbitrary violence, spurred by their hatred or bloodlust. A villain pursuing schemes of vengeance and havoc is probably Chaotic Evil.”

Chaotic evil characters have selfish goals, and and follow no rules or codes beyond their own desires – they don’t care what they have to do or who they hurt to achieve their dastardly aims. The alignment most in line with the cackling maniacal supervillain, chaotic evil is a difficult alignment for a player-character to take.

That’s because chaotic evil characters don’t play well with others, even those who share this alignment. Cruel and perhaps sadistic, they probably perform evil acts simply for the sake of it, and for their own enjoyment.

A chaotic evil character might worship one of these gods:

• Besheba, goddess of misfortune
• Malar, god of the hunt
• Umberleee, goddess of the sea

Chaotic evil characters in fiction:

• Eric Cartman (Southpark)
• The Joker (Batman)
• Joffrey Baratheon (Game of Thrones)

D&D alignment test

Need some help choosing your alignment? Here’s a two-part D&D alignment test that can help place your character’s moral compass. First, we’ll test where your character stands on the scale of lawful vs chaotic. After that, we’ll figure out whether they’re good, evil, or somewhere in between.

Lawful vs chaotic

A. What was your character like when they were at school?

1. Teacher’s pet
2. Class clown
3. A nobody who kept to themselves

B. Who is your character most likely to turn to for advice?

1. An official figure in my society that I respect
2. A close friend who knows how I think
3. Multiple people, so I can get a variety of perspectives

C. How does your character feel about religion?

1. Everyone should worship someone – there’s a god for everybody out there
2. Religion is just another way to control people, and I won’t take part
3. I’ll worship a god if there’s a proven benefit to doing so

D. What’s your character like when they’re on holiday?

1. I plan a careful itinerary that helps me get the most out of the trip
2. I don’t plan at all and see where the moment takes me
3. I make a loose plan, but I’ll change it if something better comes along

E. Your character finds a lost wallet – what do they do?

1. Take it straight to local law enforcement.
2. Try and find the owner myself – or keep it if I really need the money.
3. Keep it, but only if no one sees me pick it up.

Results

• Mostly 1 – Lawful
• Mostly 2 – Chaotic
• Mostly 3 – Neutral

Good vs evil

A. How does your character feel about violence?

1. I only resort to violence when necessary
2. I take pleasure in hurting others
3. If the person deserves it, I’m okay with them getting hurt

B. If your character became filthy rich overnight, what would they do first?

1. Donate to charity – I can use my money to make the world better
2. Don’t tell anyone, and buy the biggest mansion I can find
3. Buy myself something nice, and then give some money to my loved ones

C. Your companion runs out of rations on the road – what do you do?

1. Share mine, even if there won’t be enough for me
2. Let them find their own food
3. Share if I have enough, but there’s no point making us both go hungry

D. Your character’s place of work is on fire! Who do they save?

1. As many people as possible
2. Me, duh
3. Someone I cherish, if I can

E. If your character became ruler of the world, how did they get there?

1. My reputation for good deeds meant I was fairly elected
2. I lied, cheated, and killed to get to the top
3. Honestly pure luck – I’m really not qualified for this job

Results

• Mostly 1 – Good
• Mostly 2 – Evil
• Mostly 3 – Neutral

Your D&D alignment is

• 1.1 – Lawful good
• 1.2 – Lawful evil
• 1.3 – Lawful neutral
• 2.1 – Chaotic good
• 2.2 – Chaotic evil
• 2.3 – Chaotic neutral
• 3.1 – Neutral good
• 3.2 – Neutral evil
• 3.3 – True neutral

DnD alignments FAQ

The guide above includes everything you need to know to understand and use alignments in your D&D games – but, as with everything in this wonderful, gigantic tabletop RPG – there’s much more to learn. Read on for expert answers to some of the biggest questions.

What’s the rarest DnD alignment?

According to statistics released by D&DBeyond in 2019, chaotic evil is the rarest D&D alignment for player-characters. This makes a lot of sense. As we said above, chaotic evil characters are the most selfish of all, and they make unpleasant party members. Dungeons and Dragons is, at its core, a cooperative team game, which makes chaotic evil characters very impractical.

D&DBeyond’s statistics show that the most common D&D alignment is chaotic good. This is closely followed by chaotic neutral. These options also make a lot of sense, when you think about it. Most adventurers live slightly outside of society’s rules, and they must be prepared to try pretty much anything to save the world (or loot a tomb).

Should I even use DnD alignments in my game?

In general, yes, it’s worth understanding and using alignments in your D&D games – if only because they’re still baked into some important spells, abilities, pre-written DnD adventures, and other rules that are bound to come up.

D&D may be getting deeper and more nuanced, but at its heart it’s still a fantasy game about clashes between good and evil, and alignment – for all its faults and oversimplifications – is the game’s main mechanical way of understanding those distinctions.

However: whether you’re a player or a DM, always be aware that alignments are best used descriptively, not prescriptively. It’s a loose category to describe a character or NPC you have created, which usefully ties it into the game’s moral systems. It is not a cast-iron, compulsory moral box to put your character in, and never think about again.

Create a character with a real personality, hopes, and beliefs – then consider what alignment that person would be. And remember that alignments can change over time.

And that’s about it for our guide to alignments, for now! Do you agree with our advice? Have you found better ways to use alignments in your games? Come join the DnD discussion in the Wargamer Discord community!

Alternatively, if you need more guidance fleshing out characters, here’s everything you need to know about DnD backgrounds. Or, for crunchier character options, here’s DnD feats explained.

Source: Wargamer