Demos $ Dictats: Realigning D&D for Modern American Politics
Can we faithfully reinterpret D&D alignment as Unity/Autonomy plus Charity/Glory, with Generativity in the center?
ChatGPT Prompt
If so, use these to create “Demos and Dictats” an RPG set in an Onward! type universe that lampoons American politics.
Define a complementary set of orthogonal attributes for the character classes.
Tagline:
A satirical RPG where heroes navigate chaotic democracy using Clout, Guile, Resolve, and Pragmatism, while juggling Unity/Autonomy and Charity/Glory in their quest for power, progress, or pandemonium.
1. Premise: A Satirical Political Adventure
In the magical land of Politaria, democracy reigns supreme, but elections are messy, policies are absurd, and the people are fickle. Players take on the roles of aspiring politicians, crafty bureaucrats, and opportunistic influencers, each navigating a dysfunctional political landscape where the alignment axes of Unity/Autonomy and Charity/Glory define ideology.
At the heart of every character are four core attributes:
- Clout: Public influence and charisma.
- Guile: Cunning and manipulation.
- Resolve: Inner strength and resilience.
- Pragmatism: Practical problem-solving.
These attributes are shaped by your character class, guiding how you tackle the chaos of campaigning, governing, and politicking.
2. Core Gameplay Elements
2.1 Factions: Choose Your Alignment
Your character belongs to one of four ideological factions, based on the Unity/Autonomy and Charity/Glory axes:
The Pillarists
- Alignment: Unity + Charity
- Philosophy: Altruistic Order
- Motto: “Strength through structure.”
The Libertines
- Alignment: Autonomy + Charity
- Philosophy: Chaotic Altruism
- Motto: “Freedom is its own virtue.”
The Exemplarists
- Alignment: Unity + Glory
- Philosophy: Structured Ambition
- Motto: “Lead by shining example—at any cost.”
The Roguists
- Alignment: Autonomy + Glory
- Philosophy: Ambitious Chaos
- Motto: “Every citizen for themselves.”
Your faction reflects your ideology, while your attributes and class define how you achieve your goals.
3. Character Classes: The Archetypes of Politaria
3.1 The Reformer
- Role: The idealist striving to enact meaningful change.
- Primary Attribute: Resolve
- Secondary Attribute: Pragmatism
- Strengths: Enduring political attacks, inspiring others, and crafting actionable policies.
- Weaknesses: Struggles with deception or bending the truth when necessary.
- Sample Actions:
- Rally citizens around bold reforms.
- Stand firm against rival factions’ schemes.
- Craft long-term strategies for sustainable change.
3.2 The Firebrand
- Role: The charismatic leader and rabble-rouser who thrives on spectacle.
- Primary Attribute: Clout
- Secondary Attribute: Resolve
- Strengths: Electrifying speeches, rallying massive support, and dominating public debates.
- Weaknesses: Prone to overcommitting or faltering under intense scrutiny.
- Sample Actions:
- Deliver inspiring public addresses to sway voters.
- Withstand public scandals through sheer force of will.
- Lead massive demonstrations to pressure rivals.
3.3 The Opportunist
- Role: The master of spin, sabotage, and self-interest.
- Primary Attribute: Guile
- Secondary Attribute: Pragmatism
- Strengths: Manipulating events behind the scenes, exploiting opponents’ weaknesses, and crafting short-term wins.
- Weaknesses: Lacks the endurance for long-term crises or the charisma for public appeal.
- Sample Actions:
- Spin a PR disaster into an advantage.
- Blackmail opponents to gain leverage.
- Broker backroom deals to secure crucial votes.
3.4 The Technocrat
- Role: The bureaucratic problem-solver and policy wonk.
- Primary Attribute: Pragmatism
- Secondary Attribute: Clout
- Strengths: Crafting practical solutions, navigating bureaucracy, and staying focused on results.
- Weaknesses: Struggles to connect with citizens or endure emotional challenges.
- Sample Actions:
- Design policies that satisfy diverse constituencies.
- Negotiate compromises to pass legislation.
- Efficiently allocate resources during crises.
4. Attributes in Action
Each character’s attributes guide their strengths and strategies:
- Clout: Drives public influence, from debates to rallies.
- Guile: Fuels cunning tactics, such as blackmail, spin, or sabotage.
- Resolve: Governs resilience in crises and sticking to principles.
- Pragmatism: Powers efficient problem-solving and strategic planning.
For example:
- A Firebrand might use Clout to dominate a debate and Resolve to weather an opponent’s attacks.
- A Technocrat might rely on Pragmatism to draft a winning policy and Clout to sell it to the public.
- An Opportunist could exploit Guile to ruin a rival’s reputation and Pragmatism to turn that advantage into a legislative win.
5. Game Phases: The Political Cycle
- Campaign Phase: Rally voters, craft platforms, and outmaneuver opponents through speeches, debates, and scandal management.
- Governance Phase: Take office and tackle legislative and societal challenges, balancing idealism with practicality.
- Election Phase: Prepare for the next election by solidifying alliances, framing your narrative, and fending off rivals.
6. Sample Adventure: “The Taxing Dragons Act”
The party must navigate the passage of the Taxing Dragons Act, a bill proposing to tax the hoards of corporate dragons. Each class plays to their strengths:
- The Reformer rallies public support by highlighting the societal benefits.
- The Firebrand dominates debates, turning the dragons’ greed into a rallying cry.
- The Opportunist blackmails key lobbyists to sway votes.
- The Technocrat ensures the bill is airtight and legally sound.
Along the way, they’ll face smear campaigns, shifting public opinion, and the threat of literal fire from angry dragons.
Demos and Dictats merges satirical political storytelling with strategic gameplay, empowering players to wield their Clout, Guile, Resolve, and Pragmatism to shape the fate of Politaria. Can you survive—and thrive—in the chaos of democracy?
Appendix: Reinterpreting D&D Alignment
Unity/Autonomy and Charity/Glory
Yes, the D&D alignment system can be reinterpreted through the lenses of Unity/Autonomy (collective vs. individual focus) and Charity/Glory (altruistic vs. self-centered motivations). This reinterpretation preserves the core dynamics of alignment while rooting them in a nuanced, modern framework of ethical and motivational axes. Here’s how this approach could work:
1. The Axes: Unity/Autonomy and Charity/Glory
1.1 Unity/Autonomy (Law vs. Chaos)
- Unity (Law): Focus on collective structure, order, and shared principles. Prioritizes stability and the good of the group.
- Autonomy (Chaos): Emphasizes individual freedom, creativity, and self-expression. Prioritizes personal choice over external constraints.
1.2 Charity/Glory (Good vs. Evil)
- Charity (Good): Motivated by altruism, empathy, and selflessness. Desires to help others or contribute to the greater good.
- Glory (Evil): Driven by self-interest, ambition, or dominance. Seeks personal gain, power, or recognition, often at the expense of others.
2. Generativity at the Center
Generativity, as a central concept, represents the creative, growth-oriented potential of individuals and societies. It balances and integrates the axes:
- Generative Neutrality: Focusing on sustainability, legacy, and the balance of competing forces rather than alignment extremes. It aligns with the concept of True Neutral in D&D.
This generative center allows for a dynamic interpretation of alignment, where individuals or groups might shift based on context, growth, or relational needs.
3. Mapping the Alignment Grid
This reinterpretation fits neatly into the traditional 3×3 D&D alignment grid:
3. Mapping the Alignment Grid
This reinterpretation fits neatly into the traditional 3×3 D&D alignment grid:
Charity (Good)
- Lawful Good (Unity + Charity): Cooperative altruism
- Neutral Good (Generativity + Charity): Generative altruism
- Chaotic Good (Autonomy + Charity): Independent altruism
Neutral
- Lawful Neutral (Unity + Generativity): Order-focused balance
- True Neutral (Generativity + Neutrality): Generative balance
- Chaotic Neutral (Autonomy + Generativity): Freedom-focused balance
Glory (Evil)
- Lawful Evil (Unity + Glory): Structured self-interest
- Neutral Evil (Generativity + Glory): Selfish pragmatism
- Chaotic Evil (Autonomy + Glory): Unbridled ambition
4. Advantages of This Model
- Alignment as Dynamic: Viewing alignment as a balance between Unity/Autonomy and Charity/Glory allows for fluidity and personal growth, aligning with modern storytelling and ethical nuance.
- Broader Psychological Applicability: These axes resonate with real-world ethical, motivational, and psychological frameworks, making them more relatable and applicable.
- Generativity as Balance: Emphasizing generativity over neutrality highlights the creative potential of moral and ethical complexity, rather than treating neutrality as passive.
5. Implications for Roleplaying
- Character Motivation: Players can explore deeper motivations by considering where their characters fall on these axes and how they balance Unity, Autonomy, Charity, and Glory.
- Worldbuilding: Societies, factions, and conflicts can be built around these axes, creating morally complex scenarios rather than clear “good vs. evil” dichotomies.
- Dynamic Growth: The concept of generativity encourages character arcs that evolve based on their experiences, emphasizing growth and balance over rigid alignment adherence.
By framing alignment as Unity/Autonomy plus Charity/Glory, with Generativity at the center, this reinterpretation preserves the richness of the original system while opening the door to greater complexity, realism, and storytelling depth.