Lawful netural is one of the nine alignments that represent a creature's general moral and personal attitudes.
The Judge[]
A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs her. Order and organization are paramount to her. She may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or she may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government. As an example Ember, a monk who follows her discipline without being swayed either by the demands of those in need or by the temptations of evil, is lawful neutral.
Order and organization are of paramount importance to characters of this alignment. They believe in a strong, well-ordered government, whether that government is a tyranny or benevolent democracy. The benefits of organization and regimentation outweigh any moral questions raised by their actions. An inquisitor determined to ferret out traitors at any cost or a soldier who never questions his orders are good examples of lawful neutral behavior. Lawful neutral is the alignment which means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot.
The outer plane of Mechanus (and to an extent, Arcadia and Archeron) embodies this concept.
Lawful Neutrals are characters who are governed by their discipline, oaths, or the laws of land/city. They act according to the rules and uphold them highly, neglecting good or evil when making a decision.
Lawful characters are not required to always obey every law in every location. Most are loyal only to the laws of one country, and will disobey laws in other countries if they contradict the laws of their homes. Others have no loyalty to a country, but pledge themselves to an oath (such as a paladin's or cleric's vows), a group or organization, or a church. A few express their Lawful nature by following a personal code of honor and/or discipline, with Monks being the primary example of inward-directed Lawfulness.
Fictional Examples[]
- Inspector Javert (Les Miserables)
- Judge Dredd
- Clone Troopers (Star Wars)
- Odo (Deep Space Nine)