I hate the official Planar Alignment Traits. I have several issues with them.
1) Strong Traits don't differentiate between opposing and neutral alignments.
2) There are no actual benefits for haveing matching alignments. The lack of a penalty is not a benefit.
3) There are not enough gradations to accurately depict the Great Wheel. There should be exactly twice as many possible Alignment Traits.
4) They seem a little too bland. However, this could be compensated for by additional traits.
I want to know what you think so that we might be able to come up with a better set of traits to replace the old ones with.
HR? I'm bad with most acronyms.
HR=House rules
My bad, don't know what I was thinking there.
Still, is it that big of a deal? I can imagine neutral creatures quickly succumbing to the nature of the plane and shifting to a "more aligned" alignment, while creatures with opposing alignments would be harder to convert, and thus would suffer longer. So, the alignment trait would be an invitation to neutrals and a subtle "go away" message to the opposing side.
Point by point:
1. I agree, I treat character with neutral alignments in strongly aligned planes as if they were of the opposing alignment in a mildly aligned plane (-2 to charisma related skills and checks).
2. I'm fine with there not be being benefits; it makes the planes more inhospitable. It reinforces how insignificant the characters are in the face of concepts that define the planes; they can avoid penalties by being in planes that oppose them, but still there is no reason for them to be rewarded.
3. I'd be interested in hearing what gradations you would suggest; but what we have now makes sense and works fine for me.
4. I assume you are talking about flavor; it is the job of the DM to take of that.
1. I'm OK with neutrals getting off easy. It's one of the few benefits.
2. Why should there be a benefit? Should CE people enjoy being tormented in the Abyss?
3. I think this is enough gradation, more would be needlessly complicated.
4. There's no place for flavor in hard rules. Adding that is the DM's job.
Overall, I like the alignment traits as written, and as a HR, I apply their penalty to divine caster level to simulate the 2E clerical difficulties. (Which was used to explain why cross-planar crusades aren't all that practical.)