I came back to this forums after at least a year, as I got interested in ADOM again. This is a feature I thought up.

Since JADE should have two-dimensional alignment system, unlike one-dimensional ADOM, I was wondering about some of the laws that could hold there.

Each town would probably have its own laws. Bigger towns could enforce their laws in surrounding area as well. If a PC breaks any of them, the alignment moves away from Lawful. If someone SEES him breaking a law, he might call guards (or attempt to blackmail PC). Punishment for breaking a law may include a fine, confiscation of an item (a weapon, for example), being exiled from town, jail, or the guards might even attempt to kill you on the spot. Accepting the punishment will repair your alignment drop a bit. Some rulers might use your law-breaking as an excuse to force a quest on you.

A PC doesn't suffer an alignment drop if the town is already hostile (if you came with a quest to exterminate the town, you couldn't care less about their pathetic laws).

The examples of laws:

Animal cruelty law: A PC breaks this law if it hits an animal and deals less than 1/3 of its remaining HP (killing animals is not cruel -- prolonging their agony is).

Public drunkeness law: Self-explanatory.

Public decency law: The mildest one simply forces female PCs to wear torso armor (perhaps except drakelings?). The more severe ones might, for example, require everyone to wear a hood, regardless of gender.

Racial exclusion: Some races are banned from the area. A PC of that race breaks the law by entering.

Resisting arrest: Fighting the guards that came to arrest you. A barbarian settlement, for example, might have no such law - if you overpower the guards, you are free to go.

Drug laws: Some towns might ban certain potions or herbs. Either their use, or simply their possession is against the law. For example a town famous for its restaurants might ban stomafilias because they are bad for business. A town ruled by a king paranoid about being poisoned might ban ALL herbs. Attempt to sell a banned item in a shop is "drug dealing", and gets more severe penalties.

Witchcraft laws: Some spells, or even all, are banned.

Duel laws: no fighting in the town, for any reason.

And of course, the usual laws against thievery and murder.