A playable (and interesting) evil character. [Archive] - Wizards Community

A playable (and interesting) evil character. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Fithero
07-04-07, 09:24 AM I want to play an evil character that is able to work with a party of good characters, even a paladin if needed.

It'd be easiest to say that the character wants power, is willing to whatever to do get power but he doesnt enjoy or even condone evil deeds.

He will try and seek out a peaceful solution to any problem he faces, even trying to make it a win/win situation for all parties involved. However, if it comes down to it, he will hurt others and he will kill others if needed. He wont enjoy it, it will wrack him with guilt, but he will still do it to advance himself.

Does this sound like an evil character to you all?

Im thinking that he wishes to live a certain type of life style and is willing to do whatever to get there. I see him giving money to orphans and beggars because he is able to do so, helping out others when they need it. But if someone doesnt accept his (numerous) peaceful advances, he will resort to more drastic measures.

I see this guy wanting a wife, wanting kids, wanting to live as normal as possible. But as comfortable as possible. Killing and hurting makes enemies, which causes problems, he doesnt like problems (nor does he like killing) so he tries to avoid it.

I think i just repeated the same thing 3 times there :confused: sorry.

But thats what im trying to get across, what sort of character do you all see this guy as?

-evil?
-able to work with paladins?
-worship a good god?
-socially accepted?

Any advice here would be appreciated.

edit: Reading back, he seems alot like a modern day Mafia member. "Ill pay you 100 gold if you leave your post right now, take it, be rich and live. Refuse... things get nasty" All about putting the family first, but not exactly being on the up and up with society.
Ensjak
07-04-07, 11:16 AM The feeling guilt part makes it borderline neutral in my eyes. Good and evil is defined by personal morals. It's not just the doing but the feeling you get from a certain action. Doing good deeds alone doesn't make an evil character good, nor does simply doing evil deeds make a good character evil.

If you're saying he's evil on the basis that he will resort to murder, then shouldn't he also be good on the basis that he will give to charity (giving money to the orphans as you said)? These are actions, but good and evil are feelings more than actions. If they were just actions, then characters wouldn't have alignments. Or their alignment would be wholly dependent on the particular action they are engaged in at a certain time.

For this reason, I would say that the character isn't evil because he does have cognitive dissonance regarding killing. This seems more like the start to how a neutral character might become evil. Eventually he stops feeling guilt and remorse after doing evil acts. That, in my eye, is what makes an evil character evil. The same can be said for a neutral character being different from good. Once a character stops feeling like a sucker or like they've been cheated out of or lost something after doing a good deed, then and only then does the character become good.
Zarfolos12
07-04-07, 11:51 AM Well first off as Ensjak said, this is not really evil...just C/N Leaning towards evil more then good. Because a big bad evil guy can still give to the poor, its unusual but it could happen. And he's leaning towards evil because any murder he commits is not an act of passion as usual or a life and death situation, its pre-meditated and he knows that hes doing it to get to his own ends. Your making a story that will be very interesting by blurring the evil/nuteral axis and making it hard to catigorize.

As for the paladin, well until this guy did something evil in front of the pally, he wouldn't radiate evil per se...more of a feeling that he'd have the ability to be evil, a very faint radiation, no more then the normal person at first but slowly he'll corrupt, assuming he's doing more killing to get to his own ends then donating to the poor and needy. And well once this guy offs the L/G Guard that wont let him pass then challenges him the paladin is going to be a little more weary of said guy. You'll be walking a thin line and will have to work very hard to stay away from straight evil, because once you hit that point 1 of 2 things happen.

1-Pally kills you.
2-Pally leaves party taking the rest with him.
Fithero
07-04-07, 11:52 AM Once a character stops feeling like a sucker or like they've been cheated out of or lost something after doing a good deed, then and only then does the character become good.

That actually helps me more with a real life situation than the character.

Thanks a bunch mate :)

+1 Karma point to you :P

Peace
sleepydeath
07-04-07, 12:25 PM an evil dragonborn gnome beguiler that worhship bahamut

he was enslaved by an evil *instert color* dragon, thus called bahamut for help and got dragonborn. he managed to flee/defeat the dragon with the help of other slaves but the time he was a slave made him full of hate and he turned lawful evil.
Fithero
07-04-07, 02:41 PM Dont have races of Dragon, sorry :(

I think ill go half-elf rogue who will then step into Spy Master, focusing on diplomacy, bluff, intimidate and sense motive.

He will have a few fake ID's as elves, humans and half-elves to use when he needs to do his unsavory bussiness.

His goal will be to have a life style that is comfortable and one that he can raise a family in.

He wants to start, and run, his own town.

He will build a church to some neutral deity that i havent decided upon yet, or perhaps a good one that will accept is often not-so-good ways.

Im thinking that he will have a "killing is the last resort" motto, he will use knock out poisons, beat someone down with subdual or just spell them to sleep before he tries to kill them.

And when they lay their unconscious, he will pay them what he origionally offered so everyone is happy.

This guy will have a very defined view of what he wants his town like. No unsavory types of people living there, away from the big cities, perhaps on a cliff side. Really try to make it look like its on the up and up. Eventually he will probably show some of the older villagers what he's had to do to give them their life style, and offer to let them join him.

This is all up in the air at the moment of course....

cheers.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Fithero 07-04-07, 09:24 AM	I want to play an evil character that is able to work with a party of good characters, even a paladin if needed. It'd be easiest to say that the character wants power, is willing to whatever to do get power but he doesnt enjoy or even condone evil deeds. He will try and seek out a peaceful solution to any problem he faces, even trying to make it a win/win situation for all parties involved. However, if it comes down to it, he will hurt others and he will kill others if needed. He wont enjoy it, it will wrack him with guilt, but he will still do it to advance himself. Does this sound like an evil character to you all? Im thinking that he wishes to live a certain type of life style and is willing to do whatever to get there. I see him giving money to orphans and beggars because he is able to do so, helping out others when they need it. But if someone doesnt accept his (numerous) peaceful advances, he will resort to more drastic measures. I see this guy wanting a wife, wanting kids, wanting to live as normal as possible. But as comfortable as possible. Killing and hurting makes enemies, which causes problems, he doesnt like problems (nor does he like killing) so he tries to avoid it. I think i just repeated the same thing 3 times there :confused: sorry. But thats what im trying to get across, what sort of character do you all see this guy as? -evil? -able to work with paladins? -worship a good god? -socially accepted? Any advice here would be appreciated. edit: Reading back, he seems alot like a modern day Mafia member. "Ill pay you 100 gold if you leave your post right now, take it, be rich and live. Refuse... things get nasty" All about putting the family first, but not exactly being on the up and up with society.
Ensjak 07-04-07, 11:16 AM	The feeling guilt part makes it borderline neutral in my eyes. Good and evil is defined by personal morals. It's not just the doing but the feeling you get from a certain action. Doing good deeds alone doesn't make an evil character good, nor does simply doing evil deeds make a good character evil. If you're saying he's evil on the basis that he will resort to murder, then shouldn't he also be good on the basis that he will give to charity (giving money to the orphans as you said)? These are actions, but good and evil are feelings more than actions. If they were just actions, then characters wouldn't have alignments. Or their alignment would be wholly dependent on the particular action they are engaged in at a certain time. For this reason, I would say that the character isn't evil because he does have cognitive dissonance regarding killing. This seems more like the start to how a neutral character might become evil. Eventually he stops feeling guilt and remorse after doing evil acts. That, in my eye, is what makes an evil character evil. The same can be said for a neutral character being different from good. Once a character stops feeling like a sucker or like they've been cheated out of or lost something after doing a good deed, then and only then does the character become good.
Zarfolos12 07-04-07, 11:51 AM	Well first off as Ensjak said, this is not really evil...just C/N Leaning towards evil more then good. Because a big bad evil guy can still give to the poor, its unusual but it could happen. And he's leaning towards evil because any murder he commits is not an act of passion as usual or a life and death situation, its pre-meditated and he knows that hes doing it to get to his own ends. Your making a story that will be very interesting by blurring the evil/nuteral axis and making it hard to catigorize. As for the paladin, well until this guy did something evil in front of the pally, he wouldn't radiate evil per se...more of a feeling that he'd have the ability to be evil, a very faint radiation, no more then the normal person at first but slowly he'll corrupt, assuming he's doing more killing to get to his own ends then donating to the poor and needy. And well once this guy offs the L/G Guard that wont let him pass then challenges him the paladin is going to be a little more weary of said guy. You'll be walking a thin line and will have to work very hard to stay away from straight evil, because once you hit that point 1 of 2 things happen. 1-Pally kills you. 2-Pally leaves party taking the rest with him.
Fithero 07-04-07, 11:52 AM	Once a character stops feeling like a sucker or like they've been cheated out of or lost something after doing a good deed, then and only then does the character become good. That actually helps me more with a real life situation than the character. Thanks a bunch mate :) +1 Karma point to you :P Peace
sleepydeath 07-04-07, 12:25 PM	an evil dragonborn gnome beguiler that worhship bahamut he was enslaved by an evil instert color dragon, thus called bahamut for help and got dragonborn. he managed to flee/defeat the dragon with the help of other slaves but the time he was a slave made him full of hate and he turned lawful evil.
Fithero 07-04-07, 02:41 PM	Dont have races of Dragon, sorry :( I think ill go half-elf rogue who will then step into Spy Master, focusing on diplomacy, bluff, intimidate and sense motive. He will have a few fake ID's as elves, humans and half-elves to use when he needs to do his unsavory bussiness. His goal will be to have a life style that is comfortable and one that he can raise a family in. He wants to start, and run, his own town. He will build a church to some neutral deity that i havent decided upon yet, or perhaps a good one that will accept is often not-so-good ways. Im thinking that he will have a "killing is the last resort" motto, he will use knock out poisons, beat someone down with subdual or just spell them to sleep before he tries to kill them. And when they lay their unconscious, he will pay them what he origionally offered so everyone is happy. This guy will have a very defined view of what he wants his town like. No unsavory types of people living there, away from the big cities, perhaps on a cliff side. Really try to make it look like its on the up and up. Eventually he will probably show some of the older villagers what he's had to do to give them their life style, and offer to let them join him. This is all up in the air at the moment of course.... cheers.