Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Runic_Grace 03-07-05, 01:40 PM	Hey all. I recently started an AIM stealth campaign. Combat is less important than role-playing and being sneaky. We're given more exp for playing in character and avoiding fights than killing stuff randomly. We have 3 monks, 2+ thieves, 2 bards and 1 sorc *there are more players, but I can't remember their jobs*. We are working for a thieves guild at the moment. The group is mostly evil or neutral in a home brew campaign of the DM. Since there are so many of us, the group is being split into two groups of 6 each. Alright. Now for my character. She's a human bard, NE. Other than just a real quick player back ground, I really don't know how to play this. I've rarely, if ever, played an evil character. I'm usually the goody goody of the group, playing the paladins and the fighters who would rather defend the poor than rob them. So far, I have the character just wanting the good life, not really caring who she hurts, just so long as she lives well and has what she wants. But that doesn't seem very evil to me. Just a bit greedy. I would really like this character to be vile, evil. I just don't know how to play evil that well. If anyone has some tips on how to evil up this character, I would appreciate it greatly.
Morka 03-07-05, 08:05 PM	Have your bard seduce some wealthy young noble to steal their purse and their heart. And when they come back claiming either one, laugh at them! It could even be a assassin strategie... Also, you can compose songs about local heroes or dirigeants with all kind of falsehoods you may think.
Persephone Imytholin 03-08-05, 04:11 AM	A talented bard could find her way around all over the place... and would probably have a few interesting secrets from the social elite. It could be worth rather a lot of money to keep them quiet...
Runic_Grace 03-09-05, 11:19 AM	Thanks for the help. I'm thinking of trying for the mind bender PrC and just manipulating everyone. But I still don't know how to make this character evil. So far, she's just a *****....
Callista 03-09-05, 12:36 PM	Oh, don't worry about making her blatantly evil. Just make her a person who's willing to step on others (or manipulate them) without thought of their well-being, if it means she gets her way. That's evil enough to justify NE. You can turn into an assassin or behind-the-scenes traitor if you wish, later on. But right now just concentrate on building a character rather than an alignment.
SearcherOmega 03-09-05, 12:44 PM	The power of a bard lies in their words, and the force of their personality with these words. Typically, a bard will inspire others with them, raising them to new heights and higher levels of thought. So obviously, the best thing to do is demoralize everyone. :D If you want a truly vile and evil character who crushes spirits beneath their feet? Let people know how utterly hopeless they are. As you are but a single step away from Lawful Evil, it's certainly within your bounds to have a superiority complex and let people know just where they fall short. Instead of singing tales of heroicism, sing painful reminders of a character's flukes while laughing. Play the devil's advocate against any statement about furthering good, tell others how a single man can never overcome the odds to make a real mark on the world. Crush heroism before it starts, sow the seeds of despair, instigate violence in others and plant thoughts if distrust in their minds. Combine the crushing, inevitable sense of Lawful Evil with the tainted, venomous sense of Chaotic Evil. Make use of terrible poisons, or even put ranks into Craft (Poisonmaking) and make your own which are even more painful. Delight in the suffering it causes. If you play it like this, you should capture the very essence of Hades in a character, reducing others to whithered husks of what they once were. Hold no respect for honor, no respect for dreams, only the inevitable doom that will befall others. As a DM, this is how I tend to play up the Neutral Evil alignment. I also admit, I have troubles playing evil alignments, as I'm usually good-aligned when I'm a player. Ideally, you should create a really evil-seeming character by playing up these aspects. Good luck!
aleph_woodenglenn 03-09-05, 12:52 PM	I would think a prima donna attitude and spiteful tendencies would be the focus. An uppity selfish snob (I'm thinking like the movie "The Heathers", Dangerous Liasons/cruel intentions...that kind of thing) who would persue vengeance to the nth degree. You know the crowd would love her and for her circle of friends/adventurers she could elevate the whole party, but should someone THINK of crossing her path she could connive all kinds of pain...maybe not physical, but...(a Dm might have to work his/her tuckis off to keep up with the level of intrigue she would impart) Blackmail, yes. Harsh beneath-the-belt blows, yes, destroying lives with her words, yes. The level of extremity is up to you, and I think even a mild prima-donna who has a degree of power and spite is evil enough. Mind bender would ROCK.
tec-goblin 03-09-05, 03:07 PM	Or you could be the driven, always smiling person-who-can-persuade-you-about-everything! With clever arguments, a smile here, a smile there, a positive attitude, you can lead everyone to whatever you like. Lead everyone to damnation. Maybe you hate organised churches like Helm and try to provide an alternative way of life - you rule a city or your group quite freely, but still with some organisation. When someone gets in your way, you persuade someone that for common good the one who gets in your way should die. And he/she dies... In that way, you can corrupt people (even your fellow PCs if they aren't evil), without killing noone yourself. You could even think you do everything for common good, while delving more and more into darkest paths. I have almost played such a bard.Aaah... lovely. An aasimar bard...
Runic_Grace 03-11-05, 01:45 AM	Alright, I've pretty much decided on just manipulating a ton of people including other party members. Just 2 more questions: 1) What kind of enchantments can be placed on an insturment? 3 masterwork insturments only cost like 300 gold, so I'm hoping I can afford a few enchantments on at least 1, maybe 2 items. What skill bonus does master work add to perform? 2) How would we go about resolving a charm or a dominate used against another player? at level 15, I can thrall a person, and if I pick a party member, he's mine. How would this work? Thanks for any and all answers
WarDragon 03-11-05, 02:17 PM	Well, this is interesting! I'm playing the other Bard in that campaign, also NE, and the two of us have... not hit it off, to say the least. Partly because my character has a full measure of typically Elven arrogance, on top of being a huge misogynist (he's had baaaad experiences with women); and, Grace is jealous of my highest-in-the-party Charisma. :D I'm also hoping to be fairly vile, and I've actually scared myself with some things I've thought of doing to Grace's character if she pisses mine off badly enough... Now, here's the kicker; I am keeping a huge secret about my past from the other players and PCs alike (which I can't post here, obviously ;) ). I have told the DM that I fully expect this secret to jump up and bite all our butts at some point, but any advice on playing around it until then? By the way, Grace; if you're thinking of Thralling me; heh, good luck. :devil: Also, keep in mind that by the time you get that power, I will have access to 8th or 9th level Sublime Chord spells. Flensing, anyone?
Runic_Grace 03-11-05, 05:00 PM	ACK!!! You know my evil plans now! Noooo!!! And what's this about evil plans towards me if I **** you off enough? Hmmmm? we'll see about that! Though I would still like to know about enchants on insturments and masterwork bonus to perform. the charming and thralling of other party members is just a boon =D
Morka 03-12-05, 04:41 PM	Alright, I've pretty much decided on just manipulating a ton of people including other party members. Just 2 more questions: 1) What kind of enchantments can be placed on an insturment? 3 masterwork insturments only cost like 300 gold, so I'm hoping I can afford a few enchantments on at least 1, maybe 2 items. What skill bonus does master work add to perform? 2) How would we go about resolving a charm or a dominate used against another player? at level 15, I can thrall a person, and if I pick a party member, he's mine. How would this work? Thanks for any and all answers 1) Check in Crystal Keep (see link in my sig). Check the equipment in the 3.0 section, there is many magical instruments, most of them are from Magic of Faerun. 2) You can use it against another party member. Or depending on your roleplaying style, you might have personal foes. Forcing the party's fighter to deal with the doorman is great.
Blastford_Underlike 03-13-05, 12:36 PM	I read your post but didn't read the response others made. An evil bard....good pick in class for an evil character for there is so much you can actually do. Perform, Bluff, Diplomacy I would say are your marks. Perform-let's say your in a tavern or just out on the streets. The higher it is the more you attract. You can actually lower there sense's and get them into the music or story so highly. While your party members run around steeling everything at a higher advantage. This will help establish your guild as well. Your bluff and diplomacy can go hand in hand. While you can find out information. Shrug it off with your bluff while in fact your plotting against the person your talking to. You can find out many things this way and use it against them. Such as finding a way into the local mansion through a secret tunnel that they use as an exscape, just to rob them of there riches as apose to using the front door/window. So many things you can do that way just have to be a bit more creative. Find the devious side and what works best for you and take advantage of it.
Galen-Leigh 03-13-05, 08:15 PM	Hey all. I recently started an AIM stealth campaign. Combat is less important than role-playing and being sneaky. We're given more exp for playing in character and avoiding fights than killing stuff randomly. We have 3 monks, 2+ thieves, 2 bards and 1 sorc *there are more players, but I can't remember their jobs*. We are working for a thieves guild at the moment. The group is mostly evil or neutral in a home brew campaign of the DM. Since there are so many of us, the group is being split into two groups of 6 each. Alright. Now for my character. She's a human bard, NE. Other than just a real quick player back ground, I really don't know how to play this. I've rarely, if ever, played an evil character. I'm usually the goody goody of the group, playing the paladins and the fighters who would rather defend the poor than rob them. So far, I have the character just wanting the good life, not really caring who she hurts, just so long as she lives well and has what she wants. But that doesn't seem very evil to me. Just a bit greedy. I would really like this character to be vile, evil. I just don't know how to play evil that well. If anyone has some tips on how to evil up this character, I would appreciate it greatly. that is Neutral evil. A person only concerned with helping themselves, not careing about any one else. Chaotic evil is the bloodthirsty monster/pirate..and Lawful evil is like a cruel tyrant who uses law to his advantage