Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Evil DM Mk3 05-03-07, 10:40 AM	Any takers?
RevIron 05-03-07, 10:54 AM	Paladins - what's the code of conduct? What will happen if it's broken? What's the first scenario you'll throw at one? Anything else you want to add on the subject?
Ian0311 05-03-07, 12:01 PM	How would you stop Pun-Pun?
Evil DM Mk3 05-03-07, 12:22 PM	Paladins - what's the code of conduct? What will happen if it's broken? What's the first scenario you'll throw at one? Anything else you want to add on the subject?Paladins are a cool and dynamic aspect of the game, they allow you to lever in all manner of truly horrible uglies and hooking for them is a dream. Remember a truly evil DM never goes in with the heavy handed stuff, he plays the sporting game. I prefer to get the player to sketch up the first draft of his own code of conduct, I then edit to make sure that it fill LG by word and spirit. Breaking is a tricky one. Willing violation will result in falling HARD. Atonment is not handed out like candy either, once the full details of the situation are known clergy and gods are likely to demand dangerous lone quests (sans palladin powers) before the spell is granted. Involitary breaking is not treated as harshly of course, atonment is easy and it is sans xp, but it may still be needed. First encounter, likely somthing simple and clear cut, mudding the watters over time untill we reach the realms of really tricky stuff just as the BBEG is at full steam. How would you stop Pun-Pun? All PrCs and feats require DM discression but their biggest stumbling block is that the creture the power comes from is in a book I do not own and therefore cannot be used in my games. I shall never buy it either because it is setting material and I allways run my own.
DyloniusFunk 05-03-07, 12:27 PM	what's it like to not have any players?
Evil DM Mk3 05-03-07, 12:30 PM	what's it like to not have any players? I currently run two games...(as Lord Vetinari points out in a discworld novel (I forget which at the moment) "Evil" people are better at running things than good people of equal inteligance.) Seriously people get the worng idea about "evil" DMs. Yes we enjoy crushing PCs and their players plans for them, but we find strongarm tactics and unkillable BBEGs, well, dull. I mean we control the whole damned world. We could have gods arrive and jump up and down on the PCs if we wanted. But where is the fun in that?:confused:
Geddonight 05-03-07, 12:44 PM	What steps should I undertake to become an Evil GM?
Evil DM Mk3 05-03-07, 01:48 PM	What steps should I undertake to become an Evil GM?Well a few basic pointers. First get into the right advisarial mindset. Ignore what those namby pamby wooses will tell you, it IS you verses teh party. At least 90% of the time at any rate. Where to PCs get xp? Combat, politics and traps. In any of those, are the monsters/NPCs/traps on the PCs side? NO! Who is running them? YOU! QED Second, run every type of encounter you can. Combat and roleplaying. Make sure the party have to deal with close up brutes, deadly snipers, silver tounged deamonouges, devious wizards and sneaky blighters. Test the parties capabilites to breaking point in every field, but don't break them. Let the players kill their own PCs by stupidity. Third, realise that if you simply slaughter the PCs the game is over, if you almost slaughter them and make the players panic then at least let them snatch a partial victory or possibly suffer a partial TPK, at worst the players have a very memorable game. Fourth, know and enforce the rules. If a player wants to be a sweet talker it takes more than simply sweet talking. His PC needs the apropriate skills too. Fifth, avoid all cliches and if you can, never run a module or indeed setting the players have read. Better they play in your setting than forgotten realms, simply becasue they will have equal out of game and in game ingorance. Finaly remember to think encounters through, let the monsters shine. Oh and don't cheat, takes the fun out of it.
daggeroflath 05-03-07, 05:32 PM	You sound like my kind of DM, If I move to england can I play in your game?
KurenaiYami 05-03-07, 05:37 PM	I currently run two games...(as Lord Vetinari points out in a discworld novel (I forget which at the moment) "Evil" people are better at running things than good people of equal inteligance.) Is this because good is, in fact, dumb?
Evil DM Mk3 05-03-07, 05:43 PM	You sound like my kind of DM, If I move to england can I play in your game? Only if you can find me :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh Is this because good is, in fact, dumb?No. Because Evil knows how evil thinks. Random chance and savot PCs (A term I coined from the soft iron peg used to destroy cannon for PCs that exist to destroy game balance) as well as politicans and the free press are generaly best treated as evil in nature.
OneBallJay 05-03-07, 08:18 PM	No. Because Evil knows how evil thinks. Random chance and savot PCs (A term I coined from the soft iron peg used to destroy cannon for PCs that exist to destroy game balance) as well as politicans and the free press are generaly best treated as evil in nature. From Spaceballs (1987) Dark Helmet: So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb.
Evil DM Mk3 05-03-07, 08:26 PM	From Spaceballs (1987) Dark Helmet: So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb. Ye, um, that is wrong. Pure and simple. There are certain areas where good has all of the money. Running things isn't one of them.
planetouched 05-03-07, 08:44 PM	Well a few basic pointers. First get into the right advisarial mindset. Ignore what those namby pamby wooses will tell you, it IS you verses teh party. At least 90% of the time at any rate. Where to PCs get xp? Combat, politics and traps. In any of those, are the monsters/NPCs/traps on the PCs side? NO! Who is running them? YOU! QED Second, run every type of encounter you can. Combat and roleplaying. Make sure the party have to deal with close up brutes, deadly snipers, silver tounged deamonouges, devious wizards and sneaky blighters. Test the parties capabilites to breaking point in every field, but don't break them. Let the players kill their own PCs by stupidity. Third, realise that if you simply slaughter the PCs the game is over, if you almost slaughter them and make the players panic then at least let them snatch a partial victory or possibly suffer a partial TPK, at worst the players have a very memorable game. Fourth, know and enforce the rules. If a player wants to be a sweet talker it takes more than simply sweet talking. His PC needs the apropriate skills too. Fifth, avoid all cliches and if you can, never run a module or indeed setting the players have read. Better they play in your setting than forgotten realms, simply becasue they will have equal out of game and in game ingorance. Sixth, remember to think encounters through, let the monsters shine. Oh and don't cheat, takes the fun out of it. Finally: Rust monsters. With giant termites riding their backs.
Evil DM Mk3 05-03-07, 08:53 PM	Finally: Rust monsters. With giant termites riding their backs. Ah yes, AKA Lesson 4:Why every fighter ought to carry a bow, even if he can fly.
Prator_the_Legendary 05-03-07, 09:08 PM	As an evil GM in training, I find myself frequently subjected to hammergun attacks. Since the hospital bills to repair my face are steadily rising, what would you suggest to continue being evil WITHOUT ticking off the players? Or, if that is not possible for any reason, what form of protective headwear do you find is the best to block a blunt instrument moving at 80+ mph?
Evil DM Mk3 05-03-07, 09:14 PM	what would you suggest to continue being evil WITHOUT ticking off the players? You are clearly lacking the correct amount of tact, sublty and sportsmanship. Simply saying "no all clerics now have 1hp per level max" is not being and evil GM. It is being a BAD one. Evil is sublte plotting and cunning villains, nothing you do should even come close to provoking the hammergun. If all else fails, invest in a tripple layered, diamond hardened steel DM screen. It is less likely to get noticed.
tankschmidt 05-03-07, 09:33 PM	If I reduce the size of ethereal marauder to small -- and correspondingly lower damage and grapple checks -- am I justified in making it a CR 2 instead? They are pretty lousy for a CR 3 to start with! Thanks, Mr. Evil.
Evil DM Mk3 05-04-07, 08:41 PM	If I reduce the size of ethereal marauder to small -- and correspondingly lower damage and grapple checks -- am I justified in making it a CR 2 instead? They are pretty lousy for a CR 3 to start with! Thanks, Mr. Evil. I should think so, but that is hardly an evil orientated question now is it. Mind you those would make really interesting pets, especially if they where created by a wizard who had programed them using magic to attack their owners on a given signal. Delivered at night that would be a reasonably CDG for most to deal with...
Prator_the_Legendary 05-04-07, 08:58 PM	On a scale of one to ten, how evil is it for my players to run into: 1. A Grue (Zork Monster!) (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=817566) who will appear whenever anyone forgets to light a torch and it's dark. 2. A Rock-Paper-Scissors golem (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=12183918) who will be the minion of a high-level mage. 3. A Care Bear (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=827984) who could just be a really weird random encounter. ...And are there any other ridiculous monsters you can think of that my players could be shocked and appalled by? (Pie golems have been done already, so don't suggest those).
BloodSpill 05-05-07, 01:59 AM	Would you care to give an example situation that demonstrates the difference between a run of the mill (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/run_of_the_mill) DM and an Evil one?
heardfamily 05-05-07, 04:30 AM	Would you care to give an example situation that demonstrates the difference between a run of the mill (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/run_of_the_mill) DM and an Evil one? I'd like to know an example too - as far as I can tell (and please let me know if I'm wrong), the only difference is that an evil DM is out to ruin the player's fun and break every essential DM rule (eg. you are not against the players) and is very lucky to still have players at all.
Ariath Ska'Vhor 05-05-07, 04:37 AM	I'm going to kill my entire party's respective families, animate them as zombies and have them attack them while unequiped and just a little drunk while in an inn. What steps might I take to make this more evil? Edit: Better yet, how would you make this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0448.html) more evil?
AtmaWeapon 05-05-07, 04:50 AM	Good DMs: Have pit traps that do 5d6 points of damage. Mean DMs: Put spikes in the bottom. Evil DMs: Craft the pit so that it opens up an upside down V shape so you can't climb out. Serrated edges around the lip preclude easily using a rope from the top. Then you can start talking about the Gelataneous Cube and the Antimagic Field REALLY Evil DMs: Surround the whole area with a region of wild magic.
Gold Halberdier 05-29-07, 02:55 AM	There is a difference between evil Dms and Bad Dms.. Bad DMs generally don't have players for long. Evil Dms, on the other hand, often run the most memorable and challenging games. So, Lord Evil-DM... If a water-filled barrel rolls down the dungeon corridor, setting off all the pressure plate traps, trips-wires, and etc. what do you do? and why does no one on these boards ever talk about falling druids? Paladins get all the abuse.
maharai23 05-29-07, 04:46 AM	I'm going to kill my entire party's respective families, animate them as zombies and have them attack them while unequiped and just a little drunk while in an inn. What steps might I take to make this more evil? Edit: Better yet, how would you make this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0448.html) more evil? Sure... animate them as intelligent undead. Or animate most of them, and make the rest "disappear". Not knowing is sometimes worse.
duke_Qa 05-29-07, 01:47 PM	Ha ha nice concept! the Vetinari reference really made my eyes open up for how an evil GM might work. its the truth though. if you play in a campaign with good pc's, what does the GM have to send against you? evil things. if you are playing an evil campaign? more evil things as evil fights itself aswell :p. you have to know your role of evil very well to be able to entertain properly, because if the players know you will be nice and good with them they won't have any competition at all in the game. now for some questions. will you do a "ask-a-ninja"(youtube-movies of you answering peoples prayers for evil GM coaching in a evil-GM outfit :p) and make a ton of money on this kind of evil support? that would be real fun :D what is the best way to make your players cry for their characters life when using monsters that they easily can defeat in direct battle? maybe not as much through the use of physical damage but through descriptions and psychological damage :eek: is there a checklist of things that should happen during a session with an evil GM?
queenfange 05-29-07, 07:08 PM	This whole thread is like your ego-booster, right? That said, how would stop a player's constant use of web spells from killing all of your enemies time after time? :D
Disciple_of_Juiblex 05-29-07, 08:11 PM	As an evil DM you play core only right? :hides: As an Evil Dm, what do you do when your players get more evil than you? And finnaly, when you arnt dming and therefore playing, are you still so evil?
vader_rocks 05-29-07, 08:18 PM	What's the best way to come up with ideas for a campaign without one of the players yelling "(Insert Author's Name) did that!"?
Number_Nine 05-30-07, 12:35 AM	Are you ever going to reply to any of these people?
maharai23 05-30-07, 06:57 AM	The difference between an average DM and an evil one is SHOWMANSHIP. An evil DM delights when his monsters destroy the party, when his traps maim them... When his villains outwit them in the role playing... A run-of-the-mill DM doesn't get attached to his critters. An evil DM knows that as DM, the power of the D&D universe is in your hands... But abusing that power is pointless. So, the evil DM handicaps himself. Every challenge is on par with the players... Every challenge gives the players the decided ability to win. The evil DM delights when the party can win and fails. Example... I nearly got a TPK on a 15th level party with a CR7 aboleth once, with clever use of illusion. That was a proud day for me. I don't think they even got xp for something that low on CR. But a strategically placed illusionary aboleth, a PC cleric with a harm spell that didn't take the time to assess the situation, and I think one beatstick fighter drowned the cleric when he was enslaved. Then the mage did a sudden quickened fly spell to get out of the water, and then a sudden maximized chain lightning... he was a bit scared, and jumpy, and killed the rogue, who was in the water and failed the reflex save due to being in a grapple and pinned by the aboleth underwater.
KurenaiYami 05-30-07, 08:06 AM	Are you ever going to reply to any of these people? This is what makes him eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil.
Evil DM Mk3 06-02-07, 04:28 AM	On a scale of one to ten, how evil is it for my players to run into: 1. A Grue (Zork Monster!) (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=817566) who will appear whenever anyone forgets to light a torch and it's dark. 2. A Rock-Paper-Scissors golem (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=12183918) who will be the minion of a high-level mage. 3. A Care Bear (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=827984) who could just be a really weird random encounter. ...And are there any other ridiculous monsters you can think of that my players could be shocked and appalled by? (Pie golems have been done already, so don't suggest those).1.4, they are likely to get the referance and laugh. 2.3, interesting, not evil. 3.7, scary on a whole sub-concious level. Who didn't have a teddy when they where a child? Would you care to give an example situation that demonstrates the difference between a run of the mill (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/run_of_the_mill) DM and an Evil one? A run of the mill DM has a cult of death preists capture the princess and hodl ehr to ransom. When I last used the whole deathpreists and princess bit SHE was head of the cult and a vamp (no on knew, northen kingdom, 4 months of constant darkness a year, arogant and alouf royals who never see the outside of the palace if they can help it.) In short if the captive girl attacks the party and kills some of them, and then those beloved PCs come back as her entourage and consorts in a latet adventure, that is Evil DMing. I'm going to kill my entire party's respective families, animate them as zombies and have them attack them while unequiped and just a little drunk while in an inn. What steps might I take to make this more evil?Tone it down. Don't make everything so obvious. Let the PCs THINK they have a chance. Good DMs: Have pit traps that do 5d6 points of damage. Mean DMs: Put spikes in the bottom. Evil DMs: Craft the pit so that it opens up an upside down V shape so you can't climb out. Serrated edges around the lip preclude easily using a rope from the top. Then you can start talking about the Gelataneous Cube and the Antimagic Field REALLY Evil DMs: Surround the whole area with a region of wild magic.No those are DMs, DMs, Over-evil DMs and ****s. An Evil DM would have the trap going off prime other traps. Now when they go back to get healing the entire coridor is made of pit traps. There is a difference between evil Dms and Bad Dms.. Bad DMs generally don't have players for long. Evil Dms, on the other hand, often run the most memorable and challenging games. So, Lord Evil-DM... If a water-filled barrel rolls down the dungeon corridor, setting off all the pressure plate traps, trips-wires, and etc. what do you do? and why does no one on these boards ever talk about falling druids? Paladins get all the abuse.Thank you by the way. The barrel. Let them do it. Then next time there is an Arcane eye triggered trap the looks for humanoids. They won't search if they used the barrel will they? Ha ha nice concept! the Vetinari reference really made my eyes open up for how an evil GM might work. its the truth though. if you play in a campaign with good pc's, what does the GM have to send against you? evil things. if you are playing an evil campaign? more evil things as evil fights itself aswell :p. you have to know your role of evil very well to be able to entertain properly, because if the players know you will be nice and good with them they won't have any competition at all in the game. now for some questions. will you do a "ask-a-ninja"(youtube-movies of you answering peoples prayers for evil GM coaching in a evil-GM outfit :p) and make a ton of money on this kind of evil support? that would be real fun :D what is the best way to make your players cry for their characters life when using monsters that they easily can defeat in direct battle? maybe not as much through the use of physical damage but through descriptions and psychological damage :eek: is there a checklist of things that should happen during a session with an evil GM?I had not intended to do an internet thing, maybe though, nice idea. As for making them cry, alter the descriptions in the monster manual. Describe Kobolds as "lean, agile and touch looking humanoids with long crocodile like jaws." That is off the top of my head. As for checklists, it is more a matter of weather that helps or not. Oh and there is no outfit. We employ urban camophlage, that is to say we look like people. That is why it is so hard to find us. This whole thread is like your ego-booster, right? That said, how would stop a player's constant use of web spells from killing all of your enemies time after time? :DProbably. And Incoropreals are nice, or high reflex saves, or using illusions to make them waste spells JUST beofre the assassin strikes. As an evil DM you play core only right? :hides: As an Evil Dm, what do you do when your players get more evil than you? And finnaly, when you arnt dming and therefore playing, are you still so evil?No, never happened, not so much, I like Paladin/rogues/shadowbane Inquistors or simmilar. What's the best way to come up with ideas for a campaign without one of the players yelling "(Insert Author's Name) did that!"?Take the idea and twist it. The twist is important. Say you use the Fith Elephant plot of Lycanthropes wanting to destroy Dwarven society by exposing a millenia long fraud. Keep the essential idea, change the whole cast around, change what the fraud is (such as the sucession of the kingdom, the real line was lost centuraries ago and every few generations (when the lien dries up again) inner cirlce nobles become the royals. Are you ever going to reply to any of these people?Sorry, lost track of the thread. The difference between an average DM and an evil one is SHOWMANSHIP. An evil DM delights when his monsters destroy the party, when his traps maim them... When his villains outwit them in the role playing... A run-of-the-mill DM doesn't get attached to his critters. An evil DM knows that as DM, the power of the D&D universe is in your hands... But abusing that power is pointless. So, the evil DM handicaps himself. Every challenge is on par with the players... Every challenge gives the players the decided ability to win. The evil DM delights when the party can win and fails. Example... I nearly got a TPK on a 15th level party with a CR7 aboleth once, with clever use of illusion. That was a proud day for me. I don't think they even got xp for something that low on CR. But a strategically placed illusionary aboleth, a PC cleric with a harm spell that didn't take the time to assess the situation, and I think one beatstick fighter drowned the cleric when he was enslaved. Then the mage did a sudden quickened fly spell to get out of the water, and then a sudden maximized chain lightning... he was a bit scared, and jumpy, and killed the rogue, who was in the water and failed the reflex save due to being in a grapple and pinned by the aboleth underwater.Poetry in motion my friend, and exactly how an Abloth should fight. This is what makes him eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil.Hey I EXPLAINED, although suspence is a good tool.
Evil DM Mk3 06-03-07, 03:01 PM	No more punters?
vader_rocks 06-03-07, 03:27 PM	What is the meaning of life?
Evil DM Mk3 06-03-07, 03:30 PM	I am an evil DM, not an ulberphilosopher.
maharai23 06-03-07, 04:37 PM	Pit trap example: Recent adventure of mine. A group of low level PC's (five level 2 PC's, to be exact), invaded a trog lair. This was an organized trog group to be exact, numbering over 100, with dual purpose: First to conduct raids on the nearby road, and second, to feed. Since hunting was scarce that time of year, they never passed up any meat, even if it was humanoid. A previous attempt to clean them out by NPC's resulted in a decent meal for the trogs. Well, the party gets in, handily defeats the 3-4 trogs guarding the entrance. Evil DM step 1: Give the PC's confidence. They head down the corridor, and after about 50 feet, run straight into a standard CR1 pit trap, 20 foot pit, with what looks like rope netting attempting to support spikes unsuccessfully, the Fighter with a -1 to climb after Armor check falls in, rogue in front makes reflex and gets on the far side of the pit. 4 trogs that were watching the hallway move to attack the lone rogue. Evil DM step 2: Give the PC's what they THINK is the real challenge. 2 PC's jump the pit and blockade the hallway, while the third lowers a rope to the PC in the pit. Long story short, trogs run, as they had done with the previous NPC party. Evil DM step 3: Lull the PC's into a false sense of security. Party assembles on the far side of the pit, no major losses. the advance around the corner, and see about 50 feet away, the hallway opens from 10-15 feet wide up to a large cavern, complete with bonfire. While the PCs are staring at this, 2 trogs are climbing out of the pit, where they were hiding. They haul up the net, which was not actually connected to the spikes, and run support lines quickly through a series of small eyelets hidden in the corners of the ceiling and the floor. This creates a net wall immedately on the other side of the pit, knotted taut. Meanwhile, the PC's are quietly trying to figure out what they should exactly do, as the trogs in the cavern don't appear to be aware of them... Until the trogs in the hallway blow a horn, signalling that the real trap at the pit was finally in place. DM step 4: Allow the PC's to see that they were just out maneuvered. Sure, the planning of things like this takes a while... But my, is it worth it to see pcs jumping to the rope and frantically trying to hack through it through sickening stench, spear thrusts, and a horde of trogs boiling out of the cave towards them. The one smart PC move that enabled some of them to survive was shattering the party lamp in the hallway, and switching to a torch. While it didn't catch on fire (it shouldn't, as lamp oil isn't very easy to burn like that), the slippery hallway caused the trog horde to slow down a bit, due to failed balance checks and the like.
Evil DM Mk3 06-03-07, 05:19 PM	Nice technique. Give the monsters their due inteligance and cunning. Well done sir. Or madam. Can't tell.
zzo38 06-04-07, 10:54 AM	Well a few basic pointers. First get into the right advisarial mindset. Ignore what those namby pamby wooses will tell you, it IS you verses teh party. At least 90% of the time at any rate. Where to PCs get xp? Combat, politics and traps. In any of those, are the monsters/NPCs/traps on the PCs side? NO! Who is running them? YOU! QED Second, run every type of encounter you can. Combat and roleplaying. Make sure the party have to deal with close up brutes, deadly snipers, silver tounged deamonouges, devious wizards and sneaky blighters. Test the parties capabilites to breaking point in every field, but don't break them. Let the players kill their own PCs by stupidity. Third, realise that if you simply slaughter the PCs the game is over, if you almost slaughter them and make the players panic then at least let them snatch a partial victory or possibly suffer a partial TPK, at worst the players have a very memorable game. Fourth, know and enforce the rules. If a player wants to be a sweet talker it takes more than simply sweet talking. His PC needs the apropriate skills too. Fifth, avoid all cliches and if you can, never run a module or indeed setting the players have read. Better they play in your setting than forgotten realms, simply becasue they will have equal out of game and in game ingorance. Finaly remember to think encounters through, let the monsters shine. Oh and don't cheat, takes the fun out of it. I have told a lot of these things to the DM even before I read this. He often wanted to use a module, and didn't know the rules very well, but I fixed those things of him, way before I read this.
zzakk2to2 06-05-07, 04:56 PM	...And are there any other ridiculous monsters you can think of that my players could be shocked and appalled by? (Pie golems have been done already, so don't suggest those). have the party see a herd of ratdeer being chased by a pair of owlbears and be in the way of the stampede. I made the ratdeer as the natural prey of the owlbear.