Post/Author/DateTime	Post
OgreMonk 10-10-06, 09:27 AM	My group has decided to play an evil campaign. I am totally against this idea but the majority rules. I am not a goody-goody but the only direction I see this campaign going is in the way of powergaming, immaturity and selfishness. After weighing playing vs not playing, I have decided to tough it out. How can I make this fun? Thanks!
Clawhound 10-10-06, 09:40 AM	I've always had fun playing the syncophant. Y'know, the guy who identifies the strongest person and does whatever they say. This sounds crazy, but it's actually a classic dynamic within evil. What kind of evil are you? Not everyone is a "take over the world type." Some evil is ... well ... lame. Lame evil is fun. Evil games are known to crash and burn because evil has no reason to cooperate. Make sure that you have a reason to work with other evil, even if that reason is "this is a good gig, why blow it?"
FRRC 10-10-06, 09:56 AM	Your whole team can be of evil alignment and never commit an evil deed, for example, killing the entire party becuase you have an evil alignment.
Echo_that_Pains 10-10-06, 10:05 AM	The most memorable and enjoyable campaigns I have ever played in have been evil ones. As long as you have mature people playing who can understand and roleplay the alignment well then it will be a blast! Powergaming - will probably happen somewhat, each person will always try to be stronger than the next so that they can stay on top of the pile Immaturity - based on other people Selfishness - well, it is an evil campaign. the only thing that each person strives for (said or not) is their own personal growth and power gain regardless of their mission/group As long as you keep an open mind it might be more enjoyable than you think. RP'ing will be very intensive in this one most likely due to the lies and alterior motives that you must keep secret.
Azezel 10-10-06, 11:12 AM	For my part - I am of the school which states that no gaming is better than bad gaming, and I would ellect to have no part in an evil campaign. My advice would be thus: Be polite (I mean, they are your friends, aren't they?), but firm. 'Sorry chaps, it just don't apeal to me. I hope you have fun, call me when it's over.'
Magus Gar Kan 10-10-06, 12:59 PM	Since you have decided to tough it out, try and have fun. After all what you described is the epitome of evil, at least movie/fantasy evil. Go over the top, Focus on some classic evil element. If the Idea of being truly evil is uncomfortable, go with campy. And if the players turn on each other, well let them, the'll either learn their lesson or it will be over that much quicker. For the law of evil is that "evil feeds upon itself". As much as I hate running an evil campaign, I find playing in one to be almost theraputic. Now lets have a healthy round of maniacle laughter: :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh
danielinthewolvesden 10-10-06, 01:00 PM	Try it. It's possible for a Party of LE to be very loyal to each other and the party as a whole, even if they do not really care about "innocents". Leave if they start: stealing from each other, PKing, torturing a lot or graphicly, or murdering innocents "just because we are evil".
Need_A_Life 10-10-06, 02:45 PM	I had to check your profile to make sure you weren't in my group... :embarrass Anyway, powergaming might happen in an evil campaign, but it is hardly a requirement. In our group we all agreed that this time the GM would make the encounters easier/harder depending on how tough we were (as opposed to optimizing them and in turn having us optimizing even harder), which means that the two most powergaming people in the group (one of them being me) have said, "Okay, I won't powergame this time around," and I've kept it thus far. In fact, I'm going to contact my GM about a class he allowed me to play and tell him how powerful it's main class ability is in this campaign and suggest that I simply switch it for something more balanced (probably just add two levels to another class). Immaturity... has nothing to do with playing evil, though it is immature to define someone's actions as inherently good or evil. Selfishness? If you're worried about powergaming and immaturity, then selfishness will be a recurring problem anyway. Become the person they look at and say "he's on to something" when you play instead of doing like them and only looking out for yourself. Eventually they'll catch on, though it might very well take a while
Cherubaddon 10-10-06, 04:07 PM	Even chaotic evil characters can have friends and lovers. My most memorable campaigns (as a player, anyway) were those of a very mixed group of evil friend/lovers setting out to take over the world. Usually a necromancer (the future ruler), an assassin (to kill rebels before they hit), a cleric (to convert) and a blackguard (to bully). We were selfish as a group, yes, simply taking what we wanted from others, but worked very well together, not being above sharing treasure equally and honestly (most of us were lawful evil), and torture scenes were not part of the game - by silent consensus. Sure, we used corrupt magic, destroyed souls and summoned devils, but left out the more bestial fetishes like rapism, necrophilia and cannibalism. You should try it. With the right players, it is awesome! Have fun!
Stormbrand 10-11-06, 06:06 PM	Insist on some binding factor - usually a dark church. Make clear character concepts, together, agree and build a unified party from the get-go. Evil falls apart by itself, so try to get the party working together.
Piggyfreak6 10-11-06, 11:10 PM	I've always enjoyed playing the Sophisticate. The smart evil guy, who doesn't just run into a town a kill everything. He plans it out, bit by bit, and is actually quite charming. If you want an example, a good one I can think of is Mr. Burns from the Simpsons. He doesn't just jack up energy prices, he blocks out the sun so they have to use his energy, making more demand, making prices skyrocket.
75RD Drum Clip 10-11-06, 11:13 PM	My group has decided to play an evil campaign. I am totally against this idea but the majority rules. I am not a goody-goody but the only direction I see this campaign going is in the way of powergaming, immaturity and selfishness. After weighing playing vs not playing, I have decided to tough it out. How can I make this fun? Thanks! Just play and let the dice fall where they may.
TrueName 10-12-06, 10:29 AM	My most recent method in an evil campaign was from the start to plant seeds of decention between two neighbouring kingdoms. I started small, a raid on a small isolated farm of one kingdom and leaving the bodies in a very brutal and bloody mannor and planting evidence that a small band of army soldiers of the other kingdom was responsible and then did the same sort of thing (but a bit different) to the other kingdom. This led to small skirmishes between a couple of villages either side of the boarder. While this was going on I had worked my way into the court of one kingdom and managed to worm my way into the position as an emerssary sent to the position of negotiating this. I came back and reported that these skirmishes had been resolved, but also told my ruler that I had received undercurrents of tension with a few of the opossing kingdoms nobles and that some secretly wanted war and that prehaps these soldiers responsible for the murders weren't doing so off their own back. This led to rising tensions between the kingdoms (with me doing my best to quietly fuel this) until enventually (I was hitting high levels at this point) the two kingdoms went to war. The other PC's in the party were also working towards the same goal (or though the players were doing this purely because they thought it would be a laugh). On the side I was slowly recruiting mercenaries to the point I had a private army to call upon when I needed it. The two kingdoms duked it out with us doing our level best to make sure the war continued so it became a war of attrition. Then the climax to the campaign came - I moved in with my private army killing what was left of the two kingdoms forces. We then proclaimed ourselves the leaders of this new empire and appointed us to appropriate leadership roles. In our new campaign the main story line is to defeat these evil tyrants who have taken over the rule of this new kingdom and rule it with an iron fist. The trick I've had with being evil (as with all my BBEG when I DM) is to have a plan that utimately ends in lots of power, wealth (or whatever motivates your character), make sure you will wrecking inocent and/or good lives to achieve it and make sure the plan is long term. Ian
Puca 10-12-06, 11:03 AM	Powergaming, immaturity, selfishness. All of these can ruin a campaign. But, they are really sort of the point of an evil campaign. If you are so against these things that you think you could not possibly have fun, sit it out, but I think you can. Let yourself go. Be obnoxious. Have a freaking good time being the powergaminginest twink you can imagine. Start planning how you are going to kill your allies at your character creation. Its one campaign in your lifetime of gaming. Powergaming isnt heroin. Its safe to try it once.
Bob Loblaw 10-12-06, 11:42 AM	Here are some interesting evil characters you can model your character after: 1) The Mayor from Buffy. He was very evil, yet he didn't like unnecessary violence nor foul language. 2) Dr Doom. He wants to rule the world, but he also wants the world to be ruled by him. In one graphic novel, he had actually managed to completely dominate the world by using mind control, in the end, he gave it up because it wasn't the way to do this. 3) Play the anti-hero. You are the one trying to do the right thing, but you have options that others won't consider. You are willing to make those hard choices. 4) There's Hank Scorpio from the Simpsons. He's essentially a James Bond villain with a cartoon twist. 5) There's Vizzini from The Princess Bride. He thinks he's smarter than he really is. 6) Count Rugen, also from the Princess Bride. He's the #2 villain in the story. He takes orders, with pleasure. When he tortures Wesley, he asks Wesley to to tell him how he feels, "and remember, this is for posterity." He truly enjoys what he does. 7) Sebastian Caine from Hollow Man. He gained the power to turn invisible, and he let it corrupt him. He became obsessed and dangerous. 8) John Doe from Se7en. He had a grand plan and he put things into motion. Everything that happened was part of his plan, including getting caught and dying. There are tons of villains to look at that aren't necessarily sadistic. I think that you could find a decent role model for your character. For a starter list of villains, try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_villains Oh, and have fun with it.
Morka 10-12-06, 12:00 PM	Insist on some binding factor - usually a dark church. Make clear character concepts, together, agree and build a unified party from the get-go. Evil falls apart by itself, so try to get the party working together. IMHO, the best suggestion so far. You won't fight amongst yourself if there's something higher and stronger behind you, whatever the level of immaturity the group can display. Here's an example: The drow party, all from the same House. Sister 1 is a cleric, brother 1 is a wizard, sister 2 or brother 2 is a rogue or fighter, then you have some gladiator slaves who will fight for you, but the Matron Mother specifically insist on having these gladiator slaves come back alive... You can also think about the Death Eaters, from Harry Potter. They all work together for common fear of Voldemort and common hate of non pure-blood sorcerers. Should any of them betray them though, it won't stay alive long...
The Game 10-12-06, 12:58 PM	You could always suggest a bit of a catch to the GM in the consideration of your characters loyalty to one another. Possibly, the group has been recruited by some form of Archfiend that plans to use them in his/her goals of exterminating life ect. To ensure they worked together, he/she has taken the souls of the group, and linked them in pairs, so when one dies, the other dies. No one in the group knows who their linked to, so it is in their best interest to ensure they all survive one way or another. It is also a common goal of the group to eventually destroy the Archfiend that did this to them and free themselves of it. Just an idea. IMO opinions, evil campaigns are always good fun with the right players.
FRRC 10-12-06, 01:18 PM	I think my favourite villain of all time is Kain from the Legacy of Kain series. He does things simply because hes curious regardless of what anyone else thinks; and once he is past curiosity, he does it simply because he wants to. Kain starts out as a lowly vampire, finding out about his new powers, why he was chosen and to kill those who murdered him. After finding the elder vampire, Vorador, he is convinced that the world is there for him and that he is a God. Kain: Once I embraced my gifts, I realized that Vorador was right; we are gods... dark gods and it is our duty to thin the herd. Kain now does evil deeds constantly throughout the series because he has the power to and he enjoys it. Laughing as he cleaves victims in half following with the cry "Vae Victus!" (Woe to the conquered!) and narrating how he feels about certain things like stealthly breaking a mans neck and watching his body fall to the floor, or even how new powers work: Kain: [describing his implosion spell] Of all the methods I employ, this is perhaps the cruelest, causing my victim's body to shrink on itself, crushing bones and rupturing organs 'til the pressure inside burst the sac of fleshy skin, spraying its contents for all to see. In case of roleplaying, this is pretty much your bog-standard villain. Only keeping those around you for as long as you need and then ending their life regardless of what anyone else thinks. As far as you're concerned, they are now useless and will only slow down the inevitable completion of your goals.
Reversefigure4 10-12-06, 05:29 PM	Powergaming, immaturity, selfishness. All of these can ruin a campaign. But, they are really sort of the point of an evil campaign. No they aren't. They aren't 'restricted' to an evil game, as you can do all three in a good game just as easily. Nor are they the point of an evil game. The point of an evil game is that you can take the DnD world from an entirely different perspective. You can do the same sort of plots. Evil people will want to stop the Lich Lord from rising just as much as heroes, just for entirely different reasons, and they'll go about it differently. You can also do plots that the heroes can't do. Help the Lich Lord rise. Invade the town. Implement a master plan to corrupt the King's court to your favour. How can I make this fun? Talk it over with the other players and the DM, and make sure everyone's characters are not of the "I'm a crazy assassin who kills everyone, all the time, just because I'm EVIL" variety. Evil characters united by a common goal, or a past trust, make for good evil parties. Players who understand that being evil doesn't mean you must commit every evil deed in sight or you'll fall to good. Remember, you can be evil and still have friends and trust -even love - people. As long as everyone in the group can avoid game-wrecker characters, you'll do fine. Note that this doesn't apply just to evil games. A holier-than-thou powergaming Paladin who physically enforces his will on the group can wreck a 'good' game just as easily.
Andron 10-12-06, 05:32 PM	Secretly plot out and then carry out every pc's demise. Preferrably one at a time to drag it out and provide yourself with the most fun. Or, to go out with a bang, get everyone al at once. (The Reservoir Dogs scenario.) Personally, though, I really hate evil pc campaigns so this is what I would do to make up for the fact that the rest were wanting to play this out.
Stev Beren 10-12-06, 07:50 PM	I am of the "Call me when its over" school of thought. I have no interest, in fact, less than zero interest, in playing or GMing a Evil campaign. It just has no appeal to me. I find it uninteresting, even boring. The ONLY siotuation I woudl POSSIBLY even consider it under is as a short "Prequel" to a real campaign with it understood that what those NPC's did would impact the world their next characters played in.
Reighnhell 10-13-06, 02:24 AM	Hmmm.. I myself have had no desire to play or run an evil campaign. To often evil games are just sort of a contest between the players and the gm to see who can be the sickest s.o.b at the table. But IF I did, I would build a character on an a archtype that would be playable in the context of a social game like D&D. Just brainstorming a few.. The Operative: The Operative is most often lawful evil, but can be lawful neutral as well. The Operative believes whole-heartedly in a cause, and will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. To advance his objective, the Operative will slaughter civilians, torture innocents, and commit any number of wretched acts, all because he believes they are necessary. Unlike many other villians, the Operative is not deluded. He understands exactly what he is doing and why he is doing it, and makes no apologies about the blood on his hands. He may even consider himself something of a martyr, commiting necessary evils so that others may keep their hands clean and sleep with a clear conscience. The Magnificent One: The Magnificent One is flashy, charming and confident. Usually Chaotic Evil, the Magnificent differs from other chaotic evil types because he is not a wanton psychotic killer. He is a supreme egotist who considers himself simply above the rules of society. The Magnificent considers himself a superior creatures, and enjoys the trappings of wealth, culture, and nobility. The Magnificent One has little empathy for others, but is a cunning actor and manipulator who oozes charisma and style. the Magnificent is very capable of violence, but avoids bloodshed for the sake of bloodshed. For the Magnificent, each of his victims is both statement and testement to his own power. The Obsessive: The Obsessive is a villian who's obsession with something has led them down a dark path. An aging Warrior seeking a way to preserve and enhance his strength, a mage seeking the ultimate spell, a bard looking for the perfect note, may seek darker methods to continue their pursuits. With this villian, the tradgedy is apparent. Once, these were regular, perhaps even noble people. Now they will do anything to satisfy their obsession, allowing nothing and no one to stop them. Every now and again, the Obsessive has a moment of doubt, where the person they used to be shines through. But soon the obsession returns, creating a being that is dangerous, wicked, but tragic as well.
Puca 10-13-06, 11:43 AM	The point of an evil game is that you can take the DnD world from an entirely different perspective. You can do the same sort of plots. Evil people will want to stop the Lich Lord from rising just as much as heroes, just for entirely different reasons, and they'll go about it differently.Im not saying that this is anything more than my experience, but, players who want to do an evil campaign want to be Lich Lords. Really, whats the point of asking for an evil campaign? Is it because you want to play the same way you did in your last one only with a E somewhere on your character sheet? No. Its because they want to kill, steal, and rampage. In a normal campaign, disagreements over who get the Gloves of Dexterity shouldnt end in bloodshed. In an evil campaign, they will. If you look at that as “wrecking it,” it will. If you look at it as “part of the fun,” then you can have a good time. Embrace the evil, or sit this one out.
BoDiddilly 10-13-06, 12:25 PM	In a normal campaign, disagreements over who get the Gloves of Dexterity shouldnt end in bloodshed. In an evil campaign, they will. If you look at that as “wrecking it,” it will. If you look at it as “part of the fun,” then you can have a good time. Embrace the evil, or sit this one out.Its not as though evil individuals go about there whole lives frivellessly killing for any want that spurrs them comprimise is as much a part of there lives as it is anyones. Though motives may be different. Who needs an item more is more important then you just taking it because your party needs to work together as a whole to achive what you could not as an individaul. The simple consept of self preservation deters behavior that constantly provokes violence and instability. All these things are ignored because alignments are dramatized in DnD. Think about it, all manner of people are suppost to fall into these alignments. Even common everyday people who hardly stand out. such as the N/E cashier and L/G co-worker who alway talks to L/E routine morning costumer.
Puca 10-13-06, 03:55 PM	The simple consept of self preservation deters behavior that constantly provokes violence and instability.Really? Lets discuss that. Hypothetically, we are both in the same party. We are evil. We do evil ****. We murder, steal, take the tags off mattresses we dont own, were vile. Now, we get into a fight, an argument, over the magic gloves. Now, lets say you get them, doesnt matter how. When you don the gloves and look into my eyes, what do you think Im thinking? Youd better at least consider, for a moment, that Im weighing my options. You have to at least take into account that I might be trying to decide which is more valuable to me: The life of an ally, or the damn gloves. Even if you know for a fact that right here, right now, you are more valuable to me than the gloves, you also know that some day you wont be, but you dont know which day. You have to admit that there is a chance that sooner or later Im going to kill you in your sleep, or slip poison into your food, or just be one round too slow to help you when the paladins arrive. But it gets worse. I know that youre not a fool. I know that youre thinking that I might try to kill you; and I know that the best way to keep you from preemptively killing me is to preemptively kill you. Even if I have no intention of ever killing you over a crappy pair of gloves, you might, maybe think that Im going to kill you over a pair of gloves and be planning on killing me to stop me. So I have to kill you because you have a very good reason to kill me. Seriously, its not like we can take each others word for it. And, its like a bad dream, you KNOW that I think that. Even if you never believed that Id kill you for a pair of gloves, you have to know that I think you might think that and that I might decide that I have to kill you to keep you from killing me. So, to prevent that, you have to kill me. And I know that you know that. Self preservation. One of us is going to kill the other, and soon because I cant trust you to not kill me and youre not foolish enough to let me live knowing the odds that I might kill you. Not stable. But wicked good fun.
Reversefigure4 10-13-06, 05:45 PM	Hypothetically, we are both in the same party. We are evil. We do evil ****. We murder, steal, take the tags off mattresses we dont own, were vile. Er... why do we do all these things? For some purpose, or just because we are EVIL? And if we're EVIL (as in, doing evil things for no reason other than that it's evil) why do we hang out with other people who murder just for the hell of it, knowing full well it's going to come back and stab us in the back at some point? Contrast this Evil to, say, a character who happens to be evil. He's an assassin for his king, who murders those selected as enemies of the state. The reason he's evil is that the killing doesn't trouble him at all, and he draws no distinction between whether it's dangerous ogres or small children he's assassinating, as long as his king tells him it's in the greatest interests of the kingdom. Clearly evil, probably LE. But that isn't the full extent of his character. He loves his parents, who put him through his training, and sends them money every month. He has a fondness for collecting stamps. He is a regular down at The Horse and Trap tavern on Wednesdays, and likes playing Three Dragon Ante. He's not a psychopath, or a thief, or any of the other things EVIL people must be. So why is he suddenly going to flip out and murder his allies over the gloves of Dexterity? If he thinks you're going to kill him over the gloves, he'll just take his leave (of course, this does bring to mind the question of why he's adventuring with you in the first place). Im not saying that this is anything more than my experience, but, players who want to do an evil campaign want to be Lich Lords. That's not overly different from a Good PC who wants to be The Ultimate Hero, or the Mightiest Mage in the Land, or form a library full of forbidden knowledge. Everyone needs a goal. I'll agree that EVIL parties who are Evil for the sake of Evil will quickly degenerate into backstabbing and murder (and really, that's what they get for being fool enough to adventure with psychopaths in the first place). But Evil doesn't have to equal EVIL. You can make a perfectly good entertaining campaign working from the Evil side of the table. However, you need good, mature players for it. If your players just want to slaughter and rape everything for no reason other than that they can, what's stopping them doing this in a regular game? Any LG character can fall. Any CN character can start down this path quickly.
Stev Beren 10-13-06, 06:25 PM	Really? Lets discuss that. Hypothetically, we are both in the same party. We are evil. We do evil ****. We murder, steal, take the tags off mattresses we dont own, were vile. Now, we get into a fight, an argument, over the magic gloves. Now, lets say you get them, doesnt matter how. When you don the gloves and look into my eyes, what do you think Im thinking? Youd better at least consider, for a moment, that Im weighing my options. You have to at least take into account that I might be trying to decide which is more valuable to me: The life of an ally, or the damn gloves. Even if you know for a fact that right here, right now, you are more valuable to me than the gloves, you also know that some day you wont be, but you dont know which day. You have to admit that there is a chance that sooner or later Im going to kill you in your sleep, or slip poison into your food, or just be one round too slow to help you when the paladins arrive. But it gets worse. I know that youre not a fool. I know that youre thinking that I might try to kill you; and I know that the best way to keep you from preemptively killing me is to preemptively kill you. Even if I have no intention of ever killing you over a crappy pair of gloves, you might, maybe think that Im going to kill you over a pair of gloves and be planning on killing me to stop me. So I have to kill you because you have a very good reason to kill me. Seriously, its not like we can take each others word for it. And, its like a bad dream, you KNOW that I think that. Even if you never believed that Id kill you for a pair of gloves, you have to know that I think you might think that and that I might decide that I have to kill you to keep you from killing me. So, to prevent that, you have to kill me. And I know that you know that. Self preservation. One of us is going to kill the other, and soon because I cant trust you to not kill me and youre not foolish enough to let me live knowing the odds that I might kill you. Not stable. But wicked good fun. Sounds like that belongs in "THe PRincess Bride"
FRRC 10-13-06, 06:50 PM	Man in Black: All right. Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right... and who is dead. Vizzini: But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. Man in Black: You've made your decision then? Vizzini: Not remotely. Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows, and Australia is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. Man in Black: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect. Vizzini: Wait til I get going! Now, where was I? Man in Black: Australia. Vizzini: Yes, Australia. And you must have suspected I would have known the powder's origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. Man in Black: You're just stalling now. Vizzini: You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You've beaten my giant, which means you're exceptionally strong, so you could've put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But, you've also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. Man in Black: You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work. Vizzini: IT HAS WORKED! YOU'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY! I KNOW WHERE THE POISON IS! Man in Black: Then make your choice. Vizzini: I will, and I choose - What in the world can that be? Vizzini: [Vizzini gestures up and away from the table. Roberts looks. Vizzini swaps the goblets] Man in Black: What? Where? I don't see anything. Vizzini: Well, I- I could have sworn I saw something. No matter.First, let's drink. Me from my glass, and you from yours. Man in Black, Vizzini: [they drink ] Man in Black: You guessed wrong. Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha... Vizzini: [Vizzini stops suddenly, and falls dead to the right] Buttercup: And to think, all that time it was your cup that was poisoned. Man in Black: They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder. Inconceivable!
Tarvok 10-13-06, 10:04 PM	Before I get to my generic suggestions, what kind of heroes do you usually play? I might be able to derive an evil character for you from that. I used to be completely against playing Evil campaigns, but I've found them to be fun. It all comes down to, what are you out to get? Consider Kevin Baz. He's evil because it's in his blood to be evil; he's a half-fiend. His evil manifests itself in extreme ambition. He wants not only to be personally powerful; he wants to be politically powerful. He wants to be loved. He wants to be worshipped. He wants to be A GOD--literally, if possible. He's not the "I kill people because I am evil" type. He's the "I kill people when it suits my goals" type. When dealing with his own people, he attempts to be zealous in his service to them... and vicious where everyone else is concerned. However, he does this, not out of love for his people, but because he sees it as useful to his ultimate goal. This is your opportunity to create a character who is all about himself. If the others are powergaming idiots, all the better; powergaming idiots can be easy to manipulate. A high attrition rate can serve you, so long as you are never one that falls (and so long as the DM requires players to re-roll at level one; that, or take over a cohort). You could end up the highest level character in the party--therefore, the leader. Pick a goal. Shoot for that goal, regardless of what anyone thinks, regardless of opposition. Throne usurpation is one idea. Sorcerous terror is another (fear me, mere mortals!) Wealth without a single day of honest work can be good. You can even simply have a thirst for cruelty (though I suspect your fellow players will have that covered), but if you're going that route, be specific about it. And an undying desire for purposeless wealth is a great weakness for an evil character to have. If you're the party's cleric, understand that nobody serves an evil deity out of the kindness of his heart. He wants something--something his god can provide. It could just be the spells, without the hassle of dealing with the requirements of a good deity. He could have a specific dark prayer he wants answered some day. Or he could simply be a sicko who enjoys the rituals (though this sort probably don't advance as far as the ambitous). Whatever the case, understand that nothing comes without a price, particularly where dark gods are concerned. Your character has an unholy desire... and is likely paying a heavy price for it. The dark cleric is a slave, of the worst, most abused variety (and this likely heightens his cruelty, as he takes his frustrations out on innocent people). What can be really fun is if it turns out your DM is running another game on the side without telling you--this one, with heroes. When he shows up at your game with more players in tow, you know its time for the BBEG fight, YOU'RE the BBEG, and victory is hardly assured, for either side.
Gahread 10-15-06, 09:16 AM	I'm seriously considering taking my character in our current game to an evil bent. Generic Greyhawkish world, but we can't seem to go a day without being betrayed and used. First it's the mayor of one guy's home thorpe. Known him all his life, but now the guy is on the take and defrauding the town out of 10x its usual yearly income. Then it's some shady 'adventurer's guild', which the DM is constantly dropping hints that we're being set up with, but we've also found extremely difficult to gather information on. Prices are constantly worse than usual for us whether buying or selling, and the people in our current town are generally unfriendly to strangers. As an elf just out of an isolated village, the impression I get is that humans are annoying, untrustworthy, shady, backstabbing and in general more of a problem to be dealt with than people to interact with. The fact that we have an evil human in the party who may be stealing from party gold doesn't help matters. It's getting to the point where humans and goblinoids aren't really that far apart in my character's eyes. The DM has also let me know that if I cast the spells in BoVD, I'm no longer true neutral, but evil. (Probably neutral evil) I'm about ready to say "So be it!" and start studying the good stuff. I'll let the thief know that if he screws with me, my weasel will kill him with a thought because he's not worth my time, I'll continue to help the good characters because it's in my best interest, and the next commoner who decides "Oooh, wealthy adventurers, I'm going to cheat them!" in an isolated village will find a wand of acid splash forcibly inserted someplace painful. There's no reason for me to do anything evil just because it's evil. I won't kill you because you have something I want, nor will I screw you over whenever I get the chance. I'm just more...practical than that uptight paladin. If nobody prepared zone of truth or any charm spells, I will ask the noble warrior to take a walk while the prisoner and I have a little chat.