So in the past week or so, I told my group of players a campaign idea I was brainstorming. Inspired by Final Fantasy XIV's new expansion Shadowbringers, I have been planning a campaign with a similar theme. A high fantasy world where Light and Darkness have been thrown out of balance in favor of the Light, and the Light's brilliance is ever drowning the world in blank perfection, wiping out shadow, color, and even life itself. In effect, it means, rather than demons or devils as we know them, the main problem are the more celestial beings like angels. Indeed, the final enemy was to be a particularly powerful angel who's almost demigod levels of powerful. It was to be an apocalypse or post-apocalypse style campaign, where the entire thrust was to try and bring back balance.
The idea I had in mind was a "Darkness is not necessarily evil, Light not Necessarily good" style story, but the group immediately seized upon the premise and want to make a bunch of villains, and that wasn't my idea. They're pretty insistent on this and it's gotten me a little discouraged. I have a few ideas on how to address this - I could simply be blunt about it and say "don't play evil characters" but that might cause problems. Any advice? I really, really don't want to run an evil campaign.
Then don't. They will either need to be convinced on the conceit of your idea; or you or someone else needs to run a different game that fits their expectations.
I've always dealt with that by letting players do their thing and then making sure they're aware of the consequences of their actions (good or evil). Give them opportunities to make "evil" choices and then let the characters find out later the suffering their actions inflicted on others. It can lead to powerful and moving experiences for you and them.
Most likely they'll wind up taking their characters on paths to redemption because while it seems cool at first, very few people actually enjoy being evil for its own sake.
I have actually had a decent amount of practice doing this. Even with just one evil character amongst good or neutral ones and all I will say is that you should be willing to feed a player's backstory. Talk with them about your expectations for the game and if they all want to still play villains, try to make it more ambiguous. Especially with how your world theme seems to fit into that light and dark aren't normally either. Just take what the players do with their characters and roll with it. If you work it right you should be able to allow the players to have fun, but still work have your ideas mold their story. Remember that the players need to have fun or no one has fun (big mistake I have made before).
Also, I understand how some people oppose evil campaigns, but I find they can be just as fun as a good or neutral aligned game. It is just like movies, there are some really good ones about villains and you can just make those inspire your game. Not everyone has to be a hero and the game can still be fun.
That said, your campaign is geared towards playing evil characters though. If the central theme is to redress the balance between good and evil and celestials are overbearlingly in control of the world, the PCs are going to be inclined to break the establishment.
One thing you can discuss with players is how they define evil. I would see it in this context as the antithesis of good, a necessary part of the universe to ensure there is balance. The party don't have to twirl their moustaches every session and cackle villainously at the NPCs, but they can simply be part of a move against the celestial presence. I would imagine that a society where being good is enforced could be authoritarian and unpleasant to live in; people are oppressed into upholding a celestial level of goodness and punished severely if they don't.
I'd let them play an evil campaign if it were in the context of acting to restore the balance, it'd be awesome.
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Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
It's a great concept for a campaign. I played a similar theme where the main protagonist was a fallen angel who was cast out of heaven after falling in love with a lesser angel and breaking the laws of the celestial kingdom.
If it was me, I'd compromise. I'd say to the group, that this campaign is about balance. The world has tilted too far one way and needs to be realigned. It doesn't need evil characters tipping it the other way but instead needs characters who can shift the world back to equilibrium before the Creator god/s decide to destroy the world and restart (or something like that).
You could allow representation of good/neutral/evil in the party but an unaligned/neutral heavy group will better be able to work through your campaign concept imho.
Just put it to them in that way and I'm sure they will understand.
So in the past week or so, I told my group of players a campaign idea I was brainstorming. Inspired by Final Fantasy XIV's new expansion Shadowbringers, I have been planning a campaign with a similar theme. A high fantasy world where Light and Darkness have been thrown out of balance in favor of the Light, and the Light's brilliance is ever drowning the world in blank perfection, wiping out shadow, color, and even life itself. In effect, it means, rather than demons or devils as we know them, the main problem are the more celestial beings like angels. Indeed, the final enemy was to be a particularly powerful angel who's almost demigod levels of powerful. It was to be an apocalypse or post-apocalypse style campaign, where the entire thrust was to try and bring back balance.
The idea I had in mind was a "Darkness is not necessarily evil, Light not Necessarily good" style story, but the group immediately seized upon the premise and want to make a bunch of villains, and that wasn't my idea. They're pretty insistent on this and it's gotten me a little discouraged. I have a few ideas on how to address this - I could simply be blunt about it and say "don't play evil characters" but that might cause problems. Any advice? I really, really don't want to run an evil campaign.
Then don't. They will either need to be convinced on the conceit of your idea; or you or someone else needs to run a different game that fits their expectations.
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I've always dealt with that by letting players do their thing and then making sure they're aware of the consequences of their actions (good or evil). Give them opportunities to make "evil" choices and then let the characters find out later the suffering their actions inflicted on others. It can lead to powerful and moving experiences for you and them.
Most likely they'll wind up taking their characters on paths to redemption because while it seems cool at first, very few people actually enjoy being evil for its own sake.
I don't GM evil characters. Ever. I don't like it and I suspect I'd be really bad at it.
Every game I've run, I've told the players that this is one of the non-negotiable points.
You should do the same.
After all, the point of the game is for everyone to have fun, which includes those of us on this side of the GM screen.
I have actually had a decent amount of practice doing this. Even with just one evil character amongst good or neutral ones and all I will say is that you should be willing to feed a player's backstory. Talk with them about your expectations for the game and if they all want to still play villains, try to make it more ambiguous. Especially with how your world theme seems to fit into that light and dark aren't normally either. Just take what the players do with their characters and roll with it. If you work it right you should be able to allow the players to have fun, but still work have your ideas mold their story. Remember that the players need to have fun or no one has fun (big mistake I have made before).
Also, I understand how some people oppose evil campaigns, but I find they can be just as fun as a good or neutral aligned game. It is just like movies, there are some really good ones about villains and you can just make those inspire your game. Not everyone has to be a hero and the game can still be fun.
Sounds like a great idea for a campaign!
That said, your campaign is geared towards playing evil characters though. If the central theme is to redress the balance between good and evil and celestials are overbearlingly in control of the world, the PCs are going to be inclined to break the establishment.
One thing you can discuss with players is how they define evil. I would see it in this context as the antithesis of good, a necessary part of the universe to ensure there is balance. The party don't have to twirl their moustaches every session and cackle villainously at the NPCs, but they can simply be part of a move against the celestial presence. I would imagine that a society where being good is enforced could be authoritarian and unpleasant to live in; people are oppressed into upholding a celestial level of goodness and punished severely if they don't.
I'd let them play an evil campaign if it were in the context of acting to restore the balance, it'd be awesome.
Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
Never tell me the DC.
It's a great concept for a campaign. I played a similar theme where the main protagonist was a fallen angel who was cast out of heaven after falling in love with a lesser angel and breaking the laws of the celestial kingdom.
If it was me, I'd compromise. I'd say to the group, that this campaign is about balance. The world has tilted too far one way and needs to be realigned. It doesn't need evil characters tipping it the other way but instead needs characters who can shift the world back to equilibrium before the Creator god/s decide to destroy the world and restart (or something like that).
You could allow representation of good/neutral/evil in the party but an unaligned/neutral heavy group will better be able to work through your campaign concept imho.
Just put it to them in that way and I'm sure they will understand.
"No. I don't enjoy those kinds of games. I don't want to run one of those kinds of games."
This is like someone saying "I want to make an Avengers campaign!" and someone says "I want to be the Red Skull." Just ... no.
If the DM isn't having fun running the game, then the players aren't going to have fun playing it.