It seems like most people here are conflating optics in regards to motivations instead of actual evil.
Evil is based off a set of morals, pretty much always revolving around free will and physical wellbeing.
Are you selling water to someone that's dying of thirst? Would your character sell air if possible? Are you manipulative in a way where you seek control over others, disregarding 'free will'? Do you take advantage of the weak? Are you murdering people completely out of the blue with no decent justification? Are you stealing food from a homeless person? To be considered truly evil, one has to be doing these things repeatedly knowing that it would hurt the other person's free will or physical wellbeing.
Vengeance isn't evil itself. That's more of a grey area. Optics and deception can skew on how things are being perceived, but it doesn't change the truth or the actions that were already done.
I'm personally not a fan of evil player characters. If you don't do these things, you're describing a neutral character (anti-hero type) rather than an actual evil character. Just my opinion.
It seems like most people here are conflating optics in regards to motivations instead of actual evil.
Evil is based off a set of morals, pretty much always revolving around free will and physical wellbeing.
Are you selling water to someone that's dying of thirst? Would your character sell air if possible? Are you manipulative in a way where you seek control over others, disregarding 'free will'? Do you take advantage of the weak? Are you murdering people completely out of the blue with no decent justification? Are you stealing food from a homeless person? To be considered truly evil, one has to be doing these things repeatedly knowing that it would hurt the other person's free will or physical wellbeing.
Vengeance isn't evil itself. That's more of a grey area. Optics and deception can skew on how things are being perceived, but it doesn't change the truth or the actions that were already done.
I'm personally not a fan of evil player characters. If you don't do these things, you're describing a neutral character (anti-hero type) rather than an actual evil character. Just my opinion.
For a character to be evil, they don't have to be in-your-face "I'M EVIL!" evil. And that is a misconception among many RPers. I do a lot of forum-based and email RPing and I've witnessed characters get into this trope of "I'M EVIL AND UNLIKEABLE!"
Evil doesn't mean ACTIVELY doing things to make people know you're evil. And that's where most evil characters fall flat.
I have a character who to everyone seems like a great guy. He's a Nobleman who is very wealthy. He gives to the poor. He donates to the arts. He runs an orphanage. But he is also a Necromancer who used blood magic in a world where blood magic and necromancy are expressly forbidden. He killed his family to inherit their estate. Then he killed his wife to gain more power. The orphanage is a cover for him selling these orphans to the highest bidder for either sacrifices for other Necromancers/Warlocks or to be slaves to other Nobles in other countries. Now, he does adopt out orphans to normal people as well so the cover isn't blown.
Interacting with him, you'd think he's the most charming man ever. He's intelligent, sophisticated. He talks about his love of the arts and history. He outwardly talks about wanting to help the poor. He's a nice guy outwardly. He'll buy you dinner and invite you to his manor. He'll want to hear all about your adventures. But he's HORRIBLE. He's a murderer. He's a liar. The thing is...I don't have him running around going "I'M EVIL!" and killing in public. I don't have him being an @sshole to other characters.
True evil knows how to hide. They know how to manipulate. They know how to camouflage themselves and blend in with people. And THAT'S what makes evil so dangerous.
It seems like most people here are conflating optics in regards to motivations instead of actual evil.
Evil is based off a set of morals, pretty much always revolving around free will and physical wellbeing.
Are you selling water to someone that's dying of thirst? Would your character sell air if possible? Are you manipulative in a way where you seek control over others, disregarding 'free will'? Do you take advantage of the weak? Are you murdering people completely out of the blue with no decent justification? Are you stealing food from a homeless person? To be considered truly evil, one has to be doing these things repeatedly knowing that it would hurt the other person's free will or physical wellbeing.
Vengeance isn't evil itself. That's more of a grey area. Optics and deception can skew on how things are being perceived, but it doesn't change the truth or the actions that were already done.
I'm personally not a fan of evil player characters. If you don't do these things, you're describing a neutral character (anti-hero type) rather than an actual evil character. Just my opinion.
For a character to be evil, they don't have to be in-your-face "I'M EVIL!" evil. And that is a misconception among many RPers. I do a lot of forum-based and email RPing and I've witnessed characters get into this trope of "I'M EVIL AND UNLIKEABLE!"
Evil doesn't mean ACTIVELY doing things to make people know you're evil. And that's where most evil characters fall flat.
I have a character who to everyone seems like a great guy. He's a Nobleman who is very wealthy. He gives to the poor. He donates to the arts. He runs an orphanage. But he is also a Necromancer who used blood magic in a world where blood magic and necromancy are expressly forbidden. He killed his family to inherit their estate. Then he killed his wife to gain more power. The orphanage is a cover for him selling these orphans to the highest bidder for either sacrifices for other Necromancers/Warlocks or to be slaves to other Nobles in other countries. Now, he does adopt out orphans to normal people as well so the cover isn't blown.
Interacting with him, you'd think he's the most charming man ever. He's intelligent, sophisticated. He talks about his love of the arts and history. He outwardly talks about wanting to help the poor. He's a nice guy outwardly. He'll buy you dinner and invite you to his manor. He'll want to hear all about your adventures. But he's HORRIBLE. He's a murderer. He's a liar. The thing is...I don't have him running around going "I'M EVIL!" and killing in public. I don't have him being an @sshole to other characters.
True evil knows how to hide. They know how to manipulate. They know how to camouflage themselves and blend in with people. And THAT'S what makes evil so dangerous.
I'm playing an evil PC that is very much like this. The best villains are the ones that aren't obvious. It takes work to be an evil PC that works well within a group. And that's what makes these characters truly horrible. They maintain a facade to their group, their guild, and those they want to impress. Eventually, the truth of what they are comes out. But it would not stop them from being of value to a group.
If you want some tips one of the best examples of playing an evil character well in a good group is Joe Manganiello, his Arkhan character appears in a number of streams on youtube and the way he plays him is really well done. That is a Lawful Evil character which is a little easier to integrate into a party then Neutral evil. Chaotic Evil in 20 years of running roleplay systems I have yet to see a truly chaotic evil player character ever integrate logically or well into a party with good members.
Nowhere did I say you have to be "in-your-face evil"
Neutral and good alignment characters can all commit "evil deeds," but that doesn't necessarily make them inherently evil. Same thing can be said in reverse, that 'evil' characters can do good deeds. So what tips the scales in one direction or the other ultimately? Is it a single act? Is it a lifestyle? Is it the intention?
I'm speaking from a philosophical standpoint, looking past the optics.
And again, this is all just my own personal opinion on the matter.
Other people have mentioned other headaches such as group dynamics and chemistry. What happens if they find out? Are you willingly placing yourself in a situation where the group will inevitably clash? What level are you starting at to have all of that going on? What possible motivation could you have to join an adventuring party with all that? I could list even more problems/headaches that an evil character could present to the group and/or DM.
Anyway, since D&D is a group activity, I'd ask the group first if they'd be fine with playing an evil character. Or to do an evil campaign.
Nowhere did I say you have to be "in-your-face evil"
Neutral and good alignment characters can all commit "evil deeds," but that doesn't necessarily make them inherently evil. Same thing can be said in reverse, that 'evil' characters can do good deeds. So what tips the scales in one direction or the other ultimately? Is it a single act? Is it a lifestyle? Is it the intention?
I'm speaking from a philosophical standpoint, looking past the optics.
And again, this is all just my own personal opinion on the matter.
Other people have mentioned other headaches such as group dynamics and chemistry. What happens if they find out? Are you willingly placing yourself in a situation where the group will inevitably clash? What level are you starting at to have all of that going on? What possible motivation could you have to join an adventuring party with all that? I could list even more problems/headaches that an evil character could present to the group and/or DM.
Anyway, since D&D is a group activity, I'd ask the group first if they'd be fine with playing an evil character. Or to do an evil campaign.
Asking the group is a def must, I think as well it’s one of those things you need to be open about at the table, characters may not know but players should. Also you need to know your players can play to the nuances and do not see the alignment table as black and white. Your friends lawful good paladin could very easily play with an evil character and not feel the need to kill them out of hand, but the evil character needs to know the lines they should not cross in front of him, and this is not an issue you shouldn’t be playing a caricature, a character who goes round burning the orphanage and killing the innocent for fun. This is why I prefer Lawful Evil, you can define a clear set of morales for your character that you stick to.
Nowhere did I say you have to be "in-your-face evil"
Neutral and good alignment characters can all commit "evil deeds," but that doesn't necessarily make them inherently evil. Same thing can be said in reverse, that 'evil' characters can do good deeds. So what tips the scales in one direction or the other ultimately? Is it a single act? Is it a lifestyle? Is it the intention?
I'm speaking from a philosophical standpoint, looking past the optics.
And again, this is all just my own personal opinion on the matter.
Other people have mentioned other headaches such as group dynamics and chemistry. What happens if they find out? Are you willingly placing yourself in a situation where the group will inevitably clash? What level are you starting at to have all of that going on? What possible motivation could you have to join an adventuring party with all that? I could list even more problems/headaches that an evil character could present to the group and/or DM.
Anyway, since D&D is a group activity, I'd ask the group first if they'd be fine with playing an evil character. Or to do an evil campaign.
This is why when you do get the okay to do an evil alignment, you make the motives match the group's. Because it is a team. As for the you never said that they had to be in-your-face evil, you did. Your examples were in-your-face evil examples.
And Yes, an evil character can be a problem if they don't work together with the party, but what if their motives for joining the party are BENEFICIAL to them like you said. Maybe an evil-aligned cleric going on a quest because it aligns with what he thinks his deity wants. Maybe they're looking for a loved one that got taken and the party is a means to find that person. There are so many reasons to work out WITHIN the group. There's a difference between playing an evil character and using an evil character as an excuse to be an @sshole player and as an excuse to be difficult. Sadly, too many people use chaotic evil alignments to do the latter and then chaotic evil players get a bad rep.
And honestly, yeah, I would willingly put myself in a situation where the party clashes IN GAME/IN CHARACTER over what to do in a situation. It doesn't have to escalate or lead to all-out war or anyone killing/trying to kill anyone else. An IN CHARACTER disagreement adds flavor to the game. Yeah, maybe the evil character never gets their way in the end, but they can TRY. But I'm also about having fun. I don't get mad if something in-game doesn't go my way. If I wanna torture an NPC for not giving important information and I get overruled or prevented from it, then okay, cool. My character might be bitter about it, but I'd probably laugh. Hell, I wouldn't mind my character getting his ass handed to him verbally or physically either. Because to me, it is a game.
If you want some tips one of the best examples of playing an evil character well in a good group is Joe Manganiello, his Arkhan character appears in a number of streams on youtube and the way he plays him is really well done. That is a Lawful Evil character which is a little easier to integrate into a party then Neutral evil. Chaotic Evil in 20 years of running roleplay systems I have yet to see a truly chaotic evil player character ever integrate logically or well into a party with good members.
I think it goes into what I said above. People think playing an evil character allows them to get away with being an @sshole or to be difficult. Which is not fun and honestly exhausting. I do mainly play-by-email/play-by-post RPs, and I've been told that I play good evil characters and that I'm enjoyable to play with. But I know 100% what you mean. I see it a lot on RP forums. And it's always the same. The evil characters are hard to play with and interact with because they just act so dickish and then the player complains about things and gets defensive when characters call them out.
There's a certain way to play a chaotic evil character without any conflict between players. I have rules when I play evil alignments.
First, consent.
Second, no metagaming. That is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. When a player knows another character is evil and suddenly their lawful good character knows that character is evil and constantly trying to start fights with them for no reason, acting like MermaidMan from Spongebob screaming "EVILLLL!!!!".
Third, understanding that your character is evil and that there WILL be in-character issues. There will be clashes. As long as those clashes are strictly in-game and NOT between players personally, then that is fine. It's when the issues extend to between players that it becomes a problem. But I'm also all for my character getting his ass beat by another character for how he acts. As long as they aren't aiming to kill. Hell, have a warlock hex him to keep him in line until the quest is over to ensure he doesn't act up. There are plenty of creative ways to get an evil character to cooperate.
Hello ive been thinking about playing an evil character and i want feed back from the community on if its hard or easy. Are there things i should watch out for? And how hard is it to role play one.
Also, you could play a chaotic good Druid and still do that. Considering that the alignments would be reversed so good=evil, evil=good if that makes sense. So the industrial world is evil, but considered "good". So a good character running around planting things would be considered "evil".
This is just me, but the way I play evil characters is like they are performing for an audience. They need that ego boost, and for someone to see their misdeeds. Like a Saturday morning cartoon villain, or one with a bunch of minions.
This can go multiple ways, and it also depends on the party. It's unlikely a truly noble player character is going to allow the evil character to get away with their plans so blatantly. (Note: It is best to communicate with the people you're playing (including the GM) with before, during, and after play! Nothing is more awkward than the real life people you are playing with not wanting to play with the character you made, or you.)
1. (What I prefer.) The evil character does not want their audience to dislike them personally, and does not want them to die. Who will appreciate their actions if no one wants to be around them? Or is dead? (This can also be apart of, "The party is vital to their plans." This could be, "I need a group to keep me alive, so they are necessary.")
2. The evil character does not care if some of the members of the party dies, and makes no attempts to help any of them. Sure they may have their favorite members, but a whole new group of people means a brand new audience. This could lead to animosity in real life if the players feel that they are not getting helped. Which is why making the evil character's ideals clear is also important. They might be inherently selfish, and that is a character flaw.
3. The evil character has to maneuver in secret to do their vile plans. This is a really careful tightrope that I personally have never had to play. It would take a lot of communication with the GM, and having a good relationship with the people your with in general.
4. The evil character turns out to be the BBEG. I have heard of this being done once, and it was pretty cool! However, this would also take work with the evil character maintaining their connections till the end.
So, no playing an evil character isn't hard. It all matters on the character's personality, goals, and if they can reasonably work in a team. Also, communicating with the party in and out of the campaign. If someone says, "Hey, I'm uncomfortable by this," than it is best to listen to that person.
First, if you don't want to play an evil character, don't do it. If you think you're better at playing a villain than a good guy, go for it.
Two, don't destroy the campaign. It's all.
Personally, I don't see how I could play an evil character because I can't get into their way of thinking. I'm more neutral good / neutral / cloaker chaotic neutral
This is not a promotion nor recommendation for an official WotC product, but it contains excellent information regarding one way to play Evil quite easily in an enjoyable manner featuring a Chaotic Evil character played by probably one of the nicest persons you could meet in person.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider. My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong. I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲 “It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Im surprised this is still up and running i put this up months ago.
Did you end up playing an evil PC? Our last session the group found the Book of Vile Darkness, which we need to keep away from the BBEG. My evil PC attuned to it, so it would not tempt the other PC's. Of course he intends to read from it and learn what he can. But the group does need to keep the item from the BBEG and get it to those who can hide\destroy\stop whatever horrible plan it is intended for. This is a fun example of playing your evil PC appropriately but also working with fellow players to further the story and goals of the group.
Im surprised this is still up and running i put this up months ago.
Did you end up playing an evil PC? Our last session the group found the Book of Vile Darkness, which we need to keep away from the BBEG. My evil PC attuned to it, so it would not tempt the other PC's. Of course he intends to read from it and learn what he can. But the group does need to keep the item from the BBEG and get it to those who can hide\destroy\stop whatever horrible plan it is intended for. This is a fun example of playing your evil PC appropriately but also working with fellow players to further the story and goals of the group.
Yeah i did end up playing an evil character to answer your question
Depending on how much of a murderhobo your DM lets you be... It's not per se hard. My DM likes to mask consequences of our evil deeds as "realism," (probably a good thing) so be mindful of that.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Never walk away from home ahead of your axe and sword.
You can't feel a battle in your bones or foresee a fight."
I would say this is a difficulty for all alignments. I can already see those who are weeping: people who play chaotic neutrals play "LOL I'm random" or good loyal characters are all boring good samaritans. Clichés are rarely fun and easily avoided. The proof: here's my list of different neutral chaotic personalities:
- Slaadi : "LOL I'm random"
- Cloaker : "Goes it alone"
- Satyr : "Free spirit"
- Magmin : "Curiosity not evil, but quite painful"
- And all those others that I can't explain (for lack of patience)
It seems like most people here are conflating optics in regards to motivations instead of actual evil.
Evil is based off a set of morals, pretty much always revolving around free will and physical wellbeing.
Are you selling water to someone that's dying of thirst? Would your character sell air if possible? Are you manipulative in a way where you seek control over others, disregarding 'free will'? Do you take advantage of the weak? Are you murdering people completely out of the blue with no decent justification? Are you stealing food from a homeless person? To be considered truly evil, one has to be doing these things repeatedly knowing that it would hurt the other person's free will or physical wellbeing.
Vengeance isn't evil itself. That's more of a grey area. Optics and deception can skew on how things are being perceived, but it doesn't change the truth or the actions that were already done.
I'm personally not a fan of evil player characters. If you don't do these things, you're describing a neutral character (anti-hero type) rather than an actual evil character.
Just my opinion.
For a character to be evil, they don't have to be in-your-face "I'M EVIL!" evil. And that is a misconception among many RPers. I do a lot of forum-based and email RPing and I've witnessed characters get into this trope of "I'M EVIL AND UNLIKEABLE!"
Evil doesn't mean ACTIVELY doing things to make people know you're evil. And that's where most evil characters fall flat.
I have a character who to everyone seems like a great guy. He's a Nobleman who is very wealthy. He gives to the poor. He donates to the arts. He runs an orphanage. But he is also a Necromancer who used blood magic in a world where blood magic and necromancy are expressly forbidden. He killed his family to inherit their estate. Then he killed his wife to gain more power. The orphanage is a cover for him selling these orphans to the highest bidder for either sacrifices for other Necromancers/Warlocks or to be slaves to other Nobles in other countries. Now, he does adopt out orphans to normal people as well so the cover isn't blown.
Interacting with him, you'd think he's the most charming man ever. He's intelligent, sophisticated. He talks about his love of the arts and history. He outwardly talks about wanting to help the poor. He's a nice guy outwardly. He'll buy you dinner and invite you to his manor. He'll want to hear all about your adventures. But he's HORRIBLE. He's a murderer. He's a liar. The thing is...I don't have him running around going "I'M EVIL!" and killing in public. I don't have him being an @sshole to other characters.
True evil knows how to hide. They know how to manipulate. They know how to camouflage themselves and blend in with people. And THAT'S what makes evil so dangerous.
I'm playing an evil PC that is very much like this. The best villains are the ones that aren't obvious. It takes work to be an evil PC that works well within a group. And that's what makes these characters truly horrible. They maintain a facade to their group, their guild, and those they want to impress. Eventually, the truth of what they are comes out. But it would not stop them from being of value to a group.
If you want some tips one of the best examples of playing an evil character well in a good group is Joe Manganiello, his Arkhan character appears in a number of streams on youtube and the way he plays him is really well done. That is a Lawful Evil character which is a little easier to integrate into a party then Neutral evil. Chaotic Evil in 20 years of running roleplay systems I have yet to see a truly chaotic evil player character ever integrate logically or well into a party with good members.
Nowhere did I say you have to be "in-your-face evil"
Neutral and good alignment characters can all commit "evil deeds," but that doesn't necessarily make them inherently evil. Same thing can be said in reverse, that 'evil' characters can do good deeds. So what tips the scales in one direction or the other ultimately? Is it a single act? Is it a lifestyle? Is it the intention?
I'm speaking from a philosophical standpoint, looking past the optics.
And again, this is all just my own personal opinion on the matter.
Other people have mentioned other headaches such as group dynamics and chemistry. What happens if they find out? Are you willingly placing yourself in a situation where the group will inevitably clash? What level are you starting at to have all of that going on? What possible motivation could you have to join an adventuring party with all that? I could list even more problems/headaches that an evil character could present to the group and/or DM.
Anyway, since D&D is a group activity, I'd ask the group first if they'd be fine with playing an evil character. Or to do an evil campaign.
Asking the group is a def must, I think as well it’s one of those things you need to be open about at the table, characters may not know but players should. Also you need to know your players can play to the nuances and do not see the alignment table as black and white. Your friends lawful good paladin could very easily play with an evil character and not feel the need to kill them out of hand, but the evil character needs to know the lines they should not cross in front of him, and this is not an issue you shouldn’t be playing a caricature, a character who goes round burning the orphanage and killing the innocent for fun. This is why I prefer Lawful Evil, you can define a clear set of morales for your character that you stick to.
This is why when you do get the okay to do an evil alignment, you make the motives match the group's. Because it is a team. As for the you never said that they had to be in-your-face evil, you did. Your examples were in-your-face evil examples.
And Yes, an evil character can be a problem if they don't work together with the party, but what if their motives for joining the party are BENEFICIAL to them like you said. Maybe an evil-aligned cleric going on a quest because it aligns with what he thinks his deity wants. Maybe they're looking for a loved one that got taken and the party is a means to find that person. There are so many reasons to work out WITHIN the group. There's a difference between playing an evil character and using an evil character as an excuse to be an @sshole player and as an excuse to be difficult. Sadly, too many people use chaotic evil alignments to do the latter and then chaotic evil players get a bad rep.
And honestly, yeah, I would willingly put myself in a situation where the party clashes IN GAME/IN CHARACTER over what to do in a situation. It doesn't have to escalate or lead to all-out war or anyone killing/trying to kill anyone else. An IN CHARACTER disagreement adds flavor to the game. Yeah, maybe the evil character never gets their way in the end, but they can TRY. But I'm also about having fun. I don't get mad if something in-game doesn't go my way. If I wanna torture an NPC for not giving important information and I get overruled or prevented from it, then okay, cool. My character might be bitter about it, but I'd probably laugh. Hell, I wouldn't mind my character getting his ass handed to him verbally or physically either. Because to me, it is a game.
I think it goes into what I said above. People think playing an evil character allows them to get away with being an @sshole or to be difficult. Which is not fun and honestly exhausting. I do mainly play-by-email/play-by-post RPs, and I've been told that I play good evil characters and that I'm enjoyable to play with. But I know 100% what you mean. I see it a lot on RP forums. And it's always the same. The evil characters are hard to play with and interact with because they just act so dickish and then the player complains about things and gets defensive when characters call them out.
There's a certain way to play a chaotic evil character without any conflict between players. I have rules when I play evil alignments.
First, consent.
Second, no metagaming. That is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. When a player knows another character is evil and suddenly their lawful good character knows that character is evil and constantly trying to start fights with them for no reason, acting like MermaidMan from Spongebob screaming "EVILLLL!!!!".
Third, understanding that your character is evil and that there WILL be in-character issues. There will be clashes. As long as those clashes are strictly in-game and NOT between players personally, then that is fine. It's when the issues extend to between players that it becomes a problem. But I'm also all for my character getting his ass beat by another character for how he acts. As long as they aren't aiming to kill. Hell, have a warlock hex him to keep him in line until the quest is over to ensure he doesn't act up. There are plenty of creative ways to get an evil character to cooperate.
Also, you could play a chaotic good Druid and still do that. Considering that the alignments would be reversed so good=evil, evil=good if that makes sense. So the industrial world is evil, but considered "good". So a good character running around planting things would be considered "evil".
This is just me, but the way I play evil characters is like they are performing for an audience. They need that ego boost, and for someone to see their misdeeds. Like a Saturday morning cartoon villain, or one with a bunch of minions.
This can go multiple ways, and it also depends on the party. It's unlikely a truly noble player character is going to allow the evil character to get away with their plans so blatantly. (Note: It is best to communicate with the people you're playing (including the GM) with before, during, and after play! Nothing is more awkward than the real life people you are playing with not wanting to play with the character you made, or you.)
1. (What I prefer.) The evil character does not want their audience to dislike them personally, and does not want them to die. Who will appreciate their actions if no one wants to be around them? Or is dead? (This can also be apart of, "The party is vital to their plans." This could be, "I need a group to keep me alive, so they are necessary.")
2. The evil character does not care if some of the members of the party dies, and makes no attempts to help any of them. Sure they may have their favorite members, but a whole new group of people means a brand new audience. This could lead to animosity in real life if the players feel that they are not getting helped. Which is why making the evil character's ideals clear is also important. They might be inherently selfish, and that is a character flaw.
3. The evil character has to maneuver in secret to do their vile plans. This is a really careful tightrope that I personally have never had to play. It would take a lot of communication with the GM, and having a good relationship with the people your with in general.
4. The evil character turns out to be the BBEG. I have heard of this being done once, and it was pretty cool! However, this would also take work with the evil character maintaining their connections till the end.
So, no playing an evil character isn't hard. It all matters on the character's personality, goals, and if they can reasonably work in a team. Also, communicating with the party in and out of the campaign. If someone says, "Hey, I'm uncomfortable by this," than it is best to listen to that person.
Play a evil character ? Hard ?
First, if you don't want to play an evil character, don't do it. If you think you're better at playing a villain than a good guy, go for it.
Two, don't destroy the campaign. It's all.
Personally, I don't see how I could play an evil character because I can't get into their way of thinking. I'm more neutral good / neutral /
cloakerchaotic neutralMy favourites creations :
Half-Cloaker, Cloaker Lord, Potion of the Cloaker
I am looking for advice to upgrade my campaign.
There are troglodytes in my living room and cloakers in my basement.
This is not a promotion nor recommendation for an official WotC product, but it contains excellent information regarding one way to play Evil quite easily in an enjoyable manner featuring a Chaotic Evil character played by probably one of the nicest persons you could meet in person.
Human. Male. Possibly. Don't be a divider.
My characters' backgrounds are written like instruction manuals rather than stories. My opinion and preferences don't mean you're wrong.
I am 99.7603% convinced that the digital dice are messing with me. I roll high when nobody's looking and low when anyone else can see.🎲
“It's a bit early to be thinking about an epitaph. No?” will be my epitaph.
Im surprised this is still up and running i put this up months ago.
KNIGHT OF RANDOM
Halike Morgad the Dhampir fist of arlo
Sir strange one of the centaurs
Did you end up playing an evil PC? Our last session the group found the Book of Vile Darkness, which we need to keep away from the BBEG. My evil PC attuned to it, so it would not tempt the other PC's. Of course he intends to read from it and learn what he can. But the group does need to keep the item from the BBEG and get it to those who can hide\destroy\stop whatever horrible plan it is intended for. This is a fun example of playing your evil PC appropriately but also working with fellow players to further the story and goals of the group.
Yeah i did end up playing an evil character to answer your question
KNIGHT OF RANDOM
Halike Morgad the Dhampir fist of arlo
Sir strange one of the centaurs
Depending on how much of a murderhobo your DM lets you be... It's not per se hard. My DM likes to mask consequences of our evil deeds as "realism," (probably a good thing) so be mindful of that.
"Never walk away from home ahead of your axe and sword.
You can't feel a battle in your bones or foresee a fight."
- Havamal, The Sayings of Odin
Being evil without being cliche is the tough part.
I would say this is a difficulty for all alignments. I can already see those who are weeping: people who play chaotic neutrals play "LOL I'm random" or good loyal characters are all boring good samaritans. Clichés are rarely fun and easily avoided. The proof: here's my list of different neutral chaotic personalities:
- Slaadi : "LOL I'm random"
- Cloaker : "Goes it alone"
- Satyr : "Free spirit"
- Magmin : "Curiosity not evil, but quite painful"
- And all those others that I can't explain (for lack of patience)
My favourites creations :
Half-Cloaker, Cloaker Lord, Potion of the Cloaker
I am looking for advice to upgrade my campaign.
There are troglodytes in my living room and cloakers in my basement.