I am makeing a character (CG Vuman Necromancy Wizard Doctor) and at some point in the campaign, I hope for them to acquire the hand and or eye of Vecna. (How is not relevant, and is bewteen me and my future DM) However, as attunement to these items cause a shift in alignment to Netural Evil, I was hoping for advice on how to roleplay the shift.
I have some ideas of my own, so rather than just being me asking for advice, I want this thread to be for sharing (constructive) advice for roleplaying a alignment shift to evil.
Before we begin, a little exerp from the PHB:These brief summaries of the nine alignments describe the typical behavior of a creature with that alignment. Individuals might vary significantly from that typical behavior, and few people are perfectly and consistently faithful to the precepts of their alignment
Here are the ones I've come up with so far:
"Their goal remains the same, but is somewhat twisted" (ie, their goal is still to create a settlement where their undead preform manual labor while they live in peace, but now maybe they want to rule that settlement, or they might still only reanimate criminals, such as bandits, but rather than a moral reason like "I will make them work the fields in undeath, to make up for their sins in life" it's now "If I go around killing and reanimating civilians, I'll eventually become a wanted criminal, but no one should miss some random bandits that were already dead, and it'd be a waste to leave useful meterials unused.") (Though I admit, a pragmatic necromancer that's powerful enough might want a bounty, cause bounty hunters=bodys to reanimate. Though that's not really relevant to this thread.)
"They've lost some of their inhibitions" (ie, they thought swearing was rude, and never swore, but now they don't give a F about swearing.)
"Evil doesn't mean @$$hole" (Just because you are Evil now, doesn't mean you can't still be friendly and helpful, especially to your adventuring companions. Just because you won't help a old lady across the street doesn't mean you'll suddenly decide to kick a cat. I mean, seriously, who kicks a cat!?) (Other than that one jerk guard in Zadash.)
To add to the above, now that there is a literal darkness within you, balance that with how you normally act. For example, you could be nice and Cheerful, but now it's a act, and glimpses of sass, malice, bloodlust, apathy, ect might occasionally slip through the proverbial mask.
Remember:D&D is a team game. You may be Evil now, but you still have to work with the group, otherwise you'll be cast out or killed. Is the quest to save the world? You can't rule a army of undead if you are dead, or the world is destroyed. Is the BBEG a lich? They're competition, and must be eliminated. Plus, you can take their research notes when they're dead.(Or betray the party at the last minute to work for the lich, but I don't really recommend that unless PvP is allowed at your table, and the campaign is ending anyway. Though, it really depends on the group. Some might be mad all their work was wasted by your Betrayal, while others might enjoy the plot twist to conclude the story. Also, there is a high chance your character dies, either killed by the party along with the bbeg, or by the bbeg now that you're no longer useful.)
Also, evil is (somewhat) subjective. For example, most people agree that slavery is a lawful evil act. However, a paladin who captured a bandit and forces them to repent for their sins by working in a coal mine for the rest of their life views themself as good, despite being a slave owner. So just because your alignment is evil, doesn't mean you necessarily have to view yourself as evil. After all, villans are often the heros of their own stories. And "Just because you're a bad guy, doesn't mean you have to be a Bad Guy".
Also, i'm guessing Matt Corvil made a video on the topic, so I hope someone links that. (I'm on mobile RN,)
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
For me, it gets a lot easier when you get specific rather than generic and abstract. Using OP's situation as an example, you're not just gradually, generically turning evil for no reason. You're being corrupted by Vecna. So to roleplay that, you start acting more secretive and standoffish. You act like someone who is being slowly overtaken by an evil influence. I would argue that in this case the generic advice would not be the best route - for example, your goals should change cause that's kind of the point of the artifacts.
Ultimately, how you choose to do this is like 90% of the roleplaying itself. You can't make a guide on how to paint a masterpiece. The best you can do is look at masterpieces and deconstruct what made them great in terms of composition, color, etc. I think roleplaying is the same way.
Define what NE and CG mean in general and what the other alignments are in between the two, define how it is going to go. ie go from CG to CN to NE or CG to N to NE.
Ask GM if your plan is ok but note it may change based on things that happen in game.
Why would the character even want to attune to them in the first place?
It hasn't happened in game yet, but the idea is, a group of paladins obtained the sword of Kas, and learned the character was a necromancer, so, wanting to literally kill two threats with one slash, They attach the arm and eye to the captured necromancer, then kill them with the sword, thus destroying the Hand and Eye. (Though,now that the necromancer is evil, they use their new powers to kill the paladins and escape.)
Given the choice, the character wouldn't cut their hand or eye off to replace them with evil artifacts. (But the DM has my consent to do it.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I am makeing a character (CG Vuman Necromancy Wizard Doctor) and at some point in the campaign, I hope for them to acquire the hand and or eye of Vecna. (How is not relevant, and is bewteen me and my future DM) However, as attunement to these items cause a shift in alignment to Netural Evil, I was hoping for advice on how to roleplay the shift.
I have some ideas of my own, so rather than just being me asking for advice, I want this thread to be for sharing (constructive) advice for roleplaying a alignment shift to evil.
Before we begin, a little exerp from the PHB:These brief summaries of the nine alignments describe the typical behavior of a creature with that alignment. Individuals might vary significantly from that typical behavior, and few people are perfectly and consistently faithful to the precepts of their alignment
Here are the ones I've come up with so far:
"Their goal remains the same, but is somewhat twisted" (ie, their goal is still to create a settlement where their undead preform manual labor while they live in peace, but now maybe they want to rule that settlement, or they might still only reanimate criminals, such as bandits, but rather than a moral reason like "I will make them work the fields in undeath, to make up for their sins in life" it's now "If I go around killing and reanimating civilians, I'll eventually become a wanted criminal, but no one should miss some random bandits that were already dead, and it'd be a waste to leave useful meterials unused.") (Though I admit, a pragmatic necromancer that's powerful enough might want a bounty, cause bounty hunters=bodys to reanimate. Though that's not really relevant to this thread.)
"They've lost some of their inhibitions" (ie, they thought swearing was rude, and never swore, but now they don't give a F about swearing.)
"Evil doesn't mean @$$hole" (Just because you are Evil now, doesn't mean you can't still be friendly and helpful, especially to your adventuring companions. Just because you won't help a old lady across the street doesn't mean you'll suddenly decide to kick a cat. I mean, seriously, who kicks a cat!?) (Other than that one jerk guard in Zadash.)
To add to the above, now that there is a literal darkness within you, balance that with how you normally act. For example, you could be nice and Cheerful, but now it's a act, and glimpses of sass, malice, bloodlust, apathy, ect might occasionally slip through the proverbial mask.
Remember:D&D is a team game. You may be Evil now, but you still have to work with the group, otherwise you'll be cast out or killed. Is the quest to save the world? You can't rule a army of undead if you are dead, or the world is destroyed. Is the BBEG a lich? They're competition, and must be eliminated. Plus, you can take their research notes when they're dead.(Or betray the party at the last minute to work for the lich, but I don't really recommend that unless PvP is allowed at your table, and the campaign is ending anyway. Though, it really depends on the group. Some might be mad all their work was wasted by your Betrayal, while others might enjoy the plot twist to conclude the story. Also, there is a high chance your character dies, either killed by the party along with the bbeg, or by the bbeg now that you're no longer useful.)
Also, evil is (somewhat) subjective. For example, most people agree that slavery is a lawful evil act. However, a paladin who captured a bandit and forces them to repent for their sins by working in a coal mine for the rest of their life views themself as good, despite being a slave owner. So just because your alignment is evil, doesn't mean you necessarily have to view yourself as evil. After all, villans are often the heros of their own stories. And "Just because you're a bad guy, doesn't mean you have to be a Bad Guy".
Also, i'm guessing Matt Corvil made a video on the topic, so I hope someone links that. (I'm on mobile RN,)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVuF4fkRD2c Here's that Matt Colville video for ya
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
- Litany Against Fear, Frank Herbert
For me, it gets a lot easier when you get specific rather than generic and abstract. Using OP's situation as an example, you're not just gradually, generically turning evil for no reason. You're being corrupted by Vecna. So to roleplay that, you start acting more secretive and standoffish. You act like someone who is being slowly overtaken by an evil influence. I would argue that in this case the generic advice would not be the best route - for example, your goals should change cause that's kind of the point of the artifacts.
Ultimately, how you choose to do this is like 90% of the roleplaying itself. You can't make a guide on how to paint a masterpiece. The best you can do is look at masterpieces and deconstruct what made them great in terms of composition, color, etc. I think roleplaying is the same way.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Define what NE and CG mean in general and what the other alignments are in between the two, define how it is going to go. ie go from CG to CN to NE or CG to N to NE.
Ask GM if your plan is ok but note it may change based on things that happen in game.
Why would the character even want to attune to them in the first place?
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
It hasn't happened in game yet, but the idea is, a group of paladins obtained the sword of Kas, and learned the character was a necromancer, so, wanting to literally kill two threats with one slash, They attach the arm and eye to the captured necromancer, then kill them with the sword, thus destroying the Hand and Eye. (Though,now that the necromancer is evil, they use their new powers to kill the paladins and escape.)
Given the choice, the character wouldn't cut their hand or eye off to replace them with evil artifacts. (But the DM has my consent to do it.)