As a player who is playing a lawful evil character and who is very interested to hear your experience playing with/DMing for a player and do you think a lawful evil player should be welcomed at the table?
Evil characters can be fun with the right player, the right party, the right players in the party and the right DM. It can take as little as one of those being an ill fit for the whole experience to be bad. That's not to say it can't work or should always be automatically rejected...but that's also a lot of work to ensure happens. If a table doesn't want an evil character, it's best to just not go there.
If everyone is on board and happy with the idea, great. Go have fun. However, it's perfectly justified for the table to say no thanks, try neutral instead.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
It's important to understand what "Evil" represents in D&D. While most players like to think of themselves as heroes, it is very common for them to actually be playing neutral or soft evil characters. This is made evident by how universal the term "murder hobo" has become. Doing one or two good deeds doesn't justify mindlessly harming everyone they encounter along the way.
Lawful Evil characters understand how to work a system and will generally be able to play nicely with others, but Chaotic Evil characters are going to be problematic regardless of the setting.
If a player has a clear grasp of morality, then playing an evil character may not actually change much, other than adding depth to action. However, an immature player playing an evil character may take it past misguided to being deliberately anti-social and cause problems within the party.
As a player who is playing a lawful evil character and who is very interested to hear your experience playing with/DMing for a player and do you think a lawful evil player should be welcomed at the table?
Too abstract, there isn't a universal game table, just as there isn't a universal way to play Lawful Evil. Do some tables allow lawful or other evil characters? Sure. Many don't because either 1.) the players don't want to spend time catering to an evil character in an otherwise "good guys" game or 2.) Many folks have experience or have gotten wind of "evil" characters being used to engage in cliches like betrayals, overly violent responses to the slightest character offense, etc, and those folks just don't want to deal with it.
Alignment is generally diluted at most tables, your character conceit and morality, especially if it strongly deviates from the broader group consensus is the sort of thing to be discussed and negotiated at the table you play at. If they don't find the character acceptable, starting a forum thread and returning with "the internet says this is fine" will not award you that seat you want.
Most folks play the game to play with hero fantasies. Can the game be played for villain fantasies? Sure. Should a table of hero fantasies need to make space for a player who wants to play Despicable Me? That's a table discussion.
In other words, if evil is ailing your PC's acceptance at a table, you may want to think of a different alignment.
I play a LE Human Paladin of Bane (Oath of Vengeance) in a Forgotten Realms campaign set in the region of Myth Drannor and i enjoy it a lot. The party is neutral aligned but everyone is okay with my PC religion or alignment thus far.
Born in 1486 DR in Zhentil Keep, Maledict [MALAY-dict] made his very first kill on the lap of his dying mother. With unknown father or family, he was immediately placed in a Zentish orphanage, being rejected from the very first day of his life. At a young age, the orphan was given to the local temple, the Black Altar of Bane, being too turbulent and vengeful to others, facing another rejection. During his teenage, Maledict followed Bane’s clerical teachings but ended up rejected yet again by the Banites, unable to cast cantrips and be full cleric, being doomed to never be anything more than half spellcaster.
Maledict then enrolled as a Zentilar soldier, getting up to marshal rank, a city law official having charge of prisoners or fugitives, to bring them back to justice or execute them for those wanted dead, or alive, preferring the former than the latter. Ready to do the dirty work, Maledict did many public executions with his long axe and black hood. As a headsman, he understood the difference between an executioner and a cut-throat was only which side of the law they stood, both having the contract to kill people from the criminal underworld or the authorities.
Maledict was recently decommissioned following disciplinary measures due to his orientation not accepted by Zentilar and was once again rejected. He finally left his home town with a chip on his shoulder’s badge, mad against the world, vowing enmity and cursing at anyone who’d stand in his way with his reknown Zentish accent.
Now a loyal but ruthless axe-for-hire, Maledict headed to the Dalelands, looking for mercenary work and offering his service as executioner or bounty hunter for any fugitive wanted dead, or alive. Looking for a new start elsewhere, ready to experience new adventures and perhaps find people that would accept him how he is rather than reject him.
I play campaigns with open season on what you intend to be alignment wise, and i don't run into the issues that some run into. However, i took my time recruiting the player characters that i though accurately represented what i thought they were aligned to do, or in the home games i made sure that my friends were aware of what their character's alignment would be if they choose to act in the ways that they were describing, so that it didn't detract from others experiences. I'd rather ruin the immersion of the table in terms of fellow PC's than i would the overall experience of the game, so thats my DM approach to it going into this answer. Your character isn't as welcome in a game where the players and DM haven't talked at some basic level about what is to be expected in the campaign and of the players, so i wouldn't rush in to any random campaign with it.
a Lawful Evil to me shines more when the group is more neutral in their thoughts overall, because they can honestly provide that devil on the right shoulder that can push the group to seeing the situations that more commonly fit your cause. You might for example even convince a character that looks at a situation from a neutral good perspective that your option is the most reasonable. It fits worst with murderhobos who don't much care about anything but pillaging someone regardless of who they are, unless you are able to control the situations to which you visit (open campaign map rather than a railroad that you stay on). The characters that just do what they want rather than being convinced are the most difficult in said linear campaigns, and it ruins your desired direction. So basically, dont waste time trying to pickup game a lawful evil, wait for the specific campaign to pop up.
Snape, especially as he is in the movies, is a pretty good jumping-off point for an evil PC. Just remember that your PC will want to preserve the integrity of the party, otherwise the game falls apart. Within that, you can play the character as selfish (expecting rewards for doing "good deeds"), cruel, callous, and depending on the players, even bigoted and intolerant.
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As a player who is playing a lawful evil character and who is very interested to hear your experience playing with/DMing for a player and do you think a lawful evil player should be welcomed at the table?
yes nothing wrong with playing evil characters but don’t betray the party
Should be welcomed?
No.
Evil characters can be fun with the right player, the right party, the right players in the party and the right DM. It can take as little as one of those being an ill fit for the whole experience to be bad. That's not to say it can't work or should always be automatically rejected...but that's also a lot of work to ensure happens. If a table doesn't want an evil character, it's best to just not go there.
If everyone is on board and happy with the idea, great. Go have fun. However, it's perfectly justified for the table to say no thanks, try neutral instead.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
It's important to understand what "Evil" represents in D&D. While most players like to think of themselves as heroes, it is very common for them to actually be playing neutral or soft evil characters. This is made evident by how universal the term "murder hobo" has become. Doing one or two good deeds doesn't justify mindlessly harming everyone they encounter along the way.
Lawful Evil characters understand how to work a system and will generally be able to play nicely with others, but Chaotic Evil characters are going to be problematic regardless of the setting.
If a player has a clear grasp of morality, then playing an evil character may not actually change much, other than adding depth to action. However, an immature player playing an evil character may take it past misguided to being deliberately anti-social and cause problems within the party.
Too abstract, there isn't a universal game table, just as there isn't a universal way to play Lawful Evil. Do some tables allow lawful or other evil characters? Sure. Many don't because either 1.) the players don't want to spend time catering to an evil character in an otherwise "good guys" game or 2.) Many folks have experience or have gotten wind of "evil" characters being used to engage in cliches like betrayals, overly violent responses to the slightest character offense, etc, and those folks just don't want to deal with it.
Alignment is generally diluted at most tables, your character conceit and morality, especially if it strongly deviates from the broader group consensus is the sort of thing to be discussed and negotiated at the table you play at. If they don't find the character acceptable, starting a forum thread and returning with "the internet says this is fine" will not award you that seat you want.
Most folks play the game to play with hero fantasies. Can the game be played for villain fantasies? Sure. Should a table of hero fantasies need to make space for a player who wants to play Despicable Me? That's a table discussion.
In other words, if evil is ailing your PC's acceptance at a table, you may want to think of a different alignment.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I play a LE Human Paladin of Bane (Oath of Vengeance) in a Forgotten Realms campaign set in the region of Myth Drannor and i enjoy it a lot. The party is neutral aligned but everyone is okay with my PC religion or alignment thus far.
Born in 1486 DR in Zhentil Keep, Maledict [MALAY-dict] made his very first kill on the lap of his dying mother. With unknown father or family, he was immediately placed in a Zentish orphanage, being rejected from the very first day of his life. At a young age, the orphan was given to the local temple, the Black Altar of Bane, being too turbulent and vengeful to others, facing another rejection. During his teenage, Maledict followed Bane’s clerical teachings but ended up rejected yet again by the Banites, unable to cast cantrips and be full cleric, being doomed to never be anything more than half spellcaster.
Maledict then enrolled as a Zentilar soldier, getting up to marshal rank, a city law official having charge of prisoners or fugitives, to bring them back to justice or execute them for those wanted dead, or alive, preferring the former than the latter. Ready to do the dirty work, Maledict did many public executions with his long axe and black hood. As a headsman, he understood the difference between an executioner and a cut-throat was only which side of the law they stood, both having the contract to kill people from the criminal underworld or the authorities.
Maledict was recently decommissioned following disciplinary measures due to his orientation not accepted by Zentilar and was once again rejected. He finally left his home town with a chip on his shoulder’s badge, mad against the world, vowing enmity and cursing at anyone who’d stand in his way with his reknown Zentish accent.
Now a loyal but ruthless axe-for-hire, Maledict headed to the Dalelands, looking for mercenary work and offering his service as executioner or bounty hunter for any fugitive wanted dead, or alive. Looking for a new start elsewhere, ready to experience new adventures and perhaps find people that would accept him how he is rather than reject him.
I play campaigns with open season on what you intend to be alignment wise, and i don't run into the issues that some run into. However, i took my time recruiting the player characters that i though accurately represented what i thought they were aligned to do, or in the home games i made sure that my friends were aware of what their character's alignment would be if they choose to act in the ways that they were describing, so that it didn't detract from others experiences. I'd rather ruin the immersion of the table in terms of fellow PC's than i would the overall experience of the game, so thats my DM approach to it going into this answer. Your character isn't as welcome in a game where the players and DM haven't talked at some basic level about what is to be expected in the campaign and of the players, so i wouldn't rush in to any random campaign with it.
a Lawful Evil to me shines more when the group is more neutral in their thoughts overall, because they can honestly provide that devil on the right shoulder that can push the group to seeing the situations that more commonly fit your cause. You might for example even convince a character that looks at a situation from a neutral good perspective that your option is the most reasonable. It fits worst with murderhobos who don't much care about anything but pillaging someone regardless of who they are, unless you are able to control the situations to which you visit (open campaign map rather than a railroad that you stay on). The characters that just do what they want rather than being convinced are the most difficult in said linear campaigns, and it ruins your desired direction. So basically, dont waste time trying to pickup game a lawful evil, wait for the specific campaign to pop up.
Snape, especially as he is in the movies, is a pretty good jumping-off point for an evil PC. Just remember that your PC will want to preserve the integrity of the party, otherwise the game falls apart. Within that, you can play the character as selfish (expecting rewards for doing "good deeds"), cruel, callous, and depending on the players, even bigoted and intolerant.