I'm looking for help running my now neutral evil character. We've been playing for nearly 2 years and my 8 Wisdom Barbarian (my first character) decided to accept the dark gift of Dahlver Nar. After a botched Cha save, my alignment shifted from NG to NE. Before, he was an overtly kind and caring simpleton who was fiercely loyal to anyone that showed him kindness. He's quite young with little world experience so he's very impulsive. Now he's supposed to be selfish, uncaring, cruel, and immoral. My struggle is that he's evil but nowhere near an evil genius. An alignment shift this big feels like my character was taken away from me and now I have to run a character that someone else created. It feels worse than if he had died because he doesn't feel like he's mine anymore. It's likely sentimentality that's making this so hard. He's my first character and I've been playing him for so long. Any help would be fantastic.
Find someone that can cast Ceremony (atonement). It's a 1st level cleric/paladin spell. That's the meta part. The RP side would be that even though alignment has changed, and he's picked up a serious mean streak, his memory is intact. He would remember doing good, and would be confused why he's not anymore. He would probably seek out someone that can help. On a side note, the world you're playing in might have different rules about alignment changes, so you might have to find a different way in-game. (Don't want to spoil CoS for you)
Yeah this is not the kind of thing that should happen on a failed save. Your character is yours and his choices should be yours, otherwise you're just another NPC. Long-term character agency is a sacred thing and you need to talk this out with the DM. You are not being overly sentimental - being upset about this is totally justified.
Now if you were duped and have to face the consequences of your ignorance, that's fine. That's an interesting story. But the story should be about your character fighting against the evil, not just becoming a different person. If nothing else, his good inner self takes control long enough to end his life so that you can play a new character of your own choosing. But it shouldn't need to come to that if your DM can tell the difference between a PC and an NPC.
Yeah this is not the kind of thing that should happen on a failed save. Your character is yours and his choices should be yours, otherwise you're just another NPC. Long-term character agency is a sacred thing and you need to talk this out with the DM. You are not being overly sentimental - being upset about this is totally justified.
Now if you were duped and have to face the consequences of your ignorance, that's fine. That's an interesting story. But the story should be about your character fighting against the evil, not just becoming a different person. If nothing else, his good inner self takes control long enough to end his life so that you can play a new character of your own choosing. But it shouldn't need to come to that if your DM can tell the difference between a PC and an NPC.
This alignment mechanic is something specific to CoS... it's not a DM homebrew/ intentionally messing with players thing.
The important part about that shift would be why he's doing what he's doing. A good person would help someone because that's what they felt was right, they wanted to help others, or another outward expression. An evil person will do the same things but will be concerned about what's in it for them. That's a reasonable place to start. You can think about what your character would want to do normally and then color it with that self serving flavor. He'll still have reasonably close feelings about his party and will probably want to appease them if for no other reason than it's better for his own self preservation. He might suggest a course of action that would benefit him the most regardless of what might befall others, particularly if it won't affect his relationships within the party.
I suggest looking for some of the best examples of a face-heel turn from wrestling, such as The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and others. Face is short for “babyface,” the wrestling term for a heroic character. Heels are the villain character.
When The Rock was a face he was a pretty-boy defender of the people. He would drop the People’s Elbow on a heel just to stop evil, or save another face. When he turned heel, he became a complete narcissist who would drop the elbow on anyone he had to to further his career.
Just because your character goes NE, that doesn’t mean you can only play it one way.
Talk about this with your group and DM. If you're having less fun with the alignment-shifted character, your DM should be able to pose a solution (maybe a priest can cast Ceremony in the next town). Your group, meanwhile, can find a way to justify it (maybe, noticing your character's shift and surmising the cause, they have to trick him or force him into undergoing the ritual).
A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make her any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has.
Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies.
Neutral evil beings consider their alignment to be the best because they can advance themselves without regard for others.
Neutral evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.
The neutral evil creature views law and chaos as unnecessary considerations, for pure evil is all-in-all. Either might be used, but both are disdained as foolish clutter useless in eventually bringing maximum evilness to the world. Similar to the neutral good alignment, that of neutral evil holds that neither groups nor individuals have great meaning. This ethos holds that seeking to promote weal for all actually brings woe to the truly deserving. Natural forces which are meant to cull out the weak and stupid are artificially suppressed by so-called good, and the fittest are wrongfully held back, so whatever means are expedient can be used by the powerful to gain and maintain their dominance, without concern for anything. (1)
Neutral evil characters are primarily concerned with themselves and their own advancement. They have no particular objection to working with others or, for that matter, going it on their own. Their only interest is in getting ahead. If there is a quick and easy way to gain a profit, whether it be legal, questionable, or obviously illegal, they take advantage of it. Although neutral evil characters do not have the every-man-for-himself attitude of chaotic characters, they have no qualms about betraying their friends and companions for personal gain. They typically base their allegiance on power and money, which makes them quite receptive to bribes. (2)
The neutral evil is an unscrupulous, self-serving character who is only out for himself. Power, glory, wealth, position, and anything that will make his life more comfortable is his goal. It matters not who gets caught in the middle, as long as he comes out smelling like a rose. This person will lie, cheat, and kill anyone to attain his personal goals. (3)
These characters willingly cooperate with anyone who will further their own ends. They often seek the easy road to fame and fortune, with little concern for the people they trample along the way. They value strength and ability alone. If the neutral evil can use laws to weaken those who stand in the way of his success, he will use them. If he must resort to breaking the law, he will. He has no preference for either method. The only important thing is that he gets what he wants. Laws are tools to use against people, as well as their own sense of honor.
For the neutral evil being, law and chaos are beneath consideration in this character's quest for pure evil in the universe. At the root of this character 's personality is the word "wicked." Evil is his goal; natural and man-made forces, if allowed to take their course, weed out the weak and useless in society. The deserving should take advantage of this condition to further their own goals by any means possible, especially to destroy weaklings who put forward "good" actions to promote the well being of all, which is just an excuse used to deny the deserving their due. To the neutral evil being, life is of no value, for those who cannot take advantage of their superiority don't deserve it, and they'll only interfere with the rightful pursuits of those who do. (4)
A neutral evil character never feels compelled to keep his word. He will attack and kill an unarmed foe (those are the best kind). He will harm and may possibly kill an innocent. He will use torture to extract information and for pleasure. He may kill for pleasure. A neutral evil character will use poison. He will not help those in need without a reward and he works well alone or in a group. He responds well to higher authority until that authority attempts to use the law to hamper his ability to pursue his own agenda. He will follow the law unless breaking it is in his best interest and he's reasonably sure that he will not be caught. He may betray a family member, comrade, or friend if it is convenient to do so and it advances his agenda. Neutral evil characters are indifferent to the concepts of self-discipline and honor, finding them useful only if they can be used to advance their own interests or gain power over others. (5)
Here are some possible adjectives describing neutral evil characters: unfeeling, uncaring, insensitive, unkind, uncooperative (unless it suits them), self-reliant, wicked, cruel, depraved, corrupt, immoral, hateful, vicious, and destructive.
Well known neutral evil characters from film or literature include: Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars), Khan Noonien Singh (Star Trek), Saruman (Lord of the Rings), Peter Pettigrew (Harry Potter), and Lex Luthor (DC Comics).
Equivalent alignment in other game systems: Miscreant (Palladium), Road of the Beast (Vampire), Dark Side (Star Wars), Evil (Warhammer), Unscrupulous (Alternity).
The Neutral Evil Code
The personal code of a neutral evil character may look like this:
1. You shall lie to advance yourself.
2. You shall harm the innocent to advance yourself.
3. You shall kill to advance yourself.
4. You shall not aid the weak.
5. You shall honor those who are stronger.
6. You shall follow the law only to advance yourself.
7. You shall betray friends, family, community, and nation to advance yourself.
8. You shall not aid those who protect the weak.
9. You shall not show mercy to enemies.
10. You shall seek unlimited power over others.
Ten Neutral Evil Signs of Weakness
Likewise, a neutral evil character may consider the following as signs of weakness. A sign of weakness indicates that the character is straying from the cruel tenets of the neutral evil philosophy. This list is given in the order of least severe infraction to most severe.
1. Failing to show malice or inflict pain upon an innocent when it would be pleasurable to do so.
2. Not challenging a clearly weak leader for leadership.
3. Keeping your word when doing so would interfere with personal gain.
4. Refusing to commit cruel act that would harm your enemy or rival when appropriate.
5. Making a sacrifice to help another when not important to your survival.
6. Failing to commit cruel acts that are in your best interest.
7. Refusing to kill for personal gain or wealth.
8. Turning down a chance to gain power or wealth.
9. Showing mercy to one who is opposed to you or your cause.
10. Aiding the servants of Goodness.
The Neutral Evil Adventurer
The following two lists detail common actions undertaken during "adventuring" that are considered honorable and dishonorable for the neutral evil alignment. An honorable action is one that is in keeping with the spirit of this alignment, while dishonorable actions tend to be those which bring shame to the character in the eyes of his or her alignment peers. Note that an action which is considered honorable by one alignment may be considered dishonorable by another alignment and vice versa.
The following actions are honorable for this alignment:
Accused of crime (innocent or not)
Attacking an unarmed or obviously inferior opponent
Defeating a superior opponent
Delivering death blow to a helpless opponent
Desecrating an enemy's corpse
Dirty Fighting
Falsely claiming the 'bragging rights' that belong to another or outright lying
Fleeing a fight with a superior opponent
Gloating over a victory
Neglecting to properly bury a member of one's own race
Paying off an extortionist or shake-down
Perpetrate humiliating prank on the enemy
Refusing a fair contest/challenge
Reporting the illegal actions of enemies to the authorities when profitable
Taking a bribe
Taunting an enemy into fighting
Unjustly slaying a prisoner or unarmed opponent who has yielded
Walking away from a challenge
The following actions are dishonorable for this alignment:
Allowing a disarmed enemy to pick up his weapon
Allowing the enemy to attack first
Defeated by an inferior opponent
Picking up the funeral expenses of someone you slew in combat
Refusing medical treatment for the good of the party
Saving the life of another at great risk to own self
You can still be Neutral Evil and be loyal to those that have shown you kindness. Being neutral good means that you're good to other people even when they haven't shown you kindness. And being evil doesn't mean that you betray your friends.
The difference is that when you're Neutral Good, you're kind to others because it is the right thing to do, whereas when you're Neutral Evil, you're only kind to others when it will benefit you. But you can still be kind to others while being Neutral Evil. You just have to make sure that you're only being kind to others because your character expects to get some sort of gain out of it.
You also need to understand that Neutral Evil isn't Neutral Self Destructive. An evil character is willing to betray his friends when it will benefit him. But an evil character is not going to betray his friends if it will not benefit him. An evil character isn't going to sabotage friendships if it will be self destructive. Your character doesn't have to change the way that he acts towards the rest of the party that has earned his trust. If he knows that they'll be there for him to support him, he will place a value on that, and he will treat the rest of the party well in order to maintain that support from the rest of the party. If the people in your party have treated your Barbarian well, he won't jeopardize their support. As long as he thinks he can gain more by continuing to be their friend than he will gain by sabotaging the friendship, then he will maintain the friendship.
This alignment mechanic is something specific to CoS... it's not a DM homebrew/ intentionally messing with players thing.
After some research I see what you mean here, but I still don't think this is being handled well. Whether it's part of a module or not, mechanics that remove character agency need buy-in by the players, preferably before the campaign even starts.
"Okay guys, we'll be playing Curse of Strahd next. It's got a lot of horror-genre influence and given time this world will corrupt even the noblest heart. Sound good?"
Clearly OP had different expectations going in, and considering he's been playing with this character for 2 years it sounds like there was some miscommunication about how the campaign world worked. I would still recommend trying to work something out with the DM so OP can play the type of character he wants to play, even if that means killing off his current character.
Neutral - not totally random and not following a strict code.
Evil - interested only in personal benefit.
Uncaring about others getting hurt? Yes.
Cruel? Not intentionally - just uncaring. Immoral? Not intentionally - just uncaring. Neutral Evil doesn't go out to intentionally hurt people. NE doesn't want the world to burn. NE doesn't play the long game to trap someone in legalese.
Simply put, NE just doesn't care if someone gets hurt when getting what NE wants.
NE will still play the role as necessary to get what NE wants. If NE has to travel a long distance to get an item, NE will do that. If stealing a horse from a starving farmer will make it easier, NE will do that.
EDIT: If NE needs the party's help but the party refuses to let NE steal a horse from a starving farmer, NE will have to decide which is needed more, the assistance or getting to the destination quicker. If getting there quicker without the necessary assistance gains nothing, NE will not steal the horse. NE also won't just kill the horse or farmer out of cruelty regardless how the party feels. There would be no benefit then.
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.
The RP side would be that even though alignment has changed, and he's picked up a serious mean streak, his memory is intact. He would remember doing good, and would be confused why he's not anymore. He would probably seek out someone that can help.
Thank you to everyone that has weighed in. It's been a huge help. What Sigvard_Vigrid said about his memory being intact was the real kicker for me. I've been running an 8 in wisdom as having little to no common sense. This gives me a lot to work with. "Hey guys, I feel like I should kill that person but I don't remember wanting to do that before. Why is that? What should I do?" Again, thank you all!
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Hi there,
I'm looking for help running my now neutral evil character. We've been playing for nearly 2 years and my 8 Wisdom Barbarian (my first character) decided to accept the dark gift of Dahlver Nar. After a botched Cha save, my alignment shifted from NG to NE. Before, he was an overtly kind and caring simpleton who was fiercely loyal to anyone that showed him kindness. He's quite young with little world experience so he's very impulsive. Now he's supposed to be selfish, uncaring, cruel, and immoral. My struggle is that he's evil but nowhere near an evil genius. An alignment shift this big feels like my character was taken away from me and now I have to run a character that someone else created. It feels worse than if he had died because he doesn't feel like he's mine anymore. It's likely sentimentality that's making this so hard. He's my first character and I've been playing him for so long. Any help would be fantastic.
Thanks!
Find someone that can cast Ceremony (atonement). It's a 1st level cleric/paladin spell. That's the meta part. The RP side would be that even though alignment has changed, and he's picked up a serious mean streak, his memory is intact. He would remember doing good, and would be confused why he's not anymore. He would probably seek out someone that can help. On a side note, the world you're playing in might have different rules about alignment changes, so you might have to find a different way in-game. (Don't want to spoil CoS for you)
Yeah this is not the kind of thing that should happen on a failed save. Your character is yours and his choices should be yours, otherwise you're just another NPC. Long-term character agency is a sacred thing and you need to talk this out with the DM. You are not being overly sentimental - being upset about this is totally justified.
Now if you were duped and have to face the consequences of your ignorance, that's fine. That's an interesting story. But the story should be about your character fighting against the evil, not just becoming a different person. If nothing else, his good inner self takes control long enough to end his life so that you can play a new character of your own choosing. But it shouldn't need to come to that if your DM can tell the difference between a PC and an NPC.
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
This alignment mechanic is something specific to CoS... it's not a DM homebrew/ intentionally messing with players thing.
The important part about that shift would be why he's doing what he's doing. A good person would help someone because that's what they felt was right, they wanted to help others, or another outward expression. An evil person will do the same things but will be concerned about what's in it for them. That's a reasonable place to start. You can think about what your character would want to do normally and then color it with that self serving flavor. He'll still have reasonably close feelings about his party and will probably want to appease them if for no other reason than it's better for his own self preservation. He might suggest a course of action that would benefit him the most regardless of what might befall others, particularly if it won't affect his relationships within the party.
I suggest looking for some of the best examples of a face-heel turn from wrestling, such as The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and others. Face is short for “babyface,” the wrestling term for a heroic character. Heels are the villain character.
When The Rock was a face he was a pretty-boy defender of the people. He would drop the People’s Elbow on a heel just to stop evil, or save another face. When he turned heel, he became a complete narcissist who would drop the elbow on anyone he had to to further his career.
Just because your character goes NE, that doesn’t mean you can only play it one way.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
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Content Troubleshooting
Talk about this with your group and DM. If you're having less fun with the alignment-shifted character, your DM should be able to pose a solution (maybe a priest can cast Ceremony in the next town). Your group, meanwhile, can find a way to justify it (maybe, noticing your character's shift and surmising the cause, they have to trick him or force him into undergoing the ritual).
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Neutral Evil
A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make her any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has.
Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies.
Neutral evil beings consider their alignment to be the best because they can advance themselves without regard for others.
Neutral evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.
The neutral evil creature views law and chaos as unnecessary considerations, for pure evil is all-in-all. Either might be used, but both are disdained as foolish clutter useless in eventually bringing maximum evilness to the world. Similar to the neutral good alignment, that of neutral evil holds that neither groups nor individuals have great meaning. This ethos holds that seeking to promote weal for all actually brings woe to the truly deserving. Natural forces which are meant to cull out the weak and stupid are artificially suppressed by so-called good, and the fittest are wrongfully held back, so whatever means are expedient can be used by the powerful to gain and maintain their dominance, without concern for anything. (1)
Neutral evil characters are primarily concerned with themselves and their own advancement. They have no particular objection to working with others or, for that matter, going it on their own. Their only interest is in getting ahead. If there is a quick and easy way to gain a profit, whether it be legal, questionable, or obviously illegal, they take advantage of it. Although neutral evil characters do not have the every-man-for-himself attitude of chaotic characters, they have no qualms about betraying their friends and companions for personal gain. They typically base their allegiance on power and money, which makes them quite receptive to bribes. (2)
The neutral evil is an unscrupulous, self-serving character who is only out for himself. Power, glory, wealth, position, and anything that will make his life more comfortable is his goal. It matters not who gets caught in the middle, as long as he comes out smelling like a rose. This person will lie, cheat, and kill anyone to attain his personal goals. (3)
These characters willingly cooperate with anyone who will further their own ends. They often seek the easy road to fame and fortune, with little concern for the people they trample along the way. They value strength and ability alone. If the neutral evil can use laws to weaken those who stand in the way of his success, he will use them. If he must resort to breaking the law, he will. He has no preference for either method. The only important thing is that he gets what he wants. Laws are tools to use against people, as well as their own sense of honor.
For the neutral evil being, law and chaos are beneath consideration in this character's quest for pure evil in the universe. At the root of this character 's personality is the word "wicked." Evil is his goal; natural and man-made forces, if allowed to take their course, weed out the weak and useless in society. The deserving should take advantage of this condition to further their own goals by any means possible, especially to destroy weaklings who put forward "good" actions to promote the well being of all, which is just an excuse used to deny the deserving their due. To the neutral evil being, life is of no value, for those who cannot take advantage of their superiority don't deserve it, and they'll only interfere with the rightful pursuits of those who do. (4)
A neutral evil character never feels compelled to keep his word. He will attack and kill an unarmed foe (those are the best kind). He will harm and may possibly kill an innocent. He will use torture to extract information and for pleasure. He may kill for pleasure. A neutral evil character will use poison. He will not help those in need without a reward and he works well alone or in a group. He responds well to higher authority until that authority attempts to use the law to hamper his ability to pursue his own agenda. He will follow the law unless breaking it is in his best interest and he's reasonably sure that he will not be caught. He may betray a family member, comrade, or friend if it is convenient to do so and it advances his agenda. Neutral evil characters are indifferent to the concepts of self-discipline and honor, finding them useful only if they can be used to advance their own interests or gain power over others. (5)
Here are some possible adjectives describing neutral evil characters: unfeeling, uncaring, insensitive, unkind, uncooperative (unless it suits them), self-reliant, wicked, cruel, depraved, corrupt, immoral, hateful, vicious, and destructive.
Well known neutral evil characters from film or literature include: Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars), Khan Noonien Singh (Star Trek), Saruman (Lord of the Rings), Peter Pettigrew (Harry Potter), and Lex Luthor (DC Comics).
Equivalent alignment in other game systems: Miscreant (Palladium), Road of the Beast (Vampire), Dark Side (Star Wars), Evil (Warhammer), Unscrupulous (Alternity).
The Neutral Evil Code
The personal code of a neutral evil character may look like this:
1. You shall lie to advance yourself.
2. You shall harm the innocent to advance yourself.
3. You shall kill to advance yourself.
4. You shall not aid the weak.
5. You shall honor those who are stronger.
6. You shall follow the law only to advance yourself.
7. You shall betray friends, family, community, and nation to advance yourself.
8. You shall not aid those who protect the weak.
9. You shall not show mercy to enemies.
10. You shall seek unlimited power over others.
Ten Neutral Evil Signs of Weakness
Likewise, a neutral evil character may consider the following as signs of weakness. A sign of weakness indicates that the character is straying from the cruel tenets of the neutral evil philosophy. This list is given in the order of least severe infraction to most severe.
1. Failing to show malice or inflict pain upon an innocent when it would be pleasurable to do so.
2. Not challenging a clearly weak leader for leadership.
3. Keeping your word when doing so would interfere with personal gain.
4. Refusing to commit cruel act that would harm your enemy or rival when appropriate.
5. Making a sacrifice to help another when not important to your survival.
6. Failing to commit cruel acts that are in your best interest.
7. Refusing to kill for personal gain or wealth.
8. Turning down a chance to gain power or wealth.
9. Showing mercy to one who is opposed to you or your cause.
10. Aiding the servants of Goodness.
The Neutral Evil Adventurer
The following two lists detail common actions undertaken during "adventuring" that are considered honorable and dishonorable for the neutral evil alignment. An honorable action is one that is in keeping with the spirit of this alignment, while dishonorable actions tend to be those which bring shame to the character in the eyes of his or her alignment peers. Note that an action which is considered honorable by one alignment may be considered dishonorable by another alignment and vice versa.
The following actions are honorable for this alignment:
Accused of crime (innocent or not)
Attacking an unarmed or obviously inferior opponent
Defeating a superior opponent
Delivering death blow to a helpless opponent
Desecrating an enemy's corpse
Dirty Fighting
Falsely claiming the 'bragging rights' that belong to another or outright lying
Fleeing a fight with a superior opponent
Gloating over a victory
Neglecting to properly bury a member of one's own race
Paying off an extortionist or shake-down
Perpetrate humiliating prank on the enemy
Refusing a fair contest/challenge
Reporting the illegal actions of enemies to the authorities when profitable
Taking a bribe
Taunting an enemy into fighting
Unjustly slaying a prisoner or unarmed opponent who has yielded
Walking away from a challenge
The following actions are dishonorable for this alignment:
Allowing a disarmed enemy to pick up his weapon
Allowing the enemy to attack first
Defeated by an inferior opponent
Picking up the funeral expenses of someone you slew in combat
Refusing medical treatment for the good of the party
Saving the life of another at great risk to own self
Taking an arrow or hit for someone else
Taking prisoners
Could've just linked to easydamus.com
You can still be Neutral Evil and be loyal to those that have shown you kindness. Being neutral good means that you're good to other people even when they haven't shown you kindness. And being evil doesn't mean that you betray your friends.
The difference is that when you're Neutral Good, you're kind to others because it is the right thing to do, whereas when you're Neutral Evil, you're only kind to others when it will benefit you. But you can still be kind to others while being Neutral Evil. You just have to make sure that you're only being kind to others because your character expects to get some sort of gain out of it.
You also need to understand that Neutral Evil isn't Neutral Self Destructive. An evil character is willing to betray his friends when it will benefit him. But an evil character is not going to betray his friends if it will not benefit him. An evil character isn't going to sabotage friendships if it will be self destructive. Your character doesn't have to change the way that he acts towards the rest of the party that has earned his trust. If he knows that they'll be there for him to support him, he will place a value on that, and he will treat the rest of the party well in order to maintain that support from the rest of the party. If the people in your party have treated your Barbarian well, he won't jeopardize their support. As long as he thinks he can gain more by continuing to be their friend than he will gain by sabotaging the friendship, then he will maintain the friendship.
After some research I see what you mean here, but I still don't think this is being handled well. Whether it's part of a module or not, mechanics that remove character agency need buy-in by the players, preferably before the campaign even starts.
"Okay guys, we'll be playing Curse of Strahd next. It's got a lot of horror-genre influence and given time this world will corrupt even the noblest heart. Sound good?"
Clearly OP had different expectations going in, and considering he's been playing with this character for 2 years it sounds like there was some miscommunication about how the campaign world worked. I would still recommend trying to work something out with the DM so OP can play the type of character he wants to play, even if that means killing off his current character.
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
Yep, that's what happens when you accept a Dark Gift.
I'd ask the GM to take back the Dark Gift. Tell them you didn't realise how big of a gameplay change it would be.
Neutral - not totally random and not following a strict code.
Evil - interested only in personal benefit.
Uncaring about others getting hurt? Yes.
Cruel? Not intentionally - just uncaring. Immoral? Not intentionally - just uncaring. Neutral Evil doesn't go out to intentionally hurt people. NE doesn't want the world to burn. NE doesn't play the long game to trap someone in legalese.
Simply put, NE just doesn't care if someone gets hurt when getting what NE wants.
NE will still play the role as necessary to get what NE wants. If NE has to travel a long distance to get an item, NE will do that. If stealing a horse from a starving farmer will make it easier, NE will do that.
EDIT: If NE needs the party's help but the party refuses to let NE steal a horse from a starving farmer, NE will have to decide which is needed more, the assistance or getting to the destination quicker. If getting there quicker without the necessary assistance gains nothing, NE will not steal the horse. NE also won't just kill the horse or farmer out of cruelty regardless how the party feels. There would be no benefit then.
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.
Thank you to everyone that has weighed in. It's been a huge help. What Sigvard_Vigrid said about his memory being intact was the real kicker for me. I've been running an 8 in wisdom as having little to no common sense. This gives me a lot to work with. "Hey guys, I feel like I should kill that person but I don't remember wanting to do that before. Why is that? What should I do?" Again, thank you all!