Evil campaign

[Xavrias]

So my players want to play a new campaign, and in it they want to be evil. It sounds like fun, so I need some ideas, for evil prestige classes, normal classes, and feats and stuff. I also think they might all be drow, starting in a drow city, maybe leaving or maybe just staying there for most of the campaign. There house will start at a low rank, and they have to work their way up. Anyone have some good ideas for an evil campaign? Please share.

[Fable Wright]

Perhaps trying to drag the multiverse down into Lolth's web? There's some information about her domain in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, as well as info on a demon city that they might be interested in. One way to do this might be to somehow set up a ritual to begin to drag the Yggdrasil (also in said book) down into the pits, beginning to many planes with it... of course, you would have to find the materials, gather information about the ritual, keep the circle whole and undamaged, defending it against the inhabitants of the tree, dealing with meddlesome recurring NPC adventurers, and so on.

[Vandicus]

Today, the Underdark. Tommorow, the Multiverse! Basic expansion of power and control is very Drowish.

[Sactheminions]

I think the key to Evil campaigns is remembering that (in any rational world) (even a D&D world), the Evil guys don't call themselves evil. I mean, in a world where Paladins casually butcher Goblin children because "They're just Evil," we don't need to discuss this extensively, right?

Tell your characters to think Evil, but tell you what their character wants. Ultimate power is fine for nondivine characters, but more concretely: Where are they going and why? Evil isn't an excuse to engage in random silliness; it's a reason to dispense with foolish restrictions in the face of more exalted (heh!) goals.

A fallen Paladin Blackguard needs two things (apart from Improved Sunder. What?). A [i]reason why he fell and a goal that drives his new life. Necromancers don't kill people and reanimate bodies because they like the smell of the grave; they're paranoid, or bent on destroying kingdoms, or... well, that's why you have players.

[Tetrasodium]

jut because they are evil doesn't preclude them from saving the world just like good characters... because "hey my stuff is here & it would be a pain if it got destroyed". It's the cartoon villain CE types that are basically impossible to do much with that you have to worry about... Le fits into a regular campaign pretty well without much trouble

[Amnestic]

Paladins casually butcher Goblin children because "They're just Evil,"


And then subsequently fall for their evil act, because murdering children - even goblin children - is decidedly evil.

It becomes a slightly different matter when self-defense is involved, but skewering a goblin child because you just skewered his daddy and the kid is trying desperately to fight you off probably isn't too Good either.

[Thyrian]

What sort of Evil campaign are you guys planning to go for? Sactheminions has a key point. There's a big difference between DMofDarkness's idea of ruining the world and say- controlling a city of their own and redefining how they believe society should be. Is it want-on acts of evil like slaughtering the homeless because no-one can stop you? Or a controlled act of evil of slaughtering the homeless so to use the meat to feed orphans so that they'll come to rely on you and can be raised as a loyal support group while you shape their ethics to your own?

[Cofniben]

An evil campaign is difficult for a DM to run because if played by inexperienced players. The biggest problem I can see is someone playing Chaotic Evil. It is my least favorite alignment for a PC character because they are going to die very quickly, because they kill someone for no reason at all.

I think the best idea is for your players to decide what they want their characters to strive for. Such as a Wizard may be afraid of dieing and losing all the work he has done over the span of it's life, so it may be looking for a way into undeath.

Or a Cleric may want to turn an entire nation into worshipers of it's deity so then their deity will grow stronger and they will have a nation of people as loyal followers.

Or a Blackguard, a fallen paladin, wants to form an elite group in order to kill off his previous sect of paladins he was cast out from.

Really involve your characters into the story, and have their characters be important. With a goal in mind it will make it easier to persuade characters to go and do what you want them to and to work with them into making the campaign work.

[Tetrasodium]

What sort of Evil campaign are you guys planning to go for? Sactheminions has a key point. There's a big difference between DMofDarkness's idea of ruining the world and say- controlling a city of their own and redefining how they believe society should be. Is it want-on acts of evil like slaughtering the homeless because no-one can stop you? Or a controlled act of evil of slaughtering the homeless so to use the meat to feed orphans so that they'll come to rely on you and can be raised as a loyal support group while you shape their ethics to your own?

it also drives the other players freaking batty top of being difficult to GM with.
GM:On your way to [town] there is an old man in the path who-
CE:FIREBALL
LE's:FFS! again!? I guess we don't get to look into obvious possible adventure hooks...

[Xavrias]

I've decided I'm probably going with a drow campaign. I need ideas,and names for drow houses, the pcs will start at low rank and work there way up. Please share ideas, and thxs. Good stuff so far.

[Xavrias]

I've decided I'm probably going with a drow campaign. I need ideas,and names for drow houses, the pcs will start at low rank and work there way up. Please share ideas, and thxs. Good stuff so far.

[Doktor Per]

Aren't drow pretty petty bastards? You got slavery, espionage, sabotage, assassinations, protecting house property, revenge.

It's all juicy.

[Dark Kerman]

Get the book Drow of the Underdark, it will make your life a lot easier. :smallamused: It has names, culture, houses, items, plots, everything neccessary for a drow campaign. Also, look to Lords Of Madness for abberrant enemies.

[hamishspence]

The Faerun book Underdark also has a few feats, items, spells, PRCs, and so on, that might be appropriate, even in a non-Faerun setting.

[darksolitaire]

And you have all the flavors of chaotic evil, with added spice of neutral evil, seasoned in all shades of being totally self serving and utterly treacherous.

[hamishspence]

And maybe throw in a little Lawful Evil- drow monks, knights, and so on.

[Doktor Per]

And maybe throw in a little Lawful Evil- drow monks, knights, and so on.

Since when did Crusader and Swordsage have to be Lawful? :smallcool:

[hamishspence]

Sometimes people don't use the TOB classes- or use them alongside the other ones.