Dark and cheerless world setting

[bendking]

So me and my group are trying to play in a dark, sort of bad world ,that is, that people will have bitter and sort of nasty personality (just like the video-game Dishonored, if you will), where good and honest people are rare to find.
Basicaly, we're trying to create a setting in which people are greedy, egoistic, and overall not very nice most of the time.
The PC's themselves aren't all very good people, but not evil, we're trying to go for a neutral-chaotic world.
So my question is: how do we specify about the world details, and how should the DM make the NPC's, and how do we get immersed in such a world?
Thanks ahead, Ben.

[Eldan]

Have you looked at Dark Sun, or Ravenloft?

[thethird]

If you are inspired by Dishonored I would recommend Ravenloft over Darksun, but both of them are great settings. In fact Ravenloft is probably my favorite setting... I would like to play another Ravenloft game :smallfrown:

[Laserlight]

First off...do you really want to spend your free time around a lot of people who are greedy, bitter, and nasty?

Assuming that you do, and if you want an environment which leans more toward Chaos than Law, then you might have a bunch of barons / warlords / chieftains, each controlling a fairly small territory. Sometime a good leader might be able to join several bands together; but then there will be infighting as each clan or tribe tries to arrange things so that another clan is soaking up the casualties.
"My top priority is myself; then my family; then, somewhat farther down, is my tribe; anything else is way on down from there."
If you're weak, well, too bad for you. Life sucks and you're resigned to it.
Ripping off strangers, or anyone who isn't in a position to retaliate, is normal and expected. You're a fool not to take full advantage.
Promises are worthless; if you want someone to do something, you have to threaten them, or bribe them, or con them.

There are real cultures like this, by the way.

[Psyren]

Thirding Ravenloft, definitely dark and moody and bitter.

[Kobold Esq]

Thirding Ravenloft, definitely dark and moody and bitter.

Fourthing. Much of the older Ravenloft setting information talks at length about the denizens of the demiplane of dread. It is not a fun loving, happy go lucky place.

[bendking]

Ravenloft it is! Thanks alot.