Entrance for an evil character into a good campaign

[Regis_is_a_bro]

So here's the situation. I'm playing a Death Master, and my friend, who is playing a sorcerer, is my companion. The start of the campaign is a festival of the good and neutral aligned deities in a large field. There will be clerics, some powerful. And we're starting at level 3.

Question: How do I bring in a Death Master without being killed and what reasons could I have for being there?

[Sith_Happens]

Step one: Don't bring your minions with you.

[MCJennings]

You'll have to go deeper than mere alignment and have some decent character development. Whether it's a soft spot in how evil you are or that the campaign is actually a way to further your own goals and your sinister plot... Be creative!

In my last campaign I was an Evil Warlock on a Heroic Campaign. In my case, I said how I turned to evil out of bitterness and anger over a bad childhood I'd suffered (I chose not to go into details simply because that's a bit too real). So I was against the world because it'd been against me... but I also refused to be that which I hated, and so I had SUPER empathy towards children. (And mistook the halfling in the group as a human child)

It made things surprisingly easy to tie in my character.
DM-"The town is about to be destroyed"
Me-"Meh"
DM-"There's an orphanage full of children in there"
Me-"FOR THE CHILDREN!!!!" *charging into battle*

[hamishspence]

In my last campaign I was an Evil Warlock on a Heroic Campaign. In my case, I said how I turned to evil out of bitterness and anger over a bad childhood I'd suffered (I chose not to go into details simply because that's a bit too real). So I was against the world because it'd been against me... but I also refused to be that which I hated, and so I had SUPER empathy towards children. (And mistook the halfling in the group as a human child)

It made things surprisingly easy to tie in my character.
DM-"The town is about to be destroyed"
Me-"Meh"
DM-"There's an orphanage full of children in there"
Me-"FOR THE CHILDREN!!!!" *charging into battle*
I like it. Limited altruism isn't entirely incompatible with an Evil alignment, after all.

[Spore]

Bluff being a servant/follower of a neutral death god.

Point out the usefulness of "holy servants" (undead minions) to the party (keep living out of the harm). Only people with spellcraft will see the evil descriptor of spells as long as you keep their fluff and profile low. So no corpse exploding, no maniacial laughter, no useless slaughtering. Some social skills could really help.

Bluff to bluff being a a fervent follower of a "fair" death god. Diplomacy to convince your group that undead minions aren't as bad as it sounds.

[JHShadon]

He could be there for the free food.

[Slipperychicken]

I like it. Limited altruism isn't entirely incompatible with an Evil alignment, after all.

You could totally have altruistic evil characters -like cruel rapacious soldiers who would gladly sacrifice their lives to do the following:

Save their fellow servicemen.
Serve the country (this can include things like saving civilians or displaying discipline even in death).
Follow the leader (who could be anything, like a general, president, or an emperor).

[hamishspence]

Indeed.

Or even a character who is only "cruel and rapacious" toward a specific group - but kind, self-sacrificing and altruistic toward most others.

[JaronK]

The last evil character I played just really liked to be liked. He'd go out of his way to do really good things in public, or around friends. In private, of course, he was a monster. Just be a good guy on the surface.

JaronK

[Regis_is_a_bro]

I like the idea of being a likeable guy who then enjoys a nice sacrifice to Orcus (ew Orcus... whatever, the class is worth it) and taking the blood and putting it into vials to use as spell components. :smallbiggrin:

[The Trickster]

The last evil character I played just really liked to be liked. He'd go out of his way to do really good things in public, or around friends. In private, of course, he was a monster. Just be a good guy on the surface.

JaronK

Basically, do the Ted Bundy thing. Just lie and/or smooth talk your way into the group.

[123456789blaaa]

I like the idea of being a likeable guy who then enjoys a nice sacrifice to Orcus (ew Orcus... whatever, the class is worth it) and taking the blood and putting it into vials to use as spell components. :smallbiggrin:

What's wrong with Orcus?

[OldTrees1]

1) Get ranks in Bluff
2) Pretend to be a good leaning LN Dread Necromancer of Wee Jas.
3) Remind the party about the Honorable Paladins devoted to Wee Jas.
4) Disguise your prayers to Orcus as prayers to Wee Jas. Use bluff to fool the goody priests into thinking they misidentified your prayers.

[Red Fel]

I think there's a big assumption that the various clerics will be running Detect Evil constantly, or that they've set up various walls designed to repel Evil, or that they have the intention of killing you on sight.

That's a pretty severe assumption.

Assuming they're not Good Outsiders (who in fact might kill something just because it's Evil) most Good creatures, even Clerics, aren't going to be actively searching out and executing Evil during a religious festival. (Except for the Clerics of the Lawful Good God of Let's Lynch Some Orcs. But they're jerks and nobody invited them anyway.)

As long as you don't do anything Evil, and have the good sense to steer clear of the more... militaristic clergy... you should be fine.

As for why you're there? That's up to you, chief. As a rule, if I can't come up with a reason for my character to join the party, I either (a) ask if I can hold off and introduce him at a more opportune time, or (b) rethink my concept. After all, if everyone in the party can do something scene-wise except me, I'm going to be the odd man out, and nobody should have to deal with that.

As an aside, why are the Neutral deities getting their groove on with the Good ones? Isn't that un-Neutral of them? Did they not get invited to All-Night Funkytown at Asmodeus' place? (Yes, I know he's not a deity. I know. I'll get letters.)

[Slipperychicken]

Maybe the neutrals showed up for the free food? Or to try to spread the good neutral word? Or to simply discuss theology and other matters? Or to have obscure inquiries resolved? Or to meet respected holy men and learn from them?

There are countless reasons for clerics of all stripes to attend such a gathering.


I think there's a big assumption that the various clerics will be running Detect Evil constantly, or that they've set up various walls designed to repel Evil, or that they have the intention of killing you on sight.


Clerics, and most intelligent creatures, do have continuous (Ex) Sense Motive, which can alert them to sketchy enemy clergy and worshippers, of whom there are very many who would love to spread chaos and death to such a gathering.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by JHShadon
He could be there for the free food.

Even Death Masters were grad students once.

:smalltongue:

[Regis_is_a_bro]

Hmm... yeah, ok. I'll have to tell my minion to scream for a while, and bluff will definitely be important. Hopefully i'll be able to stay away from those "militaristic, crazy clerics". Since disguise isn't a Death Master class skill, I don't suppose going necropolitan would be the best of ideas.

[Slipperychicken]

Hmm... yeah, ok. I'll have to tell my minion to scream for a while, and bluff will definitely be important. Hopefully i'll be able to stay away from those "militaristic, crazy clerics". Since disguise isn't a Death Master class skill, I don't suppose going necropolitan would be the best of ideas.

Just get your Knowledge (Religion) check up so you can emulate a worshiper of an accepted religion. To draw the least attention, I think pretending to be a recently-converted pilgrim would be a good idea (since such a gathering would surely be attended by countless normal worshipers), and any lapses in your religious knowledge can be explained away as ignorance.

Wee Jass is a neutral god, though, so I imagine a necropolitan might be tolerated, if not completely welcome. Check with your GM though. Either way, a necropolitan might want to cover up a lot so he doesn't offend people.

[MCJennings]

If you don't want to be a brainy evil character, why not be clueless to your own evil nature?
Carl the Llama would be a great model for this. If you don't know what I'm referencing, the youtube link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZUPCB9533Y

[HammeredWharf]

You could buy a Planar Mote (Complete Scoundrel, 300 gp) just in case. It'll hide your alignment from any paranoid, trigger-happy paladins attending the party.

[maniacalmojo]

So this reminds me of a character i once played. I was a lawful evil butler of a Noble lawful good paladin. I would accompany my lord around while he saved the weak and when we camped for the night i would pull my nefarious deeds. If we were going to come across a bandit camp i would kill some in their sleep then set the camp on fire. If a politician was not working with us to solve something i would poison him so he died after a few days. When we brought evil doers to get the book thrown at them i would interrogate the prisoner in secret before killing them before they made it to court, making it appear as if they commited suicide.


Playing any evil character in a good campaign takes some skill and a high bluff check.