ChaseC311
2019-12-09, 09:42 PM
When you build your character, maybe you don't want to make a goody two-shoes, maybe you want to tread along the darkside. Maybe you want to play someone who steals from the party and backstabs them when they need you most.
If you think that would work for an evil player dynamic, please read on, because I can guarentee you that there are better ways to be evil.
Evil characters are usually always succeeded with a collective sigh at the table due to the reputation the alignment as a whole has earned, and we all know the characters who give them the reputation: The murder hobo who constantly betrays the party, thieving and attacking them for the sake of character alignment. This kind of character is only the rudimentary fundamentals of making a fun, memorable character, let me explain.
When creating an evil character, you have to remember that you are playing with your party, maybe even against the party, but that doesn't mean you should act against them. When making an evil character, you need to have your character remember one thing
"My character cannot fight against my entire party, and win. My party has valuable connections and skills that make them a useful ally and an incredible enemy if I don't play my cards right"
When playing an evil character, your character should realize that the party they are a part of is powerful and would be much better as an ally rather than an enemy. This doesn't mean you can't be evil, it just means your character should put in the extra effort to work towards their goals without *directly* acting against the party's. Below are a few examples of how characters can work in tandum with their party, while also being regarded as evil characters
Calypso Arcadneum is a Changeling Druid of The Swarm Circle (Homebrew 5e Circle) who wishes to elevate her political status through manipulation tactics such as Psychological Reciprocity and The Foot in The Door Phenomenon. She uses what little power she has now to find blackmail on her enemies and bully them into submission, climbing the political ladder in the process. She uses her manipulation to aid her allies, because she knows a party behind her back will be a useful tool for when shes in trouble and needs to put a political opponent in their place. She is calculated, secretive, yet is open to her party in order to garner their trust, as they are the only ones who know of her changeling heritage
Moskerre Quintessent was a Kalashtar Wild Sorcerer on the run from his coven after his assassination attempt of the leader of the coven (his sister) had failed. As such, he was naturally suspicious of anyone he met, not risking a spy backstabbing him. When given the option, he chose to gain vampirism to gain enough power to challenge the covens leader and gain supremacy. He was on the road of trusting the party before he was killed undergoing a trial for the covens forgiveness (im still not over how a dove pecked him and made him underfo a second set of death saves), but although he wasnt a saint (he insulted npcs and even accidentally drained someone close to the party monk of their blood while they slept), he ultimately never acted against the party, because they never acted against him.
V'Kaash Meztique is a Yuan-Ti Whispers Bard who uses souls of the dead to fuel his magic (much akin to Shang Tsung). His birth has given him a recessive gene that would permanently sever his body from the arcane spellweave, prohibiting him from directly casting magic for his entire life. Before starting upon his dark path, he trained in a monastery, where he learned how to manipulate the bodily energy of ki, but he grew attached, he grew addicted, learning to siphon Ki of his enemies to artificially fuel the spells he casts, burning up their life essence in the process, essentially manipulating ones soul to cast the spells for him through his ki. And the most plentiful source of ki is straight from those whos Ki/Soul is just leaving their bodies, right after death. Despite this (which has angered a certain npc), he has never acted against the party, even after becoming an assassin to build his surplus of souls.
These characters are each evil in their own circumstances, all ultimately marching towards a desire of power, but they manage to be evil without gaining the partys ire. You can act against the world, but you cannot act against the party, because in character, a 1v5 will never turn out in the 1s favor, this is a factor that your character should know when contemplating their actions, taking careful steps to avoid acting against the party that outnumbers him for every single day theybare a party. There are ways to be evil withiut being a jerk to the people you share the table with.
But this is only how I play, and there are countless other ways to have a character be memorably evil. This post is not scriptures in stone, but are merely scribbles in the sand. How one ultimately decides to play their character is up to them, the freedom of speech is a wonderful thing for your little menaces, but that does not mean freedom of consequence. As such, to make sure the party experience is good for both you and your teammates, it is advised to play against the world, but not *act* against the party, thank you for coming to my ted talk.
If you think that would work for an evil player dynamic, please read on, because I can guarentee you that there are better ways to be evil.
Evil characters are usually always succeeded with a collective sigh at the table due to the reputation the alignment as a whole has earned, and we all know the characters who give them the reputation: The murder hobo who constantly betrays the party, thieving and attacking them for the sake of character alignment. This kind of character is only the rudimentary fundamentals of making a fun, memorable character, let me explain.
When creating an evil character, you have to remember that you are playing with your party, maybe even against the party, but that doesn't mean you should act against them. When making an evil character, you need to have your character remember one thing
"My character cannot fight against my entire party, and win. My party has valuable connections and skills that make them a useful ally and an incredible enemy if I don't play my cards right"
When playing an evil character, your character should realize that the party they are a part of is powerful and would be much better as an ally rather than an enemy. This doesn't mean you can't be evil, it just means your character should put in the extra effort to work towards their goals without *directly* acting against the party's. Below are a few examples of how characters can work in tandum with their party, while also being regarded as evil characters
Calypso Arcadneum is a Changeling Druid of The Swarm Circle (Homebrew 5e Circle) who wishes to elevate her political status through manipulation tactics such as Psychological Reciprocity and The Foot in The Door Phenomenon. She uses what little power she has now to find blackmail on her enemies and bully them into submission, climbing the political ladder in the process. She uses her manipulation to aid her allies, because she knows a party behind her back will be a useful tool for when shes in trouble and needs to put a political opponent in their place. She is calculated, secretive, yet is open to her party in order to garner their trust, as they are the only ones who know of her changeling heritage
Moskerre Quintessent was a Kalashtar Wild Sorcerer on the run from his coven after his assassination attempt of the leader of the coven (his sister) had failed. As such, he was naturally suspicious of anyone he met, not risking a spy backstabbing him. When given the option, he chose to gain vampirism to gain enough power to challenge the covens leader and gain supremacy. He was on the road of trusting the party before he was killed undergoing a trial for the covens forgiveness (im still not over how a dove pecked him and made him underfo a second set of death saves), but although he wasnt a saint (he insulted npcs and even accidentally drained someone close to the party monk of their blood while they slept), he ultimately never acted against the party, because they never acted against him.
V'Kaash Meztique is a Yuan-Ti Whispers Bard who uses souls of the dead to fuel his magic (much akin to Shang Tsung). His birth has given him a recessive gene that would permanently sever his body from the arcane spellweave, prohibiting him from directly casting magic for his entire life. Before starting upon his dark path, he trained in a monastery, where he learned how to manipulate the bodily energy of ki, but he grew attached, he grew addicted, learning to siphon Ki of his enemies to artificially fuel the spells he casts, burning up their life essence in the process, essentially manipulating ones soul to cast the spells for him through his ki. And the most plentiful source of ki is straight from those whos Ki/Soul is just leaving their bodies, right after death. Despite this (which has angered a certain npc), he has never acted against the party, even after becoming an assassin to build his surplus of souls.
These characters are each evil in their own circumstances, all ultimately marching towards a desire of power, but they manage to be evil without gaining the partys ire. You can act against the world, but you cannot act against the party, because in character, a 1v5 will never turn out in the 1s favor, this is a factor that your character should know when contemplating their actions, taking careful steps to avoid acting against the party that outnumbers him for every single day theybare a party. There are ways to be evil withiut being a jerk to the people you share the table with.
But this is only how I play, and there are countless other ways to have a character be memorably evil. This post is not scriptures in stone, but are merely scribbles in the sand. How one ultimately decides to play their character is up to them, the freedom of speech is a wonderful thing for your little menaces, but that does not mean freedom of consequence. As such, to make sure the party experience is good for both you and your teammates, it is advised to play against the world, but not *act* against the party, thank you for coming to my ted talk.