Fun but quirky character?

[morkendi]

With covid out, we have more time to play in my small group. I always liked quirky characters that require roll playing. This time, I am playing an lawful evil gnome wizard with the sage background in an all good party. The quirk is under bonds in description. I chose the seeking answer to a burning question. That question is "what it is to really be good." It is in his background and such that he promised someone he cared about and lost that he would change. The fun part was he was open about this to the party who even used magic to make sure he was sincere. But in every situation, he has these evil and greedy instincts that he has to bounce off the party. He gets to say things like, " it would be eisier to get the information we need if we torched a few people and make an example..." Just to be told good people don't do that. At that point I agree to what the party says and use them 100% as his moral compass. The DM has told me he it's the most fun he has ever had running a game.

Last session, we were brought before a local ruler and the party tried to use deception, except when my character starts telling the truth. The party all looks at me crazy to which I respond," I thought lies were a bad thing, you goody two shoes need to get it together."

Just wanted to bounce this of a few other people and see what they thought.

[Wizard_Lizard]

That's kinda disruptive but as long as all the players were cool with it then sure.

[morkendi]

The problem is we have the same basic group of players since the early 90's with a couple people leaving and joining later. We have had many campaigns go into high levels. Even through we have a great group dynamic, it's difficult not to rehash old characters in a different skin. Combat is combat, so we have to really on roll playing to make it "new". This character allows the priest and pally to role play trying to preach their ideals. They follow different paths also which allows them to debate ideals they are trying to instill in my character. Makes for a more interactive group the DM can sit back and laugh at while watching. So I wouldn't really call that disruptive.

[firelistener]

Sounds good to me. Actually still doing what the party wants most of the time is the part that makes it fun while still playing a character that's evil. My own players have no such restraint, so I banned evil PCs a long time ago, but it's nice to hear someone executing this concept in a way that doesn't just drag the game down and result in PvP.

[morkendi]

The best thing about this, it allows me to have have a character Arc. As the character advances in level, he can become less dependent on the parties use as a moral compass as he begins to change his way if thinking without realizing it. Other npc characters may begin to treat him different, or someone uses a detect spell and he doesn't show up. It's a lot if fun to play this angle.

[Unoriginal]

Last session, we were brought before a local ruler and the party tried to use deception, except when my character starts telling the truth. The party all looks at me crazy to which I respond," I thought lies were a bad thing, you goody two shoes need to get it together."

Just wanted to bounce this of a few other people and see what they thought.

Sounds like you and your teammates are going to discover there is a difference between ethics and morals.

[Magicspook]

That's kinda disruptive but as long as all the players were cool with it then sure.

No more disruptive than a lawful stupid paladin who refuses to lie or a 'that guy' rogue who suddenly screams that he stabs someone or steals some crown jewels. Not to mention any bard shenanigans..

[cutlery]

No more disruptive than a lawful stupid paladin who refuses to lie or a 'that guy' rogue who suddenly screams that he stabs someone or steals some crown jewels. Not to mention any bard shenanigans..

Like making a batch of undead servants, lying to the local authorities is something a person ought to run by their group before doing.

[Kurt Kurageous]

Fun, but for who? Just the player running it? That's gonna suck, and it's the DMs fault.

If a DM allows their players to run characters that lack a reason to work together or a common goal, the D&D will suck.

Been there, done that, not doing it again.

[Man_Over_Game]

A lot of people are pushing back on it, but I can't really see a downside.

Fact is, we want a contradiction where the players to argue among themselves while still always choosing to work together.

OP has crafted a character that does both to their extreme, adding drama and party interaction that doesn't actually get in the party's way.

Of course the DM is having a blast; any time the players are interacting with each other and revealing information and thoughts with each other, that's a moment where the DM isn't having to do it himself.

Say you have two players. Usually, the DM is having an NPC interact with one player to get their insight, then doing the same with the other, spending some of his energy and focus on adapting towards each players' actions. He's spent the equal amount of energy of a player playing the game, twice, to get two players' insights.

But when those players are interacting with each other, he is still getting your insights without doing any work. Now he can spend that unused energy of interacting with 2 players specializing the rest of his campaign while you two talk.

Then just repeat this for every player in your party. Not having party interaction means DMing is so much more exhausting.



Man, I wish I had a player like this. DMing is so much easier with a party that messes with each other than just 5 people all looking for a single-player game together.

[morkendi]

At 9th level, party consist of.

Half elf oath of ancient play
Half elf life cleric/ radient soul sorcerer
Human battle master fighter archery focused
Human swashbuckler/ college if swords bard
And me as gnome diviner.

We actually work pretty well together as a team, but have a lot of fun messing with each other without getting out of hand. We have been doubt it for years now but DM insist on staying in character as much as possible. You kind of get used to it.

[Stattick]

You're basically the X-Men's Wolverine. They want to be heroes, they play the hero part, so you mostly go along with that. But you, at heart, are a somewhat amoral antihero. Doesn't happen too often, but once in a while, if things are bad enough or desperate enough, you do things your way instead of their way. Or maybe the party leader tells you to go handle something, "Your way."

[cutlery]

Some day, I'd really like to play one of these: https://mfov.magehandpress.com/2017/02/muscle-wizard.html