advice on a possible problem.

[Mystic Muse]

okay. this is going to be in a while but I need some advice. my relatives kind of want to play an evil campaign after this one we're currently in is over. I would honestly not care too much if they could be mature about it. however I suspect this one specific one won't be. I may just be thinking too much into it but he seemed to really like the idea of an evil campaign. and he's playing a bard which I'm pretty sure means he isn't going to take this game seriously.(nothing wrong with bards. just the way he said it) Is there something I can do so that he actually takes the game seriously? short of running the party through the tomb of horrors.

this will be either 3.5 or 4.0. has not yet been determined.

[Harperfan7]

Don't cut him any breaks and do not be afraid to make npcs do their worst. If you are playing an evil campaign, make it freakin evil! They'll learn to take it seriously or die.

[HamsterOfTheGod]

okay. this is going to be in a while but I need some advice. my relatives kind of want to play an evil campaign after this one we're currently in is over. I would honestly not care too much if they could be mature about it. however I suspect this one specific one won't be. I may just be thinking too much into it but he seemed to really like the idea of an evil campaign. and he's playing a bard which I'm pretty sure means he isn't going to take this game seriously.(nothing wrong with bards. just the way he said it) Is there something I can do so that he actually takes the game seriously? short of running the party through the tomb of horrors.

this will be either 3.5 or 4.0. has not yet been determined.

Talk up front with each player as to what they want in the campaign and their character.

As for the evil bard, there is nothing that says that evil and comic don't go together. The Joker is funny. So is Spike from Buffy, Belkar from OotS. But there are many other versions of this trope...

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph.../LaughablyEvil
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph.../EvillyAffable
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AffablyEvil
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...atheticVillain
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...ificentBastard
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...Main.Trickster

[Dark Herald]

Any party, especially an evil party, needs a reason to stick together. I found that out the hard way. after one plot arc the characters all stabbed each other in the back.

If someone doesn't take your game seriously, strongly consider not playing with them. If your friends don't like dnd or play it well, don't force yourself to hang out with them by playing DnD. Find something fun to do.

Plyaing DnD is fun, hanging with Friends is fun, but if one needs the other to be fun, just cut the pretense and have your friends over. or ditch the losers and play online.

[valadil]

If they misbehave, send lawful good adventurers after the group. If they light every ophan in sight on fire, send lots of LG adventurers after them. Punish them for their evil deeds. When they TPK, explain that it's their own fault and start a new game.

[Zain]

If they misbehave, send lawful good adventurers after the group. If they light every ophan in sight on fire, send lots of LG adventurers after them. Punish them for their evil deeds. When they TPK, explain that it's their own fault and start a new game.

right, completely right

but remember, their are three different Evils (CE, NE, LE), so the party may, have different ideas of what is "evil" for example the and LE rouge might sneak past someone and pickpocket them, while CE might sneak attack them then take their stuff,,

[Devils_Advocate]

There's nothing inherently wrong with a player not taking a game seriously. There's nothing inherently wrong with a villain who refuses to take anything seriously. This could be disruptive, but it doesn't have to be. And I'd think that disruptive party members would be less of a potential problem in an evil game, frankly, where it's acceptable for the rest of the party to kill a guy if he bothers them too much.

Punish them for their evil deeds. When they TPK, explain that it's their own fault and start a new game.

I disagree. If you don't want to run an evil game, don't run one. If you do want to run an evil game, you should make some evil deeds possible to get away with.

but remember, their are three different Evils (CE, NE, LE), so the party may, have different ideas of what is "evil" for example the and LE rouge might sneak past someone and pickpocket them, while CE might sneak attack them then take their stuff,,

I see subtlety as being more Neutral (with actually following rules and openly breaking rules being Lawful and Chaotic respectively).