Way of the Wicked adventure path: least possible villainy?

[Samael Morgenst]

A weird question...

from the starting crime committed by the main character (assume a solo campaign with a protagonist leading a band of cohorts/allies), through all the six books, would it be possible to play the path as an anti-villain, if not an anti-hero?

What I mean is to limit the violence toward civilians to the barest minimum, as well as any unnecessarily cruel actions, and finding alernative routes.

[Mastikator]

I'm sure there are builds that can facilitate this, but ultimately this is a roleplaying choice. It belongs on the ideals/bonds part of the character sheet, something to be strived for by the player.

This is one of those things that aren't covered by the mechanics, you need to embody this first and foremost.

[Rynjin]

You can, kinda, but it's kinda required by the plot to slaughter a bunch of people who've done nothing wrong to effect your conquest.

[Samael Morgenst]

Well, here some ideas ( SPOILER ALERT ).


Book 1:

* choose a sympathetic, victimless crime like heresy/blasphemy ( not of the "demon worship" variant, but rather having opposed openly the Mitran Church theology and/or political choices) or at least a non heinous one (like a grandtheft, directed toward a wealthy target like a bank or powerful noble, or the Church itself, rather than a depredation against downtrodden people)

* kill as little guards as possible while escaping the prison, stunning and binding rather than outright slaying them when possible. Bonus point for using the Heal skill to stabilize grievously wounded guards. Extra bonus points for refraining from torturing/executing the guard captain that branded you.

* near the book end, manage to destroy the border castle while allowing the nearby town to evacuate before being sacked by the bugbears


Book 2: that's the major problem. The whole premise is so heinous that so far I didn't found any acceptable solution to complete the book without crossing the Moral Event Horizon - beside deliberately failing the mission.

I thinked about a workaround but it is quite convolute.
Once Vetra-Kali is summoned, rather than asking for the Tears of Achyls, the aforementioned villain protagonist asks for powers similar to those possessed by an high level Cancer Mage, specifically the ability to endow supernaturally a disease with a fragment of Intelligence.

Then he can explain to Thorne:

"I've not the Tears of Achyls, but I now possess the power to shape a similar disease. By the way, this means that from now on, I'm no longer an expendable pawn 'cause if you kill me your plan will no longer be realizable"

The newly crafted semi-intelligent disease could be designed to weaken and temporarily incapacitate people rather than kill, or even to selectively eliminate the warriors and clergy while leaving civilians unharmed.


Book 3: destroying the Church of Mitra's most sacred place involves killing many zealots who's description explicitly mention how they live for the pleasure of burning alive heretics. I'm ok with that - and apparently they're ok too with dying for their god.
But the book also involves gruesomly razing a community of peaceful civilians.

The problem can be solved by letting the villagers flee the valley - either openly or letting conveniently open a path for their retreat.


Book 4: the major "evil" action here is slaying King Darius and his cohort... but personally I don't find it very evil. Darius is a dictator that, according to Talingarde gazeteers, allows - or actually endorse - the Mitran church policy of buring scholars at the stake merely for debating or opposing the prevailing theological stances - NOT only for fiend worship or open sedition, even for merely expressing views. It's explicitly stated he executes any bugbear or PC's lackey that surrenders, at the Valley, and not in a clean way but through the "pyres of purification".
So, I'm kinda ok with taking him down in a fair battle. He's a grown adult, capable of fighting, and made his choices.

About sending the black dragon to kill Bellinda, that as far as the PC know at this point is an innocent teenager...
well, they're about to turn against Cardinal Thorne anyway by this point. Then why not doing it just a little earlier? An interesting option would be to use the ancient black to lure king Darius into battle - as for the standard plan - but then to NOT send it after the princess, rather ask him to help taking down the king himself.

Bellinda, can be captured later or let flee away - or at least so should think the characters, assuming there's no way for them to foreknown her real power and importance.


Book 5: this book is almost entirely Evil versus Evil, so it is relatively easy to manage. It is enough to not involve civilians into the fight and go straight for Cardinal Thorne ASAP.

Book 6: by far the most interesting in my opinion, the book already includes multiple non-evil or at least non-heinous ways to solve the various problems proposed.
I had some extra ideas to threw in, too.

[Kish]

I think it's a mistake to run Way of the Wicked by the book while playing down the evil as much as possible. It sounds like running Skull and Shackles while trying to play down the pirate elements, or running Kingmaker while trying to ignore the fact that the PCs have a domain to rule: if you dislike the fundamental premise of the adventure path, why aren't you running an adventure path that suits what you want, instead of actively fighting the one you're running? (I also think Thorn's reaction to the ultimatum you're proposing giving him would be much less submissive than you're proposing, up to and including "oh well, back to the drawing board" as your has-been-resisting-him-from-the-start character chokes to death on their own blood, if the GM's version of Thorn didn't have any other way to force the PC to start actually obeying.)

So my advice would be, instead:

Reform.

Make a standard, thoroughly evil, Way of the Wicked character. (It's so asinine that the books say, "You can easily play a Lawful Neutral or True Neutral character" and then "by the way, mass murder and biological terrorism!") Redemption is only worthwhile if you actually have something to be redeemed for. Drop the "leader" element and have the character be one member of an evil adventuring party, as if you were playing Way of the Wicked normally. I would also resist having them stand out as the one with the most conscience early. Play through Books 1-5 normally. And then, at some point, have something make the character reconsider what they're doing, and ultimately join Bellinda in taking down the other members of their group.

Not quite what you're asking for, I know, so I hope this isn't just wasting your time. Good luck.

[Rynjin]

I think it's a mistake to run Way of the Wicked by the book while playing down the evil as much as possible. It sounds like running Skull and Shackles while trying to play down the pirate elements.

TBH downplaying the pirate elements in S&S actually makes more sense. At least then the sudden swerve in book 5 of "You guy have to be the heroes now" makes more sense then.