Current Events > Tips for roleplaying when PCs are evil? Dnd

(+) Yeah! (+)

I don't really have much experience with the players roleplaying as evil

@OVERGOATED
@DrizztLink

It depends, really.

We talking evil as in "self serving and callous" or full murderhobo?

If it's murderhobo then it is a lost cause. If it is calculated evil, well what are you asking for tips on? I usually play evil or morally grey characters that never have problems working with the party, plenty of people think evil is murdering everyone in site when there's lots more to it.

Drunk Cobra posted...

plenty of people think evil is murdering everyone in site when there's lots more to it.

Regill Derenge in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a solid example of more sophisticated evil.

Betray and backstab other characters...

And/or players.

don't do good deeds without negotiating payment

Find a personal selfish goal for which your cooperation is a means to an end

If they're neutral evil, they're basically just selfish bastards, and that can easily be worked with. Chaotic Evil is much harder to do.

If it's murderhobo, make it a one shot. You could even assign secret goals to each player and see who can manage the backstab to achieve said goal.

If you're looking for a campaign, it can work if the party is working toward an accumulation of personal power that might allow the to overthrow a territory one day. But be careful about certain topics, you don't want the campaign to devolve into deranged 'red flag' territory: filled with rape and slavery.

DrizztLink posted...

It depends, really.

We talking evil as in "self serving and callous" or full murderhobo?

....yes

Drunk Cobra posted...

If it's murderhobo then it is a lost cause. If it is calculated evil, well what are you asking for tips on? I usually play evil or morally grey characters that never have problems working with the party, plenty of people think evil is murdering everyone in site when there's lots more to it.

Oh these dudes like murdering. Not everyone but say any npc that slights them or gets in the way

DuneMan posted...

If it's murderhobo, make it a one shot. You could even assign secret goals to each player and see who can manage the backstab to achieve said goal.

If you're looking for a campaign, it can work if the party is working toward an accumulation of personal power that might allow the to overthrow a territory one day. But be careful about certain topics, you don't want the campaign to devolve into deranged 'red flag' territory: filled with rape and slavery.

That's a cool idea but they will just work together

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I'll keep that in mind

Preciate y'all

Make sure to kick every child you come across.

Have the REAL heroes show up. Generate a party and give them rare loot and better levels so they can succeed in arresting these criminals.

gunplagirl posted...

Have the REAL heroes show up. Generate a party and give them rare loot and better levels so they can succeed in arresting these criminals.

Decent idea. Gotta make sure the "heroes" are corrupt too tho

Alucard188 posted...

Make sure to kick every child you come across.

Irl or in game

Smackems posted...

Irl or in game

Yes.

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This. The party might be the main characters but they're not the good guys. People will want revenge.

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Oh naw they ain't gonna give a shit lol

I feel like people paying evil PCs in DnD could get out of hand quick. Like someone would take shit way too far than I would be willing to roleplay with

Like others have said, the party dynamics are important. Also, make sure to figure out where the line is for peoples comfort.

I played in one evil campaign. We were a vigilante, an eco-terrorist, a drug manufacturer and a hired-muscle type.

Also, do you want to play them against each other?

They don't care about NPCs but sowing distrust between them the more they fuck about could be interesting.

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"What do you mean 'the Illithid is price-gouging you?'"

"He's an octopus-faced monster and you're in the slums sewers under the jail at midnight. He's fairly confident you don't have a lot of options."

Murderhobo is chaotic neutral.

I ran a true evil campaign once, the characters were essentially working for someone like the Joker (it was set in 1997) and had assassination missions and the like.

Ultimately they all quit the campaign because I created a character that freaked them out, Mondo Green.

Mondo Green didn't use weapons, he challenged people to conversations in which he would try to convince the person to kill themselves, and if he couldn't do it he would voluntarily kill himself.

The players defeated Mondo, but the psychological toll was more real than I anticipated. One of the players dropped out because of it, so his girlfriend also dropped out, and it was a campaign of 4 so that was that.

Axiom posted...

I feel like people paying evil PCs in DnD could get out of hand quick. Like someone would take shit way too far than I would be willing to roleplay with

They're my best friends. I trust them

DrizztLink posted...

Also, do you want to play them against each other?

They don't care about NPCs but sowing distrust between them the more they fuck about could be interesting.

Nah that'd make shit complicated. I'm doing a Butt Campaign (low effort) and they just gonna go with the flow

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We decided they were gonna be a conning law firm type deal

Yojimbo plot.

Robot2600 posted...

Murderhobo is chaotic neutral.

I ran a true evil campaign once, the characters were essentially working for someone like the Joker (it was set in 1997) and had assassination missions and the like.

Ultimately they all quit the campaign because I created a character that freaked them out, Mondo Green.

Mondo Green didn't use weapons, he challenged people to conversations in which he would try to convince the person to kill themselves, and if he couldn't do it he would voluntarily kill himself.

The players defeated Mondo, but the psychological toll was more real than I anticipated. One of the players dropped out because of it, so his girlfriend also dropped out, and it was a campaign of 4 so that was that.

How did that work? Did you write a very convincing script?

My Butt Campaigns are just an outline, a few monster stats, and a board. Everything else is just me winging it

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Dude I would really like to get a robe and hat for real

Trick them into downloading a virus

Brilliant

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Alternatively, the group could start out as henchmen for a larger evil organization, or at least contractors for a small subdivision. If there is a Thieves Guild or whatnot that could be a starting point, and the story could branch from there to give some options. E.g. maybe a large job comes in and it turns out the employer is a vampire or lich or something to that effect, and the players might get the option to abandon contract work for the Guild to work for the supernatural creature. Etc.

Nah. Con artist lawyers

Try reading books or fiction from other game lines where the PCs aren't necessarily saints. World/Chronicles of Darkness might be a good resource for this, particularly Vampire, Demon, Beast, or the Slasher supplement for Hunter.

Also consider if the characters are doing evil deeds for the sake of evil deeds, or if they're doing it out of a misguided sense of morality. Both scenarios will provide for wildly different stories.

And if all else fails, you can go the Suicide Squad route.

And if all else fails, you can go the Suicide Squad route.

Giant mind-controlling alien starfish boss?

jumi posted...

Giant mind-controlling alien starfish boss?

It's a solid way to end movies, games, uncomfortable conversations, unfair lease agreements, any number of things

Yes, that has a 2nd one

Set up a scenario in which they're convinced that one of them is a backstabber/traitor (take them aside to chat privately all at least once in rapid succession). Then give each one of them a note saying that they are not the traitor (be sure to get it back. Leave no evidence).

Robot2600 posted...

Murderhobo is chaotic neutral.

I ran a true evil campaign once, the characters were essentially working for someone like the Joker (it was set in 1997) and had assassination missions and the like.

Ultimately they all quit the campaign because I created a character that freaked them out, Mondo Green.

Mondo Green didn't use weapons, he challenged people to conversations in which he would try to convince the person to kill themselves, and if he couldn't do it he would voluntarily kill himself.

The players defeated Mondo, but the psychological toll was more real than I anticipated. One of the players dropped out because of it, so his girlfriend also dropped out, and it was a campaign of 4 so that was that.

Oof, yeah if anyone ever had suicidal thoughts/depression or maybe even know someone who does, i can see that accidentaly getting out of hand quickly

ROBANN_88 posted...

Oof, yeah if anyone ever had suicidal thoughts/depression or maybe even know someone who does, i can see that accidentaly getting out of hand quickly

Kakapo posted...

How did that work? Did you write a very convincing script?

I did write a good script and really thought about the character. I wanted to make something actually scary, and the concept disturbed me but I also found it quirky and hilarious.

I had the things Mondo would say written down beforehand. I didn't say exactly what he said, only the subject that he talked about, for example:

"Mondo Green explains the true meaningless of life and the futility of action to you. Roll a will save. (failed). You sit on the ground and cradle your head in your hands, slowly forming deep scratches in your temples."

One of the PCs had a cousin who committed suicide years before. I knew of the incident, but what I didn't know was that the PC's "cousin" was actually raised in the house next to him and was more of a brother. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but I was wrong.

The campaign was still cool though, we had a lot of fun until that night. I had an NPC in the party that also had a secret identity as a serial killer and she got bonuses to attacking if she was attacking someone who was genuinely her friend. They were starting to trust her and it was gonna be bloodbath.

We used a hybrid FATE/d20 system that I made for the campaign. Had a few other campaigns set in this world.

Axiom posted...

I feel like people paying evil PCs in DnD could get out of hand quick. Like someone would take shit way too far than I would be willing to roleplay with

Evil games are super fun with the right people. Two of my most beloved games were evil games, one where I was a child soldier all grown up assassin who still was like childish mentality not baby talk but just like didn't get complexity. Another was a goblin warlock who was essentially the group's Starscream and was actually an agent for an orc warlord that the party ended up assisting down the line of the game who was actually a good guy which bothered the heck out of my goblin. WHYS WE CIVILIZIN BOSS

Anyway I think something that always works well is giving them a hierarchy or an order to be a part of such as a thieves guild. People that need to be careful to work within actual society so you can't have them smearing peoples blood on the walls.

I should make it clear that I'm not going in depth with factions or morality or anything; this is a Butt Campaign, a low effort, mostly wing it style thing

Wing it style? Perfect for kicking children.

Or wings style. Mmm