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Evil Monster Ancestries - Yay or Nay?
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<blockquote data-quote="Professor Murder" data-source="post: 9287117" data-attributes="member: 6991813"><p>So typically, what makes an ancestry not work is power level more than alignment expectations. A medusa doesn't work in my campaigns due to its abilities being far outside the curve for PCs, not due to it being typically evil.</p><p></p><p>When it comes to species in the game and alignment, looking at the macro scale, I tend to more paint cultures as having a broad alignment, based on what is generally acceptable and commonplace. Even then, not only will there be exceptions for individuals who resist or reject cultural norms, a society that has practices that I would class as "Evil" may also have ones which are "Good." </p><p></p><p>Beings that are fundamentally evil are possible, but honestly, magic is always somehow involved. Fiends. Undead. You could have say aberrations like Illithids also in this class, as by their method of reproduction requiring them to murder other sentients, one might say they are "biologically evil." But even then, it's highly commonplace to have the noble exception to the rule. And shouldn't PCs be exceptional?</p><p></p><p>So, to sum up, if I was running a LotR setting, and someone wished to play the "One Good Orc," I would consider it and at the very least discuss it with them. However, I would also say that imperative evil, innate evil, as a species trait, honestly I find it limiting for me more than it is for my players.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Professor Murder, post: 9287117, member: 6991813"] So typically, what makes an ancestry not work is power level more than alignment expectations. A medusa doesn't work in my campaigns due to its abilities being far outside the curve for PCs, not due to it being typically evil. When it comes to species in the game and alignment, looking at the macro scale, I tend to more paint cultures as having a broad alignment, based on what is generally acceptable and commonplace. Even then, not only will there be exceptions for individuals who resist or reject cultural norms, a society that has practices that I would class as "Evil" may also have ones which are "Good." Beings that are fundamentally evil are possible, but honestly, magic is always somehow involved. Fiends. Undead. You could have say aberrations like Illithids also in this class, as by their method of reproduction requiring them to murder other sentients, one might say they are "biologically evil." But even then, it's highly commonplace to have the noble exception to the rule. And shouldn't PCs be exceptional? So, to sum up, if I was running a LotR setting, and someone wished to play the "One Good Orc," I would consider it and at the very least discuss it with them. However, I would also say that imperative evil, innate evil, as a species trait, honestly I find it limiting for me more than it is for my players. [/QUOTE]
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