Okay, almost my entire party has gone evil, now what?

[phoenixgod2000]

In my latest campagain (we want to get to epic levels so none of us want to quit it) almost my entire party except for one character has gone evil. We didn't plan on playing a dark game but it's ended up being that way. Several characters wen't dark independantly and one of the others was corrupted by another character. Each has been hiding their fallen nature from the others until recently, when several of the evil members realized that the others had also gone dark. Frankly its the best roleplaying I've ever seen out of the group and I can't wait to see how they deal with the rod of seven parts adventure when the lot of them are either chaotic or neutral evil.

Except for one of players isn't running an evil character. He hates evil characters and will refuse to play them out of general. But everyone else looks to be having a great time and I don't want to stop them from having it. I thought about talking to him privately about the campagain but he doesn't realize they've all gone dark and I think it would ruin the surprise of the reveal when it happens. And I know that if he is told out of game there is no way he would be able to keep OOC information out of his gameplaying. What should I do?

Also any general information about running an evil campagain or an evil Rod Of Seven Parts adventure in particular would be most appreciative.

 

[the Jester]

Hmmm...

Well, first, I'd let it come out in game, rather than telling him. I also would not end the game just because one player didn't like the way it developed. He wouldn't have to play, after all. Alternatively, he might enjoy trying to hunt his old companions down one by one or something like that.

Finally, short of playing a paladin or other, essentially, exalted character, there's no reason why a good person can't work with evil if it is for the cause of good. Also, friendship may well trump alignment. The bonds between close friends who have traveled together can overcome racial enmity, cultural gaps and different religions; why not alignment?

I have run many an evil game. The single most important thing to keep in mind (imho) is the fact that the pcs' motivations are substantially different.

 

[MavrickWeirdo]

Lead Sheets?

 

[The Thayan Menace]

What's the Problem?

Sounds like a blast ... let it ride ....

 

[painandgreed]

I have run many an evil game. The single most important thing to keep in mind (imho) is the fact that the pcs' motivations are substantially different.

Ya, once they turn evil, all they care about is killing creatures and taking their stuff.

 

[Aeolius]

Eeeevviiiill !!! Eeeevvviiiilll !!!

 

[Elocin]

Lead Sheets?

At first I was like what the hell?!?!? so I clicked the link and then before the page started to load a lightbulb went off in my head and I sprayed sprite all over my screen.

Thank you for the great laugh it was much needed.

 

[phoenixgod2000]

It will be a trainwreck, a beautiful trainwreck if I just let it ride.

Plus I have a neurotic desire to keep all my players happy

 

[Delemental]

It will be a trainwreck, a beautiful trainwreck if I just let it ride.

Plus I have a neurotic desire to keep all my players happy

But in this case, you may have to make a 'needs of the many' decision. One of your players won't play evil characters (and I presume dislikes being in games with other evil characters). All the rest are playing evil characters. This turn to evil sounds like it has evolved naturally, and as you said, has resulted in some of the best roleplaying you've seen. It would seem unfair to ask everyone else to change their characters for the sake of one person. But it sounds like your one 'no evil' player is going to freak out when he finds out.

My advice is to accept the fact that the one player isn't going to be able to keep his OOC knowledge separate, and just tell him what's going on. Find out why he's so opposed to evil characters - perhaps he's had too many past games where the other players played 'stupid evil', ie, did nothing but steal from each other, try to kill each other in their sleep, etc. I get the impression that your group isn't like that, that they can put aside differences and work together for the common bad.

There may be a role for him as a good character in an evil party. We get plenty of threads at ENWorld describing games where the one evil character in the group tries to subvert the good party into doing the work of evil. Well, why couldn't this guy try to subvert the bad guys into doing the work of good? For example, take your Rod of Seven Parts adventure. Well, one obvious motivation for evil characters would be to collect the parts so they can destroy the artifact (you can't destroy it unless it's assembled, we'll say). Good guy goes along with the party to find the parts; evil characters bring him along, since he'll be able to handle the parts of the Rod without problem because hey, he's Good. So they get the Rod together, and are about ready to smash it, and whoosh! Mr. Good Guy runs off and gives it to the forces of Justice and Righteousness. Who says the good guys can't be devious bastards?

Now, of course, this scenario would likely end with the evil characters attacking and killing the 'traitorous' good character. But, your player might appreciate going out with a bang. Or, with a little more thought and planning, you could create a situation where Mr Good Guy can meet his goals without getting curb-stomped by his party.

All that aside, if your friend simply cannot handle the idea of playing in a group with evil characters, then you may need to open the discussion to the entire group. Be sure everyone knows your objective is to make everyone happy if possible. See if you can work out a compromise that doesn't leave anyone feeling like they have to sacrifice their enjoyment for someone else's sake. And if all that fails, you may just have to play a simple numbers game - one unhappy player, or several.

 

[STARP_JVP]

I don't see how anybody can stand playing an evil character for long. After a while, for me, it gets boring. Once you've killed people and taken their stuff and burned the corpses and raised an army of undead and marched on the capital and killed the king and raped the queen and married the princess by force and butchered the rest of the royal family and built a castle of bones and ruled from a throne of blood and conquered your neighbours and put peasants to death and worked them to death in slave camps and destroyed all the forests and massacred the elves and trampled the pixies and turned the seas red with blood and fought with the gods and been granted immortality and taken your place as a master of evil and the demagogue ruler of the world's enslaved and broken masses...where do you go next?