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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ranillon" data-source="post: 806472" data-attributes="member: 6699">Instead of just trashing the character I wan't to try and play it. Is there any way to productivly play CE? Does he 'have' to be evil or just selfish?_______________________________________As long as you are willing to play something more sophisticated than merely the "chaotic dumb" descriptions that tend to predominate when it comes to explanations of Chaotic Evil it is possible, but it'll likely take some tag-team effort between yourself and the GM.A merely selfish character would be Chaotic Neutral.  Someone who is Chaotic Evil would tend to actively promote the cause of evil.  However, that doesn't mean he necessarily has no impulse control and merely acts out his aggressions whenever and wherever he likes.  Even a Chaotic Evil character will play along or otherwise work with even a good aligned group >IF< he sees it as in his best interest.  For instance, if the group is a renowned for its adventuring prowess he is liable "play nice" with the rest of the group in order to not threatened his meal ticket.  Instead, his evil impulses would be acted out against others he encounters.Likewise, he can be as crafty and discreet as he likes even while committing evil acts.  He may betray others or manipulate them into ruinous mistakes all behind closed doors -- or at least in a way that doesn't easily lead back to him.  A truly gifted manipulator could act in "clear sight" of every one, but rely on the emotions and foolishness of others to produce the evil ends he seeks.  In such a scenario those who are observant would realize that the character is morally to blame for any resulting disasters, but not legally -- thus potentially placing any good aligned characters in a bind as to what to do about him (another sort of situation the evil character would likely enjoy).Of course, eventually there would be some sort of confrontation between the evil character and the rest of an good aligned group, but skilled gaming and some aid from the DM can turn this into an excellent chance for a great role-playing experience.Remember that even Evil people can still love someone (although usually in a selfish manner), still have friends, still keep agreements, and so forth, he just won't do so for moral reasons.  A Chaotic Evil character in particular will not see himself bound by any law or agreement he makes -- only fools do that without self-benefit -- but he will do so as long as he sees it as being in his best interest.  He can also favor some people over others -- thus, he may be "fond" enough of the other characters to not take undue advantage of them when he can, although he may very well "make up" for the lost opportunity with some convenient stranger.Basically, if you really want to play an evil character then put a lot of time and effort into figuring out what makes him tick.  Just playing a stereotype is liable to get you into trouble very quickly and make the character unplayable.</blockquote>

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