Evil Characters in good campaigns?

[Moe Ronalds]

I know that some people are against playing evil characters in good campaigns. But what I'd like to know is why. Obviously groups with Paladins or good Clerics are going to be against evil characters, and a character that runs around killing everything in site is definitely not helpful to the story and the rest of the characters. But what about the evil wizard hoping to achieve lichdom, that knows that he can achieve his goals faster by working with a bunch of goody-goody adventurers? He wouldn't want to get them angry at him by ruthlessly murdering thousands (at least not too early), and he wouldn't want to lose his muscle
/guardians, so is there any other reason why such a character couldn't be allowed in a "good" campaign?

 

[Umbran]

Well, by core rules the first time a "detect evil" is cast, said lich wannabe (or whatever evil character it is) might be in trouble. That can be circumvented, of course.

The real issue is very simple - regardless of alignment, having characters with diametrically opposed goals and strong motivations (good/evil, save the king/depoist the king, whatever) is a recipe for eventual conflict (possibly deadly conflict) between PCs. Any conflict that you expect should come to blows is probably not constructive, story wise.

Eventually, some PC or other will get hurt, and you may very well get acrimony between the players from it. That's not good for the game.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

Yeah, here's a reason. A group needs to have some degree of comraderie, a sense of purpose for adventuring together. If you play an evil character, the other characters should, or ought (if they are true to their alignments) to kill you ... and soon! So, as a DM, why not just forego the inevitable and say no to evil characters!

On the other hand, I do think it would be fun to have a party of neutral and evil characters. Could be a blast!

 

[SteelDraco]

I'm currently playing an evil character in a predominantly good campaign. I haven't had any real problems with it, honestly. Just because someone is evil doesn't mean a good character is obligated to kill them. I have differing opinions with a lot of people on how the world works; that doesn't mean I should gut them with a sword. After all, aren't kindness, mercy, the reservation of judgement, and innocent until proven guilty all, at their heart, good concepts?

The campaign I'm playing in a rather strange one. The PCs were all gamers, from our Earth. We died, and (due to circumstances) ended up in the Aztec afterlife. We are trying to get to Mictlan to free ourselves, after having gained the memories of an Aztec with the same kind of classes we wanted to play. A very interesting campaign. I'm playing a drug dealer who got the memories of a jaguar cultist of Tezcatlipoca, which is a pretty nasty beast cult. Cannibalism, sacrifice, all kinds of BoVD stuff going on. My character was rather without direction before, so he's more or less took on those beliefs as his own. However, I'm SNEAKY about it. The other PCs have no idea what kinds of stuff I'm up to. Heck, we even have a paladin, and he's at least as clueless as everybody else. For some reason, he never turns his Detect Evil ability on his own party members.

Now, I will say doing something like this should be considered carefully. The DM and I talked a bit about it beforehand. He's got enough faith in me as a roleplayer to not ruin the campaign. I'm mature enough to let the character go if it comes to that.

SavageWombat, how do you think Gene's working out as an evil character in our predominantly good campaign?

 

[Crothian]

Evil characters can be played in a good campaign and everything works out fine. However, this is the exception. Most of the time the evil person does something evil, the good characters call him on it, and he defends himself by saying "It's what my character would do."

While most good people might not try to kill an evil person when they discover him, they also shouldn't hang out with him unless specific circumstancves permit.

I don't allow evil characters because it's a chance I'm not willing to take.

 

[roytheodd]

I typically don't allow it because I find it harder to make story hooks. Most of my hooks are designed to allow heroicism and throwing evil characters forward as heroes is not my cup of tea.

 

[Oni]

If you play an evil character, the other characters should, or ought (if they are true to their alignments) to kill you ... and soon!

How do you figure? Just because a character is of evil alignment does not mean they have done anything deserving of their murder. Ought paladins be able to walk into a bar and decapitate anyone that has less than wholesome motivations. Evil isn't about doing horrific things, evil boils down to motivation. Evil characters can save a town just as easily as good characters, the real question is why are they doing it.

 

[Nightfall]

Also it depends on the setting.

Say for example you have two clerics, one of Chardun, one of Corean. Both hate each other's guts. BUT both will follow the mandate of their god, IF they are told to say, stop a plot by Titanspawn to restore a titan to life. But that's just one idea...

 

[Moe Ronalds]

Also it depends on the setting.

Say for example you have two clerics, one of Chardun, one of Corean. Both hate each other's guts. BUT both will follow the mandate of their god, IF they are told to say, stop a plot by Titanspawn to restore a titan to life. But that's just one idea...

Did anyone else read this and without even looking at the name know it was nightfall?

 

[Synicism]

I know that some people are against playing evil characters in good campaigns. But what I'd like to know is why.

Generally, evil characters' morals (or lack thereof) will ultimately conflict with their good/neutral companions'. Read Dragonlance and check out Raistlin.

It can sometimes work, but generally when you have a lawful character who does, in fact, believe in honor and companionship. I pulled it off in a campaign where I played a Bozak draconian from Dragonlance. He was a military man - loyal to his companions, just brutal and totally ruthless to his enemies. The other PC's got creeped out with some of his methods, but he was willing to ease up a bit to settle their stomachs.