D&D General How do you do smart chaotic evil?

[Marc17]

Build up a reputation of not-evil and not-chaotic so you can blow it on something big.

 

[Koloth]

Q in some episodes of Star Trek Next Generation.
Empress Sato in the Star Trek Enterprise episodes "Through the Mirror Darkly".

IMO - a CE critter doesn't think of itself as CE. It is just doing what it thinks is best at the time or as part of a longer term plan. The side effects of its plans on others don't really bother it one way or the other. Some of those effects may help others. Other effects may harm others. In its mind, so what? As long as its plan or status is improved. Or it just has fun.

 

[Kurotowa]

The Joker

Really, there's two flavors of CE. On "alignment is a personality chart" there's the clinical psychopath who lacks empathy for others or respect for the law. Which like I described, they can assemble a moral code from first principles on a purely self-interested utilitarian framework. And then there's "alignment is a cosmic force" where CE is the nega-inverse of LG that breaks things and hurts people out of moral duty.

Many recent depictions of the Joker trend towards the latter there, where he's trying to embody CE principles out of a twisted belief that up is down and Evil is good. And that's certainly a tact you can take with the alignment. But it's hard to describe that as "smart" CE.

 

[Toe Knee Nose]

Chaotic Evil, as was mentioned, is unrestrained, but, domineering. They are going to try to dominate anyone they perceive as weaker, while realizing they have to play it cool with those stronger.

Heck Hasbin Hotel is a good example.

 

[GMMichael]

Chaotic Evil. Do whatever you want regardless of rules as long as it benefits you personally.

This is pretty dang good. Well. Thing.

Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight.

If memory serves, that Joker was actually chaotic good. Or CN...

 

[I'm A Banana]

Smart Chaotic Evil can be...

"I know that burning this orphanage will attract unwanted attention, so I'm going to make it look like an accident."

"I want to wipe this town off the map. The best way to do that is to provoke the guard into turning on the populace."

"I want power and authority. I will threaten the family of this noble so that he will do what I say."

"This demon I am summoning is going to do horrible things to everyone trapped in that hospital. Better make sure it looks like the local priest did this."

"If I tell the military leaders what they want to hear and demonize those who don't agree with me, no one will question me when I ask the military to enforce law and order by executing those who don't agree with me."

 

[jdrakeh]

I feel that both the Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley era Masters of Doctor Who infamy are great examples of Chaotic Evil characters. They make whatever grabs they can at absolute power planning be damned (for the most part), no matter who they might hurt.

 

[Zardnaar]

He's NE or CE.

 

[Toe Knee Nose]

The big thing to remember, IMO, is that you don't need to be EVIL all the time to be evil. Someone who is law abiding, kind, and generous most of the time, but, once a year, he kidnaps people and performs unspeakable rites in service to his demonic patron is still evil. Even if he uses the powers granted by that demonic patron to protect the town and serve the people, he's still chaotic evil.

In the evil groups we've played in, that's generally how it works. The PC's know that they are better off together as a gang. Yes, they are murderous scumbags, but, only to other people. In my experience, evil groups suddenly get REALLY polite to each other. In a good group, players will insult and whatnot each other because they know they are safe. In an evil group, no one wants to get on anyone's bad side, so, they all cooperate much better.

The scary thing for me is that smart evil groups tend to be much, much more effective than good groups.

 

[Zardnaar]

The big thing to remember, IMO, is that you don't need to be EVIL all the time to be evil. Someone who is law abiding, kind, and generous most of the time, but, once a year, he kidnaps people and performs unspeakable rites in service to his demonic patron is still evil. Even if he uses the powers granted by that demonic patron to protect the town and serve the people, he's still chaotic evil.

In the evil groups we've played in, that's generally how it works. The PC's know that they are better off together as a gang. Yes, they are murderous scumbags, but, only to other people. In my experience, evil groups suddenly get REALLY polite to each other. In a good group, players will insult and whatnot each other because they know they are safe. In an evil group, no one wants to get on anyone's bad side, so, they all cooperate much better.

The scary thing for me is that smart evil groups tend to be much, much more effective than good groups.

Ive noticed peopke often prefer LE sometimes NE vs CN played as chaotic stupid.

I played a LE halfling abd ran him like a monster. Urchin.

He wanted respect and soft spot for other urchins.

He dodnt respect authority as such but you had to respect his authority. Ate rats as well but thats beside the point.