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Inherently Evil?
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<blockquote data-quote="AtomicPope" data-source="post: 8444724" data-attributes="member: 64790"><p>The failure of most DMs and players is their inability to accept that their moral view has no bearing on the fantasy elements of D&D and if anything they serve as a hindrance to understanding D&D. When we talk about good and evil in D&D we're talking about living forces in the multiverse, just as real as the four elements. In the Prime Material plane pure good or pure evil is extremely rare as say a floating ball of pure fire that burns eternally. Fire burning without end or source is natural in the Elemental Plane of Fire. In the Prime Material it's alien, a supernatural wonder that could inspire awe or invoke terror. Everything in the Prime Material is a mixture of the ideal nature of existence. The more concrete ideals exist in the inner planes. The more abstract exist in the Outer Planes. In the Outer Planes the abstract becomes concrete, and all too real. Good/Evil, Law/Chaos, in the outer planes these abstract ideas exist as salient, living forces, as real as a bonfire or lake. They're Angels, Devils, Demons, Modrons, and Yugoloths. They're the Sorrowsworn, the living embodiment of wicked emotions.</p><p></p><p>Of course there are inherently evil races in D&D, Yuan-it for example who chose to devote themselves to an evil, tyrannical snake god and now their destiny is naturally aligned with that god (alignment). The Yuan-ti were once human. After aligning themselves with an evil snake god their nature and existence was forever changed. This is no different than Genasi who are aligned with elemental forces. Having an opinion about fire is one thing, but it's irrelevant to the existence and nature of fire. Free will is irrelevant. Lots of people who are short have free will. It doesn't make them taller. Lots of weak people have free will. It doesn't make them strong. In D&D even the abstract exists as a fundamental building block of the multiverse, as real and imposing as a mountain and as vast and deep as the ocean. In D&D if you don't believe in good or evil, that's fine. It's just as sane as not believing in the ocean.</p><p></p><p></p><p>If you're going to create an evil race for D&D, or a good race, then you need to understand the nature of good and evil in D&D first, and go from there. What or who made/makes them evil? Who is in control? What is the community like? Who is living on the outside? All of those questions will give answers to the players and their PCs, and how they interact with the evil race.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AtomicPope, post: 8444724, member: 64790"] The failure of most DMs and players is their inability to accept that their moral view has no bearing on the fantasy elements of D&D and if anything they serve as a hindrance to understanding D&D. When we talk about good and evil in D&D we're talking about living forces in the multiverse, just as real as the four elements. In the Prime Material plane pure good or pure evil is extremely rare as say a floating ball of pure fire that burns eternally. Fire burning without end or source is natural in the Elemental Plane of Fire. In the Prime Material it's alien, a supernatural wonder that could inspire awe or invoke terror. Everything in the Prime Material is a mixture of the ideal nature of existence. The more concrete ideals exist in the inner planes. The more abstract exist in the Outer Planes. In the Outer Planes the abstract becomes concrete, and all too real. Good/Evil, Law/Chaos, in the outer planes these abstract ideas exist as salient, living forces, as real as a bonfire or lake. They're Angels, Devils, Demons, Modrons, and Yugoloths. They're the Sorrowsworn, the living embodiment of wicked emotions. Of course there are inherently evil races in D&D, Yuan-it for example who chose to devote themselves to an evil, tyrannical snake god and now their destiny is naturally aligned with that god (alignment). The Yuan-ti were once human. After aligning themselves with an evil snake god their nature and existence was forever changed. This is no different than Genasi who are aligned with elemental forces. Having an opinion about fire is one thing, but it's irrelevant to the existence and nature of fire. Free will is irrelevant. Lots of people who are short have free will. It doesn't make them taller. Lots of weak people have free will. It doesn't make them strong. In D&D even the abstract exists as a fundamental building block of the multiverse, as real and imposing as a mountain and as vast and deep as the ocean. In D&D if you don't believe in good or evil, that's fine. It's just as sane as not believing in the ocean. If you're going to create an evil race for D&D, or a good race, then you need to understand the nature of good and evil in D&D first, and go from there. What or who made/makes them evil? Who is in control? What is the community like? Who is living on the outside? All of those questions will give answers to the players and their PCs, and how they interact with the evil race. [/QUOTE]
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