the bad guys you fight are often organized, so why not evil pc's

[Sir ThornCrest]

I found that when playing in a hero campaign combating evil villians DM's tend to keep them organized and together if not fanatic! So why cant your players do the same? In our gaming group over the past 10 years, we did notice just making evil characters and playing a "ok your in a tavern campaign" never worked out. The same things that would motivate a good group doesnt necessarly need to motivate a evil group. They went at each others throats to see who got the money or new magical or whatever to empower themselves...

I havent played in a evil campaign for quite some time now, (years) but our current is LE and we have a unity driving us to the same goal. We all worship Hextor and the DM acting as Hextor will send us on missions. Or we default back to the revenge factor, as all pc's belonged in the same area initially but the temple was over run by 4 local noble and rich families. We are now traveling about serving Hextor while trying to amass power, manpower, cash, magic bla bla bla....point is we are very motivated...

Sir ThornCrest

 

[Torm]

I... will stop you.



No reason an Evil part shouldn't hold together. Real Evil usually doesn't realize it is Evil, so roleplayed correctly they could be very loyal to each other, and seem completely "sharks-with-frikkin-lasers" evil to the rest of the world.

 

[Crothian]

the problem is they are PCs and not NPCs. Evil PCs tend to want to be incharge and not have to take orders from someone else, espeically another PC. To be organized you need a structured system and PCs, evil PCs, rarely are.

 

[Darkness]

the problem is they are PCs and not NPCs. Evil PCs tend to want to be incharge and not have to take orders from someone else, espeically another PC. To be organized you need a structured system and PCs, evil PCs, rarely are.

*nods*

I've seen it work a few times when the PCs fought for the same faith.

Of course, this might not work as well with evil faiths that strongly encourage strife among their followers. *cough*Lolth*cough*

 

[Psion]

One thing about roleplaying is that things that are hard for us to do are easy for the characters. There are things we would be loath to do in real life but not in the game.

The GM, the storyline, and a populace who has come to learn that the PCs are essentially heroes may be forgiving.

Other PCs, on the other hand, are not forgiving.

If you cross a wimpy NPC shopkeep, he may cow to you.

You cross a PC being played as if he has no regard for life or others, and little fear to match -- just like you -- you are asking for trouble.

NPC evil organizations work because the NPCs know who to fear and respect.

Of course, some classic old modules (like Lich Lords) assume that evil NPCs backstab just like evil PCs.

 

[Khayman]

Not necessarily. Structures can exist within parties of evil PCs, but depend upon active roleplaying. A PC's motivation may involve a desire to take orders, even at the risk of gritting teeth.

I'm playing an aloof plotter in one campaign, but another PC is a fawning sycophant. He's evil but oh so pliable, and together we motivate the party. Likewise, in our pirate campaign, we have a chain of command. Admittedly, on occasion we abuse/ignore the pecking order, but they're more like guidelines really.

 

[Torm]

That's why I said that about roleplaying them correctly - I doubt many would argue against me saying that the Nazis were Evil, but you would also have to admit that, from the deranged viewpoint of many of them, they were "doing what was right for their people". That's what I'm talking about - not some Blackguard "I'm bad, I'm bad, here, watch me kick this puppy" evil, but the evil that loves their wives, children, pets, country, religion, etc, and the elimination of anything that isn't those things.

 

[painandgreed]

IME, evil parties always held together better than good ones. in good nes, when people were being disruptive, everybody put up with it. In the evil parites, if somebody was disruptive or put the gorup in danger needlessly, it's just one more grave to dig to remove the problem. PCs are warned of this ahead of time that anybody whose character endangers the party or its goals would be dealt with harshly. it does take a strong forceful core to make that statement and uphold it, but if that's what the PCs decide OOC, it usually holds.

 

[Darkness]

I doubt many would argue against me saying that the Nazis were Evil

Godwin strikes again!

 

[Umbran]

Oh, I think people are missing a couple of points...

One - in the literature, the villains are frequently organized, but somewhat victim to internecine struggles themselves. The whole "evil feeds upon itself" line frequently saves heroes in books and TV and movies. If the DM isn't doing this occasionally, he is perhaps not being completely realistic.

Two - the evil groups that fight PCs are groups that have already gone through the process of winnowing out those who don't work in an organized fashion. The NPCs who dont' play well with others have generally been weeded out or have left to pursue their own goals. The PCs, however, are usually still going through that process. Probably because there is an artificial tendency to keep characters around even if they aren't working well in a group.

Think of all the badness you've seen with evil parties. Now, if you were in an NPC group, how long would it take for some of the offenders to end up dead or gone? Not long, right? but other players will put up with it for ages for metagame reasons.