The Genetics of Evil

[DerianCypher]

Hey all, I just wanted to gather people's opinion on how I'm running 2 races in my world.

Well, in my world Orcs and Drow are both genetically evil. Therefore, I am changing both of them to Always evil. The reason for this is because the way I see it is both races were created by corrupting elves and therefore would mean that both races are corrupted from the start.

This has come up as a bit of controversy in my game.

Anyone have opinions on this?

DC

 

[fusangite]

This seems like a solid move to me. This is completely consistent with the spirit of D&D. I also commend you on the Always Evil designation rather than Always Chaotic Evil; it's not like you're saying all members of the species must have an identical alignment.

 

[Triumph]

Why are you posting yet another thread about Evil on a day like today? Moderators, please close this thread. I want to read about more people who like Vanilla Coke.

 

[DerianCypher]

Why are you posting yet another thread about Evil on a day like today? Moderators, please close this thread. I want to read about more people who like Vanilla Coke.

Uhm, I'm sorry if you've had a bad day but I was just asking the opinions of people on something I'm doing in my campaign world. If you don't want to read it, just avoid this thread.

DC

 

[Furn_Darkside]

This has come up as a bit of controversy in my game.

Anyone have opinions on this?

What is the controversy?

I don't see a problem with it.

The one time I have had a player complain something about this, I made the following clear:

Elves, dwarves, goblins, drow, and etc are not human. They are not a ethnicity of human. Their minds don't work like a human.

Yes, humans come in all shades of good/evil/neutral, but that is what is special about humanity. Free will.

The difference between races is more then height and how pointy are their ears.

Of course, with every campeign I toss the races into different roles/situations. It keeps things interesting.

FD

 

[Dragongirl]

Personally I don't like "always" any alignment, I think there can always be an oddball. I don't even like always neutral for animals, there are some really evil individual animals out there.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Yeah, seems okay, if that's your reasoning behind it. I t would be why Tieflings are even mostly evil...there's a genetic wickedness within them that overrides moral choice and forces you to think a certain way.

I could see how it could cause contreversy. Most orcs and drow are merely culturally evil...they advocate greed, self-centeredness, and a distinct hatred for empathy for your fellow creature.

According to your scheme, they're just that way culturally because it's natural for them, as natural as it is for wolves to hunt sheep or elves to dance and frolic and wear makeup.

Perfectly alright. It has the odd effect of making them both more wicked (in that it's a natural mandate and not a general tendancy), and more sympathetic (in that they largely can't help it...even if the orc is raised by the best of parents in the most loving of families, they will turn on others in their family and want to kill them...they just can't help it.

Not too big of a deal. Just a bit annoying for those that want to play orc or drow characters in a primarily heroic campaign...outcasts and rebels are generally not allowed, likely the once-in-a-forever Neutral orc is an NPC, not a PC. It means Drizzit, basically, wouldn't exist.

I like it. A bit too limiting for my tastes, perhaps, but perfectly okay.

 

[Thanee]

You mean like cats? (j/k of course)

DerianCypher, that sounds like a pretty tolkienesque approach to me... orcs that are corrupted elves...

I also see nothing wrong there.

Bye
Thanee

 

[DerianCypher]

Thanks all for your opinions.

The controvery I spoke of came from a PC who wanted to play a half-orc. The thing is, in a world where orcs are purely evil from creation, a half-orc would be slaughtered at birth. Like in most worlds, the only way half-orcs are created is from the raping of women when orcs raid a city. So, if the woman has the baby and sees it half orc.. HACK...roll...there goes the babies head..

I said I'd work with him on it, but NPCs would almost always be hostile with him.

Oh well
DC

 

[Dragongirl]

Though far less common than a male orc forcing himself on a human female, don't forget the possibility of a male human forcing himself on an orc female, and before someone says no man would do that, come on, men will do anything that moves

Anyway, in that case the half-orc would have been raised in orc society so most likely would have turned out evil anyway since you have made all orcs evil. Bu there is a slim chance that his human side would manifest. In the end, it's your campaign, do what you want.