Why evil?

[reanjr]

Some people like to play the Raistlinesque character who helps the other PCs save the world and performs other such good deeds, but pulls up her sleeves and uses anything in her power to pursue this goal (including murdering children and sacrificng their souls to demons). I've seen such a player before, and he isn't too disruptive, most of the time.

Then there are others who just want to randomly slit all the other characters' throats, then pillage and rape. Those I can't understand.

So Lawful Evil is OK, just not Chaotic Evil.

My answer to the original question? Bad players. Simple as that. Occasionally you find someone who wants the challenge of playing evil (which is more difficult than playing a paladin if you have a reasonable DM who doesn't let things slide). But usually it's just someone wanting to play out fantasies through their character (which doesn't sound as bad in the context of D&D as it actually is).

 

[reanjr]

To run an evil campaign is more work than to run a good one.

Not true. I've found that evil characters are much more able to find their own motivations rather than passively wait for the conflict to come along.

 

[reanjr]

I blame drow.

No way. Transformers. The Decepticons were WAAY cooler than the Autobots.

 

[Jdvn1]

No way. Transformers. The Decepticons were WAAY cooler than the Autobots.

Oh, come on. Magneto.

 

[Flyspeck23]

I know it can't be related to personal morality or anything -- most of these people have been pretty upstanding in their non-gaming lives, and in at least one case, the person is a devout religious type. So, what exactly is the allure to players of evil, anyway? Pillaging and looting seems like it can only go so far.

I guess it boils down to this:
Darth Vader is cooler than Luke Skywalker (or even Anakin Skywalker, for that matter).

Nothing wrong with playing in a campaign with only evil (and the occasional neutral) PCs. But mixing good/evil in a party is IMHO never a good idea, as that's very disruptive.
And evil campaigns seem to be rather short-lived.

An evil character might be played as being on her way to redemption if part of an otherwise good party, but I guess people who think good/neutral is boring wouldn't do that.

Anyway, if fantasy roleplaying is seen as escapism, people with fantasies about power are prone to show up - and playing evil characters would be a natural thing for them: the main reason they're playing the game is to get away from real life where they ain't powerful at all, and can't do whatever they want. An evil wizard or fighter could.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Playing out fantasies and escapism seem like convenient hooks, but since not everyone plays roleplaying games for those reasons, I doubt it's the motivation for every regular player of evil characters.

 

[Jdvn1]

Why evil?

Why not evil?

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I blame Milton. Made Satan cool with Paradise Lost. It is said he was so bothered by people's great liking of Satan as a character he wrote Paradise Regained to portray Satan as unappealing.

 

[diaglo]

playing good or even neutral characters is harder.

the evil character is an easy out.

for some people wanting to just kick back without putting too much effort into the game. evil is the way for them.

kill things and take their stuff without the consequence of conscience.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

It depends on what you mean with evil.

One of the things that make roleplaying games alluring is that you can do things you cannot do in real life. Usually, that is things that you cannot do because of lack of ability (I don't want to say that Roleplayers are weaklings, but few of them possess superpower, the ability to do flashy magic, or the Strength of ten Men (TM)). Playing an evil PC - as in I don't give a damn about any convention - is just an extension of that allure: Not only you can do things now that are physically impossible in the real world, you can do things that are forbidden in real world. You can do whatever you want, without fear of reprisal (the Law might come after you, but you just shoot the sheriff). Every once in a while, that can make for a liberating one-shot, but nothing more. Playing like that all the time gets boring IMO, as there is usually no story line, since no DM would invest time in one when the Charakters just ignore it.

The other evil, the real Evil, is much less common. That's those who still have an agenda (and a motivation to go on quests), but no moral or ethnical barriers. They do what is best for them - and that often involves playing within the rules, just to keep a low profile. Their motives are different from those good characters have, but they are as fun to play. Campaigns for evil characters such as these tend to have the same story lines as those for good characters - only, that they're now the villains, and evil will prevail in the end (if the Characters accomplish their goals).