Why Do You Play Evil Characters?

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've only played a handful of evil PCs in my 33 years in the hobby, and it's always for the same reason: it's the alignment the PC should have based on the concept.

The last one I played was named Johnny Bones. Inspired by the Black Sabbath song "Johnny Blade" and the Iommi/Rollins song "The Laughing Man in the Devil Mask", he was a bully and a street tough looking out for #1. Everyone else was just a means to the end of him ending up rich. Mr. Bones (as he was called by his partymates) was a 3Ed Human Ftr/Th; Str15 Dex15 Con13 Int12 Wis8 Cha7; Alignment: NE; Studded Leather, 2WF (Rapier & oversized Kukri).

 

[Wild Gazebo]

Sometimes I find the absurdity of the most ruthless course of action to be funny.

 

[The Shaman]

Because in the words of Boris Badenov, "It's good to be bad!"

I only played one memorable evil character, a ruthless, low-key megalomaniac lawful evil cleric. He was actually very diligent in working with the party, as he saw them as a means to his eventual domination.

Mostly I enjoy games in which alignment doesn't exist; a number of my characters in these games would be considered shady, and a few are outright contemptible.

 

[drowdude]

Several of the most successful, and long-lived campaigns I have been a part of, both as a DM and a player, have had evil themes.

One focused on bringing about the return of Bhaal and Myrkul to the Realms.

Another was a solo campaign in which the new chosen of Bane began conquering and unifying large portions of the Realms (gotta love those borked leadership rules from Power of Faerun ).

Back in 90s I also ran an "underdark-mafia" themed campaign and several drow-centric campaigns as well.

The real hurdles are making sure everyone is truly on board with the idea; and ensuring no one is playing a CE character (unless its a solo game, and even then that's pretty much doomed to failure in the long run).

Making sure there is a unifying goal that each character has cosigned (for their own individual reasons) goes a long way towards making an evil campaign stable. It helps to avoid the worst of the infighting that can ruin such games.

 

[Pentius]

Same reason I play any other character: the character concept seemed intriguing. I don't play the type of jerkoff evil that stabs all the other players in the back and burns down the town for giggles, but, say, the lawless ruffian on the verge of redemption, or the evil man willing to do the dirty work to make things easier on a friend with more scruples are both interesting ideas, and those are just off the top of my head.

 

[drowdude]

I've only played a handful of evil PCs in my 33 years in the hobby, and it's always for the same reason: it's the alignment the PC should have based on the concept.

^ this

Whenever I make a character, the alignment is usually dictated by the background I end up developing. I may start with an alignment in mind, but many times, organically developing the story pushes it in a different direction. Sometimes I end up with a hero; other times I end up with a villain, or at least someone who is very-not-nice.

 

[RithTheAwakener]

I was a player in a 3.5 City of the Spider Queen campaign. Most players were evil, a few neutral, and the campaign went from level 1 to 24. There was minimal character conflict, as each character/player had their own goals and knew it would be easier to reach by having a cohesive group. As far as I recall, the only issue was a near TPK, after which the cleric began turning some party members into undead. The players that wanted to be undead were raised as such, the rest were resurrected, and everyone was happy.

We had a cleric/necromancer of Myrkul, a blackguard/chosen of Cyric, a 1/2orc fighter dragon disciple of Bane, an elven archmage/skymage of Bane, and a blackguard revenant. Eventually we all raised separate armies (an undead, Cyric disciple, orcish horde, and a small mage academy) and together razed Cormyr to the ground.

It was longest running and most fun campaign I've played in.

 

[Hand of Evil]

To take over the world!!!

Your evil may be my good. It is sometimes fun to play the other side of the coin, to plot and plan. To use those things defined as evil to build and play a character. I even think it helps us as players and DM play better non-evil characters.

 

[Rechan]

Judging by the responses to the what do your PCs do with prisoners thread, a lot of groups play evil, but don't say it.

 

[Meatboy]

Playing an evil character allows me to approach the game in a different way. Perhaps its the callous way I dimiss the begger in the street or coldly dispatch the enemy on the field who has asked for mercy. I try to have the same goals I would if I was a good character. Its just the entire way I go about it changes.