Roleplaying Evil
Evil is as Evil does
There are just as many adjectives for evil: dishonorable, deceptive, abusive, cruel, immoral, and more. As with any character, an Evil character is not necessarily at his worst, most foul and antagonistic behavior at all times. Being of an Evil disposition only means that the capacity for these things is always there and that they may know no limits to the depth of their depravity. This means that an Evil character can be charming, cooperative, and for all appearances a nice guy. But it’s a façade that is not likely to last long unless the character is particularly determined and capable of maintaining such a deception.
Some examples of Villains:
- The Conformist - he thrives by taking advantages afforded to him by whatever system is available to do so, almost equating what is legal to what is right and proper even when it is legal to seriously harm another. After all, if it weren’t right and proper, the law should be changed, and since it hasn’t been changed, it must still be right.
- The Intellectual - he probably does not consider himself to be evil, but almost certainly considers himself to be intelligent, wise, shrewd, and on the ball rather than foolishly concerning himself with the welfare of others as those idiotic dopes that speak of the common good are concerned. Often, this type of character thinks of themselves as naturally superior to others, their own needs coming first, and the needs of others coming much further down the list.
- The Overlord - he is concerned only with his own goals and nothing else. Only those things that with strengthen him and push him towards that goal are important and he will pursue that goal with any means possible. He hopes to bring himself to a position of power, glory, and prestige.
Playing a villain will never grant a player license to break the three laws of Underlight. Being "evil" is not a valid excuse for randomly collapsing or harassing others; and one of the most difficult aspects of upholding an "evil" character is ensuring grudges stop at your character. Don’t get angry with others for their responses to your character, because they too are taking a logical role. Also, "evil" characters must abide by the basic teaching principles of Underlight. All characters must provide a task and a worthy endeavor before granting an art, sphere or plateau. Handing out free arts, plats and spheres to your friends cheapens the gaming experience for other players.
