Evil Characters

Before You Begin

Impiltur is governed by a council of paladins and is dominated by LG-aligned religions. Its society therefore has little tolerance for chaotic behaviour and less still for acts of evil. Luckily, large parts of Impiltur's Uplands and Farwater are sparsely populated and patrolled, sheltering evil folk and worse creatures. You are allowed to play evil characters but their life will not be an easy one, and if they are too careless or too successful it might not be a long one either. Being evil should be considered a major handicap to your character.

It should go without saying that permanent death is a real outcome for an evil character depending on the dark path they walk. Whether an evil character makes it to level 8 is based on how well they approach the setting with their evil intentions. Playing an evil character should not be viewed as a high risk-high reward gameplay experience, instead it should be viewed as a dark, all or nothing roleplay experience. An evil character may be rewarded with certain benefits and perks, however, they are temporary in the grand scheme of things and narrative enhancements for the enjoyment of the story until an evil character either meets their end at the hands of Triadic justice or other player characters, or fades into madness and obscurity, broken by their own malicious designs.

The Nature of Evil

On TER, the Evil alignment axis is defined as the willingness to do something for yourself at the severe detriment of others. For an evil act, it only matters that personal gain and severe harm are realistic outcomes thought acceptable by the character. The actual outcome is irrelevant. Most crimes count as acts of evil, though they can be chaotic at the same time.

Some creatures are inherently evil, like Devils. Others are instruments of evil deities, like Orcs. Because there's virtually no chance these will act out of Good considerations, they are usually killed on sight. For PC races, who are thought to have free will in this matter, being ready to commit evil or paying tribute to an evil deity is not cause for execution. Those who are aware of your preferences may watch you closely, but until you are accused of something specific you should be safe from persecution.

That said, you are expected to ventilate your alignment on a regular basis.

If you're aiming for a 'bad boy' or 'rebel' character who is rude, crude, grouchy, short-tempered, menacing, violent, skeptical, disillusioned or desensitized to aggression and suffering, consider whether they're really Evil or just unpleasant. You don't have to be a backstabbing, looting, arsonistic murderer to count as Evil, but if you're merely being self-serving at the mild expense of others, it's still a Neutral state.

Survival

Evil characters might have a few small advantages, such as a willingness to use the more powerful daemonic summons or necromantic spells or access to some potent evil-only magic items. But for the most part, they are no stronger or wealthier than the average PC. For an outspoken evil character like a Blackguard in particular, that means they must rely on other evil and neutral characters if they want protection from retribution. Similarly, Pale Masters and Daemonbinders are wise to surround themselves with those who find their brands of magic acceptable and won't run to alert a paladin.

It is of course possible to play an evil character who can function in a LG society or a good-aligned adventuring party without compromising their alignment or forfeiting their life. It certainly helps that most PCs are foreign outcasts to some degree, many with their own dark secret to keep. But even then, you are encouraged to forge bonds which outlast accusations.

The Application

You'll find a template for the application below. Please fill it in and PM it to Kilaana or Loreweaver. Your application will be reviewed to make sure that Evil is indeed the right alignment for your character and that your character has a decent chance to survive for a while. If there's a need for clarification or modification, you will receive a reply within 10 days. However, if you're confident there's nothing unusual in your application then feel free to start playing right away.

1. Please list your character information below:

Name:

Alignment:

Deity:

Final class combination:

2. Please describe your character in a single ten word sentence.

3. In your own words (50 or less), describe what makes your character evil.

4. Describe how your character is able to lead a stable life given their nature (30 words or less).

5. How is your character most likely to meet their end? (20 words or less).

6. Please provide any other information you feel is necessary to judge your character application.

A Practical Note

When it comes to playing a murderer, in particular, please note that there are rules governing PvP. You'll also find that most 'innocent' NPCs are marked as Immortal because they're not balanced for combat. You may contact a DM if you wish to play out such crimes in-game.

The sooner an evil application is sent in, the better, as it gives a DM time to craft and to collaborate on a dark narrative experience.