A Necessary Evil In RPGs
How I run evil at my table
There is some buzz in the TTRPG community toward banning evil player characters entirely. While every GM has the right to curate their own table, I believe playing evil PCs serves a vital purpose in roleplaying.
To me, evil isn’t unhinged chaos; it’s selfishness, narcissism, and a fundamental lack of empathy and a player who wants to play their character that way, at least offers a contrast to sickly sweet altruism.
I love playing the anti-hero in games, “I’m with you as long as it benefits me.” That’s not to say that anti-heroes can’t show glimpses of genuine goodness.
At the end of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, the no-name stranger (technically, Blondie) strings up his backstabbing compadre. Just when all hope is lost, the stranger shoots the rope that would have ended him.
Being Heroic Is Complicated
Even the most good characters have their dark moments. Take Boromir, his attempt to take the Ring from Frodo was an act of growing evil come to a head fueled by jealousy and pride. Yet, he died a hero’s death protecting the Hobbit’s escape. Most PCs I’ve known exhibit these flashes of darkness, to me, that’s not a game-breaker, it’s part of the Hero’s Journey.
PCs aren’t as heroic as they think
The truth is, PCs are rarely as heroic as they think they are. Because human beings play these characters, their own propensities for ego and bias bleed into the game. We all like to think we’re the good guy (both at the table and on social media), but a quick look at how we treat others often debunks that. You can’t truly keep evil, as I define it, out of your game because the humans at the table are inherently flawed.
My question is, “What kind of evil are people trying to keep out of their game?”
There are 3 kinds evil in D&D; Lawful, Chaotic and Neutral.
Allow me to explain these 3 alignments using popular (and some obscure) examples of characters from movies.
Lawful Evil
Methodical, authoritative, and bound by a personal (if twisted) code.
John Milton (Al Pacino) from the Devil’s Advocate
Darth Vader
Lex Luther
Chaotic Evil
Unpredictable, destructive, and motivated by whim or malice.
Joker, from Batman
Ramrod from the movie Vice Squad
Freddy Krueger
Neutral Evil
Purely transactional; survival and self-interest are the only metrics.
In the movie Predator, Topher Grace played a doctor (Edwin) who murdered his patients. He was among soldiers and mercenaries, but the Predator saw him as an equal threat. He was the perfect kind of neutral evil. He manipulated people to his advantage to position himself for the best outcome. People were either tools or prey. Law and Chaos were irrelevant to him, survival was all that mattered.
I can see why GMs don’t want Chaotic Evil characters at their table. They’re a nuisance and a game breaker, no better than a demon, but if you’re playing a gonzo game and everyone is down for it, play away. A session zero makes sure everyone is on board.
I believe the other evil alignments, if played well, bring a spice to the game.
That’s the key, isn’t it? Evil for evil sake is boring. It’s a slasher movie with no character development, entertainment value or redeeming qualities. Think Friday the 13th X (Jason in space) vs American Psycho.
If someone wants to play an evil character at my table
I let them know that evil has a price. Being evil, especially overtly, will win you no points with the other PCs or the other players at the table. No one has to like or accept evil behavior.
You will reap what you sow. Being evil, as with being good, is a cause and effect proposition. The world you are playing in will react to your evil accordingly. Don’t be shocked when evil actions incur evil consequences. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
I will not punish you for playing your character. Evil, played well, could be a lot of fun especially if it’s behind the scenes. Evil, played poorly, as in “this is what my character would do” will likely be short lived because another PC or NPC, might want to “shorten” that PCs time in the game.
I think playing a one dimensional evil PCs should be experimental, not the norm. If someone wants to play evil, a one shot would be a good place for a player to try that out and see how they like playing evil.
I had a middle schooler who played their good, but flawed, character, like Boromir, all the way up to the point where he decided to steal all the treasure and run away. His character almost died because he has to face some challenges, including a very large snake.
Afterwards he told me, “I don’t think I like playing that kind of character.”
Lesson learned: Being evil isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
You can’t stop evil
We shouldn’t ban evil PCs simply because they are difficult. We’ve had Lawful Stupid Paladins ruining games for decades by being overbearing and rigid—should we ban them next?
Evil will always have a seat at the table because humans are the ones defining it. Instead of banishing it, we should manage it. My job is to let you play your character, but also to have the honest conversation: Is the path you’re taking actually worth the cost?
What do you think? Should evil characters be banished from the table? Are they banned from your table? If so, why?