Guide to RP an Evil Character

Lashela's Guides to Roleplaying

=Roleplaying a villain=

Why RP an evil person?
Short version: because it's fun! Long version: because it's damn fun!

The world of roleplay is full of cliches, characters that follow the guidelines. However, sometimes it's fun to break the stablished and play in completely different way. Even in a static world like WoW, you can play the way you want it. So, why spend all day long helping people in worthless quests when you can do whatever _You_ want?

Just have in mind that, when you are evil, there will not be many people around you. It's hard to find "evil friendship". For that reason, try to find someone to play with! You would not believe how many evildoers are out there, waiting their chance to be discovered!

Gawain wrote:

Role-playing evil and doing a good job of it is very difficult. Too many people set up evil guilds or create evil characters which in all honesty are nothing more than idiotic thugs without reason nor purpose - anyone can be a thug, only a true master can role-play being really evil.

Evil is not being mean, nasty, rude or confrontational nor does it require you to steal, maim, kill, #**@, pillage or generally act like a jerk. Anyone doing those things all the time would quickly become ostracized by the community in which they live.

Unfortunately, the majority of folk being "evil" are actually just being downright annoying and bordering on harassment in my own experience. Like it or not, Alliance and Horde are essentially good thinking beings (not too sure about the undead of course). Evil people should therefore be in the minority - carefully manipulating things behind the scenes to further their own desires.

Allright, enough with the advertising. Now, to the main guidelines.

Evil character: definition
From Wikipedia:

Evil is a term describing that which is regarded as morally bad, intrinsically corrupt, wantonly destructive, inhumane, or wicked. In most cultures, the word is used to describe acts, thoughts, and ideas which are thought to (either directly or causally) bring about affliction and death — the opposite of life. However, the definition of what counts as evil differs widely from culture to culture and from individual to individual. Some philosophers reject the idea of evil. Plato, for example, argued that that which we call evil is merely ignorance, and that which we call good is merely that which everyone desires. In some belief systems, evil consists of a willful deviation from a code of laws (written or unwritten) or moral standard, usually ascribed to a deity. According to this definition, people who, for example, reject a certain belief or engage in practices against this code are engaged in evil acts. According to other belief systems, evil consists of intentionally doing harm, and so-called "victimless crimes" should not be considered evil. It is important to note, however, that followers of the first definition believe that these "victimless crimes" do indeed have victims, usually the moral soul of the person committing the act. The duality of 'good versus evil' is expressed, in some form or another, by many cultures. Those who believe in the duality theory of evil believe that evil cannot exist without good, nor good without evil, as they are both objective states and opposite ends of the same scale. A similar term, malice (from the Latin malus meaning "bad"), describes the deliberate human intent to harm and be harmful. "Evil", by contrast, tends to represent a more elemental concept; a disembodied spirit that is natural and yet abominable. Whereas "malice" is specifically concerned with the act itself, "evil" is the cause of a malicious act.

Allright, you are evil. Now, how evil are you? It is not enough to go around and kick people randomly (that's being jackass, not evil). First, you need a reason. If you are wicked, why is it that you have become? Madman? When did you lose sanity?

Remember as well that evil people, truely evil does not see themselves as such. It's well known the saying "I'm not evil, just misunderstood". It's for a reason! When you are evil, it's you against the world. They are the bad guys, and you are just trying to find your way.

Sendraks wrote:

An evil character can be polite, can be very brave, honourable and may even be quite generous.

At the same time they can also be completely unmerciful, brutal and be possessed of something of a superiority complex, wishing to have little or nothing to do with those they perceive as being weaker than them.