Which Evil Alignment Do You Prefer to Play?
Mortianna
Member Posts: 1,356
This is the first of a series of polls to see how significant alignment tendencies are for us in role playing our PCs (and NPCs). While "messier," tendencies provide both complexity and subtlety to the standard nine alignment matrix. On the other hand, they can also add unnecessary tedium to the game.
The Good and Neutral alignment tendency polls may be found here:
Which Good Alignment Do You Prefer to Play?
Which Neutral Alignment Do You Prefer to Play?
Instructions: From the list below, choose the Evil alignment you most enjoy playing.
*I didn't include Lawful Evil (TN) or Chaotic Evil (TN) because there are only 10 poll options. Feel free to indicate this in the comments if you prefer to play one of those alignments. There is an option in the poll for Neutral alignments that allows you to choose True Neutral with a tendency toward one of the four absolute alignments.
**I started with the Evil alignments because I'm fond of playing Evil PCs/parties and thought I might as well be true to the alignment and act in self-interest.) ^ ^
The Good and Neutral alignment tendency polls may be found here:
Which Good Alignment Do You Prefer to Play?
Which Neutral Alignment Do You Prefer to Play?
Instructions: From the list below, choose the Evil alignment you most enjoy playing.
*I didn't include Lawful Evil (TN) or Chaotic Evil (TN) because there are only 10 poll options. Feel free to indicate this in the comments if you prefer to play one of those alignments. There is an option in the poll for Neutral alignments that allows you to choose True Neutral with a tendency toward one of the four absolute alignments.
**I started with the Evil alignments because I'm fond of playing Evil PCs/parties and thought I might as well be true to the alignment and act in self-interest.) ^ ^
- Which Evil Alignment Do You Prefer to Play?179 votes
- Lawful Evil (LN tendencies)12.29%
- Lawful Evil17.32%
- Lawful Evil (NE tendencies)7.26%
- Neutral Evil (LE tendencies)7.82%
- Neutral Evil20.11%
- Neutral Evil (TN tendencies)8.38%
- Neutral Evil (CE tendencies)5.03%
- Chaotic Evil (NE tendencies)1.68%
- Chaotic Evil12.85%
- Chaotic Evil (CN tendencies)7.26%
Post edited by Mortianna on
2
Comments
And sometimes you just have to monopolise the local iron resource poor economy and let the poor people starve while carrying ridiculous amounts of money in my backpack...
As long as it is all above board as they say...
Generally though I've never really been able to pull off a truly evil character since I find even the mere intention to be evil to be somewhat morally questionable. I've played evil characters in games on occasion simply for the experience, but at the end I tend to feel like I need a long shower. I do it occasionally because I like to question moral boundaries and ask myself what is really good vs. what has become little more than illogical dogma since a lot of injustice and evil likes to disguise itself in the cloak of good. A great many evils in the world start out as little more than a misinterpreted good. After all -
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions"
Whenever I play evil I feel like I should just go all out and murder everyone. Lawful evil always seemed really sleazy character to me, like setting up an undefeatable carnival game.
Lawful Evil: Machiavellianism
Neutral Evil: Narcissism
Chaotic Evil: Psychopathy
Lawful Evil: I tend to be, well, manipulative. Or shady.
Neutral Evil: GLaDOS
Chaotic Evil: dolan
Starting Abilities
STR 19
DEX 18
CON 19
INT 14
WIS 18
CHA 5
A tall half-orc, chaotic evil, fighter/cleric of Tempus. He is quick to anger, devoid of honor, absent of compassion, and thoroughly cunning. If he is not in the act of fighting, he is thinking about how to get into the act of fighting. Killing innocent humans to draw the attention of the Flaming Fist mercenary company is just another day in the life of Brux. He moves through the realms like a shark, sniffing out blood. Dual maces, full plate, and an appetite for destruction. You know you're bad when Dorn is the diplomat of the party.
I keep Rassad alive simply so I can knock him out in a fist fight every time I walk through (the now vacant) streets of Nashkel. Tempus laughs at his kicking.
Also, I think the term Machiavellianism is a little hard on Machiavelli. He wasn't as bad as people though, he just vented in his book a little. But still, chaotic evil. I have always had a soft spot for psychopaths.
( I actually HAVE seen dragons with feet like rabbits, it's true, I swear.)
I agree with you that psychological conditions have no direct bearing on one's "goodness" or "evilness."
And, while there's a strong genetic component to psychopathy, the environment in which psychopaths were raised plays a important role in how they turn out. If a psychopath had a generally positive childhood socialization in a functional home, then that person will most likely never actualize what their psychopathic "nature/genetic propensity" is capable of. On the other hand, if a psychopath's upbringing or childhood experiences were negative...well, the film, "Hannibal Rising," is a good depiction of that path.
I'm a little weird.
If I were to play evil though, it would likely be lawful evil. As has been discussed before, good tends to be more interesting when it leans toward chaotic, and evil tends to be more interesting when it leans toward lawful.