Playing Evil

JediMindTrix

So, I've never played an evil character...

Unnecessary Exposition:
The reasons for this vary. When I was younger, I couldn't bring myself to make Evil choices, and later, it was because I had heard the game was skewed towards good. (You couldn't even have a full evil party). I didn't start finding enjoyment in Evil until I force-persuaded two thugs to give me all of their credits and jump into the pits of Nar Shaddaa in KOTOR 2, and finally until I started playing Renegade Shepard. Point is, I think I'm ready now.

Necessary Questions:
1) What is there to do as an evil character, that you cannot do as a good character?
2) What mods are available to enhance the experience in the series as an evil character, that you would recommend?
3) NPCs?

SionIV

1.) In BG there is nothing you can do that a good character won't do and get better rewards for.
2.) There aren't really any mods out there that improve the game for evil characters, except the assassination one in BG2 and then some evil NPC's.
3.) Valen is evil if i remember right, and i'm sure there are more NPC mods out there that are evil.

elminster

1) There are a few quests that are changed (or in one case you have a greater number of options to complete a quest) if either you are an evil character or if your reputation is low enough. You generally don't get a better reward for the evil outcomes though there is one case that you do.

2) No clue

3) If you mean NPC mods I have no clue. Otherwise go with Viconia, Korgan, Edwin, Yoshimo, Anomen (chaotic neutral path), and Sarevok (ToB).

JediMindTrix

That case you refer to being in the Underdark?

elminster

That wasn't what I was referring to. I was referring to the silver pantaloons.

JediMindTrix

Big Metal Yoonit isn't in my gameplan xD

meagloth

As I have seen it, playing evil has no advantage, and a few detriments to gameplay, with your rep. low you don't get better prices at the stores. It's not that big of a change except(in my case) it makes you feel bad about playing the game.

elminster

Playing evil has its own rewards. Like being able to walk into the the temple of Helm, Lathander and Order of the Radiant Heart and slaughter them all (after you do their respected quests of course). Then going into the Temple of Talos and (later) Umberlee and slaughtering them all

You do lose out on a fair bit of coin but you can make some of that up by stealing more (doesn't obviously work in the case of some stores). Basically playing evil just requires more effort but it opens up other opportunities (like being able to use Blackrazor).

Schneidend

If you're actually playing to your alignment in either case, a Good character generally isn't going to break into every random locked house, while an Evil character would no problems doing that. The same with killing whoever you please.

sarevok57

well if you are evil in bg1 you cant use twinkle ( only goody goodies can use that sword) but in SoA in the underdark you can use soul reaver ( only evil baddy baddies can use that +4 two handed sword that drains enemy thac0) in bg1 a great team would be; dorn,shar-teel, (kagain) viconia, montaron, xzar/Edwin/baeloth ( if you're going to be a fighter type take out kagain and put you, and for one of the last 3, choose one of them, or take out another fighter type to use 2) in SoA, korgan,viconia and Edwin are the only evil npcs, so I usually bring jaheira along and yoshimo/jan to fill up the rest, and then in ToB you can have sarevok join your team, but yeah in SoA if you are evil you can have some different choices to say to other npcs, one for example is that you can do the evil side of Firkraag's quest, and get a different outcome and such

BelgarathMTH

Robbing every container in the game is the best reason to play evil that I can think of. Although, you could possibly justify that with any chaotic alignment with a little bit of headcanon writing.

As for wanton murder, that's dangerous, because you might kill a critical quest npc if you don't know what you're doing. That, and swarms of Flaming Fist up your butt in every town is a pretty big punishment for being evil, if you ask me. Not to mention the higher store prices, up to and including total shutdown of some merchants.

I absolutely *hate* the game's reputation system, for an evil character. I might occasionally enjoy playing with an "evil" party, since a lot of those characters are the most interesting in the game, but merely completing quests usually raises your reputation to the point where they leave you. I think that's kind of lame, as in "stupid evil" lame. "Smart evil" would know how to manage reputation to its advantage.

Speaking of "smart evil", I would submit Dr. Malocchio from the Hulu series "The Awesomes" as an example. Not to mention Sarevok, Irenicus, and Bodhi. The list of "smart evil" examples from film and literature could go on and on - Palpatine, Khan, the Goa'uld, Torak, the Evil Prophecy, Saruman, Sauron, or, in fictionalizations of our world, J.R. Ewing, Alexis Colby Carrington, or, in comic books, Dr. Doom, Lex Luthor, etc., etc. In fact, making a list of archetypal story-effective, "love to hate" villains could make its own thread.

I just don't see that the BG game as implemented gives you *any* choices to play "smart evil".

Yes, I know how to manage reputation down, either by very carefully timed murder, or just flat out using Keeper to raise and lower it. But that just feels so phony and unsatisfying to me, when contemplating fun, entertaining villainy.

I think that this issue is why so many people who want to play a villain in BG, who will ultimately

become the God of Murder

, frequently complain.

SionIV

Planescape Torment got the evil part right.

Corvino

Playing Evil doesn't mean you need to kill a bunch of innocents. You can just do all the morally questionable quests without any qualms, and tell your party members to quit bitching about working for the Shadow Thieves etc.

Once you've come up with a set of motivations for your character, the way to respond to dialogue and quests becomes a lot simpler. Do they want power? Do they want money? Are they willing to hurt others to achieve their own ends? How about innocents? "Evil" characters are more difficult to play that heroic ones.

For example a Lawful Evil Mercenary character might take no pleasure in hurting others, but will certainly kill anyone who stands in their way. They would also have no qualms about asking for as much money as they can get. But at the same time, they would disapprove of stealing and other petty lawbreaking.

Lateralus

It's a ROLE PLAYING game. You're playing a ROLE. Exactly how actors play roles. I'm sure Jack Nicholson never tried to hack peoples heads off with an axe when he was growing up, but in the Shining, he played a guy who did. I bet Health ledger never once considered being the Joker, he was probably a sweet guy.

Just try something new, be a little evil. It wont change YOU as a person.

Or will it? :I

Luigirules

It is fundamentally impossible to fully separate yourself from a character whose actions you control.

JediMindTrix

The quote at the beginning of the game (originally) sums it up best.

Lateralus

Luigirules said:

It is fundamentally impossible to fully separate yourself from a character whose actions you control.

"fundamentally"? I don't follow. When my character dies, I don't die. I don't even feel bad.

Schneidend

Lateralus said:

Luigirules said:

It is fundamentally impossible to fully separate yourself from a character whose actions you control.

"fundamentally"? I don't follow. When my character dies, I don't die. I don't even feel bad.

"Fully."

Corvino

You don't need to "go method" to play a character of a different morality to yourself.

Writing a character biography for them may help though, or at least having one in your head. Understanding their goals, motivation and personal history is key to playing them true to alignment.

velehal

There aren´t many (in game) options that the evil characters have and the good don´t. The game is biased towards "good". Or at least it seems so. But one reason is that many people don´t roleplay and have no problem to perform actions which seem (to me) evil, even if they are playing a good character.
Example: There is a stupid bragging swordsman in Firewine Bridge, who is saying something about being the best swordsman in the world. And has the Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise. I´ve always found it difficult to find acceptable reason to fight him with good character. Yes, he is evidently stupid and delusional but it isn´t enough to kill (for a good character). So with good character I let him go.
There are other similar situation in BG1 (Sendai, party of adventures in the basilisks location)
Another example is Drizzt. I know that others kill him even with good characters, but I think that their justification is artifical at best.
Or breaking into houses and looting the property which evidently belongs to someone else.
If you evil, you can do whatever you want without roleplaying concerns.