Yamo wrote:
I didn't enjoy the BovD ("Nipple Clamps of Exquisite Pain?" Puh-lease!), but I wouldn't mind seeing an issue devoted to running "evil PC" campaigns; a notoriously tricky prospect. Just as long as it doesn't read like it written by a thirteen-year old.
I was actually forced into running a campaign like that back in 2nd ed. It was pretty fun... Everyone got a lil too cocky when they started rising in lvls and ended up switching to some form of evil along the way. Well, one only went so far as Chaotic Neutral; but, most were either neutral evil or chaotic evil.
It'z a very hard game to run tho. There's alot of infighting between PC's and stuff. If they aren't being selfish and fighting amongst themselves, they don't make a very good evil group. LOL There was always battles when one person got jealous that someone else was gaining too much power. It didn't usually end in character deaths, because one would usually end up running off (which usually ended up being fun too, cuz they'd set traps up for them all the time..) At the worst point, I had to end up running different games at different times, because someone would leave and start working on their own to try to make the other char's lifes hard (traps, plots, ect.)
It takes alot of time and thought on the DM's part to run a campaign like that. Alot of times, they were eachother's villians--along with other plots that I came up with. It'z more difficult for the DM than the players to run that kind of game... LOTS of brainstorming for the DM, but the players just play the game as usual--it does make it easier tho, when ur players take the initiative to come up with their own ways of being a villian. Timing is the worst issue. You will be running one game, and stuff happens that you need to make sure the other side knows about, or u have to stop the game when certain events happen. You have to work with your players alot to see what they're waiting for, ect. Also, when ur playing all together, there's alot of note passing between DM and players. Plus, on top of that, you have to watch them... If they're anything like my players, they'll try to change their plans when they hear something that is said aloud. You have to be sure they don't use info that their char's aren't privy to.
I guess it was good that they kind of went the bandit route. It gave me alot of easy adventure ideas that they could WORK TOGETHER on LOL. They were also banned from certain cities and such and hunted down, which forced them into working together, too.
The campaign was in the Forgotten Realms. It created a great opportunity for them to learn more about the Zhentarim and take part in alot of things on the other side. Lots of reverse adventures involved, ect.
One of the PC's even got close to Manshoon... Personal audiences and stuff, but he sent her on impossible missions just to see her mettle. He knew she wouldn't be able to succeed, but wanted to see what she was capable of doing.(another boon to my side, as the DM, was that there was an NPC that was a Zhentarim spy--they met her BEFORE it all went down... Instead of a villian, she ended up being a great ally, and eventually became one PC's henchman... It wasn't where I saw it going at all LOL Just another way players suprise the DM)
They ended up turning on the Zhentarim, tho. They started working together and behaving themselves. There was too much running from the authorities for them. By the time Shieldmeet came around, the dales started talking and it wasn't so easy to move around anymore. Before then, some of them started having guilt issues--feeling sorry for all the crimes they commited and worked on clearing their names. It took awhile but they did it. One char even chose to STAY on that path. He was very much in cohoots with Manshoon and Fzoul, while the other characters ended up becoming spies for the harper scouts and working for the Lord of Shadowdale. They were fine with the battle with eachother (i made sure, cuz i didn't want hard feelings...) and then it ended up coming down to a battle between the two sides outside the temple of cyric in Zhentil Keep. By this time, they were around the 11th lvl, so it was a pretty flashy battle LOL.
They snuck into the temple and were on some mission, but the zhentarim faction of PC's were waiting for them, having tricked them into coming to their home turf. The good PC's eventually won, but ended up being captured and sold into slavery (which they escaped... long story LOL This story is going on for way too long... I was just gonna say, "Hey, evil games can be fun! ROFL")
It was alot of fun. It created a great game and a great history for their characters, but it was nowhere near easy on my part. --but I allowed them to continue with the path they chose, and focused on improv instead of leading them by the nose... I would never ever pass that game up. It was great!
I don't think I would purposely start an all-evil game... that seems doomed. I have had evil PC's in my groups and they usually don't last long, but if your players stray to the evil spectrum, as long as it makes sense and is moderated well, you can have a great game. :)
I still love hearing my players talk about that campaign. Their conversations go on for forever and are so rich with details and history (so and so did this and then...blah blah). It'z entertaining to just sit back and listen. That game never would have been so great, if it wasn't for them falling down a lil bit, morally, along the way.
