...A Study in Evil

In deference to some of our more squeamish readers (assuming I have readers) today's illustrations will be composed entirely of kittens, as opposed to some of the horrific squick-inducing crap otherwise available on the intertubes.


Most people take a binary view of things: good and evil, black and white, order and chaos, etc. Others argue a trinary view, where gray, balance, and middle ground are as clearly defined as the polar opposites. Still others argue that it's all an illusion, and the concepts of good and Evil are only the result of an inadequate mind attempting to relate much higher concepts in a way that it can understand.


Granted, most of the folks you hear about in the third group are attempting to justify actions people in the other two groups would consider horrific... If it's all an illusion, then satisfying my own idle curiosity by releasing a necrotic, flesh-sculpting virus that drives its victims hopelessly insane is not really that different from making a nice apple pie for orphans, right?

OMFG WE CAN HAZ PIE?!

I guess you could even do both at once.  They've already lost their illusory parents, might as well give them some pleasant, pastry-related memories before you warp their little frames into gruesome death machines, yeah?

When it comes right down to it, what defines the evil that our players (hopefully) strive against?  How do you motivate them beyond the promise of wealth and other fabulous prizes?  Aside from railroading them into a specific story, how do you engage them and keep them interested in Mr. Big Bad?

MOAR after the bump.

Big Block of Small Disclaimers

We're dealing with some potentially heavy subject matter here. If it offends you, then I advise you to: (a) realize this is the internet (b) understand that my intent was likely not to offend you (c) note that you have every right to be offended, but I have every right to not give a damn, and say as I please (d) stop reading at any point (e) post long-winded rants in my comments section. If you choose (e), I'd prefer you were polite, but I require you to be coherent.

Not every opponent will be evil. Not every villain should be evil incarnate. Every henchman need not know what the Master has planned, and your players will react more strongly to 'real' evil when it's encountered if it's not something they face every single second of every single game. Give Evil a break, it's got a rough job.

Defining Evil: The Cold, Shriveled, Black Heart of the Matter

First off, your players (and frequently their characters) aren't Heroes. Frequently, they're not even good; they fall somewhere in between Diabolic Cheerful and Neutral Greedy. On the other hand, this allows you to create diametrically opposed villains that aren't evil, a concept I'll be saving for another post.

We glorify and romanticize those who sacrifice for others: while you're unlikely to write epic poetry about the guy who sacrificed 15 minutes of his day to make you a cheeseburger at his low-paying job, there aren't many people who'd say those who willingly and knowingly gave their own lives to save others aren't (in at least that moment) the finest examples of humanity.

As such, I posit that Evil is at it's very core nothing more than hubris, selfishness and a disregard of others. The willingness to put your own desires, wants and needs before others is what results in every evil deed known to mankind. Even the "morally gray" areas of killing thousands to save millions assumes that you know best, and that the thousands in this case cannot choose for themselves. There's the little evil of stealing from the corrupt town guard, and the big evil of the aforementioned pie-horrors, everything in between, and more well beyond. At it's best, it's what most of us would consider justifiable. At it's worst, it's a callous disregard for all other life if giving it the slightest thought would impact on your most trivial concerns.

I realize this isn't going to sit well with everyone... but I don't care. See? Little evil. How does that feel?

The Face of Evil: Looking Fabulous While Acting Horrendous

Your players' first impression is likely going to be based on appearance--just as in real life. So how do you define them? Are they monstrous and twisted to match their souls? Perhaps they're ordinary ("Ordinary" may vary by setting) with only a few subtle hints at evil--facial scars and black clothing seem to be a favorite. Maybe they're "almost human" but somehow manage to slip into the lowest portion of the uncanny valley.

Overlord Winky brushes his whiskers and
decares, "TO WAR, MY MINIONS!  Also, Wendy
in Human Resources will be defiling your corpses
via sodomy-induced necromancy.  Should you
have any questions, please consult your
pre-employment agreements."  Mr. Flopsy
suddenly regrets neglecting the fine print.

My favorite option? Innocent. Ordinary. Camouflaged. Aside from the potential for adventure just trying to find someone who can blend into a crowd with ease, it can really hit home for your players--especially when you go throwing in some appropriate guilt trips from previous games. "There, but for the grace of me deciding to only beat and rob that guy rather than murder him and his whole family and selling their organs on the black market, go I."  Of course, surrounding them with monstrous fiends of all varieties showcases their relative normalcy--even if it's only skin deep. Bonus points if they're so evil that even the minions get creeped out on occasion.

Inappropriate Levels of Aggression: Keeping Literary Principles Alive Without Slaughtering (All of) Your PCs.

From a logical perspective, it makes no sense at all for your Big Bad to send lowly minions to deal with a threat and then slowly increase the expertise of the troops sent in successive attempts until the characters eventually gain his level of expertise and armament. In a parallel, it's asinine to have them face off with the villain, have him emerge victorious through superior skills while the heroes narrowly escape, badly beaten and limping, and yet when they meet again, he's learned nothing despite the players spending perhaps years increasing their stature.


Yet both of these are so frequent that they're considered common tropes.


Still, every RPG system I'm familiar with has a progression system, and most people view these things as necessary evils.  However, in the interest of realism, drama, and making the final battle the culmination of months of fear and frustration, allowing them the feel of achieving something truly epic, I present another option:


Run the #@$% away.  We've already established that your players are unlikely to be actually heroic, so pride is the most likely culprit for resistance to this idea.  Still, when they see an army of rampaging demons headed their way, they're more likely to understand that standing and fighting is a poor choice.  It's unlikely you're going to be awarding experience and lewtz for running away, and your players are NOT going to enjoy themselves spending every playing moment fleeing for their lives and not accomplishing anything, so much of the conflict in your games is free to come from outside the primary Hero/Villain relationship.


What does that mean?  When the bad guys and his minions show up, it becomes a catastrophic event until much later in the game.  Your players won't need much prodding to hate the Evil guy, as they'll be itching to take down the menace that's made them feel helpless in their fantasy where they should feel powerful.

If you're only using four measly Horsemen of
 the Apocalypse, UR DOIN IT WRONG.

A couple things to note:  Be sure to give your players plenty of opportunities to excel.  Let them win a few minor battles, give them chances to be exceptional outside the context of dealing with the Big Bad, and try to use the crushing force of the Big Bad's mighty ire sparingly... Which bring us to the second thing.  Big Bad may not even know the players exist.  Evil is felt most when it's overtly unfeeling and uncaring.  Cthulhu cares not for your madness, and Raul Julia only knows that the day he burned your village and slaughtered your father like a dog in the street was a Tuesday.

Henchmen and You: Keeping Number Two as Interesting as Numero Uno
All that sodomy-induced necromancy will only keep the minion pool going for so long, and you've got to have a decent base to start out from, so we have to discuss the dirty business of contract labor.  Sure, your villain may pick out his minions from the folks congregating about the (world-equivalent) hardware store, but chances are that if he did, he didn't get far enough to be a credible threat.  Not having credible threats really only works for the first few levels of the game, or for the odd bout of comedic gameplay.


When we're talking about major antagonists, we want both quality and quantity.  The rank and file troops deserve thorough discussion, but for today we're going to focus on the lieutenants--they're most likely to have a profound impact on the game, and they present far more opportunities for intense storytelling drama.

Diversity isn't just a plus, it's a must! 
Being an equal opportunity employer qualifies
your villains for important tax breaks.

Option 1: The Clone Army

Not necessarily clones per se, the lackeys are similar in nature to the Big Bad, just with the power cranked down several notches.  We can't have the hired help taking over the place, can we?  These are great for putting one race in the spotlight or just highlighting a "dark legacy" in a single bloodline.  Outward semblance of appearance (and even some basal similarities in behavior) don't preclude throwing in enough variety to keep your players from assuming "mini-boss 2 is just mini-boss 1 with more hitpoints."  A notable example would be the Nazgul from Tolkien's epic--mostly the same with few real differences, and one super-badass.

Option 2: The Injustice League

Diversity gone nuts!  Every lieutenant is an individual, with their own specialties, strengths and weaknesses.  Every conflict is wildly different, and even the troops are likely varied according to their overlord's 'theme.'  It's a great way to represent a world-spanning organization that draws its forces from vastly different cultures and nations.  Still, such diversity seldom exists without a very powerful unifying force, so try and remember what it is about your villain (or perhaps, other than your villain!) that has drawn these people together under its rule.  Greed and conquest may work for some, but likely not all.  Some may believe they're genuinely doing what's Right--after all, not even the dimmest of Orcs would think it's a swell idea to conquer in the name of someone who's planning to rule for all time over his own eternal torment.  G.I. Joe's Cobra is a wonderful example of this, even if most of the villains suffer from an alignment of Malevolent Stupid.

As mentioned, the lieutenants need not be as vile as their leaders--in fact, a mid- or late-game defection from a minion who's been shown the "true face" of his master offers plenty of interesting plot points to work from, and can help shift your players from a defensive role to the beginnings of an offensive one.  

Besides, everyone loves a redemption story.

So.... Who wants some pie?

Oops.