So now we come to the crux of the matter. The part where we stop sitting around the hall of villainy and get down to the real work. I don't look forward to writing this article because I've always felt that no one should ever tell anyone how to run there games. In fact even if I have to suffer the horrors of a terrible game master I'd rather clench my fists and shut my mouth then tell them how to run their game. I write this article more out of a sense of obligation then desire. If theres going to be a monthly column about evil in tabletop games then there must be an article about running evil games.

An evil game is defined, for the purposes of this article, as any game wherein the players take on the role of characters who are perfectly clear on their moral standing. That is clearly evil, vile, malicious bastards. Where heroes, not villains, are the primary antagonists of the characters as they're forced to fight off wave after wave of would be protagonists trying to shove them off their mountain of corpses. The characters aren't doing these things for any real reason other then to satisfy their selfish desires for power, pleasure, and wealth. While for many groups this might not be very different from any normal game the distinction is necessary.

Why Evil?

The first question you should ask yourself whenever considering an evil game is why? Why is your plot, your story, your world so different that it can only get through by having characters that are lacking any set of normal moral values. It's an important question to ask because quite frankly running an evil game is a challenge. You have to consider completely different sets of reactions from characters played by people that may not be accustomed to playing a game where depravity is actually encouraged rather then frowned upon. Goals have to be different, challenges have to be relevant, a dozen different things that you have taken for granted before the game even begins have flipped upside down into some bizzaro world where up is down, left is right, and all hell is breaking loose in a non favorable manner.

On top of all this you have to deal with players whose views on evil might not be the same as yours. They will typically view evil as the various hordes of tasty exp rich critters you hurl at them. So, in many cases you may have to sit them down and explain to them what is sort of expected out of them. So unless you're running Grand Theft Auto:Tabletop Edition it's necessary for some groups to explain to them that randomly walking into innocent peoples homes and knifing them for the stuff in their pockets is generally frowned upon by the local guard not to mention the many law enforcing and good doing groups in existence.

This takes effort, more so then your average game where mainstream media and literature has essentially hammered into the brain what's expected of heroes fantasy or otherwise. It's very easy for a player these days to at least fake being a compelling and interesting good character but an evil one takes more thought and planning and becomes very difficult to simply because there are so very few sources that give such attention to villains.

So ask yourself if it's worth trying to run an evil game. Does your plot require your players to be villains? Is your group honestly interested and mature enough to make it worthwhile and memorable? Can you handle the inevitable trouble that will arise from differences in ideas regarding what makes an evil character or even an evil game? If the answer is no to any of these questions you should seriously consider not even calling it an evil game. Tell your players that it's a game not meant for heroes and leave it at that. This way you're not forcing them into a perceived mold and allowing them to come into a stage that they're comfortable with. Less effort on your part and less stigma from them.

How evil works for you.

Evil is different, that's why it's appealing. The typical gamer who gets excited by the prospect of playing an evil game is one who's played all sorts of heroic or semi-heroic type characters. They want change, they want to be the ones who correct all the mistakes made by a hundred villains they have vanquished. An evil game gives a game master the opportunity to provide their players with a different experience then that normally prescribed in most games. Most games expect the players to be playing the part of protagonist heroes who spend most of their time undoing the works of villains. While in an evil game it will be the protagonists that actually try to prevent the undoing of their malevolent plots. In any case evil games are a breath of fresh air to jaded players and game masters sick of playing out the same heroic scenarios.

Also it gives player and game masters a chance to explore many of the same stories from a different perspective. Rescuing the obligatory hostage is one thing but what if you have to go through the painful process of actually kidnapping, holding and ransoming said hostage? What if you're the servant of some bloodthirsty elder god unwelcome in polite society? Your typical white plate mailed knight could just walk into the local church and pray to his equally bloodthirsty but shinier and prettier god to give worship. The evil character on the other hand has to deal with other more clandestine things. Playing evil gives characters a different perspective then what they might be used to and allows them to do things that they might find otherwise out of theme for their character.

Evil games also give groups a chance to explore the so called forces of good and evil in a different light. They can gray the edges a bit and suddenly the horrible death cult is merely trying to save peoples souls from being consumed by all powerful gods of light. The bandits and robbers might just be common people trying to tweak the nose of an oppressive regime that has been ruling for millenia. So called heroes can be proven just as evil and vile as the villains themselves as they are going around mindlessly slaughtering the characters friends and family members in the name of justice.

Of course let's not forget that evil opens up different mechanics that may have been restricted from the characters original use. Necromancy, demon summoning, calling on the dark power of mad gods, using illegal technology, or forbidden psychic abilities. These things that are only ever read about or used by the game master gives the players more tools to play with making even a game that the group has been playing for years become something fresh and new.

So if you choose to go with an evil game you do have lots of fresh options open to you to choose from depending on your choice of game setting and system.

Evil World, Evil Numbers

Every game treats evil in a different way. Even games that eschew morality mechanics entirely and have pre written settings will almost always have some difference between good and evil. That's simply the nature of the story. Games about heroes require villains, games about survival have to have something to struggle against. Below is a short list of games that are not bad starts for an evil game.

Dungeons and Dragons: A classic and one of the most easily recognizable games with plenty of prewritten settings saving a lot of work for you. The only stigma I attach to it is the typical player attitude towards the various evil alignments and the debates that spring up over them all the time.

New World of Darkness: Playing evil in any of these games is a matter of perspective. Good characters from these series simply try and survive hiding from those that fear and hate them even as they try to get on with their (un)lives. Evil characters on the other hand would prove far more active taking the initiative and conquering those around them, taking joy in their darkness and savoring the exquisite misery they inflict on others. World of darkness is one of the funner games to be evil in because people already fear and hate you all you have to do is give them a real reason.

Exalted: While it is still a matter of perspective it's easier to be one of the evil type of exalts or beings (Abyssal, Infernal, Fair Folk) then it is to try one of the other types that are predisposed towards being heroes. Not only are they already tuned to the world views of villains they already have the wardrobe and matching charms.

Cthulutech: Why simply worship the elder gods when you can do so from the comfort of your techno-organic mech? While I find the conflict resolution system to be a pain in the ass I do enjoy the setting and options immensely. Don't hunt the monster. Become the monster.

All Flesh Must Be Eaten: Imagine if you weren't just trying to survive but also kill other survivors? What if you were out to spread the infection as far and as wide as possible? Evil can add an interesting twist to a classic scenario of brain eating action.

Dark Heresy: Why hunt the Xeno or Daemon worshiping cultists when you can be the cultists? Playing from the perspective of chaos can be entertaining if done with the right amount of twisted humor and horror.

Anima: Beyond Fantasy: It describes itself as a dark fantasy. Not bad if a bit D&Dish in it's flavor .

Maid RPG: Evil maids serving their dark overlord master in conquering the world? Good for laughs and parody games. Worth a shot if you can get over the mild creepy factor.

That's all for now folks tune in next month when we discuss the difference between the plot of a good game and one of an evil game.