The Bad, The Worse, and the Vile: The Art of Being Evil
Subtle evil is something of a lost art in our day and age where everything has to be either gray and edgy or purest black to appeal to more jaded audiences of movies and comics. And let’s face it these same jaded individuals are the ones who sit around the gaming table quoting Monty Python and talking about the latest episode of Heroes.
In our modern minds, evil is obvious. The man in the black spiked suit of heavy armor is evil, the cackling mad scientist wearing the oversized electrical gloves is evil, and the black leather clad raven haired seductress must be evil. This can be problematic from either side of the table. On the gm’s side it makes the villains utterly forgettable and easily predictable. On the players side it makes your villain or anti-hero cliché and bound to draw groans from the rest of the players.
Some character archetypes demand that subtlety is not an option. A character trying his best to be the image of a demon or a dark lord is going to do everything to look and act that part. That’s unavoidable, if that’s what you want to do then that’s the path one must take. But, what if you don’t want to fir into a typical stereotype? What if you want to be your own brand of evil? That’s where subtlety comes into play.
The first and foremost method to subtlety is all in how a character acts in a given situation. Let’s take Conan the barbarian as an example. While not necessarily a good guy he doesn’t visibly take pleasure in the slaughter of his enemies and generally does what he does because that’s what he knows works, no evil behind it, and no joy into it. Now, let’s take Conan and let’s change his behavior in battle, let’s add a crazed look in his eye, then have him laugh maniacally as he swings his sword around, reveling in the fear of his enemies and screaming in orgasmic triumph as he spills their blood. Suddenly Conan turns from the barbarian hero to a psychopathic maniac. What he actually does isn’t any different, but the methods and attitudes he uses to go about it make him frightening to a massive degree. If we go back to our example of The Joker we understand that The Joker gleefully murders his victims and leaves a terrible toxin in them that mutilates their face into a terrible post mortem grin. If we took that away from him would that make him less scary? Just the smallest changes in one’s behavior can make a huge impact on how other characters view that person and lead to some interesting moments.
Now, let’s move on to appearance. If you’re trying to avoid an evil look then avoid the colors black and red or any combination of the two. Avoid being overly spiny or jagged, avoid looking like a dead guy in any way shape or form, leave the blood and bone motif’s at home, ride the skeletal warhorse or possessed demon bike only on special occasions and please, we beg of you, do NOT wear the skins or entrails of your enemies as clothing. IF you do any of these things you’ve lost all subtlety and the authority figures will be along shortly. So what does that leave you with? Well you should probably just dress as a normal guy, or better yet, as one of the shining examples of good morals and better manners. Ultimately, subtlety does not lie in clothing or garb, those are always obvious. Instead let your evil appearance come out in your body language, your movement, the way the character handles themselves in a given situation. Give subtle hints in your description that implies that something isn’t quite right with the character, something that clicks on the “do not touch” button within the other characters minds. Allow me to give an example of what I’m talking about:
“The soldier sitting at the bar looked typical for one of his kind. A neat, clean uniform that is worn from repeated battles adorns this man who half heartedly sips from his mug of ale. Turned away from the bar he stares unemotionally at the maids and other women who move about that tavern conducting their nightly activities. As he follows their every movement with his tired and bloodshot eyes he plays with a foot long piece of cord. As he puts the half finished mug down he takes the cord in both hands and starts to stretch it between them before beggining the process anew all while staring at the women with a cold observing gaze.”
So what does this imply? Does the soldier have nefarious things brewing in his mind for the women? What’s the significance of the cord? These tiny things make a big difference in a description. Less can be more when talking about villainous appearances. In one game where I had a twelve year old girl (who was actually a 40 year old wizard and scientist) give her creepy villainous monologue it actually disappointed the players to see her turn from that twelve year old girl into a giant mutant freak. “It would’ve scared my character more to fight her with all that strength and speed in that form”, I had one player say. So, think very carefully how you ant your villains to appear. Evil has many faces, and it wears them all when appropriate.
Next you have to think about speech. If every other sentence the character speaks involves harming another creature or committing some terrible act then the morality police will be on you harder then you can scream “I Repent!” Speech is a big part of it, volume, tone and sentence structure are all as telling as body language when showing just how creepy a character is. The unfortunate part of the medium in which I’m conveying this information to you means that it’s difficult to give a good example, So, as a simple exercise, simply speak this example below at first in normal talking speed. Then, speak it a second time but as you progress to the shorter sentences lower your volume to almost a whisper and talk much slower.
“The results of your x-ray came back and I have good news. It seems you will recover quickly. Because of your good bones. Very good bones. Enviable bones. Yessss.”
If you did this correctly then more then likely you just creeped someone out in the same room as you. Speech can reveal things about a character that is never implicitly talked about or revealed but is implied in the way he talks to other people or things. This is a very potent tool in a role-players arsenal and should never be ignored.
Finally we have to consider the philosophy of the villain. Remember, evil rarely considers itself evil; different, good, possibly amoral or simply an engine for change but almost never explicitly evil. That’s what makes the dark side so seductive, so desirable. Good implies restrictions, a leaving behind of primal desires and tastes in favor of rules and moralities that get in the way of individual want and need. Keep these things in mind when you have a villain spout his monologues or giving inspiring speeches to his legion of minions.
Slight subtleties and minor inconsistencies in the villain’s philosophy should point them out as evil but they should never be obvious. Perhaps the villain abolishes slavery in favor of indentured servitude or military conscription. The wording is different but the outcome is the same. Perhaps the villain offers a verdant paradise to the worshipers of her dark god but at the cost of the bloody sacrifice of a virgin every night at midnight. Perhaps they don’t see the slaughter of innocent civilians as evil but an unfortunate sacrifice in the name of a greater good.
Subtlety as a gm tool or a character train is an awesome force when used correctly. And it’s not as difficult as it sounds. I’ll always remember that my players were unnerved by the twelve year old girl who spoke in a grown woman’s voice but yawned at a terrifying demon. I’ll always consider Dr. Hannibal Lectre to be a much more compelling and frightening villain then the Dark Lord Sauron. And I want you to remember that The Joker only wants you to laugh. Laugh until you are dead.
