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Dungeons & Dragonsis mostly a game about doing heroic deeds with friends. However, variety is the spice of life, and no one said the player characters must be morally good. D&D’s alignment system has enough room for all kinds of motivations and moral compasses.
Inverting the hero-villain is nothing new to gaming. Classic video games like Dungeon Keeper, Overlord, and Destroy All Humans put us in control of the evil faction, and these titles can teach us about running an evil campaign, too. There are some pitfalls to avoid. But, done right, evil campaigns offer lots of fun for players and Dungeon Masters. Let’s check out some tips for running an evil campaign.
Table Talk Before Evil Dungeons & Dragons
It’s vital that you and your players areupfront about expectations from the start.Some players might understand an “evil campaign” as a chance for lighthearted Saturday morning cartoon villainy. Others might interpret the same premise as an opportunity to explore the darker parts of the human psyche. These two hypothetical players will have different expectations of the game.
Being honest with the table about your expectations is the best way to avoid upsetting anyone. D&D is meant to be fun, but some have a different idea of what that looks like.Players and DMs should be clear about boundaries, taboos, and off-limit subjects before these things become problematic.
During session zero, you must define the limits of their characters' cruelty. It seems like a lot to ask, but you’ll avoid awkward situations later by establishing the game’s parameters first. A good way to do this is to haveeach player use references from films, books, and video games to illustrate their character’s nature.These references can help establish the tone and avoid crossed wires.
DM Ground Rules For Evil Dungeons & Dragons
There are no rights and wrongs with tabletop RPGs.Rule sets and systems are intended to be adapted to best suit you and your friends.However, experienced DMs generally agree that evil campaigns are best suited to more experienced players. Keeping things on track is easier when the player characters are the story’s good guys. There’s a reason most films, books, and other media cast heroes as protagonists.
Motivating, guiding, and engaging players is simpler when they roleplay as heroes. Heroes can easily bounce from solving one crisis to the next. Villains need their own internal motivation to act.Sustaining an evil campaign for players who don’t have a detailed backstory and motivation can be difficult.
Establish PVP Boundaries
Evildoers often double-cross and backstab. Treachery can form part of an evil campaign, but it’s generally better when the players don’t fight each other. Once PVP combat begins, your game risks devolving into a group of atomized characters acting in self-interest.
No DM wants to run a game where the party is split into factions. It isn’t much fun for players, either. The party should be a criminal enterprise rather than a collection of criminal individuals.
Teamwork Is Key
D&D has remarkable flexibility as a system. But some things simply work better than others. Teamwork is an example of this. The game allows players to compete and act against each other’s interests. But D&D doesn’t excel in these scenarios.
Evil PCs can have their own long-term schemes and grudges.But the game works better if they mostly act in unison. Consider saving treachery and backstabbing for the climactic end of the campaign.
Plan A Short Campaign
Many DMs agree that players tire of evil campaigns sooner than heroic ones. Playing as the bad guy is fun for a change, but most people get more satisfaction from playing as the hero.Consider a shorter than typical run when prepping for an evil campaign.It might be fun to start the players at a higher level.
Respect The Law
This doesn’t mean players shouldn’t break the law, but unless players at least attempt to hide their illegal actions, the game can get silly quickly.If players are openly stealing and murdering, they should expect a total party kill (TPK) from the local militia.Evil isn’t the same thing as reckless.
Choose Appropriate Alignments
All the PCs need to be Neutral or lower on the morality scale. Good alignments cause too much conflict in a party intent on doing bad.Lawful Evil is probably the easiest alignment to roleplay and run a game for,but outside of anything “good”, there are no wrong choices.
Actions Have Consequences
Evil adventuring comes with its own set of problems.Your players can’t expect to cheat and steal at will and find welcome and lodging at the local inn.Areas might become inaccessible because of PC’s behaviour. Entire groups may even become hostile.
The potential for annoying inconveniences due to bad behavouor can keep guard rails on the adventure.
Player Ideas For Evil D&D
Evil D&D campaigns go off the rails when player characters turn on each other. Having a strong backstory, motivation, and connection to the other PCs is more important than ever in evil D&D.There’s enough room for all kinds of characters in an evil adventuring party.Think of mafia movie archetypes for inspiration.
During session zero, try to develop shared history and joint plans with the other players. People aren’t typically born evil.It’ll help the story if your characters share some formative events that set them on a dark path.There are unlimited ways to connect your party. Use whatever backstory gets you excited. The following are some suggestions:
