Evil Archetypes
Now that you've established that you want to be evil, you need to determine exactly what sort of evil you are. Granted there are some character classes that dictate the style in which you player that character. In those cases, you have a compulsory brand of evil. But there are those of you that want to be an evil fighter or rogue, with no desire to move into one of those evil prestige classes. Since you are here, you must want something more than to merely menace the local townsfolk.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Nothing here prohibits you from combining traits from several of the personalities listed below. These are guidelines and the first step into your journey towards true evil.
You may notice there are no evil overlords, megalomaniacs, or tyrannical dictators on this list. This is intentional. For starters, none of these archetypes are 1st-level characters. Your career of villainy starts at the bottom and before you can lead an army, you'd best learn how to organize a small band of brigands. These archetypes are purposely obtuse to leave the room of growing your character in your hands.
Each description begins with a background for how and why evil behaves the way it does. This is meant as an inspirational springboard, look into your own past and decide why you're insecure instead of brutish. The game notes tell you how your personality translates into actual game rules. Remember, these are not hard and fast rules, so just adopt a specific archetype that fits. Finally, there are role-playing tips. You know why you are the way you are. How does that translate during interaction?
These personality archetypes are suitable for nearly all character classes.
The Avenger
Background: Long ago, you were wronged. Someone slew your family, wiped our your village, usurped your king, desecrated your temple or something equally offensive. Regardless of what happened to you, you took the loss hard. So hard, in fact, that since that moment, the unquenchable fire of vengeance has driven you. Anything having to do with those that wronged you is now guilty by association and must suffer in the same way you did, or you simply destroy it.
Avengers are the most driven of individuals. They focus all their energy on their one task, never giving a thought to much else, let alone what they will do if they actually accomplish their task.
As befits their situation, avengers tend to be loners, unless they can find (or coerce) others that share a common cause with them, even if it is from a different perspective. Avengers put much of their energy into making sure they are ready for the moment, whenever it may come, to square off with those that wrong them and extract their final vengeance.
Avengers also take a long view. Though their vengeance is hot, their path toward that final confrontation can be long. Many feel this is done to let those that wronged the Avenger know that their end is coming. It may be a ways off, but it is coming nonetheless.
Game Notes: Avengers suffer socially. Nearly all their energy is devoted to the physical aspect with high Strength, Constitution and Dexterity scores. Skills that allow the Avenger to gain the upper hand are also favored. Hide, Persuade, Move Silently, Spot, Listen and Lore skills are good choices. Combat-oriented feats are the best choice for Avengers as they need that physical edge.
Role-playing Tips: Avengers are not necessarily gruff, unapproachable individuals, but they most certainly are focused. They tend to be loners, as it is unlikely that they can find others who feel as passionately as they do about their cause. Avengers are not stupid however, and easily join up with a party of adventurers. This is especially true if it helps to further their mission and goals. At the very least, an Avenger can tolerate the party. How long the Avenger stays with the group is another mater altogether.
You should determine what happened to the Avenger in his early days, and work out major points in the background. Having every detail laid out might actually take some fun out of the gaming. Leave some room for you to improvise as the campaign progresses.
The Brute
Background: Physical force, domination, cruelty. This is the language of the Brute. You enjoy being cruel. You relish in seeing others cower before you, obeying your demands out of fear. Unlike other evil types who enjoy this same type of domination from a distance, you like to make sure you are the one who is dispensing the cruelty. That personal feedback is hard to capture any other way, and the feeling is intoxicating. You prefer to keep your victims alive, so that they languish in humiliation. Death is sometimes necessary, but humiliation is so much better.
Your past is not pretty. You likely suffered on a personal level while growing up. You may have been the recipient of abuse, or simply witnessed excessive amounts of aggression and hostility. You realized, early on, the only path to survival was being stronger than those around you.
Not the most socially adept, you make up in brawn what you lack in brains. If you do not like something, you destroy or at least dominate it. There is little to fear from something you've ground under your boot.
While violent by nature, you do have a (somewhat distorted) moral compass. There are some things you find repugnant, and refuse to do. While they may not stop it from happening, you wont participate in or instigate the activity. This bent moral compass also provides you (some) respect for others treated similarly.
Game Notes: Brutes are not very smart or quick-witted. Most of their physical attributes, particularly Strength, are high. They choose feats that augment their combat abilities. Skill are usually more direct in nature. Subtle skills (Bluff, Animal Empathy, Open Lock, etc.) take a back seat. Some skills, such as Intimidate and Discipline are important to the Brute, however, who needs to hold his ground as a fear-inducing threat.
Role-playing Tips: Some Brutes may only be one step up from mindless killing machines, but most are a few steps above that. In fact, it would mean a short career in villainy without some restraint from brutish tendencies.
While not social butterflies by any stretch, Brutes know when they are being insulted and when they are outmatched. Some Brutes also like to play dumb, to lull their eventual foes into security or overconfidence.
Brutes do not kill outright. Rather, they prefer the feeling of power they received from looking down on a subdued, living foe.
As mentioned, Brutes do have some moral compass, or their own sense of honor. While they will most certainly kill, there are some things they simply will not do, or consider too taboo even for them. It is also this compass that allows Brutes to fit reasonably well into a character party with little difficulty.
A brute may have a problem with hurting kids, or some hang up that stops them from desecrating a banner or church. It is up to you to determine his own morality.
Chameleon
Background: Some people fit into any type of situation; from a seedy bar to an elegant dinner party. You feel at home everywhere. Your social skills are put to sinister uses as a Chameleon, allowing you room to hatch your own fiendish plots without reprisal.
You may have developed these skills in any number of ways. It could be the result of a survival mechanism, which allowed you to avoid trouble and stay sharp. Perhaps you were taken under the wing of another Chameleon. Perhaps you were always confident. Regardless, you have the charm (and quite likely the looks) to not only fit in, but also get your way.
This social aptitude allows you to initiate any number of evil plans, which generally only you benefit from. Where the Manipulator is someone who has subordinate, and works from behind several layers of protection, you're more of a loner and prefer a more hands-on approach to your work. If the job needs to be done right, you feel you are the only one qualified for the job. This does not mean you must do everything. Quite the opposite. In fact, the effects of your charm can often convince others to perform tasks which they might normally never do, and you, of course, delight in these occurrences.
Game Notes: As expected, Chameleons possess extremely strong social skills. A Chameleon has as much skill in Persuade as they do Intimidate, Bluff or Perform. Characters of this type also has a modicum of skill in disguising themselves as well. Altering your physical appearance may just be as important to your plans as any other social grace. As Chameleons are sometimes loners, they may need strength to back up their silver tongues. However, never showing what you're holding is an important talent that keeps people guessing. Chameleons favor words over swords any day.
Role-playing Tips: Chameleons can be tough to play. It requires you to alter the mood and personality of your character often. This can be a rewarding character type to play, however. It easily gives you a memorable role to step into each session (i.e. "remember when I summoned dire wolves to eat the guards?". As expected, a Chameleon fits into the party easily, by altering his personality to fit (or disrupt) the group dynamic.
Chameleons, often have their own agendas, though, and this can interfere with the rest of the group. Chameleons tend not to be strong fighters, andso may choose to parley at any cost, or flee with the hope of getting their revenge later.
The Crazed
Background: Unpredictable. Erratic. Irrational. These are the traits of a Crazed character. Behavior without a pattern, or at least, with a pattern known only to you. Your character embodies the stereotypical definition of insane.
You've never been completely stable. Your early friends simply called you tempermental or weird. As the years passed, you likely became obsessed about certain, unusual things. The distance between you and your friends grew further and further. As is usually the case with Crazed (particularly the evil Crazed), your behavior landed you into trouble with normal society and laws. Now you are likely a criminal.
People never seem to know how to read you. One moment, you can be the most kindhearted soul they have ever met. Then suddenly you change into a bloodthirsty killer, or erratic psycho. What caused you to become this way is unclear. It could have been a traumatic childhood event, perhaps experiments performed on you went awry, though you have no memory of them. Maybe it is something as simple as a bad temper or a nagging tendency towards bad. Whatever the reasoning behind your behavior, people generally treat you kindly until you snap. If they survive your outburst, they will usually keep their distance.
Game Notes: Crazed characters possess an unusually high Charisma score. This creates a strong and initially gentle personality, making the shock of the character's eventual snapping that much more jarring. Some Crazed characters possess high Intelligence as well, making them into the insane genius style of character. As expected, these types of characters have high skill levels in many Charisma-based skills.
Role-playing Tips: Crazed characters can fit into a party - for a time anyway. When they do have their outburst, it can cause major disruptions to the group dynamic depending upon the degree of outburst. Crazed characters do not generally act randomly. It takes something to set them off, and triggers their outburst, or change in behavior. Decide beforehand to work out this detail and how it relates to the character's past. How the Crazed character reacts is something else to deal with. For example, a character becomes awed by what he considers excessive beauty, whether it's a piece of art, a fellow person or whatever. This character is so awed by it, that he now feels compelled to destroy or desecrate it. This drive to destroy becomes obsessive to the point where the character may not be able to function until he is either removed from the situation or finishes the deed.
Don't feel that you must play the wacked-out type of Crazed character. As mentioned above, the insane genius fits this category. While not prone to wild outbursts, this type of character is incredibly eccentric and obsessed about what he owns, does, and searches for.
The Insecure
Background: Everyone has something about themselves that they feel is inadequate. In your case, you feel as though faults in yourself are known to others as well as yourself. These feelings of inadequacy cause you to react in the extreme, turning to violence and hatred. You feel the need to humiliate and harm those that threaten what little security you do have. Even those not considered a threat are likely targets for your aggression.
This type of behavior is almost always reserved for those growing up in a position of power. You are very sensitive to scrutiny or criticism by those around you. This often causes you to display power and control, however misguided. This power is often displayed in garnering power beyond your means - the root of villainy.
You revel in the humiliation of others. This makes you feel bigger than you really are. You are only a step beyond a bully. You have the ability to back up your threats and taunts. This is usually done by those loyal to you, but since few respect you, the likelihood of having a minion is low. It's more likely that you'll be doing everything for yourself.
You easily suffer wounds to your pride, and if you are forced away from confrontation, you become a terrible enemy to those you perceive as a threat.
Game Notes: As stated, this kind of character is usually in a position of power, whether it be noble, merchant prince, army commander, or mercenary leader. A player choosing an insecure villain character should nominate one aspect of his character as his hubris. This hubris makes you susceptible to ridicule by others. Whether its your intelligence, height, looks, or personality, something noticeable needs to become the focus of your insecurity.
Since your background infers a relative degree of power, build a loyalist base of followers (if you can). A high Charisma score or high levels in social skills assist you in your efforts. Focus on making your character want to puff his chest when he can, but realize that his defect keeps him from attaining true greatness.
Role-playing Tips: Insecure characters are difficult members of the party, as the characters usually have intimate knowledge of each other, or it is far too easy to manipulate someone wearing his heart on his sleeve. If an insecure character has the backing of his friends, however, it can make for some interesting sessions when encountering NPCs (what did you say about my friend's weight?). If a character does reach a position of power or prestige, you can watch your PC dance by calling into question some of the character's shortcomings.
The insecure character isn't always itching for a fight though. Most likely, he'll go out of his way to hide his perceived faults. When they are called out, though, an insecure character generally overreacts and goes after those who called them out, making him highly predictable.
The Letch
Background: Everyone has a vice. While most keep their vices under control, you are an exception. Not only is your vice uncontrolled, its an obsession for you. It affects almost every aspect of your life and drives you to extreme, depraved levels.
This type of behavior is not uncommon. But for you, the effects has escalated, to what some consider, an unhealthy level. Sex, drugs, money, blood or worse, you must have it and nothing better stand in your way. Your compulsion began innocently enough - likely out of curiosity - but it didn't take long for it to grow out of control. As your need continues to grow, the level of high you seek also grows. What satisfied you a year ago is only an appetizer now.
To outsiders it seems your are obsessed. But, inside it's a constant battle for survival. You understand the need to maintain a normal life, but your lust for the next high pushed you harder and further, as you seek out the unattainable. For some, this is never an issue. There is no doubt in their mind that the high is it; and that is the way it should be. For others, the path is not as sure.
Game Notes: Lusters do not fit any real criteria. If anything, their focus on their vice detracts from their other abilities, which translated into a lower Spot and Listen skill. Characters that follow this personality style are built to obtain what they lust for easier. A good example would be the rogue who cannot stop stealing rich and rare artifacts. All his skills would funnel their way into skills such as Open Lock, Appraise, Hide, Move Silently, Lore, and so on.
Role-playing Tips: Lusters fit easily into most parties. Though their desires will at times get the best of them (and sometimes get the rest of the party into trouble), they may be able to cope enough to stick with the group.
Lusters can be easily distracted when their vice presents itself. Deciding what vice your character has should be worked out as soon as an opportunity arises. Don't feel compelled to have that decision made before play begins, it may develop during gameplay, but having at least a loose idea on what the character cannot do without can help.
Another interesting option when playing a Luster-style character is to have that character struggling constantly to resist his vice, with the full knowledge of its inherent evil and eventual destruction to the character. If your allies have knowledge of this fact, this intense inner battle can create some excellent role-playing sessions.
The Loyal
Background: Where the Manipulator is the one who hatches the plans and runs the show, you are his trusted henchman. You believe in either the leader or the cause. You carry out your master's orders with efficiency; part informant, part enforcer, you are simply loyal.
You have always been a follower, never a leader. Whether it is from a sense of personal insecurity, duty, or simply a desire to stay out of the spotlight (but yet on the perceived winning side), you don't mind being in the shadow; as long as the man you're following is staying on course with the message you signed on for.
The rewards received for following your master's orders, however brutal they may be, far outweighs the downsides, which can run from a lack of recognition to getting a small share of riches gained.
You feel a sense of security in regards to your role in life. By staying out of the spotlight, you avoid the assassination attempts, crusaders, angry mobs, and wanted posters that target your evil mastermind leader. This barrier is not without its faults, however, and you may find yourself the fall guy when the master is looking for a scapegoat when members of the Order of Truth and Honor breach his dungeon labyrinth.
Though not a leader in the same sense as your master, you are good at managing his underlings. You follow his orders to the letter, and make sure that everyone else working for him does, too. You can easily eliminate them if they get too big for their britches. And, if you master is in a sour mood, you are the buffer between him and the men. Often times, they don't know that he's a complete nut-job, which is just fine with you.
You are good at thinking on your feet as well. Many missions you go on go awry, and it's important to improvise.
The relationship you have with your master is often circular or symbiotic. You work hard to please the master, in the hope that he will notice your devotion. When it is, he usually grants you more benefits, which in turn creates the further desire to please.
Game Notes: Loyals generally require a wide range of skills, feats and abilities. Used as enforcers and informants, the task for truly Loyal underlings never focus on one specific task. This creates a character that is a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none. While this can cause problems at lower levels, once the character has advanced some, his real power and flexibility arrives. Because they eventually can find leadership roles, a Loyal character should consider taking skills like Persuade and Intimidate to keep other underlings in line.
Role-playing Tips: Loyal characters fit easily into any adventuring party. Whether the character is loyal to someone else in the party, or an outside NPC master, he is not prone to cause problems ... unless ordered to do so. Loyal characters are not mindless idiots, however. They have goals of their own, which usually are usually in line with their masters. Loyal characters can be quite driven at times, too, as their strong desire to please their master can overtake them, sometimes placing them in danger. But it is a zealous Loyal that throws down his life for his master, no matter the cause.
The Manipulator
Background: The man behind the curtain. The puppetmaster. The true threat. These are terms which describe you, and they bring a smile to your face. Preferring to operate behind the scenes, you are the one with grand schemes, and you know the intricate steps necessary to pull it off. You employ many people under you, or at the very least, you know several people that owe you a favor or two. Though you command loyalty, there are only a select few that you actually place complete trust in. Socially adept, you know exactly what to say (whether with a silver, forked, or steel tongue) to get the wheels moving in your favor.
Power drives you, but you also know that you cannot do it alone. Logically, you must seek the aid of others. It has always been this way for you. Whether you began life in the gutters and have been hatching schemes to climb out, or you were born to power and simply seek more, you've always worked to further your lofty goals and care little for those standing in your way.
Your plans are well-thought-out and cautious. They must be, lest the web they weave unravel. For you, the goal may always be in sight, but the path towards that end is seldom direct. This works to hide your eventual goal from those who seek to undermine you. Subtlety requires great care. Though you never enjoy watching persistent do-gooders spoil your plans, you always have a backup plan, especially when it involves escape. If you didn't, you wouldn't be reading this right now.
Game Notes: Manipulators invest most of their effort into social and cerebral pursuits. This translates into higher Intelligence, Charisma and Wisdom scores. Most skill points are spent in the various social skills (from the gentle Persuade to rough Intimidation), and Lore skills. Having access to vast amounts of information is very important to Manipulators, who do not like surprises. Acquiring contacts and influence is highly important as well. Preferring to have others do their dirty work, Manipulators lack physical prowess. However, it is not uncommon for a Manipulator to have at least a rudimentary understanding of combat. Who wants to be completely helpless?
Role-playing Tips: Manipulators are grace under pressure. They know that their schemes require patience, and don't mind biding their time. While they may let a few mistakes slide by, Manipulators seldom suffer fools for long. When dealing with others, the soft-spoken or veiled threat always accomplishes more than simple brute force. When that force is required, however, Manipulators do not hesitate to bring in their lieutenants. If forced to deal directly with their enemies, Manipulators are always one step ahead; always knowing one more thing, one last detail their opponent didn't think about. Whether real or imagined, Manipulators play this edge to the hilt, until help arrives, or they can escape. Since they hate surprises, they'll do whatever they can to minimize or eliminate threats to their plans.
Manipulators fit within the party structure, but usually only if they are in charge. If not leading (and using) the group to further his ends, Manipulators generally find the adventuring life distracting. It is not uncommon to find a Manipulator as a second-in-command, convincing others to act on his behalf.
The Savage
Background: While the Brute is cruel, you are horrifying. You may have come from a broken home, or perhaps were raised without a moral standard. Whatever the circumstances, you are a vile beast who not only delights in the suffering of others, you also delight in the offensive, heinous, and taboo acts in nearly any society. The list of offenses is endless and it makes no difference to you. If it is vile and repugnant to a sane man, it is candy to you. Many believe you delight in your shocking and terrible behavior. They are right.
It's likely you didn't begin life this way. Perhaps in your early years things were normal. As the years passed, however, something changed inside you, bringing the Savage to the surface. Perhaps it was seeing your first dead body or animal carcass as a child, or your morbid curiosity got the better of you. Maybe you witnessed a particularly brutal fight at a young age, jading you to violence. From that starting point, the hunger for depravity grew and you sought more and more dangerous and heinous acts to indulge you palette.
Though just as social as any other being, your hunger to commit more vile acts drive you further away from others.
Game Notes: This depends on where the Savage comes from and what direction you wish to take. High physical scores are important for any brutality the Savage may wish to inflict, but high Charisma and Intelligence are also critical for intimidation, humiliation and devising and executing torture plans.
Role-playing Tips: Playing a Savage character can be a challenge. Not only for you, but for your fellow players and characters. Savage characters may eventually become mentally unstable and group play disintegrates. The line between reality and fantasy blurs in the role of a misanthropic sociopath, but if you and the DM agree, play the Savage character as you see fit. Remember, this guide isn't about the details of depravity. That's up to you. Mentioning the aspects of a Savage is as far as this guide can take you.
Though you may think that Savages fit only those classes that emphasize combat, this is not true. There are many wizards, clerics and sorcerers who enjoy performing magical experiments on helpless victims. There are many bards who use their talents to spin vile and offensive tales to shock and offend, or seduce a victim to lure them into a compromising position.
The Selfish
Background: Everyone suffers bad breaks from time to time, but in your case the string of bad luck (perceived or real) has turned you against the world. Where you may have given aid before, you only look out for yourself now. If this means stealing from others so your needs are met, so be it. You feel the world (and pretty much everyone in it) owes you something and you want everyone to suffer the way you have. After all, it's the world's fault you ended up in the situation you did.
Your early days were wrought with unfortunate circumstances and personal setbacks. Unable to cope, you felt the need to fight back violently. This was the only way to get ahead and right your wrongs. It's also possible you grew up envying those around you, and eventually that envy consumed you.
While your behavior seems antisocial (and it certainly may be), you have a small circle of friends; those you believe feel for your suffering. These people are treated as brothers and sisters. You offer them help, in whatever form and whenever necessary. Deep down, you know they'll take care of you in kind.
Game Notes: Selfish characters have suffered losses to their own, or are consumed by envy. They look to inflict that same pain on others. To reflect this, Selfish characters carry less gold than others. They are focused on taking from others and are usually skilled at opening locks, picking pockets, and conning people out of their money. Search, Bluff, Listen, Spot and Appraise are the bread and butter of Selfish characters.
Role-playing Tips: The player should work to determine what happened to drive the character to this behavior. This creates a rounded background and provides motivation.
The player should also determine to what extent his character would take from others. Is every valuable in sight a target? Does the character only target rich merchants? Does he steel from those that left him in the state he is now? Is the character targeting a specific church or noble that may have set him or his family on hard times? Is the character only out to steal riches and jewels, or is he after something more sinister? Strong motivations equate to exceptional role-playing opportunities.
The Zealot
Background: Obsessed believers are most anywhere. Ideologies are rampant. Everyone thinks they know what's best. But you are a rare find indeed. You know what is best and nothing matters but the cause. Whether that cause is the destruction of a race or religion, you carry out your beliefs in every aspect of your life.
You may have developed your beliefs in any number of ways. Perhaps you were spoon fed dogma from birth and now you know only the way. Traumatic experiences can trigger you to take up a cause, as well. Negative relations with another race could also be the turning point that made your enmity. Only the complete elimination of that race will sate your holy quest.
You are not an Avenger, who is merely driven by vengeance. You believe that you serve a much higher cause. While you often present a facade that resembles vengeance, your deeds have more merit than simple revenge. Dedication to a higher cause is not to be taken lightly.
You take your beliefs seriously. So seriously, in fact, even those who share similar beliefs find you extreme. Of course, to you, they are only a few steps away from heresy themselves.
Whether it is god or cause, you are the one who delivers the message, through word or deed.
Game Notes: Zealots tend towards direct action. They often choose one aspect or the other, but rarely both. Zealots who prefer to spread their cause through word have high Charisma, Wisdom and Intelligence scores and possess skills like Persuade, Bluff, Intimidate and Perform.
Zealots who prefer action over words, concentrate solely on their physique. High Strength and Constitution, along with combat-oriented feats are necessary to achieve their ends.
All Zealots share an affinity for Lore, thoroughly studying their beliefs (religion, human superiority, environmental preservation, etc.).
Role-playing Tips: Zealots can work well within a party setting, as long as the goals of the party stay within the boundaries of what the Zealot believes. Tensions arise if the party strays too far from where the Zealot believe they should be. Should the party engage in activities that tun contrary to what the Zealot believes, tempers flare. Zealots also sprinkle their speech and conversation with their beliefs, hoping to draw out those who might not be true believers. This is a very common archetype for evil clerics, and those devoted to converting others are found openly converting tavern-goers and wandering townsfolk.