Villain Application: Thugs, Tyrants, and Monsters

[Wyrd 1]

After your server application has been accepted, visit this forum and read the stickies: http://www.lordofthecraft.net/forum/index.php?/forum/44-villain-applications/

Being a villain can be an amazing experience, and can create interesting (and sometimes necessary) conflict within the world, but you, the player, have to take it very seriously in order to stick around long enough for the seeds you sow to bear fruit. So please read through this thoroughly, and make sure you understand it before you apply.

First I should address why you should fill out an application in the first place, because what’s to keep you from going into the game and having your character turn out to be a villain anyway? The truth is: nothing. If you go into the game, role-play through waylaying a stranger on the road, or talk a mercenary group into raiding your rival’s camp, we won’t stop you. However, if you randomly attack people with no role-play or spam OOC chat with the location of a rival’s secret chests, we will stop you and we will ban you. It’s a matter of choices; how you choose to play decides how we choose to deal with you.

That said; I need to get into the definition of evil. Since there are two schools of thought on the matter, I’ll explain both. The objective approach is that some things are just evil. That’s it. Characters are either evil, or they aren’t. The subjective approach depends on whom you ask. An orc might say that the dwarves that diverted the water from his well in the desert are worthy of death, while the dwarves might say that they needed the extra water for their newest generation of crops – important for feeding their newest generation of children. On this server, we take a semi-objective approach.

We understand that intent and context are important for any decision, but in a crime we will favor the obvious victim. That doesn’t mean we disapprove of you taking to the life of a raider – you just have to role-play it very well for us to take your efforts seriously and not ban you for it. And generally, if things are accidental, due to recklessness, or due to negligence, we’ll give you a slap on the wrist.

However, in the absence of a victim, such as defiling the landscape or griefing the work of others, the server has strict rules, and we will enforce them absolutely regardless of the scale of the offense and who was around to see it.

So, what is considered objectively evil on this server? Lucky for you, I’ve got a list:

Notable Mentions:

Greed – Subjectively, this depends on the extent of the greed, but it’s certainly not a motivator for good.

Bullying – Generally the best option for brutish characters; it’s the easy road between asking for what you want and seriously making others give it to you.

Lesser Evil:

Drug Addiction – Probably the easiest “evil” to play: the one that does the most damage to your own character.

Using Others for Personal Gain – The real difference here is intent, regardless of whether others know that you’re doing it or not.

Lying – Objectively, lying is spreading falsehood; it’s the younger brother to temptation.

Cheating – Closely tied to lying, this does not include taking advantage of game mechanics, as that will get you banned.

Theft – One of the most common crimes on the server, it’s a bit of a cliché to play an “evil” bandit.

Pure Evil:

Betrayal – Difficult to get away with and do well, generally, but it’s great at creating character conflict.

Bringing Despair – One of the most difficult evils to play, requiring both a very good player and a very good audience.

Vengeance – Generally vengeance is a “temporary” evil, but for characters that are (or feel like they are) constantly wronged by others, this can be more than just a one-night-stand with villainy.

Murder – A universal evil. Taking the life of another is a serious offense that sometimes isn’t taken as seriously as it should due to the resurrection rules.

Advanced Evil:

Slaving, Cannibalism, Sadism, Masochism, Self-Mutilation, Necrophilia, Bestiality, Sex Crimes – All of these are “flavorful evils” and sour ones at that. Playing a character with these traits is difficult because it requires a lot of extra description and strict adherence to the role of the character. It also requires the participation of other players in understanding and responding appropriately the description being depicted. A high level of maturity is required to play these on our server.

Creating Undead/Evil Creatures – Since these abilities are restricted to players who have “proven” their evil already, characters with these abilities are almost entirely evil to the core.

Consorting with the Undead – As the representatives of the Fallen One in the world of Aegis, the Undead tempt and defile. Consorting with one of them is exposing oneself to their Taint.

Worshiping the Iblees, the Fallen One – Revering evil and aspiring to it is a character motivation that is very evil, however, role-playing it well can be very difficult, in the same ways that masochism or self-mutilation can be.

Tempting Others to Evil – Intentionally encouraging others to commit evil acts is the step beyond revering evil; it is the desire to bring more evil into the world.

Special:

Psychopathy – The difficulty involved in playing a psychopathic character requires careful consideration before committing to it. Psychopathy isn’t something that is miraculously cured every day after four, or after two months of playing and getting bored with it. A player must have a very specific and well thought out character in mind, when playing psychotically.