Tips for roleplaying as a villain?

World’s End Tavern: Role-play and Fan Fiction
03/22/2015 06:51 PMPosted by Saigio
No. actively profiting from evil is not the same as passively profiting from evil.

Politician level BS. Profiting from evil is profiting from evil. There are no levels to it.
03/22/2015 06:51 PMPosted by Saigio
If you sign up to join an army that is butchering an entire culture, you are evil. If you buy an ipod, you arent.

Bad example. Unless you're saying IPODs are made by child labor or something.
03/22/2015 06:53 PMPosted by Urók
Rath, Saigo doesn't get it. Just let it be.

Oh I know. I just had to see how he justifies that argument. Now I know.
03/22/2015 07:33 PMPosted by Rathatel

Okay, so murdering a million people is the same as robbing a mom and pop shop, nice to know. There are certainly different kinds of evil, some things are more evil than other things.

03/22/2015 07:33 PMPosted by Rathatel

They manufactured in sweatshops in China.
03/22/2015 04:36 PMPosted by Hukulk
Talk to Morbent or Darak:)

Hukulk is aggressive and brutal but not really evil, so I can't help you much.

true evil is here!

03/22/2015 04:18 PMPosted by Psyché
Hey guys. In my other thread I talked about how this character is going to be a witch doctor, so, hes gonna be a villain. Do you guys have any tips, or anything I should steer clear of while RPing as an evil character?

ok heres what you need to be a villain that most people will remember you.

1: get a pet. idc what can be a ghoul, demon anything. dont show emotions around it except irritation or anger. but love it behind there backs.
2: set your goals, you cant have a bad theme without goals.
3: have urges to fulfill those goals and strike down anyone in your way.
4: your a villain and you should have henchmen, get anything that can carry weapons or use magic. minions are ok.
5: have your evil speeches ready, trust me you will thank me.
6: your enemies will be based on your goals and actions, pick your arch enemies wisely.
7: pick your home and dont tell your enemies.
8: say your name in some actions or threats.
9: pick your weapons of choice and brag about your powers along with your threats.
10:just because your a villain your not a god. dont go to far.
11: dont listen to morbent if he offers a helping hand.
12: take your rp rage out on a minion/henchmen or tables.
13: make a dramatic entrance. you will look great.
14: get a great mog and people will realize how strong and powerful you are by looks.
15: have fun and do your best with it. and make sure to pick on kalithos.
If they have an army behind them, then it is likely less BS than you'd think? I'm pretty sure the !@#$ army was seven different kinds of BS.
Can't use that word. The German army in ww2.
All good tips, but... that depends on the style of your villain.

Morgan for example is far more subtle. She's a manipulator. She plays the part she needs to play to gain your trust and ardor. Once she has it, then she'll ask a small favor of you... then more... and more... until you're so deep in her plot you cannot see a way out.

Bat your eyes at the boys enough, pretend to be a helpless human mage, then when someone gets in your way ask them to kill him... defend your honor even, he hurt you and that should be punished, shouldn't it?

Don't go for the damsel bit? There's always something, always an angle, and if you're uselful to her she'll find it.
03/22/2015 04:51 PMPosted by Rathatel
The biggest mistake I see people make in RPing a villain is that they try too hard. As a villain, especially if you are RPing one in an RP that isn't your own, you have to recognize that you are going to lose. There is no victory for you in the story.

I don't agree with this.

At all.

By that, I don't mean that he should automatically win. But it shouldn't be a determined go-in for a story that he's going to lose. While I prefer things like that to happen relatively organically - he doesn't need to lose every RP that isn't his own.

I mean, we're not a Saturday morning cartoon.

Edit: As for my tips - the only villain I ever played for any length of time was a zealotous, and insane, Inquisitor.

The way I played him was fully capable despite his insanity. He was, though, only insane in that he believed even the innocent were guilty and was an utter extremist. He practiced violent torture on victims, driving them into psychological torment long before their body shut down from physical torment.

He was dangerous because he had the fervour and constitution of a zealot mixed with the cunning and skill of a completely capable swordsman.

So my tip: a good villain needs some sort of weakness - not something that is readily exploitable like the Holy Light or something. But something that might give the heroes a chance - a way to exploit a personality flaw. The character was ultimately slain after he left one victim alive and she gathered allies to track him down.

He injured quite a few of them and almost won until he was slain by magic. They managed it be exploiting his paranoia and zealotry and luring him into a trap. It wasn't an Achilles Heel - since he still managed to almost survive it and escape with a victory.
RPing a True Horde commander I knew at the end of it all I was going to lose, but I have to agree. Like, forced defeat after defeat is silly. I won quite a lot of things/events against other people and RP stories before finally losing in Underhold.
It's all about perspective.

If you want to be a villain, you need goals. A backstory will help you from creating a "flat" character.

Maybe you're evil and you know it. Maybe you're misguided? Plenty of options. Almost everyone above gave info I would agree with. The most important part is to have fun with it.
03/22/2015 06:05 PMPosted by Morbent
Greetings young Acolyte, I your benevolent overlord Morbent Fell, shall undertake the monumental task of ensuring you do not die horribly in what is to be a VERY short career of evilosity! In the highly probable chance that you are burned, maimed, cut, drown, disemboweled,and or struck down by a supreme being I take no responsibility! Ohh you're all just so cute when you start out ^-^

Rule#1: There is no such thing as "Friends" only stepping stones to further your schemes of world domination.

Rule#2: Leave fair fighting to the do-goody types. My personal advice is cheat whenever you can and become a compulsive liar. When a paladin has you cornered with no hope of escape be all, "Ohh! Ohh my, your magnificence and holy spender has made me see the error of my ways! Please brave knight let me throw myself at your feet and kiss them." Then when he turns around STAB HIM REPEATEDLY!!

Rule#3: If you are going to lure someone into a trap remember- location, location, location

Rule#4:Victory is the end goal. The good guys always win is a very old and very stale story telling trope which leads to very boring encounters. Because..whats the point after all? Super man always manages to save the day. When your lord of Death and Destruction steps onto the scene hero's jaws should drop in an *Oh sh%t* look because they know STUFF IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN! Trust me when I say most people will appreciate the struggle. They will enjoy being backed into a corner and having to fight through impossible odds. The personal character development and rivalries that come from those are wonderful.

All that being said you walk on a razor's edge! Go to far and you become the scourge of RP, a God-Modder who just wants to lord power over other players. Don't go far enough and you fall into the *Good Guys always win* trope. So be fair and take your defeats where they are earned, but make the good guys work for it.

Finally Personality: I can not help you on this, everybody is different and has their own story they want to tell. However Morbent was invented as a dark reflection of myself-which is why sometimes I do not enjoy playing as him. I looked at myself as a person and wondered, "If I strip everything that makes me good, if I take away my humanity and am only left with the bad amplified by 10..what would I be? What demon of hell has my name?"

Not all villains have to be blatant. I think that's something a lot of people forget. You don't have to be actively trying to conquer yourself a piece of the world in order to be a good villain. There's nothing wrong with the subtle, possibly charismatic type of villain who seems like they're on your side but are actually working for their own ends.

I'll use Seyl as an example. She's incredibly power hungry, but hides it under a veil of sophistication and civility. She works to gather personal power for herself but tries very hard to hide that goal. She poses as being a minor arcane spellcaster (since she as a warlock no longer has the patience to try and focus on the more difficult arcana, even though she used to be good at it) in order to not seem to be a personal threat, and focuses on archaeological expeditions. She's worked with the Explorer's League a few times, and currently works for the Reliquary, and though the Reliquary's suspicious of her true motivation, neither group knows what she's really up to.

She uses her own personal resources to hire her own workers and the like when she has leads she's particularly intent on finding. She never explains to those hired laborers what she's actually looking for, and only seems mildly interested in anything she finds. Behind the scenes she works furiously to try and unlock magical secrets and powers tied to any relics she does get her hands on though, and she bides her time for when she has the power to openly challenge Lor'themar for leadership of the Sin'dorei. She won't ever get it of course, but that's her driving goal.
ok morbent has some good tips for battles but appearance can be the start off. if you want transmog looks i can help you.

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