Do you allow the bad/good guy?

[lather]

It really depends on the group - just the like the no evil characters discussion. Some groups can play such a game well and it can be a rewarding gaming experience. other groups do it very badly - those groups are the ones that take things personally.

It also requires the GM giving up a little more than usual to the players. That may or may not be a good thing; once again, it all depends on the group.

[Ahulane]

For me and my regular group of players this is an all too common issue...even for myself when playing and not GMing...You can clearly point out laws to these kinds of people...have notes and flyers posted everwhere, armed guards on every corner of the streets and inside every building...and they still wanna go crazy and murder people in broad daylight. Or in my case, nobody tells me jack about the laws or even lets me enquire about the laws, and the moment I go to pick my nose or scratch my ass I get mauled by some crazy beastie from the "security team."

[Sentinel]

Yes.

There have been characters who were agents of the governemt who were empowered to kill (similar to James Bond).

We have had characters in Palladium Fantasy who, like Samurai of old, were able to carve their names into the pages of history and several peasants along the way.

Martial arts games pitted rival schools against each other for nothing more than the honour and integrity of a particular style.

These characters were heavy drinkers, occasionally drug users, womanizers (or man-eaters, depending on the gender), and more than a little heavy handed when it came to using violence.

They may have been loyalists, patriots, members of the church, good spouses, wonderful parents, and kind to animals, but they could also be foul-mouthed yucks, drunkards, wild brawlers, mischievious practical (and IMpractical) jokers, and it was not altogether uncommon for many to have phobias, obsessions, and other mental 'quirks'. They often picked fights they could have avoided, and made heavy use of their governments' special dispensation to "Terminate with Extreme Predjudice".

[sasha]

Some times such players try to take control of the game.

[Rimmerdal]

Evil people can follow laws too. So Yes I have no objection. But (and there is always one..)

The player should realize he still has to be a team player and occasionally put differences aside. Think Magneto and Xavier working together against a common cause/Foe. they have very different philosophys but ultimatly the same goal.

So as long as the "villain" in the party knows who the enemy is then I'm cool with it. Besides it helps RPing and reminds the heroes and villians ALL people can change.

[Spinachcat]

Bad guy games can work fine and be great fun . . . BUT everyone needs to be clear on the tone of the campaign from day one.

I ran a Sidewinder (D20 western) game where everyone was a brazen and hunted outlaw. They were the worst of the worst. I put them in a world full of equally bad people. Full blown TPK, but great fun along the way.

There is a Tunnels & Trolls variant called "Monsters, Monsters" where you play . . . wait for it. . . the monsters. They set up their own dungeon, raided villages, lured heroes, ate heroes and/or fled from heroes. Tremendous fun - but you need to discuss the specific tone and feel you want in your campaign with the players in advance.

I am the GM. Players make characters that fit my campaign. I do not make campaigns to fit character concepts that will not work in the setting and atmosphere of the game I want to run.

[lather]

Yep requires up front understanding and conversations.

[Vrykolas2k]

I allow people to play the allignment they want to play.
Stupid people playing retarded and/ or insane characters end up seeing their characters killed by the forces of sanity, regardless of allignment.

[lather]

You can't fix stupid.
But you can kill it.

[Sentinel]

You can't fix stupid.
But you can kill it.

But then it just shows up as a pesky zombie.

Or a vampire.

[lather]

You can't fix stupid.
But you can kill it.

But then it just shows up as a pesky zombie.

Or a vampire.

Heh, yea, well, get a stake.

Double the fun.

[Sentinel]

When life gives you vampires, make vampire-ade.

Got it.

[lather]

Exactly correct.

[Vrykolas2k]

At any rate, my games include heroes and anti-heroes (those who use evil means to achieve good ends)... nae actual villains.

[Rimmerdal]

So more the Im a business man who just gets things done in a less standard way type character?

that's one way to do it. Give the "Bad" guy a goal that makes others usefal as allies and friends.

Unprincipled and Aberent aligned types can get along great. they can even help reduce the darker tendencies of the other. Of course some alignment shifts will ocour depending on releationships of characters.

[EricvonEric]

Every once in a while it's fun to have the players play villains going against an NPC hero group who are trying to stop them. Or better yet, have a game where the players are villains going up against the heroes they normally play. Of course that scenario could be in an alternate reality so that the players are not forced to kill their own characters. It puts an interesting spin on things that is quite fun and a nice break from the ordinary.

[Rallan]

Plus of course you can have an evil bastard who isn't just a villian working with the heroes to fend off a threat bigger than them both, or a bitter anti-hero who makes his own laws. You could have a dude who's fighting for the forces of niceness out of pure selfishness and narcissism. Fighting baddies makes him a hero. It makes him a role model, someone everyone admires and aspires to be. It also makes him wealthy, gives him a license to be a complete jerk to anyone the public sees as a baddy (eg the ol' high fantasy "kill them and take their stuff" heroic looting schtick is hella justifiable). And he can use his influence and his good name to get his way, weasel help out of people, and destroy the reputation of anyone who stands in his path.

In short, as long as he's careful about who he acts like a jerk to and is careful of his publicity, a guy with an anarchist or evil alignment could make a very comfortable living from being a knight in shining armor or a caped crusader.

[Syndicate]

I just got that sinking feeling...thanks for rubbing old wounds. These type of players are in the majority for my current group. Not that it's ruining the game or anything (which it kinda IS... ), but it's understandable as I too have joined the side of villians and cut-throats. It's just plain COOL I tell you!

[mellowmaveric]

One thing i have noticed is that even though people want to play a 'bad guy' they are still fairly nice and trying to skirt the edge of socialy acceptable. If your going to play a bad guy go full out and try and be as evil as posible. People get caught up in what is socialy acceaptable instead of thinking like a real villan. Yes its a game no its not real life. If your going to be a vilan be truly detestable but keep in mind that it is a game and remind others as well no matter how sick and depraved it might seem your actions are its not real and more than likely (or at least im hoping) you would not do the same acts or even normaly consider them in real life.

[Vrykolas2k]

I always have my players make their characters apart form eachother, regardless if what i run... that way no-one's influenced by the others, they play what they want, and i can figure out what to do with the group as it takes shape.
It's just like people meeting irl and getting thrown into whatever situation...