The trouble with "Evil"

I've noticed, over the months of the game, that while players often try to invent truly "Evil" characters? They fail.

I don't think it's that our players don't know what Evil is. And it doesn't matter whether they believe in "evil" as a concept. I think it's a distinct reluctance to be The Player whose character is The Bad Guy.

We've had some great candidates! Yet just when they reach the point of their Greatest Evilness, the players pull back. Decide that maybe they should "convert" their characters & make them Good Guys instead. Find their redeeming qualities. Turn them into forces for good.

[Yawn.]

This game is at its best when there's Evil to confront & battle & overcome. "Good," by itself, is actually pretty boring. Everybody going around, doing the right things at the right times in the right places. Just a vanilla world...

I took a turn, once, at creating a Bad Guy. His name was Nemesis. He liked to put dog collars on little girls & torture people. He was cultured, smooth, smart--toughest character I ever created. But I didn't convert him. No redeeming qualities there. No, he went the way Bad Guys often do--lived a short life & died a surprising fast death. (Actually, he was killed by one of those excellent "evil" candidates...)

So here's a challenge to any of our players who might be in a rut: Try your hand at creating a Bad Guy for a change. There are some wicked great candidates currently in-game who would be perfect for the part. Right now, game-world is a carnival & the kids are chowing down on cotton candy & watching some guy dance around with a flute. [Yawn]

We need some excitement! -Chyna