Evildoers as characters in roleplaying games.

   Suddenly your group have decided they want to play an campaign where they are the evil ones. The idea seems like something that can be great fun and something different form the usual goody two shoes or all is grey type of campaign. But, is it as easy to set up?

   I have had a few campaigns that focussed on the characters on the evil side of the scale, from full blown psychos to anti heroes wanting redemption from their past. The whole range of clichés. But the campaigns never really lasted. I'm not really certain why. But it felt like it was harder to keep the steam going. For the GM it is though keeping a serious tone all the time, even focus. It were more work, it were harder to not get distracted. Being evil is though as hell.

   I think it must be the psychological aspect of it all, because playing evil stops
being all fun and games after a while and starts to get to you. But that is no fun
when you are playing people being evil for evil sake. It can't all regress into
Dr. Horrible can it? Actually I think it is almost impossible to play a serious game about being evil without actually take into account the implications and aftermaths of what the characters have done. At first it is fun, as you kind of don't have any leash in what kind of rampage your group can decide to do. But unlike electronic games there are more direct responses to everything that happens.

   If for some reason the group decides to go on a murder spree under a robbery
gone wrong. One should for the evil effect describe the normal people's wailing
as another annoyance in the grand scheme of things. But me, I can't - I would
describe the repercussions of their doings, loved ones left behind and such things. And suddenly the tone is much more serious.

   For a shorter game there is really no problem, but if this is a game that is going to last for ten or more sessions it will get to me more and more. Not saying it is like that for everybody, but i do think gamers of a more mature mind setting will kind of focus on the reactions of those actions and the implications of it.

   But I am going to draw some inspiration from a couple of video games that I
think can be the right way to go for a truly evil campaign: Dungeon Keeper and the Overlord series among others.
Those games have a more appealing approach to evilness, and with a lighter tone on what evil is more playable. Maybe even the world is grimmer. That the heroes they are fighting against really is not as heroic as they seem?
And there is something to be said about being more dastardly then directly realistic evil without remorse.

   So I've been thinking about maybe making a small Fate game around the same type of themes like Dungeon Keeper and Overlord. Where one always tries to get on top of the hierarchy, were the goodness is almost like another evil. Use loads of dark humor and portions of slapstick. Almost like the evil league of evil?

   So you guys and gals out there, what are your experiences and thought's about playing and leading evil characters in roleplaying games. Easy, hard, do you have the perfect solution or is it just a plain bad idea stepping out of the grey zone when tackling evil themes? Give a hollor my in the comments.

   If you have never tried an evil camping, go out there and experiment and then come back. If nothing else, experiment with your evil laugh. Have still an awesome rpg day!