RPGBOT.Podcast24 Mai 2025

EVIL CHARACTERS (Remastered) - Dubious (anti)heroics

If your evil character isn't at least pretending to be helpful, they're not evil—they're just unemployed.

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive deep into the dark, morally murky world of evil characters in tabletop RPGs. With Ash leading the charge, the conversation focuses on how to play a character with evil tendencies without destroying the game, the party, or your friendships. The hosts explore different shades of evil alignments, the narrative value of morally compromised PCs, and offer practical advice on how to maintain group cohesion when one of the players is clearly up to no good. From selfish rogues to power-hungry warlocks, the cast lays out the dos and don'ts of roleplaying antagonistic characters responsibly.

This episode balances philosophical alignment discussion with real-world table etiquette, all while keeping things lighthearted, insightful, and occasionally disturbing in the best way. If you've ever wanted to play the villain—but not be one—this is your guide.

Check out our Best of Season 1 and Best of Season 2 playlists!

Get in on the DungeonFlow Beta at DungeonFlow.app

MATERIALS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE

RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes

Content from RPGBOT.net

Other Stuff

Key Takeaways:

Evil characters can enhance a TTRPG story if they're crafted with intention and communication.
Session Zero is the place to set expectations and make sure everyone is on board.
A "safe sociopath" in-game should never be a real-life problem player.
Evil characters should elevate the story—not just hog the spotlight or sow chaos.
It's okay to play dark themes—but not at the cost of trust at the table.
Redemption arcs and "gray morality" often make more compelling characters than cartoon villains.

If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners.

If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings.

Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ

How to Find Us:

In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net

Tyler Kamstra

Ash Ely

Randall James

Producer Dan

@Lzr_illuminati

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(695)

PROJECT_LAMORDIA REVIEW - Frankenstein Had Better Workplace Safety Standards

What happens when you take Frankenstein, replace the lightning with artificial intelligence, and let a morally bankrupt tech CEO run the whole operation? You get Project Lamordia, where death is optio...

2 Nov 46min

2024 D&D PHB Character Creation (Remastered): What if I told you there were 3-ish types of feats?

Creating a D&D character used to be simple. Pick a race, choose a class, roll some dice, and invent a tragic backstory involving dead parents. But the 2024 Player's Handbook has other plans. Now your ...

31 Okt 1h 1min

HOW TO PLAY SHADOWDARK 1 - CONCEPTS AND THEMES: I can promise you two things, there will be shadows, it will be dark.

What happens when you take old-school D&D, remove darkvision, put your torches on a real-world timer, and make every spell a potential disaster? You get Shadowdark, a game where poor planning kills yo...

29 Okt 57min

NUMENERA HOW TO PLAY - AP FINALE: I just wanna see the machine do the big shiny explosions

The fate of La Gorge hangs in the balance. An army is approaching, the ancient defenses are broken, and the only thing standing between civilization and total destruction is a guy who can't roll above...

26 Okt 1h 2min

2024 D&D PHB WEAPON MASTERY BREAKDOWN (Remastered): If you attack something, you're going to do damage

For years, martial characters in D&D have had one job: hit things until they stop moving. Wizards rewrite reality, clerics summon divine power, and fighters get to swing a sword. Again. Well, the 2024...

24 Okt 1h 10min

NUMENERA HOW TO PLAY - ACTUAL PLAY PT2: Pay attention, kids. Sometimes weird traditions are good.

Last time, we opened a door that had been sealed for thousands of years, murdered a dinosaur, adopted its baby, and turned a crank we probably shouldn't have touched. Now the village is flooding, the ...

22 Okt 58min

NUMENERA HOW TO PLAY: Actual Play 1 - I don't know what horses do, but they seem shifty...

What happens when a mysterious cowboy rides out of a deadly desert, introduces himself, and immediately falls off his horse? Naturally, you trust his god, open a door that's been locked for thousands ...

19 Okt 1h 6min

HOW TO GM ROMANCE (Remastered) w/ Sebastian Yūe and Friday Strout - Building Meaningful Relationships in TTRPGs

You've slain dragons, defeated liches, and saved the kingdom. But now an NPC is flirting with you, and suddenly everyone at the table is making death saves against awkwardness. Romance in D&D can be t...

17 Okt 42min