RPGMemes

I guess I’m one of those weird people who can naturally slip into the role of an evil character in a game and do things in the game I’d never do in real life. I think it may be similar to being an actor who plays villains in movies. It doesn’t work as well if you just try to think “I’m the bad guy, time to kill babies!” You have to think about your character’s backstory and give them really believable motivations for doing the bad things they do.

Walter White is a great example of a well-written villain. He’s motivated by regret over his missed opportunities, resentment towards friends who took advantage (Gray Matter), a sense of superiority and entitlement over his own abilities, and disappointment with a dead-end career. Many people can relate to these motivations.

The true key to any villain is that they don’t consider themselves a villain; they believe their actions are wholly justified. To roleplay an effective villain doesn’t mean you agree with your character’s justifications, but it helps a lot if you understand where they are coming from.