The Book of Vile Darkness 4th Edition - Player's Book, DnD 4th ed
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THE BOOK OF VILE DARKNESS™
PLAYER'S BOOK
Robertj. Schwalb
INTRODUCTION
"You're adventurers, aren't you?
I
used to be an adventurer,
back before
I
aot turned into a demon.
I
was also a kina.
Yeah, a kina! With a areat kinadom and a million loyal sub-
jects! Say, is that the
Book ofVile Darkness
you aot there?
Y'know, they only made nine copies.
I
have the other eiaht.
Wouldn't mind addina that one to my collection."
-Fraz-Urb'Luu, Demon Prince ofDeception
PLAYING EVIL
"What you condemn as evil,
I
call a willinaness to do what-
ever it takes to succeed.
I
have done terrible thinas and
I
take
no pride in those acts. But
I
would do them aaain, a thousand
times,
if
it meant reachina such heiahts."
-High Cardinal Krozen
Ifyou're a player interested in trying out an evil char-
acter, this book is for you. The DuNGEONS & DRAGONS
roleplaying game recommends you avoid choosing the
evil alignment for good reason. Evil characters cause
problems. Not only must the players contend with their
enemies on the battlefield but also they must keep an
eye on their evil-minded companions. Furthermore,
evil adventurers tend to become alienated as a result
oftheir actions. In time, they are no longer welcome
in any community that knows them or knows ofthem.
An evil adventurer's career is often brutish and short,
ending with quests left unfulfilled and the campaign a
failure.
Given all this, why bother playing an evil character?
In truth, many reasons exist: You might be looking for
a change ofpace or a roleplaying challenge, your DM
might be running a one-shot adventure suitable for evil
characters, or you might be hankering for an object
lesson in behavior and consequences. Ifthat's your
wont, don't let the rules dissuade you from trying some-
thing new.
The
Book ofVile Darkness
corrupts all who come into
contact with it. Its pages contain the wisdom, musings,
and mad ravings ofevil gods, demons, archwizards,
liches, dragons, and other mighty beings. By opening
its covers and thumbing through its contents, one can
achieve great power-at the cost ofone's life, soul, sanity,
or all ofthe above. Such is the nature ofevil, and such is
the nature ofthis unholy tome.
Adventurers, not surprisingly, are among the most
tempted to seek out the
Book ofVile Darkness,
drawn by
the promise ofpower and too arrogant to think they
could fall victim to its destructive tendencies. What
they find in its pages are disturbing images and count-
less ways to inflict pain and terror on their enemies.
What they don't see is the path down which the book
guides them-a path leading to their own annihilation
and the destruction ofeverything they hold dear-for
the power and the allure are oftentimes too great to
ignore.
The book you hold in your hands is aimed at players
and provides new options for adventurers ofany align-
ment, although the contents are even more tempting to
characters who are evil-curious or rotten to the core.
These new options include:
Proceed with Caution
Playing an evil adventurer is usually not a good idea.
Some players take the evil alignment as a license to
behave badly and an excuse to cause mischiefand suf.
fering whenever and wherever the opportunity arises.
Evil characters seem to have a hard time honoring
agreements and are quick to turn against their allies.
They aren't about to risk their necks for a town on the
edge ofcivilization without a considerable reward.
Even ifthey take that job, there's no guarantee that they
won't double-cross the town by taking the money and
running.
Despite the problems evil characters can cause, such
a play style can work. Ifyou embrace the following sug-
gestions, you can mitigate the challenges and enjoy a
successful, ifsinister, adventuring experience.
+
Starting on page 9, five new character themes: cult-
ist, disgraced noble, infernal slave, reaver, and vile
scholar.
+
Starting on page 20, five new paragon paths: blood-
crazed berserker, contract killer, demonologist, idol
ofdarkness, and vermin lord.
+
Starting on page 28, the Exemplar ofEvil epic
destiny.
+
Starting on page 29, a selection ofdivine devotion
feats, divinity feats, and vile feats.
Ifyou're looking for magic items ofevil bent, you
won't find them here; however, a number ofthem
appear in Chapter 5 ofthe accompanying Dungeon
Master's book. Read about them at your own peril!
Cooperative Game
DuNGEONS & DRAGONS is a cooperative game. Player
characters work best when they work together, and
most D&D encounters are built around this assump-
tion. That one or more ofthe heroes are evil doesn't
change this fact or alter your responsibility to your
teammates. You might not like the people you work
with, but ifyou expect them to watch your back, you
had better watch theirs. Nothing dictates that evil
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characters are unable work within an adventuring
group. They can contribute to the group dynamic as
their role demands.
To ensure the group remains together, it's critical
that you shield your companions from whatever wick-
edness you intend. In sum, you must avoid stealing
from, maiming, exploiting, and murdering the other
members ofyour party. One way to keep everyone
in check is to make sure you have a strong reason for
being together in the first place. You might serve a more
powerful master, follow the same god, be from the same
homeland, or pursue a common goal, such as wiping
out all orcs, elves, or dragons. Ifeveryone can agree to
a party-binding element from the outset and can create
a plausible explanation for maintaining this truce, your
group should find success.
EVIL ADVENTURING
GROUPS
"I
assure you, paladin kina, that
if
I
had a sword in hand,
I
would willinaly cut out your heart, here and now."
u
v
z
-Artemis Entreri
a::
:J
1-
z
1.1..1
>
Cl
<
You cannot do enough to ensure that the evil adven-
turing group stays together. No matter how much
you prepare, no matter how many connections you
make to other characters, no matter how much you
discuss limits and player comfort levels, odds are
significant conflict will arise.
If
handled poorly, the
group's destruction is almost certain to follow. The
trick is to prevent that level of discord from happen-
ing in the first place. The best way to do that is to
focus on strengthening the connections between the
characters.
Before you get down to the business ofcreating your
character, it's a good idea to work with your fellow play-
ers to construct a strong group identity. One ofthe best
ways to accomplish this goal is to adopt a group concept.
Simply put, the group concept describes the reasons
why you work together. The following group concepts
are especially tailored for evil adventurers. Feel free to
tweak them to fit a different group concept.
>
1.1..1
Be Considerate
Playing an evil adventurer gives you a chance to
explore the dark side: to be the ruthless killer, to steal
without regard for the victim, to dabble in dark magic,
and to bargain with terrible powers. Although such
options and other, more dreadful actions are possible,
always consider the feelings ofother players at the
table. Avoid offending other players by exploring taboo
subjects. Many people play D&D as an escape from
real world problems and ugly truths. Games that focus
too much on the sinister have limited appeal for many
garners.
Before play begins, talk with the Dungeon Master
and the other players to determine what events they
want to avoid and what subjects they'd rather not
explore. Respect these limits and don't test them.
Doing so ensures the game remains fun for everyone
inyolved.
Understand the Implications
Good adventurers earn fame and notoriety from
their achievements, gaining advocates among the
people they help and accolades for the monsters
they defeat. Evil adventurers gain few ofthese
rewards. Their actions lead to infamy, enemies,
and scorn. In place ofopen gates and celebra-
tions, evil characters find closed doors and suspicious
stares. The more evil these characters do, the harder
it becomes for them to find haven and move safely
through the world.
A reckless, insane killer might not care about the
implications, but an adventurer probably should.
Needlessly and wantonly closing offhavens and cut-
ting offaccess to supplies makes
it
harder to survive
and complete any given mission. Always keep in mind
the repercussions ofyour actions, thinking about how
your choices impact your character's chances for sur-
vival in the long term.
Agents of Evil
Fear is a good motivator for ensuring some level of
cooperation. As agents of evil. your characters are a
powerful villain's champions and lackeys. You could
be agents of an organization such as the Aurum in
the world ofEberron or the Zhentarim in Faerfm,
or you might work for a powerful warlord or wizard.
Chances are you work together because you have an
idea about what will happen ifyou don't. Your dark
master is quite terrible-angering him, her, or it is not
a good idea.
So who is your dark master? You should enlist your
Dungeon Master to see how your employer fits into
the campaign. What kinds oftasks does your patron
assign you? At some point, someone had to have failed
your patron. What happened to him or her? Are you
loyal to your patron or do you plot treachery? Do you
serve out ofyour own free will or are you little better
than slaves?
companion, retainer, or bodyguard. For example, two
or three players could play draw while the rest are mer-
cenary soldiers. Alternatively, most characters could be
half-orcs from the same tribe, perhaps with a human
and an ore as cousins.
In a family ties approach, race is particularly impor-
tant. Most adventurers should be from the same race. If
you choose a different race, come up with a reason why
your character is considered part ofthe family.
Fugitives
Your group committed some grievous crime and is
now on the run. Maybe you were bandits who killed
the duke's son. You could be deserters from an army,
having left before the orcs wiped out your legion (per-
haps with some aid from the party). You might be
criminals who managed to escape prison by working
together.
In the fugitives scenario, your shared predica-
ment has forced you to depend on each other to
escape certain death and survive in the world. What
is your story? What hardships have you had to sur-
vive? Who hunts you? Why do you stay together and
what ensures you will stay together in the weeks and
months ahead?
Criminals
Your group is a criminal outfit assembled from dispa-
rate individuals, each ofwhom brings a different talent
to the group's cause. You might be professional killers
who take dangerous missions to eliminate hard-to-
reach targets. You could be an upstart thieves' guild
trying to establish a foothold in a new city. Perhaps you
are brigand s waylaying caravans and travelers on the
wilderness's darkest roads. Or are you pirates who lost
their ship to a hated rival?
A number ofquestions must be answered. What is
your criminal enterprise? Who founded the group?
How did you each come to join? Have you made any
enemies yet? Ifso, who are they and why are they out
for your blood?
Mercenaries
Many evil adventuring groups are no more compli-
cated than a band ofsellswords. They travel the world,
selling their services to the highest bidder. When the
money runs out, they move on to serve a different
master. You are such a group ofmercenaries. Over time,
you've found that you work well together despite your
differences.
How did you come together? What kinds ofmas-
ters have you served so far? Have you double-crossed
anyone? Ifso, are they still out there, nursing a grudge?
Who won't you work for? Why?
Devotees of a Dark God
Religion unites many individuals, including those in
your group. You all share the same faith-a mutual
pledge to attend one dark god, archdevil, demon lord,
or some other dreadful being.
Which power do you serve? How did you find your-
selfin that entity's service? Who in the group is the
spiritual leader? This character need not be a member
ofa divine class. What kinds of missions do you under-
take? Dark powers often have a number ofenemies.
Who are most important as far as your party is con-
cerned? Do you have rivals? Is it a friendly rivalry or
something decidedly darker?
Survivors
Your characters were once members ofa powerful, evil
organization. An adventuring band struck your base,
wiped out the group's leadership, and scattered the rest.
Stripped ofyour community and driven to the frontier,
you must find some way to make ends meet.
As usual, several questions arise. What was the
organization? Was it a cult, a secret society, or some
political institution? Who destroyed the group and
why? What did your organization do to merit its
destruction? How did your party escape? How do you
feel about the attackers? Do you want revenge or do
you fear them still?
Family Ties
Familial ties might be enough to keep your group
together. Not every adventurer has to be a blood rela-
tive, however. Perhaps two or three characters in the
party are noble kin and everyone else acts as an advisor,
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