MWEs- changing mindset through backstory

F

FornaxChemica

Newbie
I just can't create characters that work right it seems.
So I've had a new idea for a PC grip me and not let go, and as seems to be my usual I feel like I'm fighting the rules in regards to mindset and personality. I have some backstory ideas that I think will work to explain her oddities, but I'm not certain how well it'll all work within the confines of the rules and the canon. I feel like the personality/appearance combo I've come up with is just not something that is easily possible within Alliance rules and that makes me sad cause wow do I like this character.
Basically I've come up with a MWE that's more fawn than elf (think Pan's Labyrinth type fawn, not the cute kind). She's manipulative, driven, remorseless, and not at all bothered by the misfortune of others as long as it's not affecting her. She would never use charm/dominate on someone not because she views it as morally wrong and inconceivable, but because she feels she could attain the same effect with words and guile.

"It is inconceivable that any Mystic Wood elf would ever knowingly take advantage of another person against their will"
I'm assuming this means non-magically as well as magically, and that's where I've found myself stuck.
I've come up with some backstory that may work; she's been driven somewhat mad due to extreme amounts of plot related pain, and because of an undisclosed event (that I haven't yet figured out) is missing large chunks (if not all) of her memory up to a certain point. The people she knew and befriended after the gap in her memory are not nice people and as such she is not a nice person. These things combined have resulted in the creature she is now.

(TL;DR) Basically I want to play a manipulative, lawful evil, MWE. Can that even be a thing? Do I need to resort to Wylderkin again?
 
I would say work with your plot team. Knowingly take advantage of another person against their will, this doesn't mean that you cant convince them to see your side of things. This means that you will not take advantage of situations where a person would not willingly see your side of things. If you could charm/dominate them with your words, then you have let their will make the decision for them.
 
norman b said:
If you could charm/dominate them with your words, then you have let their will make the decision for them.
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That's sort of what I was thinking. I'm just not sure if that would fall under an acceptable bending of the rules.
On a similar note; if someone is under the effects of intoxicate (via a willing drunk potion, etc) would influencing them through words be against their will since they aren't of a proper state of mind and I'd be taking advantage of that?

Also because I tend to obsess here's a quicky concept sketch- (the makeup will be a lot more subtle)
Voxrough_zpsc2714d12.png
 
The nose and the ears make you to be a Kin of some type. But, as a Kin, you can't be a mythological creature-kin. :( So that being said, you could be a goat-kin with that and be mischievous, but MWE require the elf ears as a requirement.

Drunkenness is subjective? Some would say that it brings out true intentions, some say you are more susceptible to people's words as your mind is clouded. That would be another role play and plot thing.
 
I'm trying to avoid kin as I don't feel the racial flavor fits this character, and there's a lot of the MWE origins stuff that I feel I could use well as a way to twist this character in a dark direction. Also don't want to blow that much build on read/write.
These are the ears I'm keen on currently https://img1.etsystatic.com/033/0/5529471/il_570xN.568770809_5ynu.jpg
Though I was originally looking at these (which are much more elf)- https://img1.etsystatic.com/036/0/5529471/il_570xN.598849383_9t6q.jpg
 
The being dark and "evil" is role play. I can't say that you can't do that. Plot may not want Evil outside of monster camp, but they may encourage it. We get some "evil" and I love seeing the PC vs PC dynamic.

The first ears I would say are much more kin like then elf like. The second ones are definitely elf and I would be much more ok with. As a marshal, I would say, "can people easily distinguish the character race?" and if so, then it would be ok. With the first ears and large spiraling horns, I would think you were a goat-kin.
 
I don't want to play an actively evil character exactly. I mostly said 'lawful evil' because it was the closest alignment I thought fit. I'm not going to be actively going out and doing evil things, it's more of a 'well that's the smartest/best way to get what I want as a character' and if that way is considered evil then so be it, I don't care about your morals.
Also I've changed a few things now it's not so stupidly late. I must have been tired last night, I saved the file without layers.
So, this makeup design is much more like what I had originally planned, not sure what I was thinking last night. Also changed the ears.
voxless_zpsbc44a70b.png
 
Your best bet is to work with your local Plot team and ask them what they think. I play an old soldier of a MWE with PTSD. It catches people off guard when he isn't cracking jokes or flirting with everything in sight.

There is another MWE character in the chapters I play in who is a very ends-justify-the-means type. He has some hard lines that he will not cross but otherwise that leaves him pretty open to being a sociopath.

I think it's completely doable, but I would run it past your Plot team first.
 
Norman's got it right on the ears - the second pointy ones are fine for elves and mwes. In fact there are some chapters where long ears like that are reserved for certain kinds of elves. As a marshal/plot member I wouldn't OK those goat ears. Keep in mind while the mythos in many chapters has the MWEs linked to satyrs somehow, per the rules they must have pointed elf ears and be distinct from their satyr brethren.

As for the personality bits, that's a plot thing. But I warn you that playing against type gets old faster than you might think it does.
 
I would like to quote something a freind of mine said that mayhelp you refine this idea to something that works.

"The simplest and best way to play 'evil' is to not think of the character as evil. That's the problem a lot of people struggle with. In making the character 'evil' they'll have it do classically or pointlessly immoral or douchey thing purely in the name of being evil. Evil is best when it's just naked ambition coupled with indifference toward others. Don't set out to be evil, set out to accomplish a goal and just make it happen no matter the cost."

Conscider that. might help.
 
I would second/third/fourth the argument that the dreaded manipulative/charismatic/convincing combo does not necessarily mean controlling in a way that subverts the MWE packet, but you should definitely talk to plot. I also second Ezri - playing against type can get really rough.

I also strongly second B.Barber's point: characters that are evil for funsies are not nearly as engaging or, I would argue, long-lived as characters whose evil is tied to, say, a cultural perspective, a driving and insurmountable ambition, or a cause to which they are wholeheartedly dedicated.
Evil for evil's sake also risks your character being rendered one-dimensional, and I'd argue it is also really hard to feign redeemability if you don't have a really good reason for being the way you are. I've been bad-guy-ing for almost two years now, and I am pretty certain the only reason that character hasn't been murdered forever is because her super-backwards cultural perspectives left room for people to be like "oh, maybe she's just messed up and trying to fix it". More than anything, I really strongly recommend you find that avenue that at least allows you to feign regret.
 
B.Barber said:
I would like to quote something a freind of mine said that mayhelp you refine this idea to something that works.

"The simplest and best way to play 'evil' is to not think of the character as evil. That's the problem a lot of people struggle with. In making the character 'evil' they'll have it do classically or pointlessly immoral or douchey thing purely in the name of being evil. Evil is best when it's just naked ambition coupled with indifference toward others. Don't set out to be evil, set out to accomplish a goal and just make it happen no matter the cost."

Conscider that. might help.
Click to expand...

That's exactly the plan. I wasn't planning on playing her as evil because 'Mwahaha, evil', I was planning on playing morally ambiguous because it's the fastest/easiest way to reach her goals. There's also, of course, the drive to not be killed, which will have an influence toward perhaps not choosing the darkest options if they would put her in obvious danger or be stupid.
This isn't my first baddie, it's just my first for these rules. I've got a mindflayer in a 3.5 game who's doing quite well with the good guys simply because they need his abilities and he really really doesn't want to die. It's sort of an almost friendly stalemate at this point. Kinda...
Thank you all for your input so far! It's been very helpful!
 
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