Is there a way to justify a race being almost entirely _____ Evil, assuming the following are the case?
>They are not demons or otherwise related to a "physical representation of elemental evil"
>They have a functioning society of arbitrary size, and/or multiple nations and ethnicities inside the race
>"Functioning society" can be taken to mean a civilization with enough trust to unite against outside forces adequately for self-defense, and unlikely to socially implode within a generation of formation
>They are culturally fluid; that is, a individual of this race raised outside of the culture, albeit rare, can exhibit the culture of another race.
>They are cognizant of other species to an extent to predict their future actions
>The species is sentient
>The species was not created with intent
The tl;dr: assuming that the (imprecise) morality system of D&D applies is there an opportunity for a race of evil creatures that isn't in some way contrived?
Are you trying to tell me a morality system with 9 categories, in a setting that has owlbears and beholders, is unrealistic? My mind is blown!
>>43820186
>Sentient
>Has no choice over it's own morality
Those two are mutually exclusive, so no, it is not possible.
>>43820186
Probably, though I personally wouldn't bother. I prefer to leave races basically neutral and have massed generic evil mooks be such because this particular mob is, say, from a dickass organization or influenced by a dickass supernatural power.
>>43820249
Not OP but I disagree. Humans make decisions on what to do and who to be but they make them based on who they were born as and their environment. In the end a person's morality is up to luck because a person cannot choose to be born as who they are, which leads to who they will become and what decisions they will make.
>>43820186
>D&D morality.
You're aware that to ping as evil with a Detect Evil effect, you don't even have to morally be evil, right? Certain spells or even items can give you an "evil" aura while not actually affecting your behavior at all.
So yes, it's possible, all you have to say is say "this species pings on detect evil" and it's technically evil according to the rules of DnD, even if it's incredibly selfless and altruistic.
What was the point of this topic again? I feel like I just spent way too much time answering deliberate bait.
>>43820186
>assuming that the (imprecise) morality system of D&D applies
You know this system is flawed beyond reason, right ?
Anyways. Yes it's possible. It's not different from having a single nation being evil. Since you refused inherent evil, it all boils down to circumstances.
So, the reason ? Pragmatism. They enslave, pillage and kill their weaker neighbours because it's an economically valid strategy and prevents internal troubles. Also their god said so. And it works !
example : The land of racist driads in basically the garden of eden on earth but refuses to interact with lesser races, therefore the evil human race regularly steal their food stocks (and take slaves, because why not). Due to magical powers, the dryads can regrow to pre-raid level very quickly.
>>43820282
>no personal development ever
meh.
>>43820186
Assuming this isn't just bait, these "can I do X in my fantasy land" threads are pretty moronic.
Yes, you can, and you can also make it not stupid, so long as you don't have the creativity of a brick. The better question, obviously, is how.
If you're really running dry, then, I dunno, just look to IRL examples for inspiration. I think the general consensus seems to be that the Nazis were "less that 100% totally rad bros, maybe". Now pretend they're a race. Blammo.
Lawful Evil to Chaotic Evil seems pretty simple.
>Lawful Evil
Tyrants, fascists, religious fundamentalists. They believe in strong hierarchies that are absolute, and rarely are they hypocrites to it. (The shit-farming peasants acknowledge their inferiority to their superiors, though they may venture to improve their life in a number of ways)
>Chaotic Evil
Gnolls and Orcs are seen as always chaotic evil. Their societies are rarely super stable because of how chaotic they are but they appreciate strength and cunning.
How do these not work already, OP?
>>43820186
It's probably just a thing you'd disallow, but if a dark god were whispering in their minds to commit vile acts all the time that would certainly justify it. I like to imagine a setting with gruumsh playing that role for all the orcs, with only half orcs able to overcome the voice.
>>43820336
>>43820339
>>43820345
The question was not whether he could make an evil culture, but an evil race, which would still be evil even after being raised in a different culture.
>>43820186
>>43820394
You could say that they have a strong inclination towards a number of traits that humans generally consider amoral, if not evil.
e.g a strong inclination towards violence, a lack of empathy, lack of altruism, strong ability to derive pleasure from cruelty etc.
However some would argue that these properties are essential to having a functioning society of an arbitrary size like you want, so it may not work if you want somthing realistic.
>>43820186
Remove free will.
>>43820394
Orcs in pretty much any setting are like that OP.
Maybe you don't like them, think that they are cliché or expect something else BESIDES orcs, but the fact is, you are asking for an example of a well established archetype
And it's orcs.
>>43820186
>assuming that the (imprecise) morality system of D&D applies is there an opportunity for a race of evil creatures that isn't in some way contrived?
Yes. Look into Russia for inspiration. Entire nation being pretty much embodiment of evil due to nothing else than it's own natural conditions and history.
Any nation that is captured in grips of particularly strong totalitarian ideology can became "Evil" in the most pure sense of the word, actually. It has a lot to do with form of a principial, socially sanctioned (or even enforced) dishonesty: teach people to believe something that is fundamentally untrue, and they will start to act in fashion that can be only described as "Evil".
That said, totalitarian ideologies are a relatively modern invention, and probably would not manifest themselves in societies that still mainly embrace mythological mindsets. So this kind of logic is not really fitting to medieval or archaic fantasy settings.
>>43820606
>>43820440
I'm not OP.
>>43820692
You don't need a totalitarian ideology. It could be a dominant religion with questionable teachings or just a general view on thing like "us vs everyone else" taken to the extreme.And you view on us making me a very sad russian.
>>43820692
I can apply the same reasoning to most country mate you don't need a totalitarian ideology for it to happens, exceptionalism and ethnocentrism being the biggest contender.
>>43820723
It's the same, this is a pointless thread in search for something that already exist in fantasy
>>43820186
I'd probably assume similarities to the Aztecs, with lots of brutality, human sacrifice and xenophobia, justified in culture by traditions, religion or necessity (e.g. upper limit on available food production).
It would probably manifest as some sort of Lawful Evil war cult, with a constant drive for expansion due to shortages of food/land/slaves/BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD, leading to it's inevitable collapse as citizens get converted by their exposure to other cultures and realize there's more to life than constant death.
>>43820906
>leading to it's inevitable collapse as citizens get converted by their exposure to other cultures and realize there's more to life than constant death.
wut
That's not even what happened to the Aztecs
Yes.
Your basicly designing fantasy nazi's.
>Insert Godwins Law
>Insert arguement about how nobody is entirely evil, now with everybodies least favorite arguement.
>>43820394
And as I already said, the answer to both is yes, dingus.
The example was "X cultural evil is now a racial trait. BECAUSE?: REASONS." Simple.
>>43820186
>Is there a way to justify a race being almost entirely _____ Evil, assuming the following are the case?
ask a college liberal what they think about white men
>>43820186
they are not white
simple as that :^)
>>43820186
Instinctual xenophobia generally works. They're fine among their own species, but they not only lack empathy towards other species, they can't even conceive of the idea. At best they're abhorrent things taking up vital resources and land, at worst they're frightening, dangerous monsters.
>>43820186
Yes.
Any parasitic creature such as Illithids that require a host to be killed to be used in reproduction will likely turn out to be an evil ones.
>>43820692
>Entire nation being pretty much embodiment of evil due to nothing else than it's own natural conditions and history.
Am I missing something? Where was it decided that Russians are overwhelmingly evil in a way other nationalities are not?
>>43821153
did you mean are, shitlord
;^)
>D&D Morality
Do it as dumb as possible
>Evil people must do things evilly
>That means mustache twirling, or saying "FOR MY NEFARIOUS PLANS GNYOHOHOHO"(evil laugh can change) after doing something
>Make sandwich "THIS WILL DO GREAT FOR MY NEFARIOUS PLANS [Evil laugh]"
>>43820282
But that's nurture, not nature.
>>43820282
I can agree to you...PARTIALLY.
There is something like character development that can change a man no matter what morality he has.
>>43820186
>worship evil god
>not evil according to themselves
>high sense of family involved, but try to swindle everyone else, see gypsies
>kender
>>43820186
yes, most things you could give them that would make them evil would prevent them making a functioning society, but there are a few evil traits they could have a strong tendency towards that would let them function.
Xenophobia would be a good one. Not necessarily tied to race, but whatever group they identify themselves as. ie one raised in a human kingdom would be hateful and distrustful of foreigners, and one raised in her native kingdom would be cool with other citizens of other species.
