Tips for RPing CE warlock

[Bobby M]

Hi everyone, I was hoping to find some roleplaying tips for a character I've started running.

My group has played a few sessions of a new campaign, and we're still in the process of getting the group together (2 players have left and a new one has joined over 3 sessions). I am playing a Chaotic Evil Warlock, something outside of my comfort zone. I normally play skill monkey characters mechanically, and good characters fluff wise. The group has mixed alignments (but no paladins, thankfully) so I've decided not to play overtly evil.

In combat I'm trying to go for a cut-throat tactition persona which meshes well with my controller build, but outside of combat, I'm not finding much to do. I'd like to have some things to do that would help him develop a personality, lead to plot hooks,and generally be more active and interesting at the table.

Character information Spoiled.

Spoiler: Background fluff

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Graven Markier, a human warlock, was sired by a fiend and a witch during a profane ritual. His father, a lesser lord of the abyss, has sired countless such children across planes and species. This abyssal lord, however, has been slain, and all of his children are now seeking to claim his power and position, but must eliminate all other heirs to do so. Graven has begun adventuring to surround himself with powerful allies, gather resources, and find his kin.

[Red Fel]

In combat I'm trying to go for a cut-throat tactition persona which meshes well with my controller build, but outside of combat, I'm not finding much to do. I'd like to have some things to do that would help him develop a personality, lead to plot hooks,and generally be more active and interesting at the table.

Well, my first hangup is that I generally associate tacticians with more L than C, but that's my own baggage so feel free to ignore it. Let's jump right into the meaty stuff.

Okay. One of the best translations between "combat concept" and "non-combat concept," I have found, is a remarkably simple revelation. Consider the question: What's the difference between a combat encounter and a non-combat encounter? I mean, fundamentally. Apart from the fact that people die, not much. And that's the key - a combat encounter is simply another type of encounter, like a social encounter or a puzzle encounter. It calls for a specific set of die rolls.

So that's what I suggest. Have your character approach everything in life the same way he approaches combat. He's a ruthless tactician, right? So make him a social schemer. A ruthless haggler. A guy who knows what he has and uses it to get what he wants. That gives you some basic personality rules to work from.

Next, list his priorities. You mention that he's working on his inheritance, that's probably priority one. He's building up his group of allies, but that's in furtherance of achieving his inheritance, so that's priority two. Does he have any other priorities? Acquire wealth? Authority? The companionship of females (or males, I'm not judging) of loose morality? Is there anything in life he wants to do? See? Kill?

Now that we've looked at present and future, let's look into the past, which we probably should have done in the first place. (I'm playing up the Chaotic, though, and you're not the boss of me.) First: Tell me about your unholy witch-mother.

Seriously, that stuff works. What's his relationship with his mother? Does he have any other siblings, by that particular father or any other? Did the community know about his mother's extraplanar affairs? Was growing up easy or hard for him? Does he feel that made him stronger, or does he want revenge?

These are just some starters, mind you. The best plot hooks come from personal history and priorities, so once you flesh those out, we can see where to go next. (Spoiler: It's probably the Abyss.)

[Oracle_of_Void]

If he is always worried about his kin and his resources, then have him steal and interrogate. If something valuable/powerful is relatively easy to get, he should try and take it to build up his resources. Find people around towns who know stuff and interrogate them about his kin. Torture them if need be. If something is well guarded but he still wants it, engineer their downfall. For example, if a museum has an artifact the warlock wants, next time he finds an orc/goblin/gnoll/troll etc. tribe, point them in that town's direction so that they can destroy it so that you can take your prize. If the warlock is not overtly evil, then play your evil real subtle. Don't leave tips, be rude to people, take knick-knacks, handle a mugger with extreme lethal force, haggle for higher rewards for missions, all sorts of things of this nature.

[Bobby M]

Red Fel- That is some amazing advice! I spent so much time considering where he was going as a character I forgot to really consider where he came from. I'll also make a list of all of his priorities and goals. Adapting his tactics to social situations might be tricky though as his motto is "never start a fair fight" but I suppose I can translate that as always looking for an edge against people 'House of Cards' style.. (As a side note, I feel that tactics is more chaotic while strategy is more lawful. Being able to adjust to a changing battlefield rather than planning ahead etc.)

Oracle_of_Void- Going after artifacts is extremely fitting. I'm trying to have him hide the extent of his evil, but I think the dealing harshly with people would work out to his advantage. Not only does that remove threats, but lets him revel in his growing powers.

Thanks for the tips!