So....what if I wanted to play an EEEEVIL cleric then?

[Crusader808]

I understand that, based on precedence, that WOTC generally releases their support for non-good characters choices farther down the release schedule. Most people don't have groups that run evil aligned (or really selfish Unaligned) games.

I do however.

My players are a bit odd you see. Oh they do fine in regular run of the mill games, I'm running one now that is steadily creeping its way to paragon tier and there is little if any problem. But on some occasions, they just like to walk on the wrong side of the summoning circle.

So here, for your enjoyment are a selection of Divinity Feats for evil clerics.

Asmodeus' Command [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature; must worship Asmodeus
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Asmodeus' Command.
Channel Divinity: Asmodeus' Command Feat Power
You utter a single command, invested with the very voice of your master himself..
Encounter ✦ Divine
Minor Action Range 5
Target: One creature
Effect: You slide the target 1 square and knock him prone.
Special: You must take the Asmodeus' Command feat to use this power.

Bane's Blessing [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature; must worship Bane
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Bane's Blessing.
Channel Divinity: Bane's Blessing Feat Power
Bane inspires you to greater acts of tyranny.
Encounter ✦ Divine
Minor Action Personal
Target: You
Trigger: When the Dreadmaster becomes bloodied
Effect: You gain a +4 bonus to all damage rolls for the rest of the encounter or until no longer bloodied.
Special: You must take the Bane's Blessing feat to use this power.

Beshaba's Luck [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature; must worship Beshaba
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Beshaba's Luck.
Channel Divinity: Beshaba's Luck Feat Power
Beshaba  shows your target the folly of trusting too much to luck.
Encounter ✦ Divine
Minor Action Ranged 5
Target: One bloodied target
Effect: Your target takes a -1 penalty  to all attack rolls and saving throws until  the end of your next turn.
Special: You must take the Beshaba's Luck feat to use this power.

Incite Faith [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature;
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Incite Faith.
Channel Divinity: Incite Faith Feat Power
Your words and deeds inspires your allies to greater feats of valor.
Encounter ✦ Divine
Minor Action close burst 5
Target: A number of allies equal to your level within the area of effect.
Effect: Your allies gain 5 temporary HP.
Special: You must take the Incite Faith feat to use this power.

Lolth's Gait [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature; must worship Lolth
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Lolth's Gait.
Channel Divinity: Lolth's Gait Feat Power
By invoking the power of the spider queen, you scuttle through the shadows like a deadly spider.
Encounter ✦ Divine
Move Action Personal
Target: You
Effect: Shift 1 + your charisma modifier squares. This movement can include up walls. The arachne must end her move on a flat surface.
Special: You must take the Lolth’s Gait feat to use this power.

Loviatar's Delight [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature; must worship Loviatar
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Loviatar's Delight.
Channel Divinity: Loviatar's Delight Feat Power
While receiving pain, you feel Loviatar's caress, inspiring you to share the gift of pain.
Encounter ✦ Divine
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Target: Your attacker
Trigger: When the Pain is hit by a melee attack
Effect: Your target takes 1d6 damage.
Special: You must take the Loviatar's Delight feat to use this power.

Shar's Slip [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature; must worship Shar
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Shar's Slip.
Channel Divinity: Shar's Slip Feat Power
By invoking the power of your dark mistress, you slide into the shadows unseen.
Encounter ✦ Divine
Move Action Personal
Target: You
Effect: Shift 1 + your charisma modifier squares. After your move you are granted concealment until the start of your next turn.
Special: You must take the Shar's Slip feat to use this power.

Talona's Rot [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature; must worship Talona
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Talona's Rot.
Channel Divinity: Talona's Rot Feat Power
You invoke Talona's Rot and a fresh wound of your enemy fills with disease and rot.
Encounter ✦ Divine
Minor Action Target
Target: One creature hit by your melee attack this turn
Effect: Your target takes necrotic damage equal to 1+WIS modifier.
Special: You must take the Talona's Rot feat to use this power.

Whispers of Madness [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature; must worship Cyric
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Whispers of Madness.
Channel Divinity: Whispers of Madness Feat Power
You recite Cryic's holy words and those around you share in his vision..
Encounter ✦ Divine
Standard Action Close Burst 1
Target: Every creature in the burst
Effect: Every creature in the burst suffers a -4 penalty to will defenses until the end of your next turn.
Special: You must take the Whispers of Madness feat to use this power.

Zehir's Poison [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature; must worship Zehir
Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Zehir's Poison
Channel Divinity: Zehir's Poison Feat Power
You invoke Zehir's Poison and a fresh wound of your enemy fills with poison.
Encounter ✦ Divine
Minor Action Target
Target: One creature hit by your melee attack this turn
Effect: Your target takes poison damage equal to 1+WIS modifier.
Special: You must take the Zehir's Poison  feat to use this power.

[Miyabi]

Really?  My groups always run neutral or evil campaigns.  VERY VERY seldomly do we run good campaigns.  On the RARE occasion we do, something happens that forces us to have to be evil eventually. ha ha.

[Crusader808]

Really?  My groups always run neutral or evil campaigns.  VERY VERY seldomly do we run good campaigns.  On the RARE occasion we do, something happens that forces us to have to be evil eventually. ha ha.

I would suspect that, at least on this forum, my group's forum, and even most of the folks from Tangency(RPGNet), that this is probably pretty much the universal opinion. Morally challenged games are simply more fun to play in, and from my side of the screen pretty dang fun to run as well (Consequences, consequences, consequences).

But those groups don't represent the majority of gamers. Otherwise they probably would have included better support for morally challenged characters in the core book.

Thus the effort

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Actually I suspect most of the original TWG crew usually play good characters—the whole Tracy Hickman philosophy.

[Miyabi]

Tracy Hickman philosophy?

[Crusader808]

Actually I suspect most of the original TWG crew usually play good characters—the whole Tracy Hickman philosophy.

Thats a frightening thought. Save the world and all that?

[Peter Ahlstrom]

No, just that he plays good characters because he wants to be a good person. Or something like that. I did a quick google search but didn't come up with anything...I know he's talked about it in interviews of which I have only vague memories.

[Crusader808]

No, just that he plays good characters because he wants to be a good person. Or something like that. I did a quick google search but didn't come up with anything...I know he's talked about it in interviews of which I have only vague memories.

Fair enough, though playing a morally challenged character doesn't make one morally challenged yourself.

Being on the other side of the screen, one of the things that I've noticed is that, with my players anyway, they seem less concerned about consequences of some of their actions when playing good characters. Not necessarily evil actions mind you, but things that could come back to bite them later.

For some reason, they think that being good gives them a pass. It doesn't, but that seems to be the mindset.

[Miyabi]

I like playing Good characters, just no one else I play with does.

I mean, I enjoy evil characters, but good characters are fun once in a while.

[The Jade Knight]

If your players are unconcerned about the consequences of their actions, then you're not GMing in a way that will make them care.  When I GM, my characters are very careful about the morality of their actions—they're aware that they are in an interactive world where every choice has a consequence (and I make sure they're painfully aware of this).
 

Being on the other side of the screen, one of the things that I've noticed is that, with my players anyway, they seem less concerned about consequences of some of their actions when playing good characters. Not necessarily evil actions mind you, but things that could come back to bite them later.

For some reason, they think that being good gives them a pass. It doesn't, but that seems to be the mindset.

One of the things I really like about WFRP (1st or 2nd) is that it includes massive support (especially with the expansions, but some in the 1st ed. core rulebook) for playing evil characters, but it always comes at a cost.  The idea is, you may be able to get extreme wealth, power, or glory, but you can always expect your character to die in the end, possibly in some horrific way.

[Crusader808]

If your players are unconcerned about the consequences of their actions, then you're not GMing in a way that will make them care.  When I GM, my characters are very careful about the morality of their actions—they're aware that they are in an interactive world where every choice has a consequence (and I make sure they're painfully aware of this).

Oh, I make them aware of it as they would attest to, if I could get their lazy arses to register here. Most of the behaviour stems from another person being behind the screen that played to his audience, so to speak. They had fun with it, so it continued.

Its not just a matter of morality here either. There are grey area actions that have consequences that, for some reason, they are less scared of in a "good" game. Its not that they don't suffer the consequences, just that they haven't touched the hot stove enough quite yet.

Being on the other side of the screen, one of the things that I've noticed is that, with my players anyway, they seem less concerned about consequences of some of their actions when playing good characters. Not necessarily evil actions mind you, but things that could come back to bite them later.

For some reason, they think that being good gives them a pass. It doesn't, but that seems to be the mindset.

One of the things I really like about WFRP (1st or 2nd) is that it includes massive support (especially with the expansions, but some in the 1st ed. core rulebook) for playing evil characters, but it always comes at a cost.  The idea is, you may be able to get extreme wealth, power, or glory, but you can always expect your character to die in the end, possibly in some horrific way.

They added the support for it in 3.x later in the game, but the core rolebook was, and the new edition still is, missing any real support of evil characters. I suspect that WOTC intends on including the support for it later on. Thus the post above. Certain OGL games are more "alignment neutral" (True20, D20M, Spycraft, MnM), but D&D focuses on the good guys, and lets be honest here...."a hero is a hero, but everyone loves a good villain" (Ferb Fletcher - Phineas and Ferb)