What's the most tasteful way to play the "Dark Knight" character?
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What's the most tasteful way to play the "Dark Knight" character?
What's the most tasteful way to play the "Dark Knight" character?
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Shopping Cart Returner Shirt $21.68 |
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rapefully, you need to rape your fellow pcs frequently to put them in line. and then you need to rape most npcs you meet
Very Rancepilled
Use this as your character picture and say "sheeit" and "damn" at every opportunity.
I love you anon, thanks for the laugh
"Dark Knight" doesn't give enough detail for fun roleplaying. You need to give yourself a strongly flavoured reason to go adventuring. There's so many directions you can go.
>My lady caught my heart in her cobweb snare, and now I must do her dark bidding, desperately proving myself for her, desperately waiting for the day when some enemy of mine puts me to rest
>Oi! You! You look like you're mates with the knight who killed my brother! I'm gonna frick you up! *swallows boar haunch whole, downs a flagon of wine, picks up sword*
>As my illustrious predecessor Accursius said in his gloss of Opus Plebis, a freeborn man without a title shall bow three times towards any titled man that passes him by; he shall not bow four times, neither shall he bow two times, excepting that he proceeds to bow a third time after. I counted four bows. I understand that you require the use of your hands to earn your daily bread, so I am content to remove an eye instead, if that is preferable to you.
Our racist player (he's the only player who is racist) played a black guy once and revelled far too much in being extremely black. Sometimes I wake up with that accent echoing in my head and I scream.
Don’t talk
Don’t help anyone
Don’t show mercy unless they’re a completely pathetic wimpering mess and surrendered before the fight even started.
Slice off hands if a stranger touches you. No exceptions.
Dark knights are never PC. They MUST be main villain's asistant or bodyguard. A pre-boss if you like.
What if they start as Dark Knight but become a Paladin midway through the story?
You don’t start playing a villain in a hero party, that’s stupid. At best you play one of the villains lackeys in a all evil party
NTA, but that was a Final Fantasy IV reference, where that exact thing happens to the story's protagonist.
Tough but it can work
It might help if his friend was a lancer of some sort, and there was a white mage they were both in love with.
>This is my character, a morally ambivalent swordsman who is questing for renown or riches
>I look forward to plundering this dungeon with you
>Sorry bro, we're also plundering this dungeon for riches and renown but our character sheet says "good" so clearly our motives will clash because ???
Be an english knight who only speaks english because his subjects have adopted so many french loan words.
In a solo campaign.
the one universal requirement for any evil-aligned character in a good-aligned party is simply and non negotiable
"Your goals HAVE to align with those of the party"
a lesser fact that follows from this is
"your benefit to the party needs to outweigh the consequences and downsides from having you in the party"
Often this requires a certain amount of pragmatism on part of the evil character, in that they need to value cooperation with the party enough they can compromise
>Evil
Implying most parties aren't murderhobos looking to loot cultural artifacts and magic items to line their pockets while gaining praise and social clout. Alignment doesn't matter, it has always been a battle of conflicting interests and you can't convince me otherwise.
Altruism doesn't exist in a world were you are rewarded power for good boy points just as easily as prying it from the hands of a dying child. Paladins can suck my ass.
Yeah, but if you say the average murderhobo is basically evil anyway you'll get a bunch of autistic homosexuals screeching about how morality is relative and that their character is really lawful good even after they fricked forty children to death with a sword but like those kids could've all been the antichrist and Gary Gygax said nits make lice so you gotta murder rape all the kids so really their characters are nothing but lawful and good.
Excuse you, I always look for nonlethal solutions even with absolute villainous people and even monsters capable of communicating. And you say that as if my relics weren't stolen by ruin squatting cultists or lost to monsters and benefiting nobody unless someone takes them back to use.
And do you sell these artifacts back to their native cultures they were liberated from or donate them? Or do you hock them and the closest vendor?... be honest.
Also, non-lethal is just a way to earn even more clout for a difficult task. You aren't sparing life, you are making yourself look better."Whenever possible".
>y-y-you can't take le hecking native artifacterinos
The natives can go frick themselves, I found them in a overgrown pyramid in the middle of fricking nowhere in the nest of a wieneratrice, it's mine by right of conquest.
>nogames whose understanding of TTRPGs comes entirely from memes
This, the trick is to reduce how much shit splashes the party. As long as you do that and try to benefit some party member with your actions from time to time, you can get away with a lot of shit.
I got a player that always plays chaotic and individualistic characters, but he always makes sure that the consequences of his ideas and actions will affect himself and nobody else, or minimize the second. Nobody has a problem with him and often engage with it because he has proven to be competent.
I only had a player like that once and ended up being kicked. Guess I'm lucky to have ones that at least try to talk first and punch later, even if one table will often end up punching later.
These
.
It's about being 'conscientiously evil' in that it helps drive the game, story, and relationships, but doesn't become un-fun or disruptive. I made this mistake a couple times and it still haunts me when I remember.
Alternatively, if you want to be super fricking kino, fall from grace. Start out as your typical good-aligned paladin and over the course of the campaign loosen up on your morals and question your faith/cause. You can still be 'good' in that you're still helping the 'good' people; you're just committing heinous fricking atrocities and war crimes every step of the way that you look like a fricking villain. Or be actually genuinely evil. There are dozens of different ways to take it.
>Sees Dark Knight
>Instantly thinks EVIL ALIGNED
This is your brain on D&D
Good series?!
Honorable Monster
Make him skilled, powerful, dangerous and cunning. Make clear he is willing to be a cold blooded killer. Have him round up people the MCs care about and make a big scene about executing them to draw them out, then if they actually take the bait have him engage the party with all his might and have it revealed he never intended to harm the parties family/friends because only a coward would slaughter a defenceless opponent like sheep. And if they dont show up have him disapointedly turn the execution over to his underlings and leave and watch from the shadows to see if the party show up to save their loves ones without his (seeming) threat there.
Have him turn up his nose at the uncoth and base villany of lesser men. Have him make a point of executing his minions or allies who disgust him such as raping women or tortuing defeated opponents for sadism rather then to gain information. But also have him step in with the torturers tools the moment he needs info as well. The Dark Knight is supposed to be a bad guy with a warped moral compass. So make him ruthless and brutal but not without honor and nobility.
Addendum: Make them the kind of person who if you were in a one on one duel with, if he disarmed you he would stand back and let you pick up your sword and would snarl at his men if they tried to interfere. But will absolutely kill you and enslave your village when he wins
>Addendum: Make them the kind of person who if you were in a one on one duel with, if he disarmed you he would stand back and let you pick up your sword
That's fricking gay, disarming someone is PART of a duel, moron. It's one of the win conditions
>and would snarl at his men if they tried to interfere.
This is fine though.
My preferred variation would be when he disarms you he gives you the opportunity to surrender and join him OR to pick up your sword and die valiantly; he'd be thrilled if you picked the latter and somehow still pulled out a win. This combo means he has personal honour but also a goon squad of skilled but not quite skilled enough backstabbers and cowards around him. It's like the villainous version of the power of friendship, and has the nice bonus of meshing well with good guy team ethics.
Good way of doing it. I approve. I've always liked the honorable bad guy trope and think of there was ever a chance for the PCs to ever befriend or get to defect to their side one of the bad guys, its someone along the lines of that archetype. Players tend to respect a villain who still has morals and honor even if he's still out to get them or harm what they are after or protecting.
by stopping playing with paper dolls and start just playing the fricking game. you are a grown ass man god damn it.
Play a knight. Be brooding.
Tsundere
>Think you're doing the right thing by following orders and acting as an enforcer for the law
>Realize you fricked up after a particularly bad travesty occurs due to your actions
>Continue on, living with your guilt, still fighting using the same methods because it's all you know
>Eventually overcome your guilt and mistakes and become a Paladin of Light
Cecil from Final Fantasy 4 was a cool character.
>tasteful
Stop pretending like you have standards.
Make rivals
Kill everyone except 1 guy so he will return all powered up
Why don't you try and define the term? Maybe that will help narrow down a playstyle.
If you just want to talk about dark knights in general you should drop the pretense and just do it.
I know that people are probably sick of hearing about the game, but Final Fantasy 14's depiction of Dark Knights as Chaotic Good avengers of the downtrodden is something I like.
It's unironically the best way to run a dark-aspected warrior in a heroic party. I'd also argue they're not very chaotic good since they follow a very strict moral code, it's just that said code is built on masochistic self-sacrifice and extremely prejudicial slaughter.
He eats three times a day, but he only eats the rich.
And orc infants.
>but he only eats the rich.
Commies are chaotic evil tho
The best part of this version of Dark Knight as a character concept is that it comes with built-in thematic and character potential. You are not just a skilled fighter in cool armor, you are a skilled fighter in cool armor that has baked-in motivation to oppose corrupt nobels and other authority figures, and as such can reasonably expect to be on the shit list of many people in people. Accused of crimes they did not commit/shit they DID do, but also with a reasonable expectation that there will be common folk that will offer your aid because they know your true deeds.
Any GM worth their salt is going to take one look at this character setup and start *salivating* at the dickass noble antagonist they get to include that exists just to make your life hell and give you an obvious target to fight against, knowing that this is a hook you will gladly bite.
I personally love the whole philosophy of their arms, too.
>"We dark knights don't care one whit for prestige or pedigree. We are free to follow our hearts─to defend the weak and punish the guilty as we see fit. The law of the land? The authority of a name? These are tools cowards use to escape harm. We have no need of shields figurative or literal."
> "Also paladins already called dibs on shields."
> spend the last 10 years cultivating your inner edgy-boy to fuel your strength with your emotions
> Moogles: "Okay, but you know you can power yourself with love too, right?"
> "What? No. God damnit, don't *ruin* this for me!"
I hear a lot of people complaining about that part, but I honestly loved it. Sids character progression and that entire arc reminded me a lot of the parts of berserk where guts has to soften up and deal with dipshit annoying fairies
It's also very accurate to both what the Fray-tulpa teaches the WoL and the cosmology of the setting dictates. DRKs are empowered by their passions, their disgust at injustice and desire to protect the downtrodden are themselves forms of love. And because they're empowered by passion, they draw from the active, chaotic energies of darkness like
dictates.
What's pretty interesting to me is how neatly the soft retcon of Endwalkers with dynamis. Warrior's Rage and Inner Beast is just them using dynamis to psyche themselves up and throw themselves into a barely-controllable positive feedback loop of rage.
>darkness is the aspect of activity, change, life
>light is the aspect of stasis, passivity, peace
>dark knights protect by stealing life from their enemies and ensuring they cannot die temporarily
>paladins protect by using light to restore themselves and ensure their forms cannot be harmed
It was annoying hearing about it over and over, but having gone through the game I genuinely love how they handle their elemental system and the consistency they have with their magic rules.
The most tasteful way to play a dark knight is to be secretly good.
Like Red Death,
Simple
The Dark Knight isn't actually a knight at all. They're a commoner. Since they lack a knighthood, they're nothing but a fraud masquerading as something which they aren't. And since they have no honor with which to stain, they're willing to do things that other knights aren't, such as use crossbows and guns, or use poison, or attack their enemies in their sleep.
Death Knights in warcraft actually do it really well.
I played a lawful evil knight character in a pretty solidly good aligned party, the campaign was post apocalyptic and one of the many civilizations that were destroyed in the fall was a secretive hidden temple city that worshipped a jealous, vengeful serpent god that demanded total obedience from its followers and especially hated traitors. the religious order survived as a shadow of itself in the form of secretive cultist cells among the migrating refugee diaspora and new centers of civilization, the character was born among such a community and was raised like the others to serve the wishes of his god unwaveringly and selflessly. he was chosen and contacted directly by his god and tasked with finding the ruins of the temple and cleansing them of the touch of any other gods or extraplanar entities arrogant enough to encroach on the sacred grounds so that the sacrifices of the conquered and the blood rituals could continue. the party was the most logical avenue to explore the dangerous wilds and access resources needed to learn more about where the lost temple city might be, as such he would allow nothing to risk the integrity or efficacy of the party, including publicly expressing his disdain for moments of weakness or failure on their part.
he was fairly diplomatic and direct in how and when he spoke, quick to assume the worst of others and question motives, and while very comfortable with violence and cruelty he was more of the cold, efficient type. the weak were beneath his contempt but he was mindful that his views were not shared by the party at large and harmony served his goals better than constant arguments, especially since none of the others knew his real objectives. he made a pact with the party members upon joining the group and would die before betraying the oath he made beneath the watchful gaze of his god
>post apocalyptic
stopped reading
He doesn't wear the accoutrements of a knight, but I think Zodd the Immortal displays traits that are useful for depicting a 'dark knight' character. You need to blend wickedness and nobility.
Ganondorf as Team Uncle.
you play john wick. He is cold, calculating, ruthless and without remorse. So long as his goals and the party goals coincide they think of him as a zealous friend who has no bounds, your goal conflicts your dead, no pontificating, fan fare or qualms about removing the obstruction.
Pick your poison. Lawful Neutral leaning Paladin folk or Lawful Evil leaning Paladin folk. If you don't want magic- uphold these concepts/tenets/ideals/beliefs and play a Fighter.
A Dark Knight can
>heal others?
>help others make saves?
>make their allies fearless?
The only way a Dark Knight should be healing is by violently attacking another creature. The shield with which they guard others should be their iron flesh and steel will and by murdering whatever could bring harm to what they hold dear.
These are edgy, sure, but these are subclasses, window dressings upon something that is fundamentally and ultimately a Paladin, a protector, and not a Dark Knight, a slayer.
>The only way a Dark Knight should be healing is by violently attacking another creature.
I honestly wish more games had "Leech Healers", it makes healing much more fun if you're encouraged to get balls deep into the fray and stack up passive and active healing by brutalizing your opponent.
Pic related, one of my favorite vidya medics I ever played.
First, define whether you're 'dark' because you're evil, because you're an anti-hero, or because you wear black armor. Define your concept first.
Wouldn't the simple answer be that the DK in question is a prince or a lord from a conquered kingdom? So they hide their face and heraldry/sigils to avoid being captured and killed, but are on a revenge quest. Working with the party might get them an audience with the very faction who ordered their kingdom destroyed, so it doesn't hurt to play nice for a bit. After all, once you're face to face with your family and country's killer, you don't need to survive the encounter, just ensure he doesn't either.
Enjoys wading through the intestines of his butchered foes and dedicates each ripped-out heart to his evil god.
Also tucks in the halfling cleric at night. Tells him the monsters won't come for him because they're too scared of the dark knight.
Be Agravain
Only care about being seen following the codes of chivalry and not living them
Young, passionate, handsome SS officer.
Sexiest fascist you'll ever meet, girls go gaga for that shit.
He believes in the wrong things, but he's so earnest in his beliefs that he's actually really convincing. Like a guy who genuinely believes that a Legalist kingdom with devil backup is the best solution for humanity.
>use evil for good and sacrifice is a main theme
Is it like blizzards demon hunters then? I am really curious about final fantasy dark knights. I always liked Cecil and the idea that you are a dark knight but not “evil”