Storyline development : Evil in a campaign

[the Wanderer]

I have been a GM for too many years to remember. In my earlier years as a GM I had such great ideas and high hopes for my campaigns. Over time I realized my players became wise to my many tricks and puzzles, forcing me to become more creative and devious. I have, in the course of designing campaigns, found new and troubling questions for both myself and my players.

I have reversed or twisted stereotypes in the past (monsters, classes, appearance, etc.) to greater than expected results. My players find it hard to tell friend from foe at first glance…

So the questions here are simple to answer, at least at first glance.

 “How do you define evil? “
 “How do you know an enemy? “
 “What predisposes one to good or evil?”
 “Is it genetic or environmental?”
 “Can a choice be made by the individual (monster / NPC)?”

This is purely for development of storylines, so feel free to offer any thoughts you have.
Any opinions would be useful on this, as we need all the input we can get.

[manfred]

Oh no... not this debate again.

Try a little of the following:
Time for some Evil now!

Maybe it will help with your confusion somewhat. Or, well, help your confusion.

[MoonHunter]

We will be moving this to the sage area after a while.

 “How do you define evil? “
Inately, all Evil stems from some aspect of selfishness

 “How do you know an enemy? “
The person opposing you. antagonist, protagonist. There are no good guys, there are no bad guys, there are just guys.  It is all about your own motivation and what obsticles are in your way.  I mean nobody thinks, "I am the bad guy." They are the heroes of their own story.

 “What predisposes one to good or evil?”
See above.

 “Is it genetic or environmental?”
In most cases, environmental. Of course, if one is a creature of a specific polarity (such as a demon or other manifestation of archetype), then it is "genetic".

 “Can a choice be made by the individual (monster / NPC)?”
In most cases.

[Pariah]

Moon went at it from the GM's worldmaking view.  Now I'll got at it from the paranoid player's view.   

"How do you define evil?"
Anything and everything my GM makes can be evil, if He wants it too.  The great, holy paladin is really a demon in disguise, or maybe a doppleganger, or maybe he's the real thing.  But He made him, thus he's not to be trusted.

"How do you know an enemy?"
When the aforementioned paladin stabs me in the back, with his excessively dull and chipped greatsword, boy he needs a page to sharpen that for him.

"What predisposes one to good or evil"
He who makes all, and by whose will I still eck an existance decides who shall be good and evil."

"Is it genetic or envirnomental"
The environment sure promotes His evilness, but one cannot know if some vile deed was done to Him in the past to make His this way, or if He was born killing innocents.

"Can a choice be made by the individual?"
No, the individual has only one choice, to obey Him or to die.

[DragonRhapsody]

“How do you define evil? “
Evil is someone or something that harbors anger, selfishness and too much ego.

“How do you know an enemy? “
You can't really, until that said enemy presents an obstacle for you or others to overcome.

“What predisposes one to good or evil?”
Anything can. It depends on how that person takes it. If someone told them to have a good day, and they were already having a bad day, they would take that for sarcasm and their day would become worse. It all depends on the persons state of mine.

“Is it genetic or environmental?”
I don't believe anything is genetic {except for some genetic diseases}. I believe everything is environmental. If your parents hate a certain brand of underwear, for their own reason, you'll grow up disliking the same brand - or harboring something against them. Your environment causes you to be the way you are. Of course, you can always break out of your environmental patterns, but that's another paragraph ^__^

“Can a choice be made by the individual (monster / NPC)?”
To be good or evil? Yes, I believe that some people, early on, can let themselves succumb to evil or good. Depending on what feels right for them. Also, they could just beat down their conscience enough to become evil. It all depends, but they made that choice.