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Stupid Evil: Difference between revisions

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Stupid Evil (view source)

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Oh, and they get angry when they have to suffer ''consequences'' for their actions, like guards and bounty hunters after them. [[It's All About Me|It's all about them, after all]]. If a '''Stupid Evil''' person has a choice between accepting a reward for accidentally finding a dog or killing the reward giver, they will choose killing every time. (Somehow figuring out how to do both requires systematic patience and intelligence that isn't part of being Stupid.)
 
Similarly, the ''D&D'' sourcebook ''Book of Vile Darkness'' spent a good while detailing how to run an evil character without being a [[Omnicidal Maniac|mass-murdering lunatic]]; but it does give tips for that, too, since even [[Card-Carrying Villain|cartoon supervillainy]] has [[ThisTropes ExistsAre (DarthNot Wiki)Bad|has its place.]].
 
Sadly, if a computer-based [[RPG]] offers an "evil" path, it's usually Stupid Evil, [[Evil Is Petty|and it involves committing completely random acts of violence]] just to get those precious [[Karma Meter]] points required to unlock the top tier evil abilities. Only relatively recently did they start adding options for players who want to play sneaky evil characters, with opportunities to [[Unwitting Pawn|manipulate other characters into doing your bidding]], or even cooking an [[Evil Plan]]. Sometimes, however, this is played anyway because of the [[Rule of Fun]]. Watching the ensuing chaos from randomly attacking people '''is''' sometimes fun, even if the novelty soon wears off.
 
This is different from [[Complete Monster]], usually; in that those monsters almost always have some kind of goal, desires or something else that they're willing to commit atrocities for; - Stupid Evil means doing it when it is both pointless and [[Too Dumb to Live|self-harmingly stupid]], although examples the former sometimes does actions that are considered this and earn themselves a fitting [[Karmic Death]].
 
It is notable that this is, along with [[Chaotic Stupid]], is often [[Lampshade Hanging|given as an official reason]] in a work for why the forces of evil haven't completely destroyed the forces of good yet: They're too busy behaving like this, usually towards [[Evil vs. Evil|other evils]], to focus on uniting against good and conquering the world. There's often a conscious concern on the part of the good guys of this fact.
 
Compare [[Lawful Stupid]], [[Chaotic Stupid]], [[Stupid Neutral]] and [[Stupid Good]]. Contrast as well [[Pragmatic Villainy]]; a villain who is evil only when it benefits them more. [[Chaotic Evil]] is the alignment most likely to be reduced to Stupid Evil, for some reason. [[Threw My Bike on the Roof]] often overlaps with this.
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