Lawful Evil isn’t stupid. I’ve run a lot of villains who were smart, but I’ve also let “lawful evil” drift into cartoon territory. Iron-fisted tyrant. Obsessed cult leader. Someone the party can just stab and walk away from. But the truth is, a real lawful evil force plays the long game. It doesn’t waste resources. It bends the rules without breaking them. It thrives because people let it.
At the table, that means the players don’t get the satisfaction of a single obvious strike. The duke who starves the border villages isn’t dumb. He sends food when the king’s inspectors come. He promotes loyalists. He uses laws to trap rivals. He might even offer the party work. He probably should.
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