I'll Take the Low Road

Sinister. Nefarious. Notorious. Do these words appeal to you? Oh, sure they do! Let's face it: Sometimes it's more fun to play the black-clad bad guy than the knight in shining armor. Fable®, the new fantasy RPG from acclaimed designer Peter Molyneux and Big Blue Box, gives you unprecedented freedom to chart your own moral course. Some players will become virtual demigods of goodness, while others will be paragons of careful neutrality. For the rest of us, here's a strategic overview of the dangerous (but delicious) road to villainy!

My, what big horns you have!

Villainy Begins at Home
Poor you. Your character is left homeless as a child by a savage bandit raid. That's what makes you turn evil, right? Nah. There's plenty of opportunity to be a bad boy long before that fateful incident.

Get your evil career off to a solid start by avoiding anything that smacks even remotely of helpfulness, fairness, tact, selflessness, or any of those similarly noble behaviors. (You know, the stuff those white-cloaked hero-types are always doing). If you try to think of the Seven Deadly Sins as a sort of daily "to do" list, you'll get a pretty good idea of what you ought to be doing. Nearly every childhood conversation and activity offers a fresh chance to harden your callous nature. Here are a few pointers:

• There's a sucker born every minute. Always look for the easier way to get what you want from your virtual family and friends.
• Don't take grief from anybody. Is a town guard on your case about your rotten behavior? Punch him. Is your kid sister whining about her birthday present? Smack her. Did that farmer give you a dirty look? Punch him, too.
• Sass your parents. While you're at it, sass everybody.
• Master the art of the double-cross. When a friendly merchant offers you a reward for tending his stock, take it—but return later to smash up his goods and help yourself to what you want.

Flirt shamelessly, but don’t help them.

Taking Your Wickedness Out into the World
Your career begins with the Guild of Heroes. This group is a sort of national coalition of busybodies dedicated to undertaking quests. Doesn't sound like much fun for a nasty guy like you, does it? Don't despair: Even in this neutral party there are opportunities for corruption and wrong-doings.

The most important thing to remember at this stage of your career is to always look out for yourself. First, take full advantage of the Guild's training regimen to become proficient in weapons and magic—you'll need these skills later because nobody wants to come to the aid of a big jerk like you. Next, do all the nasty things you did as a boy … but worse. Finally, give your uppity "peers" a piece of your mind when they get on your nerves. Be sure to give full vent to your emotions whenever you're feeling slighted or frustrated. Hissy fits and tantrums are your friends. When a fellow apprentice warns you for the eighth time today that your behavior is morally reprehensible, unload on the goody-two-shoes!

When your apprenticeship concludes, and you've taken the Guild for everything it can give you, it's time to hit the road and make a (very bad) name for yourself.

Anyone who defies you deserves what they get!

Evil for Fun and Profit
By now, you'll have realized that your reputation is vitally important in Fable. How the world at large perceives you plays a key role in your development. News of your explosive nature and foul deeds will spread quickly throughout Albion. If villagers aren't treating you with suspicion and fear when you show up in town, you're doing something wrong. (Or, more likely, you're doing too much right.) Your physical appearance should be changing. Are you wearing black? Have your eyes changed from sea-green to blood-red? If not, you're a half-baked bad guy, and you need to try harder. Try following these general guidelines:

• Fight dirty: Use evil spells and hit your enemies when you're down.
• Shoot first and ask questions later. How were you to know that the guy lurking in the forest was a harmless peddler? He might have been a monster. He was ugly, anyway.
• Bandits make great temporary allies. Just remember to double-cross them before you move on.
• Flirt shamelessly with the ladies, but don’t agree to help anyone who doesn't have something you want. Forget about lasting relationships. You don't care about anyone but you!
• Seek vengeance, not justice.
• I don’t care if you look fabulous in purple or teal. Always wear black.

Stay on this course, and villagers will soon be cursing your name and running like rats whenever you come near. Your bad reputation will precede you like a hurricane. Just remember to be nice again after you turn off the game!

Article by James W. Gettys