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Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Starfinder RPG Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition)

All Rules | Downtime Rules
Infinite Worlds / Alignment / Alignment Entries

Lawful Evil

Source Galaxy Exploration Manual pg. 106
Associated Creatures: bone trooper, efreeti, embri, hobgoblin, reptoid, velstrac, vesk
Associated Deities: Asmodeus, Damoritosh, Lissala, Zon-Kuthon
Associated Planes: Hell
Associated Worlds: Azlanti Star Empire, Embroi, Gideron Authority, the Veskarium

A lawful evil society is rigid, ordered, and often oppressive, benefiting those who best know how to maneuver, manipulate, and wield the society’s laws, hierarchies, and traditions for their own benefit. Its citizens believe in the rule of law and take pride in using it to get what they want, regardless of whom it might hurt. In a lawful evil society, loyalty, profit, tradition, and order are valued over dignity, freedom, and even lives. In times of turmoil and tragedy, lawful evil societies stand firm, recovering quickly and rarely falling to chaos.
Many lawful evil societies wield their laws as weapons and use them to justify cruelty, oppression, violence, and other heinous acts. They may argue their despicable behavior is honorable, for the greater good, for the welfare of their people, or to the benefit of those they oppress. Some regimes delight in causing pain, spreading terror, or displaying power. A lawful evil society may be an expansionist military dictatorship, an oligarchy ruled by devious tyrants, or an oppressive bureaucracy where barristers hold more power than emperors. Its citizens may be social climbers manipulating their way to the upper echelons of society, despicable slavers, or loyal soldiers serving remorseless masters.
Lawful evil societies tightly monitor, police, and punish their citizens and visitors. Many citizens are capable of wielding the law for their own ends, in an underhanded but entirely legal manner. Most do this for their own financial or social betterment, to tear down their competitors, to punish those who offend them, to prove their abilities to superiors, or even just for their own sadistic entertainment.
Most citizens of a lawful evil society are greedy, selfish, and power-hungry. They consider themselves cunning and superior to those around them. They often consider good visitors deluded, neutral visitors lazy, and chaotic visitors insufferable or a threat to their way of life.