The Unique Evil of Misdeeds

In this new system of D&D we used last night, one of the main mechanics is Shadow. The shadow of Mordor is spreading all across the land of Middle-Earth and into the hearts of many, including our characters. Mechanically, characters gain Shadow Points in various ways. If a character gains too many, they'll experience a Bout of Madness, and if they experience too many Bouts of Madness, they will go completely mad and probably get themselves killed. Characters can gain Shadow Points in four ways: by experiencing anguish, like a harrowing experience that reminds them of their own mortality; by coming across blighted lands, where the forces of shadow have done great evil; by taking hold of tainted treasure, like Smaug's hoard or Sauron's ring; and by their own misdeeds. In all of these cases, the character gets to make a Saving Throw to avoid gaining the Shadow Points, except those gained through misdeeds. In those cases, the character is not given a chance to resist the encroaching evil because they are willfully giving in to it.

While not the best system to represent the effects of evil, this system makes an interesting point about the unique evil of misdeeds. There is a lot of darkness in the world, and seeing too much of it can turn our hearts to evil if we let that evil consume us. When we commit sins or misdeeds, that's essentially what we're doing. Committing sin isn't just seeing evil, which can often be enough to harden one's heart, but doing evil, which directly hardens one's heart. We cannot resist the effects of the evil we do ourselves.

What we can do is resist the temptations to commit those sins in the first place. In D&D terms, we make our Saving Throws before the sin is committed, to prevent ourselves from doing it, not afterward, to prevent ourselves from having to face the consequences. Every sin carries inescapable consequences.

Yet, there is still a way to escape the worst effects of our misdeeds. We can repent, and if our repentance is sincere, we can be freed from the damning consequences of sin. But once we have sinned, that predicament is inescapable: Repent or be damned.

Thankfully, repentance is always possible, especially for those who did their best to resist the temptation to sin. The Lord knows that we are weak and imperfect and that we will sometimes sin, despite our best efforts not to. I've heard it said that the Lord has no problem with weakness; it's willful rebellion that He can't stand. Willful commission of misdeeds is more dangerous to our souls and more difficult to overcome than the other evils we face in this world, which is why it is so essential that we resist it rather than giving in to evil.