In the context of a LARP, a dark magic user navigates between the themes of evil sorcerer, shadowy mystic, insane cultist, tenebrous witch, grim necromancer, and demon follower. No matter the form of magic that is wielded by such a character, it came with a great price, may it be a moral, spiritual, or material one. Practicing the dark arts doesn’t come without sacrifice, and these characters are certain to have left behind their reputation, their mental health, their humanity, or even their soul in the process. The risks and the costs associated with dark magic mean that any character that goes on that path to power should have a well-defined reason why they made that choice.

Few seek power with as much fervor as those that felt truly powerless and vulnerable. The desperate, the pariah, the oppressed, and the destitute have every reason to grasp at any tool that can pull them out of their situation and give them the upper hand in their struggles against unfathomable odds.

They may be more susceptible to draw pacts with shadowy entities, and to seek forbidden knowledge, maybe justifying their moral transgressions as survival or as balancing the injustice of their situation. Revenge can also be a compelling goal, and one that may require magic when there is no brawn or clout to mobilize.

For the ones that were born into privilege and comfort, the forbidden nature of the dark arts may be its most prominent appeal. With the sense of entitlement that can only exist for those who always got what they wanted, the taboo surrounding these forms of magic can make it almost compelling to explore, out of boredom-fueled curiosity or manic refusal to conform to mundane social norms. The aristocracy may explore the occult like an eccentric hobby, only to be swallowed whole by it once they stumble on more and more profane knowledge.

Trauma is another obvious path toward black magic. Extreme circumstances and emotions can push any person over the edge, and open them to accept pacts and sacrifices no one would normally even consider. Those who suffered horridly may be dragged closer to the voices that whisper at the edges of consciousness, and be offered a new cursed path.