Post date: Mar 29, 2016 4:5:32 PM
Two great articles I found recently - one on how to keep players from getting stuck, the other on a great article of a Russian Story Analyst.
Triage 101: Five Ways To Get Players Unstuck
Anson Brehmer
Getting the PCs to do things is like herding cats. It's hard to get them all pointed in a single direction, and sometimes they get lost and confused about what it is they should be doing. If you're trying to give guidance to the group, but don't want to put them on the Plot Express, here are a few things you can try.
1. Remember Chandler's Law
Raymond Chandler, a pulp novelist, devised a way of working through writer's block:
"When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand."
Have something proactive happen the PCs can see and interact with. An ambush, an explosion, a magical happening...whatever it is, it should get attention.
It doesn't need to be a threat to their lives. But it should be a situation loud enough to grab their thoughts.
Escalating the situation can work, too... the next stage of the villain's plan is set in motion, along with some consequences that show why this plot needs to be stopped. That can provide a much-needed kick in the pants to a stalled game state.
Once the situation is resolved and the characters are catching their breath, you can use the opportunity to introduce a clue or two. Speaking of which...
2. Provide Lots Of Clues
This article by Jason Alexander provides a wonderful idea:
"For any conclusion you want the PCs to make, include at least three clues."
The rule of three is a powerful force in human psychology. Once is a fluke. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern.
Sherlock Holmes was a brilliant detective, but even he needed multiple pieces of information he could piece together to form a conclusion.
You can go further with this. For any choke point problem (a problem the PCs need to deal with to continue the adventure), consider three solutions, and then make three clues pointing to each of those solutions.
More clues are always better. The more clues you provide, the quicker the PCs can catch on, especially if they're stuck.
3. Know What Resources NPCs Have At Their Disposal
Knowing what the antagonist of the adventure has available will make your life easier. Create a toolbox of resources to see what the Big Bad of the situation can bring to bear, and thus what you can create clues about.
Resources can include:
Personnel: People the antagonists have at their disposal or who are tied to them in some way (employment, blackmail, coercion, family ties, friendship).
Equipment: Various important arms, magical items, food and comfort items, luxuries, currency.
Locations: Physical places such as bolt holes (for hiding), fortresses (for protection), laboratories or recruitment centers (for getting new resources).
Information: Various pieces of useful information, such as contacts, connections, blackmail material, magic rituals, knowing where the trap triggers are...lots of potential here!
Intangibles: What does the antagonist bring by himself? A keen intellect, superpowers, charisma, a reputation, the ability to regenerate, a destiny, an important bloodline...again, this is a broad catch-all.
You don't have to nitpick about what category a particular resource falls into. This is just a loose guide.
Once you know what the antagonists can do, you can figure out how they might use these tools to accomplish their goals. That provides things you can create clues for, and also opportunities for Chandler's Law.
4. Know What Motivates The Players
Not the characters, the players themselves. There are a finite number of ways that players interact with the game. These aesthetics of play are a fundamental draw, and what you see as "confusion and disinterest" might mean there's a disconnect between the game you are running and the game the PCs think they're in.
You've probably heard of Robin Law's list of Gamer Types. Here's a quick summary:
The Power Gamer: Wants to get more powers and use them often and efficiently.
The Butt-Kicker: Wants to let off steam by kicking butt and taking names.
The Tactician: Wants to beat complex situations through thought and planning.
The Specialist: Wants rules that support a particular style of play he enjoys and opportunities to show off his specialization.
The Actor: Wants to immerse himself in a persona and act in character.
The Storyteller: Wants to experience a fun narrative through his character's thoughts and actions.
The Casual Gamer: Wants to hang out socially with the other players, sharing the energy of the group rather than focus on the game itself.
And to this I'd like to add:
The Troublemaker: Wants to express dominance by creating in-game trouble without real-world consequences and possibly subverting the group dynamic.
The Explorer: Wants to discover new elements of the game world, learn lore, and see what can be seen.
The Problem-Solver: Wants to solve puzzles, mysteries, and riddles, and enjoys a mental challenge.
All of these play styles overlap. But, in general, players look for a particular play experience. If the group is bored and confused, you might want to look at what has been going on and then switch it up by catering to a different play experience for a bit. Perhaps you've been leaning a bit too much on combat recently, or haven't given the players enough chance to do some socializing with the barkeep.
You can use the previous tips (Chandler's Law, The Three Clue Rule, and NPC resources) to mix up the encounters.
And don't just focus on the macro level. If the players seem stuck, ask them what they want to accomplish or what they think is going on. You aren't a mind reader, after all. Feedback is important to the overall health of the game. Maybe they missed a vital clue or aren't quite invested in the situation.
Conclusion
If the game has become hazy and has ground to a halt, there are techniques you can use to focus the PCs and give them a signpost to follow:
Remember Chandler's Law
Provide lots of clues
Know what resources the NPCs have at their disposal
Know what motivates the players
Figuring out where the problem lies is the first step to solving it.
Hopefully this has given you some ideas. Do you have your own techniques for getting a game out of the mud? Share your tips with Johnn!
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The Hidden Structure Of Russian Folk Tales: Vladimir Propp Part 1
Phil Nicholls, Tales of a GM
At the heart of every GM is a storyteller. This trait appears both when structuring the plot before the game and improvising at the table in response to player actions. Therefore, a GM should be familiar with common story structures.
This topic has previously been addressed by RPG writers elsewhere, but it also pays for GMs to be familiar with some literary theories of story structure. Star Wars and Glorantha, for example, both embody the writings of Joseph Campbell. This essay introduces another story theorist: Vladimir Propp.
Biography
Russian Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp (1895-1970) is credited as the father of structuralism. Born and educated in St. Petersburg, he eventually became a lecturer at the renamed Leningrad University. Propp's ideas influenced such giants of European literary theory as Roland Barthes and Claude Levi-Strauss.
Overview Of Propp's Work
His most famous work is Morphology of the Folk Tale (1928), in which he systematically analysed the structure of Russian folk tales. Propp examined 100 different folk tales, carefully picking apart the recurring scenes and characters found in these stories.
As a result, Propp identified a sequence of 31 functions, or common scenes, within folk tales. Not every tale featured every scene, but these scenes were so common that Propp defined them as building blocks of story. As noted on the TV Tropes website, this made Propp one of the first critical "trope-spotters."
Propp also identified seven, or perhaps eight depending upon how you count them, recurring characters in the folk tales. The combination of the two concepts broke any story down to an amalgamation of iconic components. A GM can order these components as desired, adding genre and character, to form any story. Many generic RPGs make similar claims.
Propp And The GM
I see two main reasons why the work of a Russian folklorist is relevant to GMs. First, Proppian theories speak to the storyteller in every GM. Propp outlines the building blocks of story and the basic scenes or characters fundamental to these ancient stories. We can apply his understanding of story structure to help our games resonate with players.
The fact that Propp analysed folk tales is particularly relevant to us. These were oral stories, handed down across the generations and told around the stove on long winter nights. Clearly RPGs are the next generation of oral storytelling. These folk tales are the distant ancestors for our hobby, not least for their strong fantasy roots. It can only benefit our stories to learn more about the structure of these old tales.
Propp's 31 Functions
Propp recognized 31 functions, or scenes, in folk tales. We need not follow the exact structure Propp lays out, for that would create repetitive and restrictive games. However, many of these scenes are staple encounters in RPG scenarios. Here is a brief rundown of Propp's functions:
0. The Initial Situation: The setting before the story begins. This is your campaign setting before the players have any effect on it.
1. The Absentation: Somebody leaves or dies, often a parent, changing the previous status quo. Sometimes it is the hero who leaves his hometown.
2. The Interdiction: An important rule is established, such as, "Do not touch the spinning wheel." This statement might also include a dire prophecy if the rule is broken, thereby setting the stakes for the hero's struggles.
3. Violation: Inevitably, the rule is broken. Following the principles of Chekhov's Gun, if a prohibition is presented in a story, then somebody will break it later in the story. See RPT#679. Whereas Chekhov expected a period of tension, where the audience waits for the rule to be broken, Propp sees the violation following swiftly from the establishment of the rule.
4. Reconnaissance: Usually, the villain spies on the hero, often in disguise. The presence of the villain or his agents so early in the story establishes the focus on the struggle between hero and villain. As a GM, this also provides an opportunity for the players and a disguised villain to engage in banter without the encounter immediately descending into violence.
5. Delivery: The searching party discovers useful information as a result of the reconnaissance. In many of the folk tales this is a map, which resonates strongly with RPGs.
6. Trickery: Using the information gained, the villain tricks the hero, again using deception. Players are unlikely to react positively to this tactic, so use this encounter sparingly.
7. Complicity: The hero is forced, tricked, or influenced to aid the villain. This is the payoff for the villain for scenes four to six. As an encounter, this probably works best in a campaign where morality is more "shades of grey", rather than the standard high fantasy game.
8. Villainy: Villain performs an evil act. This scene is the high point of the villain's success and should have a significant impact on the setting and the hero.
9. Meditation: Hero uncovers the actions of the villain. Now the hero learns what has really been happening. This scene works a little differently in stories, where the reader may know more than the hero. Many RPG scenarios begin here, with the villain's plan in motion, and the hero learning about it.
10. Beginning counteraction: The hero prepares to undertake the quest. Here is an RPG or action movie cliché as the hero puts together the required tools for the forthcoming quest. Yes, those lengthy visits to the armourer and weapon smith are part of Propp's model.
11. Departure: Start of the adventure proper, as the hero leaves home. With the hero finally in motion, there is greater opportunity for player agency from this point forward.
12. First function of donor: Hero meets the donor, a source of magical aid for the quest. However, the donor first sets a test for the hero.
13. Hero's reaction: The hero undertakes the test, and passes. This is clearly a side quest embedded in Propp's structure.
14. Acquisition of magical agent: Having passed the test, the hero gains a magical reward. Usually this is received from the donor, but any special reward acquired on the side quest qualifies. This series of scenes, numbers 12-14, is broadly similar to Campbell's Hero's Journey, where the hero undertakes a perilous quest for some tangible reward. In a sci-fi game, the magical agent is replaced by a piece of advanced technology.
15. Guidance: The hero travels to a new place. Propp's journey takes the hero directly to the final confrontation with the villain, but this need not be so with an RPG. Many scenarios involve repeated scenes 12-14, gaining magic or knowledge, before advancing to the climax.
16. Struggle: Hero and villain fight. This is the climactic struggle, the classic "boss fight" scene.
17. Branding: Hero is marked or perhaps scarred by the fight. Primarily this is some sort of physical scar, but emotional damage is also possible. Sanity loss from fighting Lovecraftian monsters works in the same way.
18. Victory: The villain is defeated, as always happens in a good story. This is less certain in an RPG, but it is the most likely outcome. Subsequent scenes assume the villain flees or escapes with his power broken. This contrasts with RPGs, where the primary aim of the players is to kill the major villain outright.
19. Liquidation: Earlier misfortunes are reversed. This scene does not fit so well into an RPG, where the narrative is typically more linear and focused on the actions of the hero. A cut scene is needed here to show how the defeat of the villain changes the situation elsewhere in the setting.
20. The return: Hero returns home. This is another travel scene, which could be handled by the GM as a montage.
21. Pursuit: However, the journey is not without risk. Here the hero is chased by a foe, possibly the original villain. A chase scene is an interesting non-combat challenge for the hero.
22. Rescue: Hero escapes or thwarts the pursuing foe. This can be a simple escape, trapping the foe, or another fight scene.
23. Unrecognized arrival: Nobody recognizes the hero. There are interesting roleplaying opportunities in this scene, allowing the hero the chance to interact with characters unaware of the nature of the hero.
24. Unfounded claims: A false hero has stolen the glory, explaining in part why the hero is unrecognized. This false hero may even be the villain. Again, this scene presents another interesting social situation, but probably not one to repeat too often in a game.
25. Difficult task: A trial to identify the right hero. This test for recognition can offer the GM an opportunity for another non-combat contest. The trial may be a traditional test of arms, but it could also be a vehicle for some lesser-used abilities. Debate, hunting, or even the ability to cook a trademark local meal could be tested here.
26. Solution: Inevitably, the hero wins the trial. Once again, in folk tales the hero always wins, a trait not always true in RPGs. One way to prevent the players growing tired of a repeated structure is to explore some unconventional outcomes. Where does the story go if the hero fails this test?
27. Recognition: Hero receives due recognition, having passed the test. Fame, glory, and monetary rewards are the likely result here.
28. Exposure: The false hero or villain is revealed. Just as the hero won, the false hero lost. Now the players gain payback for all the indignities suffered in scenes 23 and 24.
29. Transfiguration: Appearance of the hero is improved, typically undoing the branding from scene 17. Divine healing or the lifting of a curse would be common RPG equivalents. Alternatively, it could be a transfiguration of his wealth, as the material gains of scene 27 take effect on the social standing of the hero.
30. Punishment: The villain suffers. This scene supposes the villain was not killed in scene 18. For the folk tales, this is the scene where the villain is permanently punished.
31. The wedding: The hero marries or receives similar social rewards. A classic fairy tale ending: the hero marries and secures everlasting happiness. This works as a perfect ending to a campaign, where the hero secures a happy retirement from adventuring.
Using The Functions In Your Game
Propp's breakdown of story into 31 functions, or scenes, is a little restrictive for modern gaming as a single sequence. However, these scenes can be taken out of sequence and used by GMs as options for RPG scenarios. Think of them as a deck of cards. You could deal out a set of five, and then weave them together to make the classic Five Room Dungeon structure.
Alternatively, prepare a few Proppian scenes as standby encounters in case the current challenges prove too simple for the players and the session is about to finish early. Finally, this breakdown of scenes found in folk tales provides GMs with another model for structuring their own scenarios. Integrate the ones you like, perhaps repeating or shuffling the order for variety.
On More Propp
The work of Vladimir Propp has great application for GMs. I shall return to this topic several times over the coming months. Part two looks at a few of the functions listed above in greater detail. The third essay explores the archetypical characters Propp identifies in folk tales. Finally, I will bring all the threads together into a Five Room Dungeon.
Conclusion
The work of Vladimir Propp is very relevant to GMs. Propp analysed the structure of Russian folk tales, a storytelling tradition with similarities to RPGs. Without following his exact patterns, GMs can add a lot of variety to their games by understanding and using these iconic scenes.
Put some Propp into your next session.
While his sequence is too linear to use as a campaign framework, you can use several of the individual scenes as encounter design tips. Today I'll dig into scene number four: Reconnaissance.
Reconnaissance
In Propp's scene number four: Reconnaissance, the villain, often in disguise, spies on the hero. Early in Propp's sequence, the villain is being proactive, and driving his agenda forward. This not only kicks the story into gear early but also brings the conflict straight to the heroes.
At your table: A reconnaissance scene can be a frequent tool for your campaign and, as Propp suggests, can make an exciting opening scene. The presence of the villain or his agent so early in the story establishes the focus and stakes for a campaign.
While the initial reconnaissance scene sets up the campaign, this type of encounter can be reused within the same game to renew the direct conflict with the villain and remind the heroes what they are fighting for. If the players have wandered too far from the central conflict, try a reconnaissance scene to remind them the villain still watches their progress and is ready to strike at them.
A reconnaissance scene also provides an opportunity for the players and villain to engage in banter. These personal encounters with the antagonist help to motivate the party. A sneering, taunting villain is sure to irritate players, giving them motivation to thwart the villain's plans.
Running a Villain Encounter
The essence of this meeting with the villain is a roleplaying encounter. So often, The players might see this as an opportunity to take out the villain. There are several ways for the GM to limit this risk. First, the villain could be in disguise, a common feature in the folk tales Propp studied.
Another way to sidestep the risk of the players attacking the villain on sight is through the timing of their first encounter. As suggested by the ordering of Propp's scenes, this initial encounter occurs before the great act of villainy that catapults the campaign into action. In this way, the PCs can form a personal connection with the villain before the players understand his agenda.
Present such a meeting with the villain as a simple roleplaying encounter. The villain might be a noble or other person of importance whose patronage the heroes seek. The villain could attempt to recruit the heroes for a quest only to realize they are too morally upright to serve as tools. Or the villain could be a visiting dignitary whom the heroes must protect (but this visit is just an excuse to survey the kingdom's defenses prior to an invasion and not the marriage negotiations everyone expects).
Suppose the heroes defend the villainous general from an attempted assassination. How are the players going to feel when the general later reveals herself to be the Dread Reaver and unleashes her demonic horde on the kingdom? These players will be quite motivated to clear their names and thwart the general to recover their lost reputations.
Types of Villain Encounters
Whether an encounter with the villain is run as a Propp prologue sequence or as a recurring scene, it will play out based on the villain's intentions and the level of player recognition.
In this article I explore the following combinations:
Peaceful disguised villain
Taunting disguised villain
Taunting recognizable villain
Peaceful recognizable villain
Agent of the villain
Peaceful Disguised Villain
The villain uses a disguise to interact peacefully with the heroes. During their meeting, the villain learns something useful about the PCs. The use of a disguise sets up a later scene in which the villain reveals this information in a conversation.
This secret encounter with the villain explains why the villain knows so much about the heroes and thus precipitates a series of direct attacks on them.
The reconnaissance scene is used for information gathering, a tactic cited directly by Propp. Later encounters then feature agents of the villain dogging the heroes' every move. Perhaps the villain uses his secret knowledge to throw additional obstacles at the heroes, such as kidnapping family members, attacking their homes, or undermining their reputations.
Another possibility is the big reveal. The old crone wearing the scarlet shawl was actually the Dread Reaver in disguise! If you time it right, this big reveal makes for a great scene later in the game. If the disguised villain was a memorable character, the players might be shocked to learn of the deception.
However, be cautious when using a disguised villain. This method should be used infrequently, as it leads to players being suspicious of everyone. The payoff can be good, but this version of the villain encounter risks alienating the players to average NPCs.
Taunting Disguised Villain
The second style of villain encounter involves the disguised villain antagonizing and taunting the heroes. A satisfying conclusion to the scene is if the villain reveals his true identity just as he departs. Unlike the previous model, here the payoff is immediate. The GM should expect the players to want to pursue the villain.
This version of the reconnaissance scene allows for all the banter and insults you would expect from a confrontation with the villain. The resulting animosity towards the villain should sustain the campaign for quite some time. The opportunity for trading insults is a strong reason to bring forth the villain for a direct encounter with the players.
However, the GM needs to head off the possibility of violence once the villain's identity is revealed. Prevent this violence from derailing the entire campaign by juggling the situation. The first option is to reveal the villain's identity just as he leaves. Teleporting, planar portals, or a fast mode of transport unavailable to the heroes ensure the villain's successful exit.
Alternatively, have the whole encounter take place in a weapon-free neutral location. Holy ground, religious ceremonies, prestigious social functions, or a royal court might prevent violence. This frustration at a missed opportunity will also fuel the players' desires to chase down the villain through the campaign.
With violence constrained, this version of the reconnaissance scene is better than the first as it allows for all the banter and climaxes with a satisfying reveal. The confrontational nature of this encounter should make players less suspicious of any NPC who asks them questions.
There are many moving parts to this encounter for the GM to juggle, but it will be a memorable scene for the players.
Taunting Recognizable Villain
This encounter is a simpler version of the previous one. Here the villain lacks a disguise, but still appears in a setting where the heroes cannot respond with violence. A classic example is the evil vizier, the unacknowledged power behind the throne.
In an audience with the vizier, the heroes are unlikely to resort to violence unless they are reckless and risk taking on the full might of the royal guards, who spring to defend the King's "loyal councilor."
By avoiding the NPC's disguise, this scene lacks the climax of the big reveal. However, this is compensated by the way the villain can build up resentment in the players. Here is their avowed enemy, yet the heroes are limited to merely barbed insults as a response. If your game features a social combat system or other method of pitting skills against each other, this is a brilliant opportunity to use it.
Peaceful Recognizable Villain
A recognizable villain interacts peacefully with the heroes. This works best before the villain reveals his nature. The heroes could be invited to dine with the vizier, thinking only that this is a chance to network with the King's adviser, unaware of the vizier's true nature.
When the vizier is revealed to be the villain, the players can look back on this scene as a missed opportunity. As noted before, the villain may be using this scene to learn more about the heroes. Thus banter will be likely kept to a minimum, and you should play this as a straight roleplaying scene with a noble.
Running this scene builds a personal connection between heroes and villain.
Agent Of The Villain
This method utilizes an agent of the villain as the central character. It works best when this scene is repeated later in the campaign. This agent might be a mouthpiece of the villain, allowing for all the banter and knowledge of the villain to be used. Or, the agent could be a trusted lieutenant of the villain, confronting the heroes as part of a mission or in pursuit of a personal agenda.
Villain agent scenes work because they present roleplaying opportunities that can descend into violence without risk to the villain. For many groups, this will be the best of both worlds: witty banter and swordplay.
You might need to manipulate events to allow for the roleplaying before swords are drawn. Overzealous players may insist upon attacking the agent right away. If this happens, you could ask players to wait a moment to allow some preliminary roleplaying, assuring them they will still have the chance to strike first. Or you could intersperse moments of banter within the swordplay. Have each strike accompanied by a suitable threat or insult. This extended banter can be just as fun as a peaceful conversation and mimics the dynamics of many classic film duels.
Villain Is Slain
Before concluding this discussion about variants of Propp's reconnaissance scene, it is worth considering what to do if the worst happens and the campaign villain is slain by the heroes. Sometimes the players are just too aggressive, or perhaps they rolled really well and the villain ends up dead as a result of the reconnaissance scene.
This need not be the end of the campaign. The GM has a number of options.
It was just an illusion, an old school cliché, but it keeps the villain alive. Rather than have the body of the villain mysteriously dissolve on death, it would be best to have the illusory nature of the villain made clear once the PCs hit the villain in melee combat. Otherwise, this option seems too much like a GM trick.
This was just an agent of the villain all along, or a possessed body and the spirit of the villain escapes in a cloud of smoke. Handle this option with care, as it feels too much like a GM trick. This can be mitigated if the plot supports a series of clones, or similar possessed bodies, as a regular tool of the villain.
The death stands, but a new villain steps forward. This is the most interesting option and maintains player agency in your game. Here the GM accepts the death of the villain, perhaps allowing the PCs a period of rest as the broader campaign threat is currently lessened. However, it is not long before dire news reaches the PCs - a new leader has arisen. A leading lieutenant of the slain villain has assumed the mantle and is continuing the villain's plots. The GM could escalate this twist by making the new leader even more ruthless than the first villain. So the PCs had their moment of glory, but now the situation is even worse.
Here are some ways to set up constraints so PCs and villain could interact without violence, to help make the recon advice possible. Here are their ideas:
Overwhelming Force
The villain meets the PCs with overwhelming force. He merely wishes to talk, and the PCs are forced to be civil lest they face annihilation.
The villain might have a horde of minions nearby, lieutenants too tough to fight beside him, or his special pet on a leash.
The PCs are made aware of the vast difference in numbers only at the moment violence would erupt, and they are forced to quell or suffer a TPK.
A Public Place, A Timeline
For example, a simple shopping trip. The PC's have a race to purchase various items in the market. They have a set amount of gold to spend and have to haggle with the merchants to acquire the items. Most of the stalls don't have the items but take time to visit.
The PCs have to be nice to the merchants because the Market Guard is always on the watch for anyone stealing or misbehaving.
Throw in beggar children that crowd around being annoying, picking pockets of items obtained or the gold coins.
A Few Steps Ahead
The villain has always been a few steps ahead of the PCs. So the party will be wary of just attacking because it could be yet another trap.
Politics
A powerful, neutral NPC (the King, for example) has the villain on his good side. The NPC has high regard for the villain and is not necessarily involved or knowledgeable of an evil plan.
The PCs can't attack the villain, else they risk making the important, neutral NPC an enemy.
Remote Communication
The villain is actually a hologram or magical projection.
Innocents
A government-sponsored event is a good situation. It would have large crowds and lots of security. For example, a royal wedding, a state funeral, or the (re-)dedication of a national monument or infrastructure facility.
Law enforcement or the military will be present in large numbers and on high alert watching for bad actors or even mildly-suspicious persons and activities.
But the main attraction itself is the perfect distraction for an unrelated, once-in-a-blue-moon, low-profile infiltration/pilfering/confrontation opportunity behind the scenes nearby, or even right there in plain sight on the public stage.
Holy Ground
The villain stages a meeting on church, temple, or holy ground where violence is forbidden.
Hostage
The villain uses a contingency of some kind. He kidnaps someone the PCs care about or need, and holds them hostage against the PCs' good behavior.
Likewise, there might be an important item or location the villain threatens to ruin if the PCs get violent. Perhaps the villain holds a map above a torch, or a flask of poison over the village well.
Conclusion
There are many ways to run Propp's reconnaissance scene in a campaign. This can be an early encounter with the villain, perhaps even before the villain is identified by the players. Later in the campaign, the GM can weave additional reconnaissance scenes into the story to revisit the villain, exchange some banter, and ensure the players remain focused on the villain.
Run Propp's reconnaissance scene to add villainous banter to your campaign and make the battle against the campaign villain a more personal one.