Good, Bad Guys

Memorable Villains

What separates a good roleplay game from a mediocre one is the villains that the adventuring group faces. A memorable villain, even a defeated one, leaves a lasting mark on the adventurers and often becomes the central topic of discussion weeks, months, and even years later. Throwing together a bunch of talents/enhancements/stats does not do justice to such an endeavor. It may be ok for a quick random encounter with the local gang leader, but truly memorable villains take some thought and planning. The effort is ALWAYS worth the return.

Antagonists vs Villains: An antagonist is a person or creature that actively opposes the adventuring group, often on the battlefield. They do not have to be evil, though most are not good-natured. Antagonists, regardless of their motives, oppose the party in varied ways (in combat, economic basis, politics, and even interpersonal relationships). They need not be personally powerful, though most can hold their own versus the party or party member they are opposing. Antagonists are motivated but not without reason; they are typically not zealots.

A Villain, on the other hand, has evil motivations, often to the detriment of the adventuring group. All villains have a driving goal, which eventually brings them at odds with good-aligned individuals – they are extremely motivated, even blindly so. Many villains do not see themselves as evil, but rather, they see themselves as the solution to a problem that must be solved. They are convinced that they are the only ones who can correct perceived problems (Thanos – Infinity War). Other villains are evil and know it. These individuals have a goal to achieve and do not care for the welfare of others or the destruction they can cause while achieving said goal(s) (Emperor Palpatine – Star Wars).

The best villains are people just like the adventurers that have undergone unbearable circumstances, which have changed their perspective. They may not be devoid of love, tenderness, or compassion. In fact, the reason they are doing what they are maybe because of love gone wrong or to save a loved one (child) at the expense of everyone/everything else. Many villains have friends or at lease acquaintances that they trust and admire. Here are some possible motivations – this list is only a small sample.

· Win over the one they love by any means necessary – Acceptance.

· Win over the object of their obsession.

· Get revenge for past trauma.

· Save a loved one.

· Avenge a loved one's death or injury – Revenge.

· Gain acceptance in a specific community or social group.

· Gain status/wealth – Ambition / Greed.

· Punish a cruel world – Hate.

· Rivalry with a member of the adventuring group.

· Suffering from a Mental Disorder

· Escape destiny/death - Fear

· Save the world – Desperation.

· In possession of an Artifact that is influencing/manipulating the villain.

Creation of a Memorable Villain

After the predominant motivation has been determined, we can move on to creating the villain. If the villain is a humanoid – use the character creation process for PCs (allocate an amount of experience points and simply create). The skills, talents, enhancements, and abilities should focus on achieving the villain's driving goal. Use the villain’s stats to determine how those aspects are chosen. Like PCs, villains will champion their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. If the villain is a monster, then varied rules apply, and a framework for a similar creature (often from the monster manual/list) should be used. Villains do not have to be ultra-powerful, especially at the start of a campaign. Villains can be very effective using their wealth, influence, political power, or magical/psionic abilities from the shadows. They should focus on their driving goal and possess at least one powerful/debilitating flaw. Several minor flaws can also be helpful and give the adventuring group a way to overcome the villain. Remember, the villain is the ‘boss’, and he/she/it controls a web of abilities/powers to achieve a desired goal.

Good villains will ALWAYS have backup plans and escape routes. They do not necessarily need to kill the adventurers if it does not suit their purposes. Setting up elaborate traps and situations to test/remove the adventurers may be easier and safer than facing them directly. A good villain is rarely defeated in a single adventure arc. Some that are defeated have an uncanny way of coming back to haunt the adventures months or years later, often with a vengeance. Some villains simply cannot be permanently killed.

Lackies & Minions

Lackies/Henchmen/Minions: All villains should have some allies, often weaker in power, that may or may not share their driving goal. Minions can be a group of orcs, goblins, lizardmen, or other tribal creatures that are being used as tools to further the goals of the villain. Lackies are often the leaders of the minions and are sent out to accomplish varied tasks. They are typically competent and maintain at least a minimal level of trust in the boss villain or his henchmen. Henchmen make up the inner circles of the boss’ allies. They are the most competent and trusted tools at the villain’s disposal. Often, a combination of these aspects is the best choice.

Lone-Wolf Villains: In rare cases, villains choose to go it alone because they cannot trust others to get the job done or simply because others are not powerful/crafty enough to accomplish what is needed. These villains are the hardest to find/discover, often covering up their tracks. Individually, these types of villains are quite powerful and have abilities/items that can facilitate their goals. These villains often remove/dispose of individuals they use/manipulate to cover their tracks. They must always have a way to hide from magical/psychic detections or a lair that is remote and hard to identify/find. Some may have the means to jump to other planes/dimensions to safeguard their activities. These villains rarely spend the time to fight a group of adventurers, choosing to flee, disappear into the shadows, and continue with their goals. Discovering the true motivations of such villains should be difficult until the latter part of a given campaign.

Villains/Antagonists, regardless of type, always have a plan that may or may not include dealing with the adventuring group. They will not like disruptions and will deploy efforts to deal with obstructions. The method or potency of such efforts is based on the villain/antagonist and the resources available.

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