Recurring Villains can turn a series of adventures into a great campaign. Characters like Darth Vader (fom Star Wars), Lord Verminard (from the Dragonlance adventures), or Scorpius (from the Farscape TV series), recurring villains let a GM really stretch the capabilities of their party, and their moral fiber. So, how can you use a recurring villain in your campaign, and keep your players from just killing them in their first encounter? There are a few tips, so read closely: First, make sure your villain has an interesting motivation. A bad guy who just wants to stomp puppies is boring, but one who wants to wipe out *just* the Elves in your campaign world begs further question. Second, give them a way to survive, whether that's some sort of one-use teleport bracelet, or a friendly mage who'll whisk them to safety. In addition, plan for your players to counteract / steal / neutralize this. Let them plan, and catch your vilain with their guard down for once. Third, give them a reason for your players to let them live (at least once)- orders to capture them alive, a bigger bounty if they're brought back, or something they want from the villain (where is the antidote? Who has captured the King?). Or was it not even that villain? Now that they're vanquished, they'll tell you that [the other bad guy] is actually the one who did the thing, and they were just playing along, or being contrary, the whole time? What if it all goes wrong? What if your players cut the villain's head clean off with a handy Vorpal Sword, or disintegrate them? Well, yes, that certainly puts a crimp in your plan.. but in most fantasy settings, being dead isn't the end. Was it a Clone? Or an illusion? Can the villain return as an undead monster? Worse, can they return as some kind of psychic construct / ghost / haunt which plagues the characters? Implemented well, a recurring villain can hang around for several campaigns. The groan on your players' lips when they find out that they have to deal with That Guy again can make all the difficulty worth it. Hope you have fun, and that we hear about some recurring villains from your campaigns! (Originally posted on 15 February 2018) Categories All Comments are closed.
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AuthorI'm Luke. He/him pronouns. Archives
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