Zaq
2011-09-22, 09:05 PM
So, the comical incompetent evil fellow (or, just as often, group of the same) is a well-known trope, and the urge to implement such a thing in a D&D setting is understandable. The problem, though, is that most adventurers tend to Orb of Fire first and ask questions later . . . and a fair number of players tend to take it quite personally when their kills get away, as well. In 3.5, past the first couple of levels (basically, once the players get their hands on any sort of respectable pile of magic, though creative use of skills works in a pinch), villains who want to fight and run away have to be pretty on-the-ball to actually get away from our chosen group of rich, violent hobos. How, then, does one reconcile the need for incompetent buffoonery inherent in the "comical recurring sub-villain" archetype with the tactical (and usually magical) savvy needed to actually get away from a group of adventurers long enough to, y'know, recur?
I don't have a single easy solution. Here's a list of the goals for the comical villain squad (hereafter "CVS"), as I loosely envision them:
Have the players notice them, meaning that they're more than just a couple of clowns blowing themselves up in the background. Even if their plans (which are so cunning, you could brush your teeth with them!) backfire in hilarious ways with uncanny frequency, if they don't have at least a small effect on the players, then it's nothing more than the GM narrating a cutscene while the players watch (im)patiently, no matter how funny it is in your head. The CVS, then, needs to come in contact with the players, at least indirectly, while bearing in mind that players like to have autonomy and perhaps interrupt what the CVS is doing.
Spectacular failures. The GM, obviously, has the power to make any plan go comically awry, and given the level of nudge-wink inherent in the CVS, most players won't demand to see the die rolls that led to whatever goes wrong. That said, if there isn't at least a slightly plausible reason for the events to go as they do, the players will likely tire of it quickly. Basically, the CVS needs to have the resources to start their plans, even if they never have the resources to finish them.
They may be comic relief, but if the CVS is expected to be a recurring thing, they need the ability to get away from a group of adventurers who may be itching to roll initiative. This is the trickiest part so far; players can be damn hard to get away from, and you have to reconcile the buffoonery inherent in the CVS with the tactical savvy necessary to cut and run when the players pick up their d20s. You also have to account for whatever getaway resources the CVS has in reserve ("so, uh, if they can just teleport away like that, why did they have to sneak around in the bad camel suit?"). Sure, NPCs might have access to resources that PCs don't, but someone's going to ask "if they had this ability, and they were smart enough to use it NOW, why weren't they smart enough to use it THEN?"
There must be contingencies for when (not if) the players catch up to them and get their hands on them. This doesn't necessarily mean "they teleport away," but it does mean that you have to know what's actually going to happen if the PCs get directly involved. Will they be able to fight competently? If interrogated, what do they know? Can they be strong-armed into helping out Team Hero, either in action or by giving information? If so, what will happen? If not, why not? If the players decide (intentionally or unintentionally) to help them out with their harebrained scheme, what happens? There must be some kind of plan for this sort of eventuality, even if it never comes to pass.
Now, obviously, any given trope works better in some media than in others, and the CVS is probably better adapted to media without as much player(/viewer/reader) autonomy, so they can get away with their antics in peace. I still think it's at least worth thinking about, though, since it's such a widespread thing (and quite funny, when done properly). Here's a couple ideas I have for making the CVS work. Obviously, they're far from comprehensive (after all, this is a discussion thread, not a guide) and possibly not even any good, but hey, it's a start.
Make them faceless and replaceable mooks, not identifiable characters. I can easily imagine a game in which, for example, a hobgoblin army is a major threat to the PCs, and while the hobgoblins mean business, they also send in squads of goblin lackeys, who are more of a danger to themselves than to the party. (The hobbos just send the gobbos on missions to get rid of them, really.) This means that you don't have to worry about them getting away, since there are more of them. In addition, it means that you don't have to come up with names and unique personalities for them . . . but it means that you also don't get to come up with names and unique personalities for them.
A nice agreement (gentlemen's or otherwise) with the players not to kill the CVS too hard, since they're just comic relief. This can work in the right group, though it can absolutely shatter immersion in the wrong group. Also, since you pretty much have to have the discussion ahead of time, you ruin a lot of the surprise, which is often half the fun.
Instead of milk, have the CVS pour raw Dr. Wily-brand handwavium on their morning cereal. Go ahead and blow up the CVS, or kill them, or whatever. They'll be back. They won't know how. They won't know why. They might remember you, or they might act like it never happened. They're neither sufficiently plot-important nor sufficiently faceless to die for long. As with the agreement option, some tables will find this hilarious, and some tables will find it totally unacceptable. If you use this option, I think you should bring the CVS to the game even less frequently than usual (and they shouldn't be a weekly appearance in any case).
You might have The Smart One and The Dumb One(s). The Smart One might be the one in charge but unable to accomplish much because they have to rely on The Dumb One(s) (e.g., Pinky and the Brain), or they might be the long-suffering lackey of The Dumb One (e.g., Korg and Zet). In either case, The Smart One provides the tactical savvy necessary to get in and get out as appropriate, while The Dumb One(s) ensure/ensures that the whole plan won't end up being anything more than comic relief. I do feel like this is likely to only be delaying the inevitable, but it's an option.
So that's what I've got so far. A problem, a couple imperfect solutions, and that's about it. What do you think? Have you ever used a CVS, or played in a game where one appeared? Do you have any goals or options I haven't mentioned here? In short, discuss!
I don't have a single easy solution. Here's a list of the goals for the comical villain squad (hereafter "CVS"), as I loosely envision them:
Have the players notice them, meaning that they're more than just a couple of clowns blowing themselves up in the background. Even if their plans (which are so cunning, you could brush your teeth with them!) backfire in hilarious ways with uncanny frequency, if they don't have at least a small effect on the players, then it's nothing more than the GM narrating a cutscene while the players watch (im)patiently, no matter how funny it is in your head. The CVS, then, needs to come in contact with the players, at least indirectly, while bearing in mind that players like to have autonomy and perhaps interrupt what the CVS is doing.
Spectacular failures. The GM, obviously, has the power to make any plan go comically awry, and given the level of nudge-wink inherent in the CVS, most players won't demand to see the die rolls that led to whatever goes wrong. That said, if there isn't at least a slightly plausible reason for the events to go as they do, the players will likely tire of it quickly. Basically, the CVS needs to have the resources to start their plans, even if they never have the resources to finish them.
They may be comic relief, but if the CVS is expected to be a recurring thing, they need the ability to get away from a group of adventurers who may be itching to roll initiative. This is the trickiest part so far; players can be damn hard to get away from, and you have to reconcile the buffoonery inherent in the CVS with the tactical savvy necessary to cut and run when the players pick up their d20s. You also have to account for whatever getaway resources the CVS has in reserve ("so, uh, if they can just teleport away like that, why did they have to sneak around in the bad camel suit?"). Sure, NPCs might have access to resources that PCs don't, but someone's going to ask "if they had this ability, and they were smart enough to use it NOW, why weren't they smart enough to use it THEN?"
There must be contingencies for when (not if) the players catch up to them and get their hands on them. This doesn't necessarily mean "they teleport away," but it does mean that you have to know what's actually going to happen if the PCs get directly involved. Will they be able to fight competently? If interrogated, what do they know? Can they be strong-armed into helping out Team Hero, either in action or by giving information? If so, what will happen? If not, why not? If the players decide (intentionally or unintentionally) to help them out with their harebrained scheme, what happens? There must be some kind of plan for this sort of eventuality, even if it never comes to pass.
Now, obviously, any given trope works better in some media than in others, and the CVS is probably better adapted to media without as much player(/viewer/reader) autonomy, so they can get away with their antics in peace. I still think it's at least worth thinking about, though, since it's such a widespread thing (and quite funny, when done properly). Here's a couple ideas I have for making the CVS work. Obviously, they're far from comprehensive (after all, this is a discussion thread, not a guide) and possibly not even any good, but hey, it's a start.
Make them faceless and replaceable mooks, not identifiable characters. I can easily imagine a game in which, for example, a hobgoblin army is a major threat to the PCs, and while the hobgoblins mean business, they also send in squads of goblin lackeys, who are more of a danger to themselves than to the party. (The hobbos just send the gobbos on missions to get rid of them, really.) This means that you don't have to worry about them getting away, since there are more of them. In addition, it means that you don't have to come up with names and unique personalities for them . . . but it means that you also don't get to come up with names and unique personalities for them.
A nice agreement (gentlemen's or otherwise) with the players not to kill the CVS too hard, since they're just comic relief. This can work in the right group, though it can absolutely shatter immersion in the wrong group. Also, since you pretty much have to have the discussion ahead of time, you ruin a lot of the surprise, which is often half the fun.
Instead of milk, have the CVS pour raw Dr. Wily-brand handwavium on their morning cereal. Go ahead and blow up the CVS, or kill them, or whatever. They'll be back. They won't know how. They won't know why. They might remember you, or they might act like it never happened. They're neither sufficiently plot-important nor sufficiently faceless to die for long. As with the agreement option, some tables will find this hilarious, and some tables will find it totally unacceptable. If you use this option, I think you should bring the CVS to the game even less frequently than usual (and they shouldn't be a weekly appearance in any case).
You might have The Smart One and The Dumb One(s). The Smart One might be the one in charge but unable to accomplish much because they have to rely on The Dumb One(s) (e.g., Pinky and the Brain), or they might be the long-suffering lackey of The Dumb One (e.g., Korg and Zet). In either case, The Smart One provides the tactical savvy necessary to get in and get out as appropriate, while The Dumb One(s) ensure/ensures that the whole plan won't end up being anything more than comic relief. I do feel like this is likely to only be delaying the inevitable, but it's an option.
So that's what I've got so far. A problem, a couple imperfect solutions, and that's about it. What do you think? Have you ever used a CVS, or played in a game where one appeared? Do you have any goals or options I haven't mentioned here? In short, discuss!