Help me motivate this villian

[Zodling]

Background: my homebrew world has no gnomes or dwarfs, but has halflings, humans, orcs, half-orcs and half-elves as PC races (elves are the villians).

All races have homelands except halfings. They are generally mistrusted and often mistreated.

I have a halfling cult leader who is trying to bring a god into the world, and one of the steps is mass sacrifice (suicide) of followers.

The god has promised that upon his arrival in this world, he will give the wandering halflings a new homeland, and set them above the other races.

The halfling leader is devoted to the god because he wants a better life for his people, but also because he was wronged personally by the ‘big-folk’, so he’s got that emotion too.

My question is, what emotions should this villian evoke in the players? I am using the Giant's villian creation method, and got stuck.

I have ideas for all the other steps, but can’t think of this one.

Also, what besides Resentment is driving him/her? Patriotism? Faith?

Any help, please.

[DEFCON Clown]

The good of his peple seems to be driving him from what you say.
As to what emotions he should envoke what about empathy (he's doing it for all his people) and... I don't know wha else.

[Zodling]

Yeah, see, the thing is the god the halfling is raising is really some sort of demon/devil/Really Old One.

The promise to resurrect the believers is hollow, they will really be the things undead army.

The players will find out the true identity of the god, but I don't know if the halfling will know it.

It seems more dramatic if the halfling doesn't, and is truly acting for the betterment of his people, but it would be easier for me if the halfling was a true villain.

Maybe there will be two halflings, one sincere in belief and the other, well, perhaps they're not really a halfling, but something in disguise, manipulating the halfling.

[Lord Magtok]

When I first saw the name of this thread, it instantly reminded me of this:

http://tff.blogg.se/images/darkside_1145540787.jpg

[Guy]

I think it's an interesting villain, since what he's doing is what he feels is best for his people. Perhaps have the PCs, after learning the god is evil, break the news to him? He could be so firm in his hopes that he decides it's so worth it for his people to have a future as to lose his own, and other's, lives.

I guess it doesn't do much good in making him evil, but it's interesting to have Good (assuming PCs are) vs Good.

[Maldraugedhen]

Yeah, I agree--I think your plot will have more potency and be more compelling to your players if you go the sympathy route and leave him unaware of the evil nature of the deity he's invoking. From there, you could go with a blind faith story, or a redemption of the deceived story, or a vengeance trip, or insanity... Whereas if you just make him evil, it's another BBEG out to take over the world--just so happens that this one's got a boss, too.

[Kioran]

The halflinf should certainly seem driven - but not so much that the Characters immediately doubt his sanity. He should be charismatic - rebels and cult leaders often are, and it would be opportune to introduce him as an ambigious person, not necessesarily hostile.
Making him a villain, but not unmistakably so, will make things a lot more interesting, apart from being more consistent. I think, however, that the cult leader knows or finds out about the god´s true nature and simply doesn´t care, putting his ends above everything else.

[Lemur]

I think the character would be more potent if he could stand alone, and didn't have a right hand man manipulating him. On the other hand, you could go the route where the cult leader is just a figurehead, and the real villain is a more elusive character.

As a stand alone villain, though, he should be driven by blind faith, meaning he'll stay devoted to his god, even if he learns the truth about it. Cult leaders tend to be incredibly confident and stubborn, to the point where they ignore obvious facts simply to maintain their beliefs. Every time he's foiled, his faith and conviction should strengthen, rather than weaken.

Evil is often a slippery slope issue. If your NPC is a dynamic character, he can be both acting for the benefit of his people, and be a dastardly villain. Just not necessarily at the same time.

He could start as someone primarily trying to help his people, but events in the world, or possibly events caused by the PCs themselves, could start to accelerate his path into further darkness.

As further events occur, he'll continue down the slope, and eventually get into the really evil things, without a second thought about it.

Initially, the character might invoke respect from the PCs, since he has what looks like a noble goal on the surface. Cults are all about fooling people into something ridiculous, so if the PCs can be initially fooled as well.

As he begins his descent, the PCs learn more of the truth, and should get a sense of foreboding.

During the endgame, the PCs should be confronted by the results of the atrocities being committed. As they see the suffering caused, disgust, horror, anger, are all likely emotions.

[Demented]

Yeah, see, the thing is the god the halfling is raising is really some sort of demon/devil/Really Old One.

You know, "Really Old One" doesn't sound all that intimidating.

[Maldraugedhen]

They bring the beatings with the Cthulhu Canes.

[Rumpus]

Well, sounds like you've got the motivations worked out, but as for emotions he inspires in the players, admiration would be a good starting point, since he's working to better his people. A religious leader fighting for his people could start off sounding like MLK Jr, depending on how the PCs first encounter his followers. Once they learn more about him, I guess it will depend on what activities he needs to do pre-mass-suicide. Is his cult doing anything evil before the big send-off? Are his followers being told they will be raised or pass to a better place, or are they being told the suicide is for real, but it will be a better all other halflings?

[Daracaex]

Yeah, his motivation seems good. As for another emotion, what about desperation? It's not that he wants to have a mass suicide to incarnate a god. He could just be that desperate for his people to have a good life. Also, if the PCs try to tell him that the god is an evil one, he might just fall into insanity, blindly disbelieving what they have told them and making the resurrection of the god an obsession. Or maybe he simply just does not believe them.

Also, you should think out how he would react to the presence or absence of one or more halflings in the party. How he reacts might be based on that fact, disbelieving them if they are all other races or maybe considering the idea if there are halflings with them. I like this concept. Seems you have a really good villain worked out here!

[sigurd]

I think your stumbling block is having a leader who is willing to see his followers commit suicide all at once. One way or another he's a leader with nobody to lead.


Why not have him sacrifice a bunch of babies and children of the big folk. Your halflings could be taking in strays, stealing babies etc... Its at least as evil as the suicide notion. You might have the 'god' promise that the children will be taken to build the new homeland. Vague evil code for "murdered terribly and their souls torn from their little bodies to furnish evil mojo".


The halfling is no longer killing halflings and his motives are cleaner. The PC's have to rescue potentially important hostages. The BBEG is more powerful because at a word from him the hostages will be killed. (After all who cares if his followers kill themselves accept him :) )


Sigurd

[Zodling]

Great ideas, people!

How's this:

the halfling believes the god-thing is a truly benevolent being, and the cult does good works for halflings throughout the land. He has no idea that he will be called on to kill his fellow halflings. He receives visions of a halfling utopia that arises due to the arrival of the god-thing, but the details are sketchy as to how.

While, he doesn’t like or trust big-folk, but has no problem hiring them for dangerous tasks, like retrieving the MacGuffin.

Eventually (after delivering the important MacGuffin, of course), somehow, the PCs discover the true nature of the god-thing.

They try to convince the lead of it, but he lashes out, believing their words to be big-folk lies.

He hires assassins (other big-folk) to kill the PCs. If the PCs try to kill him, he surrounds himself with his (innocent) followers (ooh, I hope someone plays a paladin).

The visions the cult leader has been receiving have been eroding his sanity, so when he gets a vision telling him to steal babies, he doesn’t think anything of it. To get back at the PCs, he even attemps to kidnap a relative.

The PCs now have to rescue babies/stop the ritual.

Thanks, everyone, you’ve given me a lot to think on.

Z

[EvilElitest]

Charle Manson. Look him up, talk about freaky cult
from,
EE

[mabriss lethe]

As mentioned above, It might flesh out best as almost a cult within a cult. There is a truly evil cult dedicated to this big bad nasty god beasty. They're the true villains. Your itenerant knee high preacher-man is ultimately a patsy. The true cult has inducted him into the rudiments of the faith, being careful to keep any real knowledge of it's true aims and goals from him. He's doing what he thinks is best for his people and is willing to sacrifice himself to usher them into a better life. The true cultists have armed him with just enough knowledge and power to get him and his followers onto the god's dinner table.

Soemtimes, the best place to hide is in plain sight. The halfling cult serves a couple of purposes. it acts as a semi-legit front for a core of real cultists that hide right under the cult leader's nose. These real cultists know what's really going on and are there to keep an his rampant faith from getting in the way of "The Plan" It's also a place that the real cult can use to go trolling for recruits. These people are already primed for that sort of conversion. The final reason is that it gives the true cult a pool of sacrifices to bring their god into the world without depleting their own numbers. In this case, I'd say that faith is the bridge the god must walk into the world. The patsy cultists don't have to understand what they're believing in, they just have to believe, and willingly give their lives to the god.

If played out right, the halfling cult leader could become a great ally to the PCs if they can get him to realize he's been a dupe to the real cultist all along.

[Zodling]

Consarn it, mabriss, just when I think I've got things figured out someone has to come along and make me rethink things.:smallwink:

[Nebulious]

I find that the most memorable villians are the ones whose life really strikes a chord with you once you lower your sword to look at his corpse. Here's my two cents:

I say you should make the cult leader an ally of the PCs. Maybe a good guy who the PCs meet and befriend early in the campaign. Then later on the party should be directly responcible for the halfling to learn about the god's existance. He should begin to study fanatically behind the scene, being mentally warped by evil knowledge and establishing something like the two-circle cult mabriss lethe just talked about. I'd make the sinister circle be fanatics who are either being corrupted in a similar fashion or are latch-ons who are naturally depraved.

It should be the PCs' job to discover that the two organizations are related, with their former friend at the top of both no less. Best of all, let them catch on just as the really depraved events begin to unwind and make them hate their former friend. Finally when the climax unfolds, show the PCs how the halfing only had the best intentions all along and let him die. Whether or not the villian ever gets to realize his errors and repent is up to you. Either option is good.

[mabriss lethe]

Consarn it, mabriss, just when I think I've got things figured out someone has to come along and make me rethink things.

Sorry, the ideas just started flowing. I wasn't about to stop my runaway imagination. That always ends badly

[TheEscapist]

Here's an idea to consider:

Perhaps the villain knows that the being he's summoning has absolutely no plans to give his people a better life. Perhaps the villain has been so beaten down by the 'big folk' that he no longer believes there is even a chance that his people will walk the earth without being oppressed, he has accepted that it's his people's lot in life to suffer. So he is bringing this being into the world as his people's final vengeance on the races that have wronged them - since they couldn't do anything in life, at least let their deaths leave a permanent, bloody, and unforgettable mark on the rest of the world.

[headwarpage]

How about this:

Your main villain is an absolutely heartless bastard. He knows exactly what he's doing. His hatred of the 'big folk' is so great that he doesn't care who he has to sacrifice to have his revenge. He is bitter, twisted, thoroughly evil, and possibly slightly mad. The rhetoric he's spouting about the halfling homeland is just a way to get enough followers to bring this god into the world.

But...

His right hand man is a good-hearted and charismatic individual, if not overly bright, who has completely bought into what the BBEG is selling. He's your sympathetic figure, and the PCs should encounter him several times before they meet the BBEG. If possible, you might even make him a paladin. He really believes that all this is going to make the world a better place. Because he's so charismatic and sincere, he's the one winning over most of the followers, but he's entirely loyal to his leader (for now).

Hopefully, the PCs will feel some sympathy for the henchman and, by extension, the villain's supposed cause. But once they start figuring things out, they'll be able to go after the BBEG without that empathy getting in their way. There's also the potential for them to convince the henchman of the truth (once they figure it out) and win him over to their side, which they should feel good about if they manage it.

[RegarMage]

well lets see, based on your world, if the characters are the typical halfling haters that you describe most as, the villain will probably evoke disgust, annoyance, hatred, or enmity.

However, if the characters are sympathetic to the plight of the halfling race, they may feel sympathy, compassion, or empathy

Granted, if the players know what the "god" really is, then you should make sure to develop him as a villain also, never forget the face behind the mask.

[Zodling]

When I first conceived of this villain, he was supposed to be a jerk. While it's true that in some of the more isolated areas the simpler folk due tend to look at the halflings with distrust, most civilized people tend to seem them in a more positive light. They are known as master storyteller, dancers, woodworkers (their wagons are intricately carved, and the settled halflings make high quality furniture), instrument makers, and merchants. For some outlying areas halfling caravans are the only contact with the outside world.

My idea was originally to have this guy to have a persecution complex, but now, I'm reconsidering. I've been given so many good ideas to work with.

[mikeejimbo]

I always like Villains with sympathy. I think if you can make the players actually understand his arguments, point of view and thinking, it makes it better than a just "Hey, I'm good, I'm going to kill these things because they're evil."

And, when I saw this thread, I just wanted to say "You can do it villain! Rah rah rah!" or something similar.