Awesome One-Shot Villans.

[PopeLinus1]

Does anyone have any good villains that last for about a levels worth of gameplay? Looking for villains to be working for my Lex Luthor style villain(behind the scenes manipulation). I’m hoping for memorable villains that are different and original.

[Aett_Thorn]

A Hafling Mastermind Rogue that runs part of the criminal enterprise out of his tavern. The same guy/woman that is feeding the party tips is the one that's actually behind the crime.

A mad Dwarf Alchemist that is poisoning the town slowly. When encountered in his laboratory, he has all sorts of tricks that he can throw (sometimes literally) at the party.

A Fire Genasi Sorcerer that is used to help the main villain 'clean up' any messes by burning them to a crisp. Burns buildings, corpses, whatever needs to be done - as long as it involves fire. When confronted by the party, maybe he'll light some nearby buildings on fire, and the party will have to decide whether to follow him or save the town.

The town undertaker that is actually a necromancer, and has been secretly raising all of the dead that are sent his way instead of burying them.

A Kenku Rogue that has been following the party covertly, and using their dialogue to then act as members of the party to others. After these third parties have been cheated by the 'party', they point out the party to the constable, and swear that their contact sounded just like them, but they never saw their faces.

A Paladin that has been brought in by the local king/queen to deal with the problem. Not a villain, per se, but a foil to the party because he wants to be the one to bring the BBEG in instead of them.

[Ventruenox]

A Divination Wizard who commands an enslaved & disguised Nothic in order to run a blackmail ring for monetary and political gain.

A Doppleganger Assassin paired with a Quickling who commit murders in broad daylight and then plant evidence on the PCs.

An Amonkhet Naga Shadow Monk in a dimly lit lair with pockets of difficult terrain and poisonous gasses.

A Clay Golem with an embedded MacGuffin enveloped by a Gelatinous Cube. (less of a villain and more of a tricky encounter)

[Hyde]

The seventh villain should totally be the first villain, just with a Groucho Marx disguise.

[The_Jette]

The Nameless King is the ultimate villain!!!

Seriously, though, I was always a big fan of the Thieves Guild made up of Halflings that disguise themselves as kids, and use their disguises to get away with stuff if they're ever caught. Or the Dwarf who disguises himself as a Halfling by shaving his beard. It's a good disguise, and usually throws off divination spells by not having enough of an accurate description to be viable.

[Beechgnome]

Laughing monks. A group of mute monks who have tattooed faces showing grotesque smiles and laughing faces. Make them similar to four elements monks, but have them swap out whatever 3rd level spell power (burning hands, etc) for Tasha's Hideous Laughter. Dress them as clowns in a travelling menagerie or play them straight (so to speak) as members of a really creepy monastery.