Idea for a Joke Antagonist

[Xeko]

Okay, so, here's a goofy villain/character idea... An evil, a dark necromancer... who doesn't know necromancy spells. The idea is still in its infancy, but I'm imagining he got his start joining a wizard's school, seeking power and glory, but the school, being ethically sound, refused to teach necromancy magic, so the guy improvised.

The concept stemmed from the realization that corpses technically count as objects, and therefore count as potential targets for the "Animate Object" spell. The animated corpse would not count as undead, and thus would not be weak to any of the normal things clerics do. And, animate object specifically says that if the object being animated lacks legs, it has a fly speed instead. So, this fake necromancer would obviously slice the legs off of all of his corpses, to create an army of floating torsos. And if that was too over the top silly, and I decided to go more serious with it, I was thinking puppets or porcelain dolls or something could really bring the creep factor.

But a villain is more than just a single spell. So my question for you guys is, what else might he have up his sleeves? How can I make him an actual threat?

And, beyond that, what kind of backstory elements could I pull in for him? How can I make him more than just a one-note baddie?

[DarkKnightJin]

You could have him lean into the whole "necromancy = evil" thing by having him look the part.
Even better if he's actually a nice guy, just misunderstood. But something like Fireball is definitely on the list. Can't animate corpses without any corpses to animate, after all.

[No brains]

He could look like a lich, but he's just ugly and hasn't had the chance to bathe since the PCs started tracking him.

I think Tiny Servant can make some 'crawling claw' minions for him.

Illusion spells can create the impression of commanding fierce undead. He could 'have shadows, wraiths, specters, willow wisps, and ghosts prepare an ambush'. The shadows disappeared! We can't spot them! Where are they?

He can have a familar that looks undead. Of if you want to go for maximum wacky, his familiar is secretly the mastermind. The variant familiar rules technically allow a demilich. :smalltongue:

[Dr. Cliché]

Maybe he's unleashed a plague to provide plenty of corpses for him to animate.

Unfortunately, it's spreading faster than he expected and he's still only up to page 24 of 'Ye Olde Necromancy for Beginners'.

Also, did he remember to make himself immune...?

[Man_Over_Game]

He sends his familiar to spy on the players all of the time. Even when the players shoot it down, there's inevitably another that replaces it. The players start to think that this guy is incredibly persistent and resourceful.

In reality, though, he's constantly scrounging for money in order to replace his familiars, and cries each time he casts the ritual (money down the drain!)

[Nagog]

He sends his familiar to spy on the players all of the time. Even when the players shoot it down, there's inevitably another that replaces it. The players start to think that this guy is incredibly persistent and resourceful.

In reality, though, he's constantly scrounging for money in order to replace his familiars, and cries each time he casts the ritual (money down the drain!)

This would be particularly funny if you combine it with the Demi-Lich familiar suggestion from above, like the villian keeps seeking out Demi-Liches to have as his familiar, and eventually word gets around the Demi-lich and lich community that this dweeb is going around trying to recruit them and join their club. XD He ends up being the one awkward friend nobody likes but they keep imposing themselves on the group.

[Xeko]

Well, Cloak of Billowing is a must. For spells, I'm thinking things like Anti-Life Field, and Enthrall, things that kind of fit the evil necromancer trope, without being necromancy spells. Probably a Gnome or something, if for no other reason than to add to the goofy image. And I'm thinking, someone who all of the magical authorities know full well about, but don't bother going after, as none of them perceive him as a real threat. The adventurers could ask around about our villain and the other wizards could respond with "oh, him? Yeah, he went off into the wilderness years ago. Wonder whatever happened to him? Oh well." A character that is perpetually never taken seriously. Some powerful NPCs might even egg him on from time to time, as a joke, thinking there's no way he would ever accomplish what he's setting out to do, only to be completely blindsided by their own imminent doom.

[Brookshw]

Give him a mother complexion and some self-esteem issues. He knows he's rubbish as a necromancer, "but mom always said it was the effort that counts!"

Without setting/campaign info it's hard to say, but have him get his hands on a powerful mcguffin (preferably through a series of unintentional events).

I'm kind of imagining Rincewind in a way....

[Xeko]

Well, I don't actually have a setting to put him in at the moment. I'm a player right now, but my group has discussed it at length, and I'll be DMing our next campaign. So I am definitely getting well ahead of myself, coming up with goofy character ideas so far in advance. Given where we are in our campaign, I'm expecting us to finish around the time Descent into Arvernus releases, which is convenient if I wanted to run that one. But I haven't decided for sure yet. Ultimately, I like the idea of a goofy side character, and if I have the opportunity to slot him in somewhere, I absolutely will, but it's all just for fun at the moment.

[Brookshw]

Well, I don't actually have a setting to put him in at the moment. I'm a player right now, but my group has discussed it at length, and I'll be DMing our next campaign. So I am definitely getting well ahead of myself, coming up with goofy character ideas so far in advance. Given where we are in our campaign, I'm expecting us to finish around the time Descent into Arvernus releases, which is convenient if I wanted to run that one. But I haven't decided for sure yet. Ultimately, I like the idea of a goofy side character, and if I have the opportunity to slot him in somewhere, I absolutely will, but it's all just for fun at the moment.

Gotcha. If you're doing a devil/demon campaign maybe consider the wizard more of a demonologist than a necromancer? Perhaps he was the last, and most inept, apprentice of a skilled demonologist. When the master died all the other apprentices went off to come into their own (taking choice magical paraphernalia with them). This guy hung around though and inherited the devil's who were still under contract with the master and, incidentally, were instructed to obey the master and his apprentices. The devil's don't respect the apprentice, seek to subvert his instructions and make fun of him relentlessly (much to the apprentice's whining).

[GreyBlack]

Okay, so, here's a goofy villain/character idea... An evil, a dark necromancer... who doesn't know necromancy spells. The idea is still in its infancy, but I'm imagining he got his start joining a wizard's school, seeking power and glory, but the school, being ethically sound, refused to teach necromancy magic, so the guy improvised.

The concept stemmed from the realization that corpses technically count as objects, and therefore count as potential targets for the "Animate Object" spell. The animated corpse would not count as undead, and thus would not be weak to any of the normal things clerics do. And, animate object specifically says that if the object being animated lacks legs, it has a fly speed instead. So, this fake necromancer would obviously slice the legs off of all of his corpses, to create an army of floating torsos. And if that was too over the top silly, and I decided to go more serious with it, I was thinking puppets or porcelain dolls or something could really bring the creep factor.

But a villain is more than just a single spell. So my question for you guys is, what else might he have up his sleeves? How can I make him an actual threat?

And, beyond that, what kind of backstory elements could I pull in for him? How can I make him more than just a one-note baddie?

Have him not actually be a villain, despite acting, dressing, and even appearing like one.

For example, he dresses all in black robes with skull masks and surrounded by dark, foreboding crystals because he just thinks they look cool.

The townsfolk fear that a new dark lord is on the rise, but actually he just bought this lair because it was on sale and has a really pretty view from the top.

Have him take children from the town... because the families are really abusive, so he wants to raise the children in a supportive, caring environment. Which, by the way, is why he learned to cast Animate Objects; he needed caretakers for the children and wanted to give them really cool toys to play with while also protecting them from people who might mean harm to them.