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TheCountAlucard
2008-08-04, 06:26 AM
I rather liked the Giant's article on creating villains. It got me thinking about my own process.

Truth be told, my method seems largely abstract. I find when I start thinking about making a villain, I already have a half-formed concept in my head, and I work from there. I've had them start as means to an end ("Who's gonna steal the Book of Vile Darkness?"), a weird concept ("What other undead might a necromancer become?"), and even just a drawing on my notepad ("Hmm, I wonder what he's like...")

Headless_Ninja
2008-08-04, 04:59 PM
Yes! Bizarre doodles on notepads are the only way to start planning villains!

insecure
2008-08-05, 11:23 AM
Yes! Bizarre doodles on notepads are the only way to start planning villains!

Indeed it is!:smalltongue:

Duke of URL
2008-08-28, 11:54 AM
Well, you always gotta start with an idea. How you develop that idea is what's important -- the "villain workshop" questionnaire is one way (and a good one at that) to organize your thoughts and make sure you come up with adequate depth to make a memorable baddie.

Of course, many of the same questions can be used to design non-enemy key NPCs as well, giving them well defined roles in the campaign that will affect how things play out. For example, the PCs are recruited by a powerful wizard to stop an ancient evil. Well... why doesn't the wizard just take care of it herself? What are her goals and plans, both independent of and dependent on the PCs? Why are the PCs important?


Two emotions. Check, works just the same.
History that causes the emotions. Ditto
Scale. Ditto
Goal. Good guys have goals too.
What is needed to accomplish the goal? Since we have goals, we have to meet them somehow; here we may start seeing the need for the PCs
Obstacles. Our NPC will likely handle some on his/her own, but needs the PCs (and maybe other allies) as well
Means of projecting influence. This will have to be limited enough so that the PCs matter.
Resources. Not including the PCs.
Plans. This one is a bit different. How do the PCs fit into the plan and how much leeway do they have in how they get things done? The NPC is unlikely to know everything that will happen, so how deos the plan account for the unknown/unexpected?
Boundaries. Good guys have boundaries too. Would they destroy an entire village just to get at an enemy?
Personal threat level. How powerful the NPC is can give a clue as to the seriousness of what they're being asked to do.
Treatment of minions/allies. Even "good guys" can be callous jerks to their subordinates...
Visual quirks. It's not just for BBEGs!
Theme music. if this works for you, it will work just as well for non-villain NPCs
Escape plan. Not really necessary per se... generalizing to "contingency plan" works, though.
Name/Race/Class Always needed.

AKA_Bait
2008-08-29, 01:53 PM
Of course, many of the same questions can be used to design non-enemy key NPCs as well, giving them well defined roles in the campaign that will affect how things play out. For example, the PCs are recruited by a powerful wizard to stop an ancient evil. Well... why doesn't the wizard just take care of it herself? What are her goals and plans, both independent of and dependent on the PCs? Why are the PCs important?


This is entirely true. Pretty much everything in the villian workshop is good advice for creating any NPC.



Means of projecting influence. This will have to be limited enough so that the PCs matter. : It did for villians to. The influence needed to be projected in a way that makes the PC's matter and a fun adventure. If the villian projects their influence by totally legally messing with the grain market, it's probably not going to be all that much fun.
Escape plan. Not really necessary per se... generalizing to "contingency plan" works, though.: Actually, I think this is pretty important. Even good guys should have a plan of what to do if the city falls or the kingdom breaks apart and they have to flee/fight to the death. Presumably good NPC's have powerful enemies too... hence the need for PC minions/friends.

TheCountAlucard
2008-09-25, 08:15 AM
So, anyone else wanna talk about villains they've created this way, or another way, or whatever?

Zeta Kai
2008-09-25, 11:43 AM
I've created 5 interconnected villains in this manner, & I have to say that they are the most well thought-out antagonists that I've ever created. The process Rich laid out can be time-consuming, but the effort is truly well worth it, IMHO.

Calinero
2008-09-25, 10:09 PM
I'm afraid that I don't have a specific formula for villains. Most of the villains I make are for stories, not for campaigns, so don't expect help from me mechanics/build wise. As for concepts, though...I always try to go for something interesting. Perhaps the subversion of a cliche. Make something about the villain almost sympathetic, or at least understandable. Make the players understand why they do what they do.

Or, sometimes I do the opposite, and make them totally insane. For some reason, I'm good at writing creepily insane characters. *shrugs* Probably a bad sign....