The Best Villans

[Ranis]

What makes the best Villains? Is it a sadistic monster that just won't die, or the deceitful mastermind?

Opinions?

[Jade_Tarem]

I don't know if there is a "best" villain. Certainly there are plenty.

I'm going to go with Deceitful Mastermind, coupled with a big, obvious target villain.

[Neo]

I'd go with a mastermind type, someone who uses their power to influence and gain influence and operates through agents.

Not the 'i'm a big skull wearing guy in a big black castle, nobody could possibly suspect me' types.

[clericwithnogod]

I like the highly competent, likable villain for whom the heroes develop a measure of respect and possibly friendship.

[NullAshton]

http://www.giantitp.com/articles/rTKEivnsYuZrh94H1Sn.html

Why not look at Rich Burlew's ideas on how to make a villian?

[Saph]

'Sadistic monster that just won't die' can be a great antagonist. Especially if you don't tell the PCs about the 'just won't die' part, but let them find out through practice.

The trouble with the 'evil mastermind' type is that they never show themselves to the party. Which kind of takes the fun out of the whole villain thing - you've created a really cool bad guy, but your PCs are never going to get to see him.

- Saph

[rollfrenzy]

One of the best villians I faced was the Evil mastermind guy who was smart enough to escape every freakin time, but arrogant and would taunt us at every turn. He was smart and evil and would just let us not catch him.

We actually had to adventure with him for a short time even.

[Woot Spitum]

One that doesn't die within five minutes of meeting the PC's.

[Wippit Guud]

The best villian has to feel justified by what he's doing, ragardless of what he has to do to achieve it. A really good example is what Harry Osborne will do in the Spider Man movies eventually... has to be the villian to avenge his father death, and if he must become the Goblin to do it, so be it - it's Spider Man's fault that he was forced to do so.

[Maxymiuk]

The one that walks into the tavern, hands one of the PC's a kitten with the words "Keep him out of harm's way," walks out, and proceeds to obliterate half the town for kicks.

[The Great Skenardo]

The Giant. Evil giants ( the intelligent ones) are a huge bane to PCs because they are tough enough to handle their own in toe-to-toe and big enough to be hugely intimidating. Not very stealthy, but when the PCs find themselves in a huge antechamber and they hear the heaviest of heavy footfalls...well, that makes for a brown-trousers moment.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

I like the idea of a villain that the PCs routinely work for, whose later plans turn out to be diabolically evil. It's great if you can do it.

[MegasquidMan]

Hows about the Mastermind who actually is the sadistic monster, but doesn't show that parts of him/her/it until much later?

Eh? Eh? You see how my mind works? Genius, I say!

[Swordguy]

I like the idea of a villain that the PCs routinely work for, whose later plans turn out to be diabolically evil. It's great if you can do it.

Doing things like having the PCs wake up every now and then with a bag of coin and a note on their beds saying "Your actions are meeting our expectations perfectly. Congratulations. Sincerely, The Illithid Council".

It doesn't matter what they do; these notes just keep appearing.

[jjpickar]

One that knows what he is doing is absolutely despicable but could care less and is extremely humorous. He is not insane; he is just unrepentant. I'm thinking along the lines of Final Fantasy VI's General Kefka.

[XenoGeno]

Hows about the Mastermind who actually is the sadistic monster, but doesn't show that parts of him/her/it until much later?

Eh? Eh? You see how my mind works? Genius, I say!

I've seen a few villains like that. It's actually fairly common in manga and anime. The first and foremost one that comes to mind is Grineed from Beet the Vandel Buster.

[Folie]

I've always been a fan of the kind of villain who adopts a child or protege in order to warp the poor kid into serving his or her own ends. Examples include Miss Havisham from Great Expectations and Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars films.

[Dhavaer]

The competitor. The guy with the other party who tries to get the MacGuffin before the PCs, and buys them drinks afterwards.

[cupkeyk]

Emeraude from Magic Knight Rayearth.

[Dhavaer]

Hal Bolingbroke, from The Crucible. Because he combines manipulator, warrior and king into one villianous/anti-heroic package. Also, he stops time, turns into a Plantagenet lion and is crowned King of England.

[Collin152]

Villains that keep surprising you, but not in a Dues Ex Machina way. Spells that change the tide of the whole battle by changing the way you must fight your foe, really being a simalcrum, being a pawn possesed by the main vilain the whole time, ect.

[Jarawara]

A childhood friend, or someone they knew for a long time, an ally, a supporter, someone they'd never suspect from their hometown. Even a parent, sibling, or child. Even better if they had some kind of falling out in the past, so that the players see the seeds that turned the BBEG evil in the first place.

[Scalenex]

Characters who are not really villains, but anti-heroes who bear as many uncanny ressemblances to the PCs as possible (barring evil twins).

"Do not become what you fight!"
"There but the grace of god go I"
etc etc

[Hadrian_Emrys]

The best villian is the one that players learn to rely upon throughout the campaign. The ally they love, who guides them along the path to glory. This villian uses the party to achieve one seemingly good goal after another, foiling the plans of a series of false masterminds only to, in the end, have supplied the real villian with the means by which he/she/it is all but immune to all the favored tactics of the party. When done well, the look of hurt and betrayal fueled rage is priceless.

[Subotei]

One great example of the unseen manipulative genius and how to play him is Kaiser Soze from The Usual Suspects.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0114814/

[Bears With Lasers]

You ever read the Coldfire trilogy?

You know Gerald Tarrant?

yeah. Him.

[Desaril]

For once I agree with BWL! I need a drink!!! Considering our divergent viewpoints on most posts, I'm happy to see that even we have common ground. I think there's hope for world peace!!!

I actually like the villain who doesn't feel like he's a villain. Whether because he's insane or just mistaken, he feels like what he's doing is right and therefore will take the time to invite the heroes to see things his way. Many of the posters have referred to this (Harry Osborne, Palpatine). Ultimately, a villain of this type makes the heroes second-guess themselves and think about what they are doing.

A good story chronicles the development of the proagonist and the antagonist is the principle catalyst for that change. The antagonist should inspire character development as the heroes either change their beliefs or have them reinforced by the test of faith. If the only change in the PCs after meeting the villain is more treasure, more XP, less HP and a really cool tavern story, you are missing a great literary opportunity.

[daggaz]

Yeah, as said before, definitely the guy who maneuvers the party into unleashing horrible evils on the world, all in the guise of goodness (carefully worded phrasing can always defeat a sense motive check, and after the first quest or two, the PC's will probably stop doubting completely if they ever did.) Nothing says shock and evil like ultimate betrayal.

The thing is, if the BBEG is evil in and of himself, seperate from the party, then he becomes cliché at the worst, and an object at the least. If the party is drawn into it, actually becomes a tool of the evil, then you have placed your hooks into your players' hearts.

[Matthew]

The best villains are the ones the Players come to hate.

[Noneoyabizzness]

goblin. kobolds have earned respect since 3rd edition for some reason, but nobody ever expets a high powered golbin adversary. especially if early on they become part of the group as a acky npc or assumed comic relief.

let him control his greatest enemies from within