Comments on: Pain of Campaigning V: Suitable Villains http://critical-hits.com/2008/06/21/pain-of-campaigning-v-suitable-villains/ The Journal of Gamer Culture Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:40:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Pain of Campaigning VII: The Finale (Part I: What You Want the Adventure to be) | Critical Hits http://critical-hits.com/2008/06/21/pain-of-campaigning-v-suitable-villains/#comment-62848 Pain of Campaigning VII: The Finale (Part I: What You Want the Adventure to be) | Critical Hits Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:53:03 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=1582#comment-62848 [...] Pain of Campaigning III: The Plot Thickens The Pain of Campaigning IV: Put a Little Politics In It The Pain of Campaigning V: Suitable Villains The Pain of Campaigning VI: Give Your Villains Some Panache! Pain of Campaigning VII: The Finale [...] [...] Pain of Campaigning III: The Plot Thickens The Pain of Campaigning IV: Put a Little Politics In It The Pain of Campaigning V: Suitable Villains The Pain of Campaigning VI: Give Your Villains Some Panache! Pain of Campaigning VII: The Finale [...]

]]> By: Pain of Campaigning VI: Give Your Villains Some Panache! | Critical Hits http://critical-hits.com/2008/06/21/pain-of-campaigning-v-suitable-villains/#comment-62847 Pain of Campaigning VI: Give Your Villains Some Panache! | Critical Hits Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:51:05 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=1582#comment-62847 [...] game (and speak in third person!) So now, with a campaign fresh on the brain, I’ll continue my last villains article and talk about how to make your villain(s), regardless of type, formidable, awesome and [...] [...] game (and speak in third person!) So now, with a campaign fresh on the brain, I’ll continue my last villains article and talk about how to make your villain(s), regardless of type, formidable, awesome and [...]

]]> By: The Pain of Campaigning IV: Put a Little Politics in it | Critical Hits http://critical-hits.com/2008/06/21/pain-of-campaigning-v-suitable-villains/#comment-62846 The Pain of Campaigning IV: Put a Little Politics in it | Critical Hits Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:19:27 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=1582#comment-62846 [...] Pain of Campaigning III: The Plot Thickens The Pain of Campaigning IV: Put a Little Politics In It The Pain of Campaigning V: Suitable Villains Share and [...] [...] Pain of Campaigning III: The Plot Thickens The Pain of Campaigning IV: Put a Little Politics In It The Pain of Campaigning V: Suitable Villains Share and [...]

]]> By: TheMainEvent http://critical-hits.com/2008/06/21/pain-of-campaigning-v-suitable-villains/#comment-62845 TheMainEvent Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:11:07 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=1582#comment-62845 http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EnsembleDarkhorse -> This trope fits in nicely with "The Survivor." If someone gains popularity try using it! http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EnsembleDarkhorse

-> This trope fits in nicely with “The Survivor.” If someone gains popularity try using it!

]]> By: Krog http://critical-hits.com/2008/06/21/pain-of-campaigning-v-suitable-villains/#comment-62844 Krog Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:56:13 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=1582#comment-62844 I just thought of this, although it's not a new idea. Wouldn't it be cool if the PCs were the bad guy but didn't know it? If somehow a number of their past actions were used in the worst possible way or something? I just thought of this, although it’s not a new idea. Wouldn’t it be cool if the PCs were the bad guy but didn’t know it? If somehow a number of their past actions were used in the worst possible way or something?

]]> By: Ish http://critical-hits.com/2008/06/21/pain-of-campaigning-v-suitable-villains/#comment-62843 Ish Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:45:07 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=1582#comment-62843 One of the better give-aways for this years Free RPG Day is a humble little dungeon crawl with a heckuva hook. Paizo's D1.5 "Revenge of the Kobold King," which follows directly after their DC1 "Crown of the Kobold King" "Crown" took the well-troden D&D scenario of 'kill kobolds, take stuff' and managed to put that wonderful Paizo polish on it. But, in the end, the players think they killed the lil bastarad after a tough but winnable fight. Toss a simple one night adventure in between, and then *blammo* hit them with the "Revenge," where the kobold is now a very nasty undead critter in the service of an evil god. Combines the Survivor with the Overlord, and makes a lovely setup for the start of a Five Man Band (with the Kobold King on lead guitar.) One of the better give-aways for this years Free RPG Day is a humble little dungeon crawl with a heckuva hook. Paizo’s D1.5 “Revenge of the Kobold King,” which follows directly after their DC1 “Crown of the Kobold King”

“Crown” took the well-troden D&D scenario of ‘kill kobolds, take stuff’ and managed to put that wonderful Paizo polish on it. But, in the end, the players think they killed the lil bastarad after a tough but winnable fight.

Toss a simple one night adventure in between, and then *blammo* hit them with the “Revenge,” where the kobold is now a very nasty undead critter in the service of an evil god.

Combines the Survivor with the Overlord, and makes a lovely setup for the start of a Five Man Band (with the Kobold King on lead guitar.)

]]> By: OriginalSultan http://critical-hits.com/2008/06/21/pain-of-campaigning-v-suitable-villains/#comment-62842 OriginalSultan Sun, 22 Jun 2008 03:05:50 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=1582#comment-62842 Another type that works well is The Taskmaster / Lieutenant to the Evil Overlord. As you mentioned, the problem with the Evil Overlord villain is that the PCs usually never meet him until the final battle. But if the Evil Overlord has a Taskmaster / Lieutenant to do his dirty work, this character will make an excellent recurring villain that the PCs can run into again and again. The Lieutenant also gives you lots of options at the end of the game: 1) battle the Lieutenant as a warm-up to the Evil Overlord, 2) Lieutenant face turns and joins PCs to help vanquish Overlord, possibly sacrificing himself, 3) Lieutenant escapes (again!) after Overlord is vanquished...possibly returning in another campaign as the new Evil Overlord. The 5-man band as a whole can usually do a good job of filling the role of the Taskmaster / Lieutenant, or the Lieutenant can just be the leader of the 5-man band. Other times its better to just have 1 guy - easier to manage as DM and it focuses the PCs hatred onto one person. Another type that works well is The Taskmaster / Lieutenant to the Evil Overlord. As you mentioned, the problem with the Evil Overlord villain is that the PCs usually never meet him until the final battle. But if the Evil Overlord has a Taskmaster / Lieutenant to do his dirty work, this character will make an excellent recurring villain that the PCs can run into again and again.

The Lieutenant also gives you lots of options at the end of the game: 1) battle the Lieutenant as a warm-up to the Evil Overlord, 2) Lieutenant face turns and joins PCs to help vanquish Overlord, possibly sacrificing himself, 3) Lieutenant escapes (again!) after Overlord is vanquished…possibly returning in another campaign as the new Evil Overlord.

The 5-man band as a whole can usually do a good job of filling the role of the Taskmaster / Lieutenant, or the Lieutenant can just be the leader of the 5-man band. Other times its better to just have 1 guy – easier to manage as DM and it focuses the PCs hatred onto one person.

]]> By: ChattyDM http://critical-hits.com/2008/06/21/pain-of-campaigning-v-suitable-villains/#comment-62841 ChattyDM Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:46:21 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=1582#comment-62841 Whoa! A RPG Trope post not written by me! Let me sit back and enjoy the ride. ... Awesome! The 5 man band can now be made more easily in D&D 4e. You just make 5 monsters whose powers are synergistic and you can increase their power level almost effortlessly... (Just nix the 'dead at 0 hp' for recurring NPC and you're in business) Whoa! A RPG Trope post not written by me! Let me sit back and enjoy the ride.

…

Awesome!

The 5 man band can now be made more easily in D&D 4e. You just make 5 monsters whose powers are synergistic and you can increase their power level almost effortlessly… (Just nix the ‘dead at 0 hp’ for recurring NPC and you’re in business)

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