Help with a villain!

[Cervante]

Okay, so I've thought, thrown out ideas, thought some more, reworked ideas, and still I feel no closer to coming up with a major villain for my campaign.

I know I want a prophesied dark age/Ragnarok feel to the villain and would also like someone important to the pc's be instrumental in the situation possibly as some sort of avatar/ harbinger of the main enemy.

So, I ask you, what would be a good major type of villain given the criteria laid out and some ideas of where they came from and why they're doing what they're doing. (Even if the reason they're doing it is some misguided sense of right/alien thoughts we cannot comprehend sort of thing.)

 

[fba827]

Hmm... an angel that is taking things to an extreme: bring peace on the mortal plane by 'resetting it' to a point of calm and tranquility, before the chaos that man brings was ever introduced.
And once civilization is again reborn, it can be reborn without the strife caused by the current age.

(or am i totally misunderstanding what it is you're looking for?)

 

[Quickleaf]

Well there really are no reasons for a mortal creature to consciously seek the end of the world. The only way a mortal villain could be involved is if they were uncomciously setting the stage for the end days through their actions toward another goal, possibly even a virtuous one. Not sure if that's what you're looking for...

As far as immortal villains sky's the limit,?since they're not constrained by mortal paradigms. For example a dragon may have sworn an oath which involves destroying the world tree, refusing to renege on it's vow.

 

[Cervante]

Well, since posting I have thought more and I think the child of a god/demon/devil would be an interesting villain. Perhaps not looking to see the world end but simply usher in a new age where he rules as the only divine being. But other ideas are welcome.

 

[TarionzCousin]

One option: the villain is an avatar of a chaos god (perhaps Loki). His priest is the cleric who helps the PC's and heals them when they return to town.

 

[Aspect of Veles]

I'm currently running a similar campaign, where the characters are aided by a human villain whose goal is to free a great demon prince to destroy the world, but the players are convinced he's serving a good diety, and that the real good guy is attampting to free the demon, whereas in fact the good guy is attempting to stop the players from inadvertantly freeing the demon prince...

Stuff like this can get a little convoluted, but an utter blast to run/play. Wish you luck!

 

[Arlough]

Reasons a mortal could want to destroy the world.

• Devoted to a religion that believes that after the final conflict/end of the world, all good people will be resurrected and heaven will rule on earth.
• Dark god or other great power gave back the life that the NPC lost in some sort of conflict. So the NPC, who has no real attachment to the world, will obey the dark power even to the point of bringing about the apokolypse. (see Teen Titans episode 52 "The End, pt. III")
• Having lost his or her family in a)the wars that blanket the world or b)as some sort of sacrifice to "save the world" the character decides to take revenge on everything, and is willing to sell his/her soul to do so.
• The antagonist believes that this world is a dream, or maybe a nightmare, and the only way to awaken from this dream is to end everything.
• The antagonist believes that, in the process of ending the world, he/she will gain godly powers, perhaps by absorbing all the souls that perish (good for an infernal pact warlock) or maybe the process that gives power will end the world, and he/she doesn't care.
• "It is better to end the world than to allow evil to exist upon it!"
• "I am taking the path of least bloodshed." as in, if we spill all the blood now, then we cap the total amount of spilled blood in the universe to the amount available at this time. (Tōsen Kaname method of peace.)
• "I'm not destroying the world, I am saving it. And if I have to do this to save the world, then that is a price I am willing to pay!"
• "What does this button do?"