Serial Killer in the woods need some help making him memorable.

[Death_Jester]

Hello Everyone,

I am looking for some help with developing a hermit/ranger type of guy that will turn out to be responsible for several mysterious disappearances near the campaign area. What I want to do with him is make a bad guy that is sort of Gollum like in execution. He is a sad pathetic character that lives alone but is thoroughly corrupted and evil to the core. I need some good ideas that will portray to the characters the depth of his loneliness and totally evil nature. Think the artwork from the “Book of Vile Darkness” and that would best get you in the mindset of the character I am thinking of. He should be under 5 levels total because the players will be very low level when the face him. He is ment to be a spingboard for future mysteries.

What I want to do is set up a series of disappearances that all lead to him and have the characters try to capture him. He will lead the player characters on a merry journey though the countryside though various traps and catches of “trophies”. They will ultimately catch him and find out that he was responsible for a murder of a person of importance to the players many years ago. They will find the evidence on his body someplace because it would have been his first trophy and as such has a special importance to him.

Some additional information about this character is that he has been in contact with a Half-Devil Cleric of Bane and a diabolic servant (Minor Devil at best) of the Cleric’s family. So this character can know some very interesting things and has access to some very twisted feats. They “helped” him find his current “calling” and have helped make him what he is today.

My questions for the board are: What kinds of things could I do to portray the character better?

What kinds of traps would this character have to protect his “Trophies”?

Can you think of any particular feats or traits that would make a serial killer more effective? I am thinking of making him a Commoner/Ranger with stealth skills. Can anyone make a better suggestion for making a sneaky type without making him a Rogue?

Any other suggestions you can make would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Jester.

 

[Imperialus]

An interesting idea might be to write up a backstory that involves his wife and child being killed several years ago by something (especially if he feels responsable somehow). You could make it so that all his victems are either children the same age as his child or young women the same age as his wife when she died. It turns out he is trying to replace them by kidnapping, however when they don't turn out to be simmilar enough to his former loved ones he re-creates the manner of their death.

As for traps I would look at the techniques the NVA used. Lots of primitive stake traps, falling logs, pits with wild animals inside, pretty standard fair as far as traps go but they would fit the character of a psycotic woodsman well.

As for class's I'd say commoner/ranger or even ranger/barbarian. The ranger should give him the stealth skills while the barbarian would allow him to go into a rage. I'm not much good with stealth characters though so I'll mostly leave this one to others.

 

[Remathilis]

Hint that he's been doing this for a number of years. Usually in the fall. The body is found in th Spring, after the snow melts.

Give him a larger than life persona. That is, the town fears whatever's doing this. Some have made up a legend of some odd form of monster (like the Jersey Devil) who is doing this. Others gossip about the quiet guy who lives on the edge of town and doesn't say much but stares intently at the young girls. Lots of Gossip and rumor.

ranger would be your best bet. FE: Human of course.

If your using the BoVD, USE the BoVD. Hint at more ghastly reasons for his obsession.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I think I would make him a cannibal, seeing people as food for the winter, he just does not kill them but makes jerky from them.

 

[Greatwyrm]

Anytime you want ideas for a whacked out serial killer, check out the history of Ed Gein. A non-descript little guy in Wisconsin that ended up inspiring Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, and Texas Chainsaw Masssacre. Had lampshades and chairs upholstered in human skin. Made masks from the faces of his victims, then decorated his living room with the masks. When they caught him, one victim was still hanging in the garage and had been field dressed like a deer (non-hunters feel free to PM me about this, I'd rather not discuss the process openly regarding people).

 

[AFGNCAAP]

Well, with the FR-related backstory/connections, I'd recommend making this guy a follower of Malar--his actions go along the lines of a ritualistic hunt, and the dismemberment/mutilation of the corpses are "offerings" to Malar.

The Banite priest could be helping the killer because it furthers his own agenda--perhaps the local government is suffering a lack of political support by the masses because of their failure to end these horrendous murders (e.g., The Brotherhood of the Wolf). Or, these murders serve as a good distraction for the Banite's own horrendous activities (perhaps political assassinations; grave robbery in order to build an undead army; weakening the military forces in the area in order to ease the task for an invading force; etc.).

 

[d20fool]

Ed Gein rocks!

I think you're definately looking at Ed Gein here. He too was a hermit, a hunter, lived in the woods, lots of wilderness skills.

His psychosis started from an overbearing mother. His first victim was his brother, which looked like an accident. After his mother's death he began to "harvest" dead bodies. He made all sorts of wares from them, but his most important work was the "skinsuit" to make him look like a woman. This was the inspiration for Leatherface (masculinized) and Silence of the Lamb's Buffalo Bill. When Ed ran out of bodies, he started killing people.

The chilling part about Ed (reflected in Psycho) was that he was thought of as a normal member of society. He would babysit the sheriff's kids, drink at the local bar, and even eat dinner at neighbors houses (one of which I believe he brought meat from his last victim.)

To "D&Dize" Ed, I would add rules for a skin suit. Maybe he kills lycanthropes, and is making a suit to be like them. A suit with special powers. OR he could take a necromantic bent, animating parts of the dead or making a "dead suit" or even grafting dead parts onto his body.

To borrow from another movie source "The Evil Dead", perhaps there is a malevolence in the forest that has chosen our Ed as its avatar. Thus, possessing spirits and quick-moving or monstrous zombies roam the forest 'round Ed's place.

In either case, many writers agree a look at Ed Gein will give you all sorts of ideas.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

You could make him emotionally the age of a child. A cruel, demanding child.

Give his home a play room with toys & the recent most murder victim that he dresses up.

 

[xazil]

Having things that affect characters also can help evoke the right feel. Like having his trophies curse whoever removes them to drip blood from whatever part of the person that touches them. Walking around town leaves a trail of many questions and out in the wilderness the predators are going to love following as well.

 

[WillieW]

Lock up your cornflakes..!