Be someone else's villain

[Frostmarrow]

I just got an idea. What if a the villain in one DM's campaign is ran by a fellow EN-boarder? Let's assume that the DM hands the villain player (VIP) all relevant information about the campaign world, where the heroes are from and what kind of adventures they will be seeking. Now, the VIP is free to cook up vile plans as he sees fit. I mean if the characters are bunch of clerics and paladins on a holy mission to rid the world of undead, the VIP (unbeknownst of the players) can create a necromancer and relay his schemes to the DM. The DM sets everything up, runs a session and then hands the VIP information on the current state of things.

Would this be workable? Could you as a DM endure that the VIP makes all the important villaineous decisions? Would you enjoy being a VIP in someone else's campaign? Have you got any further ideas?

 

[arwink]

I actually do something similar to this with an ex-player who still wanted to keep involved. I basically give him open access to my notes and interaction with the players, gave him an outline of a villanous organisation and the order "plot away."

I haven't regretted it in the slightest

 

[mythago]

I have done this before, though on a short-term basis, i.e. a couple of games or a story arc. It's fun, though I can see how there could be problems--if the "villain" got emotionally invested in beating the players, or if the GM blamed the "villain" if the PCs outsmarted him.

 

[Wee Jas]

I'm a villian in my campaign.. might as well be a villian in someone elses.. lol

 

[Shallown]

The hardest part is often a villain has much more resources than the PC's so when the Pc's become a problem the Villain should just throw everything they need to wipe the PC's out. It is a fine edge to balance on why a particular villian or evil group hasn't just axed a group. I'm doing it in my game right now and slowly revealing along with the rest of the plot just why the characters are still alive and not been wiped out for interfering in the big Mojo's plans.

But it wouldn't be a bad idea to have an evil advisor to help plan the ways of dealing with the party and such. I've done that before and it works well.

later