How to introduce a BBEG?

[magnusmalkus]

So I've got a Big Bad Evil Guy set up in the background that I want the PC's to face off with EVENTUALLY. I've had the pc's knock down one of his diabolical plans being enacted by a BBEG minion not knowing my BBEG was behind it all.

Now what? How Do I let the party know who they're up against? Do I do something as corny as have the minion have a letter of instruction from BBEG among his possessions? Isn't there a better way?

I don't suppose I could have the BBEG at the climatic battle with the minion... He's the BBEG! He'd smite them with no problem. I suppose I could do the classic "Dispatch them, my minion! As I make my absolutely un-interruptable, unscathed getaway!" But you KNOW pc's. They're gonna TRY to get him. And what would the BBEG do then? That's right... SMITE THEM! I don't want to kill them, and at the same time, I don't want to force his unscathed getaway because "the DM says so".

Or let's say the pc's spoil the plot, the minion is dispatched, and the BBEG finds out after it's all over who the pesky pc's are and sends another minion after them in repayment for ruining his plans... how is the party to know the BBEG sent the assassin? Another letter of instruction on the body? A mark or branding indicating the BBEG following? Trite, no?

How do you introduce the BBEG?

 

[Rhun]

After dispatching the minion, the PCs could find correspondence from the BBEG to the minion telling him to off the PCS, or something to that effect.

 

[Random Axe]

How do you introduce the BBEG?

The party finishes off the first evil plan and assorted minions, discovering no clues as to the identity, significance, or even existence of another related BBEG. As the party are going through a seemingly-typical town adventure followup, I would have the baron of uberdark just plain show up in the background, as a sort of celebrity to the locals but completely unavailable for PC interaction.

Then BBaddie discovers what he needs to about the foiled plans, dead minions, and pesky PCs. Maybe he THEN invites the party for a dinner or drink to find out more about them? or dispatches assassins in the town? or hires some desperate orc barbarian overlord to slaughter them in their travels outside the city? (At which point you might then have the orc barbarian have a scroll on his mutilated body signed by yet another intermediate minion of Lord Uberdark).

In other words, I make him a familiar face, but one which doesn't get connected to the overarcing plot of the campaign until much much later (when you want the more overt confrontations to take place).

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

After dispatching the minion, the PCs could find correspondence from the BBEG to the minion telling him to off the PCS, or something to that effect.

"...and be sure to destroy this after reading it, imbecile! Don't let it fall into their hands!"

Brad

 

[MrWildman]

Several possibilities came to mind, some I've used in games of yore...

Revelation via concerned NPC is a classic, the old "You've killed him! Oh, now we're all doomed. What do I mean, you ask? Surely all know that Ozzig The Enforcer works for Lord Kragz! Oh, we are doomed. Doomed!"
-or-
"Huzzah! These brave heroes have slain the foul Captain Torgo. Let us all celebrate and prepare for the downfall of Queen Hestigard! What? You're not here to rescue us from Queen Hestigard?"

Then there's the "bait & switch" ploy. This loses impact if played more than once or twice, but can add cinematic flair to a BBEG reveal (usually prefaced with "No, you fools...) such as:
"No, you fools! I am not your enemy. It is the mad druid Lugotorix that wreaks this havoc."
-or one I used after the PCs had gotten really friendly with Darrell, Last Lord of House Emichak:
"Ha! You fools! You think my father's disgrace shames me? I inherited all his goods. His lands and-" (transforming into wererat hybrid form) "-his gifts. Behold the Legacy of Emichak Hall! Behold the Beast of the Ripplin Wood!"

Whoops, must run. But I have more. I'll return soon. Peace.

 

[Flynn]

I'm a big fan of putting a tattoo or secret mark (maybe a ring or something) on the body of the minion. In the next adventure, the assassin comes, with the same mark upon him. At that point, the PCs know that there's something up, and start looking for the mark. Doing so will lead them to the forces of the BBEG.

If they don't, two or three adventures down the road, they could come across a patrol bearing the symbol of the BBEG, or some public display of him, which clues them in that there's a big organization/army behind that symbol. Adventures and investigations eventually lead to the BBEG.

Remember at each step, though, you want to give them something story-wise or they'll lose interest in pursuing the plotline and you'll need to bring the BBEG to them at that point.

Good Luck,
Flynn

 

[Fraisala]

no notes? no brands? How do you like this one then: nothing. Don't bend over backward to give the information. Let the PCs do a little bending this time.

Throw one mysterious threat after another with no note or brand or anything uniting except that the incidents are, if you think about it, specific, unprovoked, premeditated and require suspicious info/resources. Make it more blatantly so each time if you need to. After enough of these, the lightbulbs will slowly start to come on and the party will want to know why they're constantly being so specifically targeted. As you know, when a party wants something bad enough, they'll find a way to get it. Maybe once they finally look into it, others have been killed in a similar way? maybe it takes digging to figure out the assassins all happen to know one person?

end result: PCs get a gold star for solving the mystery, and the baddie is respected as being sneakier than to leave a particularly stupid paper trail.

 

[Pbartender]

I'm a big fan of putting a tattoo or secret mark (maybe a ring or something) on the body of the minion.

...and the tattoo reads, "Property of Ming the Merciless. If found drop in any Mail Box. (Postmaster, postage guaranteed.)"


Personally, I prefer the slightly subtle trail of clues...

Someone in the party recognizes the face of the dead assassin as a member from the Mercenary's Union, Local Chapter 491... Asking around the guild reveals the assassin was spending a lot of time down at the Rotgut Saloon... Talking to the regulars at the bar will let the players know that the assassin was talking with someone named "Ming", whose face no one saw, in the excessively shadowy back-alley... Searching the back alley might find the butt of a cigarello and an empty can of moustache wax, with which the player characters will be able to identify the Big Bad Evil Guy by his yellow teeth and his immense and well-groomed handlebars, when next they meet.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

How do you introduce the BBEG?

I have to techniques that I presently prefer.

The first is to simply have the players hear about him often, typically by description, long before they see him. If they hear about the man in the blood red cloak with black cowl covering his face for a few games, they will respond with predictible enthusiasm once he makes his appearance.

The second part is to spend more time working on the villains escape plan then his combat plan, and then have him show up in a fight and survive. I do not use an escape where the PC's cannot interrupt. If an NPC shows up, brings the pain for a few rounds and then escapes, and does so using the same rules as the PC's would have to, it generally gets their attention.

Right now the most effective villain NPC I have that is active in my game is Koth from the Red Hand of Doom (adventure is still ongoing). He basically caused huge problems for my players in the fight that introduced him. He blinded the sorcerer and an NPC rogue. He put the cleric out of commission with a few lightning bolts, and was in a position to possibly pull out a TPK. If I had opted to keep going, it may have gone either way, so Koth opted to bugger off.

In his 2nd appearance, he pulled off an ambush tailored to the players weaknesses, using info obtained from his own fight and fights where opponents had escaped. After a strong start, the ambush faltered, but he managed to pull of another escape while again causing a great deal of damage.

In my experience, there an effective villain does not need to kick the players asses. He merely needs to hold his own for a while and make a successful escape.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Pseudopsyche]

Take your time. If the BBEG is so much more powerful than your PCs, then there's no reason for them to meet him. As you say, the PCs would be likely just to rush to their doom. At this stage, there's no reason for the PCs to even know the BBEG's identity. They may not even need to have solid hints about his identity. All they need to know is that a BBEG exists, nothing more. The rest comes later.

All you need is an indication that the minion was following somebody's orders. An unsigned letter. An NPC to remark that the minion lacked the creativity to concoct the now foiled scheme on his own. The foiled scheme being covered up or cleaned up by an unknown agent.