Introduction to villains and clues

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

This is, I think, the biggest non-mechanical problem I have with writing adventures. I've tried watching movies and reading novels, but they're no help when it comes to villains - they show the villain "off-screen" where the players aren't likely to see them in-game.

Anyone else have this problem? How have you introduced villains?

The advice I've gotten for introducing clues generally involves "keep it obvious".

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

Figure out what they would be doing on a day to day basis, make a time table as to what their plans are. Set them on the road to get the resources and man power to achieve stated goal, then execute the plan in as smooth or rough a manner as you see realistic given other enviromental conditions or NPC intervention.

Then drop the PCs into the scene in an interesting manner. Figure out where the plan could go wrong, and have the PCs cause/arive during the problem. They will naturally want to find out what is going on, and trace it back to the villain.

A specific example would help, but it falls under the same catagory of problems as WHAT the bad guy is. How do you decide if your going to use an evil warlord or a dragon?

 

[Hand of Evil]

First, don't have a villian, have a concept for a villian. There are a number of types, creep, thug, henchman, mastermind, monster, friend, law, and or combo to all the above. (there are others too)

Now have the players cross the path of a plot, then tie the plot to the villian, take steps to expose by the concept.

 

[Psion]

This is, I think, the biggest non-mechanical problem I have with writing adventures. I've tried watching movies and reading novels, but they're no help when it comes to villains - they show the villain "off-screen" where the players aren't likely to see them in-game.

Anyone else have this problem? How have you introduced villains?

The advice I've gotten for introducing clues generally involves "keep it obvious".

For clues, the advice I've always heard is that if one clue is sufficient, give three.

The take I would add "if it's vital, don't make it obscure." Shocking revalations after the fact showing players they had the answer right in front of them are fun, too.

Edit: Also, if it's obscure and important, let them go to sagely NPCs for help... perhaps create one or two who are experts in such things. A novelist can make sure that their detective knows the answer. You have no such luxury with PCs/players.

How to introduce villains? Usually with an encounter with the villain. This initial encounter need not be hostile. But the players remember the calling card of the one villain they have met. Having them peice together the MO of a recurring off-screen villain is a little harder, but can be fun, too.

I am thinking of the villain mentioned in the old Complete Villain Handbook that ravaged villages and left prisoners tied up to freeze, starve, or be torn apart by animals. In short, if you aren't going to make the villain make an early appearance (possibly to have them be a recurring nemesis), give them a stark and distinctive calling card.

There are instances where I would go for the classic "mastermind behind the scenes", but most often if I was going for something specific (like in "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.")

 

[The Red King]

Give a few clues. If they don't pick up on that, give them some more. NPC's can let things slip.... if not, you can just grab one of them and tell them what you have been hinting at. In my experience sometimes you have to let them know that there are clues being dropped so that they know to look for them.

 

[Waylander the Slayer]

Introduce the villain before they become a villain.

 

[ComradeGnull]

If you're building towards a mastermind-type villain, I think it's good to have the players knock over a few of his lackeys first. e.g.;

Mr. Capone Isn't Going to Like This: The players attack and shut down a slaving ring/drug dealer/smuggling group/whatever. The people running it are astonished, because it's run by the villain who has carefully paid off the local authorities to turn a blind eye. A short-term antagonist can drop the name of their opposition or provide hints of who the real owner is.

Message Intercept: Dispatched baddies can have written instructions carried on their person from their leader- though the leader will probably use a false name or a cipher to disguise the content.

Survivors: I quite like the idea of a villain who destroys villages or carries out other dirty deeds before the heroes ever get there- they show up at the last minute only to see a mysterious figure riding off, leaving his lackeys to slow the heroes down, or else just encounter a few survivors of the attack who have only sketchy impressions of who or what attacked them.

Luka Bratzi Sleeps with the Fishes: Have the villian send the players a direct message in response to a setback. They've knocked over a minor business interest of the villains, or otherwise inconvenienced him, so the villain responds by killing or abducting an NPC who is friendly to the players and sending them a direct threat to stay away.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Introducing villains:
1. Use a cut scene, just like they do in the movies. Personally I've not found these to be very effective.
2. Have an NPC with whom the PCs interact, such as a patron, equipment seller or information source, later become a villain.
3. PCs meet the villain early on in the campaign when they are only low level, and the bad guy is far too tough for them. The villain doesn't just kill the PCs because they are beneath his attention.
4. Use the spell Project Image or a variant* thereof. The villain can interact with the PCs but not be killed because he's illusionary. I employed this successfully in a superhero game in which my Dr Doom-type used a holographic projector.

*Which could be as simple as the villain standing on a ledge, or behind a castle rampart, depending on the game's power/magic/tech level.

 

[Mongo]

You can always have the PCs know the villian before the adventure starts. For example, "You seek Black Bart, the man who betrayed your kingdom. Rumors says that he leads a bandit gang on the Great Road." Thus, the PCs have a ready made motivation.

 

[Gilladian]

Make the villain someone whom they have wronged. In my current campaign, one PC started trying to cause trouble for a particular religious group (he was a follower of a trickster god) and ended up seducing a young matron who was a regular follower of the temple. Eventually her husband realized what was going on, and began to persecute the PC. He responded by causing the wife to discover that her husband had a lover, as well. She ended up leaving him and blackening his name around town. HE nearly caused the cleric's death, and to this day despises all the PCs. Little do they know he's also selling weapons to the orcs, and is in league with the local bandit group...

He also wants to become mayor of their town.