Serial Killers in DnD?

[Felon]

Serial Killers? Yeah, though they're called adventurers in my game.

"Technically, mass murderer." -- Woody Harrelson as Mickey, Natural Born Killers

Here's a half-baked idea to tool around with: assuming that you want a serial killer to be more akin to the larger-than-life Hannibal Lecter types, you could devise a serial killer template that can be layered on top of a humanoid race. For instance, serial killers tend to be able to "normalize" themselves so that they assimilate into the rest of society, and thus gain an innate ability to conceal their thoughts and alignment. Another possiblity is to go the Michael Myers route and give the template d12 hit dice and perhaps a little damage reduction/fast healing.

 

[Chrisling]

I've had serial killers!

One was pretty strongly based on some of the shady, conspiracy theory sorts of things around Jack the Ripper. There was a demon cult in town and a nobleman was murdering women and children . . . who happened to be the mothers of women the former king had bastard children by, and the children themselves. It seemed almost pattern-less because the old king's debaucheries went on for three decades. So, that guy wasn't really a serial killer -- people just thought he was. He was, in truth, just an evil sonofabitch who thought he was doing the kingdom "good" by eliminating rivals to the throne.

The second serial killer I had took advantage of many of the sorts of things that go on in fantasy games. He was a serial killer, no doubt, (or maybe a mass murderer a la Mickey from "Natural Born Killers," hehe) but when captured he basically bluffed his way to freedom. He was eventually hunted down and killed, but during those adventures I sorta pointed out the moral ambiguity created by assumptions that, y'know, there are mind-control magic and possessions in the game. It was pretty cool. Even the PCs were fooled into thinking the murderer was possessed and not just an evil bastich.

 

[Tonguez]

I used a serial killer who took the hearts of his victims.
During his career he killed a young girl, a pregnant woman and an old woman, a old beggar (male) and a young boy and then started to kill another 7.

The Killer was making ritual sacrifices (maiden, mother, crone, man and child) to a Dark god and with each killing gained a new power (increased speed, protection from scrying, spiderclimb). Upon killing his 12th victim he would become the new Avatar of the Dark god of Murder.
The PCs therefore had a time limit and the problem that with each killing the Killer got harder to stop. I also through in a few red herrings like a Zombi attack (leading the PCs to suspect necromancy) and a mysterious figure in black sighted at all the Killings (a Spectre former-paladin who had been killed by the Dark gods former avatar and was also hunting down the killer)

In other games I have improved 'Living' Ghouls (with Spider climb, Blend in Shadows, Diseased and d8 claws) who are responsible for a certain number of murders in the City (many of which go unreported and uninvestigated eg beggars, vagrants, lone adventurers etc). One such Ghoul with Scorcerer class-levels is my worlds 'Bogeyman'. Another 'Rotten Eddy' is a major (though mysterious) figure in the Thieves guild and also leads his own gang of ghoulish goblins