[Twilight Time] Defeating Villains!

[Heather Grove]

June 3, 2002 - Defeating Villains!
Volume 3, Issue 8

This is the Twilight Time zine, the free zine of the Burning Void: 
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Good morning!

As you'll note in the announcements section at the bottom, online 
voting for the Origins Awards is ongoing. Anyone at all can vote, 
although certain categories are open only to members of the Academy of 
Adventure Gaming Arts and Design. Voting will close in one week, on 
Monday June 10, so get your votes in now! The online ballot can be 
found at:
http://www.originsawards.com/

Meanwhile, not including the Twilight Time articles or the reviews, we 
now have more than 100 articles on the roleplaying resources portion 
of the web site! I hope you find the articles useful. It's great to 
hit such a milestone.

It's summer here, and summer means lots of green things, and ice 
cream, and temperatures that see-saw between cold and really hot & 
humid. Hopefully wherever you are you're having nice weather. In case 
you aren't, here's something to read while you stay inside!

Have a great day,
Heather

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Defeating Villains

There are plenty of articles out there on how to play good villains, 
create good villains, and come up with cool plans for your villains. 
Today, however, we're going to talk about something slightly different 
- how to allow your players to defeat your villains. No, I'm not 
talking about scripting your game; I'm talking about making sure that 
there are ways for your villains to be defeated.

If you take as a given the idea that your villain does her research 
and is fairly intelligent, she can become fairly difficult to stop. 
Part of this is because of you, the game master (GM): you know all 
sorts of things about what the player characters (PCs) are doing, and 
have the chance to sort through that and decide which things the 
villain might be able to learn. Part of this is because intelligent, 
creative, resourceful villains have everything the PCs have, plus a 
possible something extra: a lack of morals that allows them to get 
away with more than the PCs can.

Today we'll talk about ways to make sure that your villains can be 
defeated (can, not will). We'll talk about flaws and problems you can 
give them that offset some of their advantages, and ways to make their 
advantages less unbalancing.


Intelligent Villains

With all of this talk of toning down advantages, why would you want to 
make intelligent, creative, resourceful villains in the first place? 
Why not just make them dumb and lonely?

There are plenty of reasons why you might want to use intelligent 
villains:

*  Your players are pretty creative, and you want to give them a 
challenge.
*  Your players' characters are pretty powerful, and you want to give 
them a challenge.

(Note that there's a difference between providing a challenge and 
creating an unstoppable opponent - hence this article on villain flaws.)

*  Dumb villains can get really boring after a while.
*  Dumb villains can get pretty silly after a while - if they're so 
foolish, why do they survive long enough to be considered real villains?
*  Intelligent villains can make for more interesting plots.
*  Intelligent villains can provide a wider variety of potential plot 
solutions than simple hack-and-slash.


Villain Flaw #1: Inhibitions

People often assume that morality is the only reason why someone 
wouldn't want to kill or harm another. Thus, villains will never have 
qualms about harming innocent bystanders, making it much easier for 
them to harm the PCs than for the PCs to harm the villains. And of 
course, an intelligent villain will take advantage of this in order to 
get a leg up on the heroes.

Luckily for you, morals aren't the only possible thing getting in the 
way of your villain's killing spree. Inhibitions also provide a great 
obstacle to your villain's success. It's entirely possible for someone 
to avoid killing for a reason that has nothing at all to do with morals:

*  Your villain is squeamish. The sight of blood makes him faint, or 
the idea of death scares the living daylights out of him due to some 
childhood trauma.
*  Your villain is practical and killing is impractical. Perhaps the 
local authorities would be willing to look the other way if the 
villain killed the party for some reason, but they wouldn't look the 
other way if innocent bystanders died.
*  Someone the villain cares about or doesn't want dead is among the 
innocent bystanders.
*  The villain just hates guns (or other relevant weapons of 
destruction) for some reason.

I'm sure there are other possibilities; this should give you some 
ideas to start with. Inhibitions, weaknesses, obsessions - 
intelligence does not mean that your villain is perfect or perfectly 
capable of making entirely rational judgments. A lack of morals 
doesn't mean that he's willing to use any means necessary to achieve 
his objectives.


Villain Flaw #2: He Has Issues!

Everyone falls prey to fears and worries. What worries your villain? 
What frightens him? What past actions haunt him? What past events echo 
into his present? Here are a few things you can play with:

*  Phobias, fears, anxieties, terrors, and traumas. If your villain is 
afraid of something, that can be used against him!
*  Regrets, disappointments, humiliations, shameful secrets - if your 
villain's mistakes can be exposed, his allies might leave him. If he 
can be reminded of his humiliations, he might lose some of his 
confidence and make a mistake.
*  Deep-seated traumas, mental illness, a need for medication - such 
things can be exploited by a clever party. Check out our series of 
articles on mental illness in roleplaying for more ideas, starting 
with article #1 (keep clicking on the "Next" link at the bottom of 
each article to take you through the series):
http://www.burningvoid.com/users/heather/roleplaying/Essays/mental.html


Villain Flaw #3: The Blind Spot

Just because someone is intelligent doesn't make her omniscient, even 
with respect to her own psyche. Particularly with respect to her own 
psyche! Pretty much everyone has personality quirks, flaws, 
weaknesses, or problems to which they are blind. Intelligent does not 
mean perfect, after all, and people tend to have a lot of trouble 
recognizing their own problems.

A blind spot is a problem or weakness which the character does not 
recognize, has trouble keeping track of or remembering at important 
moments, or simply can't get past. Here are a few examples of possible 
blind spots:

*  Emily is overly trusting, and even when people obviously lie to her 
she's likely to believe that the person was simply mistaken rather 
than lying.
*  Max is overconfident, and is likely to take on challenges he isn't 
quite up to.
*  Jim loves his sister and would do anything to protect her, even 
though he knows she doesn't approve of his actions.
*  Mary has a great deal of drive and stamina, and doesn't tend to 
notice when her allies and compatriots are burning out and wearing down.
*  Eli is convinced that he's doing things for the right reasons, and 
thus that he isn't a villain. Because of this he tends to forget that 
most people would disapprove of what he's doing, and sometimes allows 
information to slip that could turn people against him.
*  Norma is so enraged at the actions of the enemies she fights that 
her judgment slips during tense, emotional battles. She becomes so 
angry that she's less likely to notice problems or remember to check 
everything she should.

Another thing to remember - intelligence does not mean 
all-encompassing intelligence. There are plenty of people who are 
intelligent in one area (tactics, quantum physics, whatever) and 
downright dumb in another (interpersonal relationships, staying calm 
under pressure, etc.).


Villain Flaw #4: The Traitor or Informant

No matter how careful or suave or convincing the villain, it's always 
possible that he might have at some point hired (or otherwise trusted) 
the wrong person. Perhaps one of his old employees has a little 
information and would be willing to sell it. Maybe one of his trusted 
lieutenants is starting to feel under-appreciated. Or maybe there's an 
undercover agent in his minions' midst who's been cut off from his own 
people and is looking for someone to help him.


Villain Flaw #5: Luck and Random Chance

Every now and then, things just go the PCs' way. Obviously you don't 
want to overuse this one or it'll seem like you're solving the game 
for them rather than allowing them to win on their own merits. But if 
sometimes things just go badly for the PCs, then you might as well 
allow things to go well now and then too. Maybe they stumble across a 
pointer to the information they need, an informant comes to them, or 
they happen to be in the right place at the right time to witness 
something helpful. Think of it as karma, or plain old opportunity.


Villain Flaw #6: Unexpected PC Resources

The villains can't necessarily predict, find out about, or expect 
every resource the PCs could potentially get their hands on. Allow 
your PCs to put some hard work into finding an extra resource or two 
that could tip the scales. Send them on a quest that will give them an 
item that will help them defeat the villain. Allow them to woo allies 
who could turn the tide of battle.


Tip: Leave Evidence

Make sure there's a way in game for the PCs to discover the villain's 
weakness. It doesn't help that the villain always orders his special 
cigars from one particular bribable store clerk if there's no way for 
the PCs to discover that fact.

Tip: Provide More Than One Piece Of Information

Prepare more than one thing for the PCs to learn about the villain. 
Otherwise it becomes painfully obvious when they discover the blind 
spot or weakness that they've virtually solved their plot. Give them a 
handful of things they can research and uncover, some of which are 
useful, some of which are dead ends or misinformation, some of which 
might or might not be useful depending on how clever the PCs are. Let 
them sort through things, find ways to verify information, and decide 
which things to take advantage of - and how.

Tip: Think Small Sometimes

One traditional way to deal with villains is to have one specific, 
glaring weakness that can be exploited. Once in a while, try giving 
your villain a handful of smaller things instead. There's no silver 
bullet that'll do the trick. The party has to dig up several things 
and make use of all or most of them if they want to weaken the villain 
enough to give themselves a fighting chance.

Tip: Disguise Weaknesses as Color

Remember those random details that you use to give color to your NPCs? 
Things like the imported leather jacket, the unusual tattoos, and so 
forth? Disguise some of your weaknesses as these bits of color. The 
imported leather jacket can be tracked down to a dealer who has the 
villain's delivery address. The tattoos are linked to an unusual set 
of religious beliefs. If you're used to throwing in bits of color that 
don't have any meaning within the context of the plot then it might 
take your players a little while to catch on. Thus, the first couple 
of times you do this, you'll have to go back to that first tip: leave 
evidence of other kinds as well.


When putting villains into plots, it's important to think about both 
how the PCs might lose and how they might win. How might the villain 
get away with his dastardly plans? How might the party stop him? Give 
the villain a few subtle (or not-so-subtle) weaknesses, and you'll be 
off to a great start.


What's Your Opinion?:

Comments on this issue's topic? Suggestions? Tips? Special topic 
requests? Drop me a line at (heather at burningvoid.com). If I pass any 
of your suggestions on (either through the newsletter or the RPG 
resources page), I'll attribute them to you. Be sure to tell me if you 
don't want me to use your name and/or comments!


Next Issue:

How to create a three-dimensional skeleton (err, skeletal *character*) 
- and why you'd want to! Coming in just a few weeks (late June).

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SITE UPDATE:

Burning Void Roleplaying Resources:
http://www.burningvoid.com/users/heather/roleplaying/resources.html

http://www.burningvoid.com/users/heather/roleplaying/Essays/mental7.html
Mental Illness in Roleplaying 7: Player Character (PC) Disorders
Ever wondered which mental illnesses would make the most useful PC 
disorders? Which ones wouldn't interfere with party play and getting 
involved in plots? Well here it is - our definitive guide to PC 
disorders, complete with links to research information!

http://www.burningvoid.com/users/heather/roleplaying/Reviews/0502-2.html
Jeffrey Howard's review of "Red or White" - a Guildhouse Games d20 
supplement. Unfortunately, this module has more in common with "The 
Succubus Bride" than with either "A Green Place to Die" or "The 
Thief's Tale."

http://www.burningvoid.com/users/heather/roleplaying/Essays/gmfwall.html
5 Firewalling Tips for Game Masters - if you get Johnn Four's 
wonderful "Roleplaying Tips Weekly" ezine, then you've already seen 
this article about helping your players separate in-character and 
out-of-character information. Otherwise, check it out!

http://www.burningvoid.com/users/heather/roleplaying/Essays/mental8.html
Mental Illness in Roleplaying 8: Plot Seeds
Not sure how to work mental illness into your roleplaying game, but 
interested in trying? Hopefully these 12 plot seeds will give you a 
place to start!


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TIPS FROM OTHER GAMERS:
(copyright remains with the person whose comments they are; posted 
with permission)

 From Karl:

Hi Heather, keep the tips coming.

I have a confession to make. About 99% of all the GM'ing I do is 
improvised so I rely heavily on being attuned to what my players are 
attracted to and developing it between sessions. Can't say any of my 
players really mind.... have been running a game in the same game 
world with a regular crew of players for about 8 years.

Here's a couple of tips for the improvisers amongst us:

1) Balance: An equilibrium must exist between what the players are 
responsible for and what the rest of the world is doing. If you have 
long established kingdoms, powerful magic users and established 
theologies in your world then don't assume its the job of the 1st 
level (or 20th for that fact) PCs to save the world. It doesn't make 
sense that the whole universe is waiting for the team to turn up and 
solve all the mysteries. Balance what the rest of the world is working 
for and what the PCs are trying to. This will allow you to insert new 
plots, wrap up old ones (or one's the PCs aren't that thrilled by) 
with a quick NPC appearance. It's important to acknowledge what the 
PCs have done but they aren't the only capable sentients in your 
world. Of course if they ARE the only ones who can solve the 2000 year 
old riddle (or whatever) then improvise a good reason for it (a 
prophecy, curse, a particular item).

2) NPCs: The 1st level PCs aren't going to get in to see the Pharaoh 
without a bloody good reason (which can be improvised any time you 
like); but they may interact with an imperious NPC administrator who 
is just as much fun as the pharaoh (this can be bad fun or good fun). 
As the PCs get more powerful it becomes more likely they'll attract 
the attention of the real decision makers. The same goes for the major 
bad-person NPCs. This means new threats, allies and others can be 
quickly and easily made up and inserted into the game without really 
affecting the overall plot. (i.e facing the new henchman of a major 
villain, or the new librarian of the Unseen University... same 
essential elements continuing through the game but new personalities 
every so often to keep the players amused- especially if they come 
with some characterization)

3) The Bloody Good Reason (The absolute savior of the improvising 
GM.): It may be that your players do want to save the universe every 
now and then. That's good!!! But make it believable. The Emerging Dark 
god is not going to let chump adventurers interrupt his (?) plot to 
manifest on this world. Sure he (?) may be put off by the legions of 
light rolling by with holy paladins in tow and the Pope of Hope in 
reserve. This is unless the PCs have the Blessed Star meteroite 
(endowing  them with new powers, protecting them from harm or giving 
them new insights) that fell near their camp site the other night. 
Lucky isn't it? The BGR will allow your PCs to do anything they (or 
the GM) like. Plus it satisfies the comic book reader in us all (you 
know what I'm talking about).

4) In game notes (This is basically all the writing I do): Make sure 
you record who the NPCs like and don't like in the party, what hooks 
did the PCs prick their ears up to and what ones sailed by like a ship 
in the night. This not only promotes continuity and stops you having 
egg on your face at a later stage but makes it look to your players 
like you actually do prepare each session.

With balance, continuing or independent plots spiced up with 
interesting NPCs and the odd bloody good reason you'll be surprised 
how a little cogitation between sessions will keep the game movin' 
along without the need to write it all down; especially with a few in 
game notes to remind you of the flow. Hope this is helpful.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
(Trademarks are property of their respective holders and are used for 
identifying purposes only.)

ORIGINS AWARDS VOTING LIVE:
Origins Awards voting is now open.  You can vote online at 
http://www.originsawards.com/ .  Voting ends Monday, 10 June 2002 at 
midnight PDT. Please remember that you must be a member of the Academy 
to vote for the graphic awards (Best Graphic Presentation of a Card 
Game, Board Game, and Book Product, and Best Illustration) and for the 
Hall of Fame.

NOBILIS WINS Grog d'Or AWARD
VOTED BEST ROLEPLAYING GAME FOR 2002

London, United Kingdom -- May 23, 2002 -- Nobilis, the acclaimed new 
roleplaying game from Hogshead Publishing, was recently selected as 
the recipient of the Grog d'Or Award from Guide du Roliste Galactique, 
a French roleplaying game review and promotions Web site 
(http://www.roliste.com/ ). Nobilis was selected as the Grog D'Or 
winner from a list of twelve nominees.

"We're very pleased," said James Wallis, Director of Hogshead 
Publishing. "To have been chosen as one of the finalists for the Grog 
d'Or was flattering enough, but to be selected as the winner and 
chosen as the Best RPG for 2002 is wonderful."

Every month the volunteer staff of Guide du Roliste Galactique elects 
a game of the month among the games that are "hot" (i.e. new games or 
game lines having an important supplement shipped). Then, each year, 
the Greg d'Or is selected from among the twelve recent games of the month.

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