: Rae P. ACNE elke) HANOBOOK CAMPAIGN RESOURCEVILLAIN DESIGN HANDBOOK Concept: D. Andrew Ferguson and Jarrett Sylvestre ‘Authors: D. Andrew Ferguson, Brian Jelke, Don Morgan, Mark Plemmons, Jarret Editors: Anne Blaeske, Brian Jelke, David Kenzer and Nosh Kolman ‘Other Contributors: Jeff Aba, Jolly Blackburn, Lloyd Brown I11, Doug Davis, Christopher Heath, Richard Jensen, Steve Johansson, Robert J. King, Jamie LaFountain, Michael Mearls, Andy Miller, James Mishler, David Reeder, David Ritalin, Paul Wade-Williams, Tony Wilson, DM Zwerg Art Director: Bob Burke Art Liaison: Mark Plemmons Cover Illustration: Arnie Swekel Interior Illustrations: Jifly Burke, Tommy Castillo, Thomas Denmark, Stacy Drum, Brendon Fraim, Brian Fraim, Ferdinand Gertes, Jon Hodgson, Richard Longmore, David Esbri Molinas, Eric Olsen, Tony Parker, Arnie Swekel, Kevin Wasden Cartography: Rob L Graphic Design: Jiffy Burke Project Manager: Brian Jelke Production Manager: Steve Johansson Support Staff: Tracy Casper, Gerda Hansen, Jennifer Kenzer, Mike Rushing Sylvestre Playtesters: Jason Cain, Anne Canavan, Joe Charles, Dowas Click, Gig Epps Satah Ferguson, Charles Finnel Donovan Grimwood, Patrick Hulley, Darel Kitby Steven Lambert, Mark Lane, Chelsey Maggard, Mark A. Magen, Sarah Maggard, Steven Magyard,Thao Maggad, Jeff MeAAlay, Glenn Marin, Mike Patterson, Mack Pater, Dave Sink, Brad Tod, Joe Walace, uke Wettelind, John Willams, John Wright © Copyright 2002 Kenzer and Company, All Rights Reserved, Manufactured in the Questions, Comments, Product Orders? ‘United States of America eo Phone: (847) 540-0029 25667 Hillview Court Visit our website: www.kenzerco.com Mundelein IL 60060 cok spose ner inematonl oe and cpg ae ofiheUnied PUBLISHERS NOTE Tuer of Antares No pa ef is beck may be pede witness ‘Tie ew werk Etim ‘Naney charters place nics ther the Seiten comer emer snd Compeny eemavon sted tothe prof odo he seer mapas reed Ses any eerblnce {Bspedicti roedie etn peoolinceny sieoreae of Wacal eans ning end evenr lc ene cade ‘seh epedctione iy prod wh epee raemac D2 pm of Kalmar andthe Kingdoms of Kalam the Images ego te se epee adem of Keser and Company. Villain Design Hand ImageBae Villain Design Process. Introduction ........ sans Chapter 1 Stereotypes and Beyond ‘What isa Villain? Stereotypes Choosing Race and Class Villains and Alignment Experience Bilas Power Level Supernatural Villains Beyond this Book Chapter 2: Archetypes Deviants Devoted Fallen Inhuman Power Mad Visionary ‘Chapter 3: Inside the Mind of a Killer “Thought Processes Moctations and Obsesions Goals Schemes and Dreams of Darker Things Chapter 4: Where Monsters Dwell Setting “The Urban Underground eces ofthe Urban Pe “Te Savage Wilderness Lairsand Suongholds Chapter 5: The Head of the Serpent Independent Organizations Pacementwikin the Organization Bulding Levels of tneigue (Chapter 6: New Villainous Rules . Neve Feats ‘Enhanced Familie Feats Metamagic Feats Varian: Ant Feats ‘Acquting Ant-Feats Payer Andi Feats Vacant Coma Maneuvers SAAS Chapter 7: Prestige Classes .....ccescecseceeeseee 9M Villainous Prestige Clsses 3 ‘Chapter 8: New Spells .....0..0.0++ 401 ‘New Basten Dancer Spells 101 New Bard Spells 101 New Cleric Spells rot New Druid and Shaman Spells 102 ‘New Baladin Spell 02 New Ranger Spells 02 New Spellsinger, Sorcerer and Wizard Spells 103, Detailed Spell Listings Chapter 9: Wicked Things ... ‘Magic Items ‘Armors and Shields ‘Weapons Potions 13 lems 123 Minor Arifcts 137 Major Artifacts 134 Magic Cireles and Summoning 138 Chapter 10: Dangerous Denizens 139 New Monsters Datkling Snatcher Guardian Efigy New Templates Becoming Undead Appendices cose ‘Appendix A: Non Payer Characters “Appendix B: Glossary of Terms Appendix D: Adventur ACChange of Plans NICs (The soldiers): NECé (The slaves) index ..VILLAIN DESIGN PROCESS Designing a villain for use in 4 Kingdoms of Kalamar* Dungeons & Dragons game, like creating a layer Character PC) is easiest when one uses systematic method, Fst, photo copy the Villain Record Sheet in the Appendix ofthis book “Thon make sure you have something to write with, some extra paper to write on and up to five six-sided dice. Using the steps below you will soon find yourself on the way to making the perfec villain for yo ‘campaign! 0. Concept ‘Whena player wants tomake a PC, he or she neds a concep an idea of what he or she wants in the character It is no diferent fr villains The firs as in creating a villain iso find ‘concept that fits with your Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign and will give your players a sufficient challenge. This could be fan aggressive and powerful warlotd like Emperor Kabori himself cold and calculating wizard like Daresh of Skarena or the sinister head of a thieves’ guild like Gremply slivers of Prompeldia: City of Thieves, for example. You will find many ideas for your campaign in Chapters: Stereotypes and Beyond and other Kingdoms of Kalamar supplements and adventures. |. Select Class and Race Now that you have determined your villains concept, you should have a clear idea of his class and race. The standard classes available include the barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, pa Variant clases described in the KivcoMs or KaLawas Players Guide include the Basiran dancer, brigand, gl in, ranger, rogue, sorcerer and wizard ator, ifileato, shaman and spellsinger. Choosing one of these character classes fora villain should put the adversary on more ofan even par with the RCs. However, if i will make sense with the villains background you can also choose one ofthe Non-Player Character (NPC) classes available in the Dumgeon Maser Guide such as adept, aristocrat, commoner, expert or warrior ‘Avilable races are dwarf, elf, gnome, halfelf,halFor, halfling and human, The Kincpoxs oF Kazawcn campaign seting also {includes hobgoblins and half hobgoblins, as wells several st races forthe primary human and humanoid races. Chapter « Stereotypes and Beyond offers some suggestions on the strengths and weaknesses of particular races and classes as villains, tthe DM should consider his villains clas and race simul neously, because some races are better suited to some classes For example, villainous dwarven spellsinger isa very unlikely ‘combination. Record your villains racial and clas Features on the Villain Record Sheet. Because villains most often start out at high levels, you may also take this opportunity t0 choose a prestige class for your villain. Prestige classes include those listed in the Dungeon Masters Guide as well as those inthe supplemental guidebooks published by Wieards of the Coast. You will also find neve prestige classes in the KincDoMs oF KALAWAR Player’ Guide, 8 ‘wells inthe back of this book 2. Character Level To determine the appropriate character level of your villain, sadd up the character levels of the PCs in your group, including multielases, and divide by the number of Cs. Thisis one way to determine the power level of the campaign. Another ay is to consider the value of treasure, equipment and magic items ‘your characters possess. Compare this value to Table 224 in the Dungeon Master Guide, IFone or move of your player characters has valuables in an amouns that is appropriate for a higher level character, consider his o hee character levels that higher level for purposes of determining the power level ofthe campaign ‘Then find the average character level based on the total number £ PCs ‘campaign, Of course, the posse level will change as the PCs Now yo have the (current) power level of your advance in level, ors old characters die and new characters join the group. In general, villain character level needs tobe equal to or greater than the power level of your campaign. 3. Ability Scores ‘Where the players must rll dice for their ability scores, the DM may choose the ability scores of her villain, rather than rol. While any scores ae theoretically possible, the DM should take care not ro make her villain too powerful for the PCs to defeat (unless that is the intention). f you decide to roll dice, the La C=O = aangen Masters Gude (page 19) lists eight optional variants of dicetlling that might be appropriate for your villi. Place the highest scores in the abilities that are most impor tant 0 your villain, being sure ro modify any ability scores up oF down as appropriate 1 your villain ace. Also note chat if your villain is of 4, Sth, rath, x6th or 20th level, you may rise one of his or her ability scores by 1 point (per every four levels anand) If your villains Constitution modifier increases by +1, note that you should add a further +x to is bi point ctal for each level character level, For example, Don decides to create an 4 villin,IFDon raises the villains Constitution ability score from 11013, the villain receives 4 hit points. IfDon created a 12th- level villain, he could ralse the Constitution score to 14, fora tot of 24 (axt2) hitpoints. Add ches hitpoints before rolling forbit points (step below), 4, Assign Hit Points To determine your villains hit points, you fist need ro deter rine he villains Hit Die type (located on page 23 ofthe Player’ andbok for the standard classes). At rst level, your villain gts the maximum hit points rather chan rolling. For example, a barbarian with a Hit Die type of di2 gets 12 hit points. If your villin is higher than astlevel, roll one Hit Die for each adit together. Note that a high Constieution score will ls give you adding the results 1 level she has (beyond rstlevel bonuses tothe hit point total 5. Choose Feats Like other classes all villains get one feat at 1st level, plus one ‘additional feat at 3rd level and every three levels thereafter. Also humans receive a bonus feat at fist level, while fighters and wizards got extra clast related feas chosen from special ist (ee Table 3-9 and Table 3-20 inthe Pleyers Handbook). ‘When assigning feats your villain, you have more options than a heroic PC. This is because villtins in the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting have the option of gaining extra feats by taking anti-feats. See Chapter New Villainous Rules for more infor- 6. Choose Skills Like PCs, villains goin skill poiris at ast level and each aaldtional level, depending on their class and Invelligence ‘modifier, Human villains get an adeitional skill polar at each level (4 for 18 level). When facing 2 wellounded party, the villain will not be better at every ski, bu afew ofthe villain’ important skills (fiom the villains point of view) should be smoce highly developed. Against a party of fighters, © good choice of villin might be a veterar officer or warlord. The warlord should have better weapon skis, better riding skill Knowledge sills focusing on war and tacts and perhaps. few other skilk higher than the party. By cresting villain that cutmatches the PCs, the DM forces them to think. Ofcourse it ‘must be possible fr the PCs to defeat the villain. eventually. 7. Determine Bonuses Unlese you ate planning to creae ¢ast-evel villain, you need to figure your villain higher base atack bonus and base save bonuses determined by his level. The base attack bonus for barbarians, fighters, paladins and rangers increases by +1 per level, while other characters advance at slower rate. Base save bonuses improve at different rates dapending on your villains class, Check the appropriate class axd level to determine the villains base save and base atack bonuses (Note that some base save bonuses inctesse at ever» numbered eves, while someonly increase at levels divisible by three) Add all the base bonuses for each class and level before adjusting for ability scores, feats and other features. 8. Choose Equipment Th ough your villain may have access to considerable resources, you do not need to determine those now. Flrst decide what type of equipment (weapons, armor and such) your villain routinely wears or caeies. Chaprer 7 Equipment in both the D&D Players Handbok and the Knvcnows or Kacauas Payer’ Guide lists both mundane and exotic items your villain may have 9. Record Combat and Skill Modifiers Next, determine your relevant combet modifiers These inclide Armor Clas, initiative mocifer, melee attack bonus, 4°a ranged attack bonus, saving throws, tral skill modifiers and weapon statistics. These are based on yout villain race, clas, ability modifiers, feats and equipment. You should aso calew late the total bonus (or penalty, if necessary) for ll skills saving throws, initiative, melee and ranged atacks, and attack and damage with each weapon, 10. Define Archetype “The emotional state ofa villain is extremely imporcan, frit defines both how the villain sees the world and bow he reacts to It. Chapter 2: Archetypes descsibes sx archetypes of emotional states (Deviant, Devoted, Fallen, Power Mad, Visionary and Inbuman) that the DM may choose for his villain. Of course, these are by no means a complete list designed to cover every possible type of villain. However, they do cover some of the ‘most interesting (and most dangerous) types of villains possible snany campaign setting. 1, Determine Personality Traits ‘the wlan peesonalty traits briefly describe how he inter acts with society and the people around him, Ths indicates ‘whether she villi i fren o alone wolf fe s sve and sophisticated or naive and clumsy. Table 2; Villain Archetypes lists the typical personality traits ofeach villainous archetype. (Of course, you should fel free co create your own. Not every villain is exactly alike, 12. Define Plans Nowe comes the hard part schemes, You may have determined this when you chose your villains archetype in Chapter 2 Chapter 3: Inside the Mind ofa Killer, for more advice. Once you decide upon your villain drive, objective, resources your villains drive, goals and If not, you should review methods and the consequences of his actions, you will have created a villain chat your players love to hate, (Chapters 4 and 5 give examples and suggestions for more detail 13, Finishing Touches Now you need to leh out the vlln. Declare the villain sex height weighskineolr eye colorand haircolor now. For ‘mote lvoy, this shoul alo include a description ofthe villains tab and/or any physical impairments. You should also deter sine your isin spells and psychic powers if any.When you play Dungeons & Dragons, you create fictional characters that interact in an imaginary world, This alot like {mprovisitional acting. AS a Dungeon Master, you are constantly making up the story as you go along, based on the notes you prepated in advance. The Villain Design Handbook is invended to help you prepare information on the adversaries that your players wil fice, in order to create a more believable and enjoyable experience for everyone involved, ‘With this Kingdoms of Kalama campaign resource, the DM now hs the tools to make a wide variety of useful, recurring opponents with plausible backgrounds and understandable ‘motivations. These villains come from all walks of life, be they the socal outcast who decides to poison an entie village in revenge like Ghatrthe evil cleric ftom the Lands of Mystery ‘book, he ev sorcerer hell bent on opening portal tothe abyss the necromancer cleric who simply seeks tobring everyone into the joys of undeath lke Jonyez the butcher, evil cleric from the Harvest of Darkness book or the patriotic king whois preparing to wage wat to reclaim lost lands like King Jot of Shynabyth Asout THis Book With new rules for D&D and new sourcebooks and adven- ow shuld this book he used should be used a a starting ture being released all dhe time, tn an ongoing campaign? Fast, pinto help Dungeon Masters (DMG) organize their thoughts and ideas for teatng villainous characters. Seconally this book vil prove invaluable as resource that a DM can mine over and cover again fr ideas, a his campaign and characters grow. The dynamic villain you create with this book willbe able ro {grow with the Player Characters (PCs), a¢ well as create new challenges and adapt tothe PCs'strategies. ADM who plans on allowing an evil PC or two in his campaign, or even a campaign filled with only evil PCs wil also find new fats and flaws that can be adapted to suit his players ORGANIZATION The Villain Design Handbook (VD, presents information in the onder in which you will ned it to design the perfect win for your campaign STEREOTYPES AND BEYOND (CHAPTER 1) ‘This chapter begins by explaining what it means to be a villain, It also provides suggestions for how to create villains using various combinations of races and classes. Chapter One also details possible villain alignments and information on how to avoid obvious stereotypes. You will also len about variant ‘game rules specifically related to vilins, such as experience points, power levels, godaligned and supernatural villains ARCHETYPES (CHAPTER 2): ‘This chapter lists the six primary villain archetypes and. includes detailed examples and explanations of each. Within cach archerype, range of subtypes ae set out with personality profiles. Ths chapter is ich with basi villain concepts useful in any DMs campaign InsipE THE Min oF A KALLER (CHAPTER 3): ‘This chapter deals with the paychology of villains, their motivations and obsessions. Such details help the DM deter imine 2 particular villain’ schemes and objectives as the plot thickens forthe player characters, ‘Wirre Moysters DWELt (CHa?rER 4): Setting the stage for a greet adventure demands careful consideration. ‘The next logical step in creating a memorable villain is to determine his base of operations. This chapter discusses ideas fr placing your villains and ther lars in cities, uugeons and wilderness areas. ‘Tue HEAD oF rie SERPENT (Caprer 5): This chapter describes the villain place in secret socesies and other organizations. Here you will earn about villsins who thave an organization to back up their nefarious doings, and hove nt 4.@ the relationships within that organization affect the villain, as well as how they affect your PCs and your entire campaign. ‘NEW VILLAINOUS RULES (CHAPTER 6): This chapter describes several new and innovative rules for adding personality to your villainous characters. Algo included are denis on using these rules as player options, PRESTIGE CLASSES (CHAPTER 7): This chaprer describes new prestige classes that ate avaleble toall characters though they have certain qualities that make them particularly attractive to villains. The majority of these prestige classes focus on organizations specifi tothe KiNcooms (oF KALAMAR campaign setting, ‘SpeLts (CHarreR 8): ‘This chapter deals new spells chat you may make avaiable to your villains of appropriate classes. After your players get a taste of them, you may feel fee to make them available to player characters as well, ‘Wickep Tauncs (CHAPTER 9): The items described herein are magical tools chat a DM ean use to arm a villain, his lackeys or henchmen, ‘They often convey a useful benefit bur ate jus as likely to come with some significant baggage. Asa DM, this is advancageous because it might make the PCs think vice about taking and keeping these spoils for their own use once they have defeated their nemesis ‘DANGEROUS DENIZENS (CHAPTER 10): A variety of creatures roam the lands of Tellene, hunting, raiding and killing simply to survive. Others stand guard over their treasures like a greedy miser, though some obey the command of a greater power. This chapter discusses such creatures and detals several templates ro add to your villains, including ghouls, mummies, skeletons, wights, wraiths and sombies DiscLaimen: ‘Thisbook describes villsinous characters and their evil deeds Ikisfor use with a role-playing GAME. Players are not meant ‘emulate any of the characters or activites described in this book. The ideas contained herein are merely intended to provide for a richer roleplaying experience by giving the Dungeon Master the ability to cteate more interesting adver sales with which to challenge his player characters ‘When this text refers to you, it may refer to and mean either the DM or ‘your villsin® The context of the sentence should clearly tell you which is correct. Final Nore: ‘Though this book does occasionally refer to people and places within the world of ellene and the KiNcboMs oF KaLAuAt ‘campaign setting it isnot limited to that setting, The DM can apply the ideas and rules within this book to any current offical DE&D campaignckapter I: STEREOTYPES AND BEYOND Jelena leaned warily against the wal, wiping the swat from her row. AsThelvan appli his thieving sills tothe comple ak ofthe ker she hp & nervous wach on the corridor Behind. After weeks of king th villain to his ait ered that try was finally within thir grasp. Tht of thor habe able to defeat most ofthe undead junds and Hava, hr recently erated wizard, had wed her new fra ol ay wast tothe ower few human defenders. Suddenly, sen oud her stared out of her revere as Telvan gave a quit nyfsuces. Readying her sword, she brushed past him and placed her shoul tthe dao impatiently shoving the thik ro frame. Slowly, the dor ng ope, andthe party aly saw the face of thet would- beerrser The entire story above hinges on what happens next Hopeilly, the PCs will ind themselves matched against a focmidable, but believable, adversary. Otherwise, the players may go through the motions ofthe final climactic battle with a sense of disappointment as they face an uninteresting ‘opponent. Many players wanta villain who does more than just 1p through the paces, they want something new 10 challenge and stimulate thers, Ina Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign like this the entire basis ofthe interaction between the PCs and the villain is dependent upon the fist impression, The DM con manipulate thie by having a well-designed villain and a proper Inuld upto the ist meeting This section introduces you tothe basi illsin concept and shows you how to use the other infor ‘maton inthis book to construt 2 villain suited ro your players ‘nd your Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign, WHAT Is A VILLAIN? Villin. The word conjures « wide variery of images, from amsels locked in towers to nefarious cloaked figures ina dark Aly to mighty warlords and demons. There are many kinds of villains, but forthe purposes of this ook, the villain isthe bie adversary of the PCs ‘What ulimately separates the villain from every other opponent the PCs wil face isthe emotional response e elicits. From horror to shack ro revulsion, th villain is about feelings. ‘When creating a villain, the DM knows best. What this means isthat the DM knows the players and their characters. The DM. should try very hatd to design a worthy villain the characters are going to love to hate. This kind of detail and investment in a villain might seem a little daunting, but the players wil appre ciate i “The best villains are always more than just monsters. They shave a human’ side and a developed character that is absent in your everyday lowlife thug. Think of your fivorite villains from movies and literature, who have outstanding, attributes (not ‘game statistics) thar make you remember them, even years after wards, Although these villains are easily memorable and great characters, do not simply ‘cut and paste” them into your campaign. 1fyou remember these vilins then you can bec that at least one of your players does too! However, you can use an aspect of one of these great villains os your starting point, but then turn it into something chat is uniquely yours. This will make the players more interested in fe villain asa characte, ‘well as making the villain a worthy foe forthe heroes. What Makes a Worthy Villain? ‘Avworthy villain isa villain whois blero oppose the P elicit an emotional response from them. This emotional response could vary from fear and trepidation toawe and amaze ‘ment, but itis this emotional response that defines the villain’ Angeraction with others. The type andstrength of the emotional response will vary based on the setting, the plot and the power balance within the game, but the players should always be wary ‘when they know tha the villain is about. ‘One way to create villain who is2 worthy adversary for the PCs is tomake villain who can do wast the PCs do, only beter, and with a are for style. Of course, every group of players is diferent. “Their needs, desites and playing styles can vary greatly, When designing your villains, always consider the PCs If your group is comprised mainly of hack and slashers” donot send a cerebral villain to confound them. They will be © 4.frustrated with the adventure and will not feel sitisied when they finally defeat the villain. A good guideline is to design the villain concept as someone sho could fit in with the adven- turing party Another worthy villain is one that seems more poserfl than she actualy is. Avillin chat uses illusion (magical or not), along with afew other tricks could appear to bea mighty adversary. A resourceful villain could use an illusion against the PCs several times before conftomting them with the real version (which they may believe is an illusion), ‘The DM can expand this category to include conspiracies ~ by ticking the PCs into not knowing whom they can trust, the villsin will appear much ‘more powerful than she actully i ‘A worthy villain could have access to magic or technology that the PCs do not, This would create a situation where the power balance would shift in the villain favor, Of course, the [DM must resriet the access to this power source. If most adver saries are wielding 2 higher level of technology than the PCs they will want to know why they do not have acces tothe same resources. In addition, when the PCs defeat the villain, they may suddenly have accesso technology and resources that you, a5 the DM, had not planned. Possible technology levels are listed on Table 3-3: Technology Levelsin Chapter 3 ‘A worthy villain is someone whois definitely the PCs’ enemy. If you, asthe DM, are going to use a villain, use him to full advantage. He isa villin an adversary thereto create conflict, inthe story. Remember tha the NPC villain isa villain because hheor she has a principle that he or she is unwilling to compeor ‘mise. These principles ar the basis ofthe conflict between the PCs and the villain and the conflict will continue unless something drastic happens to alter the principles of either the villain o the PCs Essentially, 2 worthy villain cteates conflict and strife for would-be heroes and generally makes their lives miserable However, villains need co be more than simply caniboard ‘cutouts of evil Your villain is an integral piece of the story and deserves at least as much attention to deta as each player puts nto his or her character. Among the details that need to be developed for the villain and pechaps the most important, is their motivation for being a villain. Any story can benefit by rounding out the cliché villain, «ruthless, evil sociopath with no redeeming qualities, ino a three-dimensional character, Fantasy role-playing games need worthy villains, but this does not preclude the villain from being litle more realistic than the norm, perhaps witha highly developed personality and «surprising virtue or two. This does not mean the villain should bbe a philanthropist or appear as a shining example of the ‘community, but he need not be pute evil either, Pure evil villains can create an oversimplified game world where everything is black and white, absolute good or absolute evil This can lead to problems as the PCs gain an almost omniscient view of the world, being able to discern between right and wrong to a degree well beyond what is reasonable, Instead, the DM may blur the borders between right and wrong. through the introduction of situations that force the players to ‘occasionally re-evaluate their perceptions of the game world When this occurs, stories take on 2 less “epic” flavor, but the plots become richer, more mature with a greater opportunity for developing the PCs. —___Stereorvers (Over the years, many unique and interesting concepts have stired the imagination ofthe role-playing community. Some of these concepts ate so completely entwined with the works that first used them that they are not usable elsewhere. However, some ideas are used so often chat they have los their original ‘meaning, This s when a good idea becomes a cliché “The main problem with clichés in role-playing games is that It gives the players advanced watning of what to expect, and whats expected of their characters. Another problem is that it often makes the players fel silly Some may even teae the DM. for not coming up with something mote original. Clever DMs, however, can use the players’ assumptions to their advantage “Thiscan bea powerful way toadvance the story and make the PCs fee! responsible for their ations. However, the technique of using clichés to advance the story may be difficule for novice Dungeon Masters because of the ease of railroading the players lino trouble. The tick is to let the players’ assumptions lead them into mouble and nor ro manipulate or force them, Listed here ae ten classic clichés and some of the ways that the player assumptions canbe included in the story. Ths is by rho means an exhaustive list, though creative Dungeon Masters willbe able touse these ideas and easly adape them tothe own ‘campaign. The best way to use these ideas isto look at what steteotypes your players accepr and then challenge those stereo: types ina way that they will not expect. However, challengi ‘cliché should not become the moral ofthe story - this leads to predictable material, where the players feel lke they are being lectured instead of playing a game. Overusing the challenged cliche quickly becomes a cliche in its own right. 1) The Damsel in Distress ‘he damsel is locked in a tower and, of course, the stalwart heroes attempe to take the tower (the smarter ones will scale the tower) and free the damsel. Normally this traditional “damsel in distress’ storyline is all too predictable. Nevertheless, ll is ‘nota it seems. Perhaps the damsel was locked in the rower for a good reason; she could be any number of things: insane, possessed, 2 Iycanthrope on the verge of a change or an evil sorceress. In the worst case scenato, the characters will have released a great evil killed those who were able ro conteo tad hhave the entre region blaming thein forthe ensuing chsos. 2) The Evil Twin The evil twin can refer to an actual twin, a clone, a doppel ‘Banger oreven a case of mistaken identity. Too often the chatac-ters may have chased down the suspected culprit of evil ats, nly to hear the cryof"Ie wasnt me! I just looked lke me!" The “eal win” isthe epitome of cliché and is easily recognizable by all. However a wily DM who inserts a non-evil twin into the ‘ime or misleads the characters to think that an NPC isan evi twin can wse this ois advantage. Imagine the grief and terror when the PCS realize thatthe underling who claimed his boss ves actly a doppelganger tricked them ino killing the head ofthe local merchants’ guild. Nowe imagine that the underting was actully working for another guild or was simply trying to svork his way up in the ranks. The characters become outlaws, nhl the underlingsetzes control of dhe merchants’ guild and comes an archvillain in your campaign, 3) The Adventure Starts at the Tavern Every alventurer knows 10 go to the local tavern of inn to sureanadventite, Here they meet contacts, get into “random fights and ae alraded into the next series of adventures, If overused thiscliche a much che fault ofthe players as tithe fault ofthe DM. This scenario can easily become 3 crutch for playerswho donor want to explore the rest ofthe town in which thoy find themselves The rity DM should exploit thei assumption that adventure and intigue only begins with an encounter in the tavern Imagine that, instead, the local authorities greatly dislike the thought of adventurers disrupting their nice, orderly town, Knowing that adventurers like to frequent the local tavern, it could bean eary trick to seed the room with experienced soldiers Aioguised as simple townsfolk. The DM might add a few well placed magical effects aswell. Now the ocals stand a good chance of overpowering the travelers, for any number of unpleasant results. The party could be shanghaiedint the local militia, sold into slavery or robbed and dumped well ouside the city limits ‘A variation om this urban cliché isthe assumption that the town guard (or local militia, et.) are litle more than punching ‘bags to prove how tough the characters are, The players often think to themselves, “Ob, here are a handful of first-level fighters. Maybe a dozen hit pols apiece, no magic weapons. “They cant stop my character!” Again, sis is a perfect opport nity for a devious DM to knock the arrogance evel down few notches. These fighters may not be high level, or armed with magic weapons, but chere area lot of them. They are often well ‘organized and armed with good, slid equipment. They know the surrounding atea intimately and know how to tap high: level characters by using every scrap of covert their advantage By giving the fighters experienced leders, s well as excellent tactics, the characters now find that shey can no longer break the laws in the world of fllene with impunity. 4) If it’s Worth Anything, it’s Guarded ‘After a handful of encounters, PCs leatn that nothing fee. monsters to be defeated and purl 1o solve. A sack of gold lying in the middle of » oom isa There are saps to overcome, certain trap. Oris i? Hee, he players assume the DM is luring them into trap and are on red alert, waiting for an ambush, The partys rogue is scouring the room, locking for hidden mecha- nisms waiting to crush them. Wiaards and clerics are using divination magic 1 prepare for Impending doom that never comes, The rogue finds no traps and begirs to question whether the roll REALLY succeeded. The fighters may not relax their batle readiness, but now they are edgy and paranoid, The spelkasters have used up their spells, Still the sac of gold is now theirs. A few mote similar encounters will make the party «either insane with parsro or lll them ito false sense of security. Elther way the DM has created more opportunities for tavoc that she can unleash whenever tis least expected “The ether side ofthis is forthe party to face 2 creature they expect have loads of treasure, only to ind that it was a pauper: See the stereotype about dragons for moreon this subject. Howeves, this trick may frustrate payers if used too often, ‘Another variation 's that the value of the treasure is only apparent tothe previous owner, Amassive marble statue of some ugly beast might be worth thousands of gold pieces, but wh character will ake the time ‘ohaul it out ofthe dungeon etalone find an appraiser or buyer for the hideous thing? 5) People are Basically Good Many Dungeon Masters portray evil as only controlled by demons, gods or power wizards, Having large evil organiza tions where the PCs have to peel away intrigue and lies, bike the layers ofan onion, until they ceach the srue evil a che core is fun. ‘This type of role-playing may be epic, but it removes the characters from any real heartfelt obligations tothe game world ‘Another problem is that this does not allow for the realization of evil within the (seemingly normal) mortal heat The attitude thatall people ace essentially good (until coerce by some supernatural force) ofien permeates these games and removes much responsibilty from both heroes and villains Afier all, no PC has 2 moral problem with stalking and destroying a demon and its follawers. Occasionally injecting « small dose of ‘everyday evil” into your game overcomes this problem. Evil comes in many forms, all of which should be ‘more disturbing than demonic: Tor example, imagine the shock and honor of the PCs when they find that a series of treble crimes were commited by a child who was not possessed oF contolled by some other worldly foree, Confronted by these crimes, the PCs would expect some hortific evil to be waiting for them and will probably not be prepared to find out the truth, Once che truth comes out, the PCs must decide what to do, Can the PCs (and the players) justify killing a child who is not under the contol cof some supernatural entity? Moreover, 1S it justified? 6) Necromancers are Evil All necromancers ae insane and always surround themselves with undead. This stereotype ofthe necromancer follows him like a black cloud through virtually every fantasy role-playing game. Of course, this stereotype does not need tobe tre. Some scholarly wizads may study neeromancy simply for the know edge. ‘Those who hunt the undead may wish to study the techniques of their creation, as a way ofgleaning new ways of destroying them, Take 2 careful look a the spells inthe Hayy’ “Hanhook that are defined as "necromantic” and you will see 8 numberof spells designed to eal and vepair the damaged body Rather than focusing on necromantic studies as solely evil art the DM may wish to introduce a necromancer who robs graves and animates corpses simply to study their anatomy and pass the knowledge on to his students. Now, PCs who stop a necromancer might destroy new magic spells that could case suffesing among the mortal population. ‘As another labor ofan experiment. Pethaps this creates powerful or previously tunknown variant of undead. This leaves the PCs in bind, as teresting plot wis, the PCs could storm the tory ofa necromancer justin time wo distupt crucial prt they must find a way to capture or destroy the undead, They also ‘have to explain ther intrusion onto the necromancer property and any other crimes othe local authorities. 7) Warlords are Evil The evil warlord with no redeeming qualities and a neatly invulnerable army that sweeps across the lands in a eampaign of terrorand bloodshed is another standard cliché in the repertoire of many DMs. This stereotype can lead to an oversimplified game world where the PCs have advanced warning of wht ist come and are not equired to think very often, ‘The characters face rough battles, but there is very litle true decision making to be done that affects the world in general. To make matters worse, the evil warlord cliché often. makes use of overly predictable comba strategies, To shatter the players’ preconceived notions of the warlord, hnawe the PCs come to investigate the army, only to find it led by alawful good warior. A good-aligned warlord might be leading his people to freedom afer years of oppression, fighting forthe betterment o the survival of is people. Perhaps the warlord i attempting to liberate farmland formerly owned by his people By opposing him, the PCs are only dooming his people to hardship and starvation. 8) Dragons are Disposable There ae many stereotypes and misconceptions concerning dragons, Some payers and DMs reat dragons as mysterious and magia lands that are nothing more thn reserves of experience and treme. This unforunae, because dragons are one of the few monsters that can rly challenge evry aspect ofan adventuring party by themselves. When handled correctly dragon can make a great villain, using tei inlet to confound and manipulate the PCs well before there i he chance ofhysel combat, ‘Whether el or good aligned, a dragon isa powerful erature whoo mene prvence affects the ene reglon arund his lt The elimination of this magia centre wll ease power vacsum tht could disrupt both the politic of neighboring cities and cause a massive influx of monsters who were previ: ‘ously 100 afraid 1 entte the dragon’ domain, Many dragons ae also very skilled a¢fting into human (or hhumanoid) society. A good aligned dragon, for example, may be the protector of a city or settlement like the gold dragon ‘Rhingoryx of the city of Bronish in the Lands af Mystery book ‘Any PCs who trifle with this dragon face not only the wrath of the dragon itself, bu also the anger of his subjects. ‘A popular cliché is to have the characters venturing into some underground lait in the heart of the wiklerness to face a lone dragon in e dungeon filled with traps and monstrous slaves, While this may apply to certain dragons, it does not bold true for al, Panties exploring a dungeon looking for a dragon’ hoard could find any number of nasty surprises; while the (nowpolymorphed) dragon in question is comfortably sipping wine bythe ice atthe inn the characters just left. Rechaps it was the Aragon self who gave them the tip about the “dragons ait.” (One way to usea more urbane and cunning dragon could see the 2Cs tracking down an eil sorcerer who is che leader of an ambitious criminal syndicate. ARer many months and the defeat of numerous underlings, the PCs finally locate the inner sanctum of the organization and find he sorcerer waiting for thers, However, not even the sorcerer followers know that he is actully dragon plymorhd into a human form. Prepared forcombat with a meze mortal, the characters find themselves ina wotldof rouble when their opponent reveals his true form, ‘Another example of the many clichés surrounding dragons is theassumpeion chal dragons have great hoards of treasute. 15 fact this treasure may not exist, The dragon may have invested some or ll of his treasure to fund the activities ofa criminal syndicate as inthe example above ‘The other issue here is what exactly the dragon classifies as twesure, Perhaps the dragon i an insane collector of dd things ‘here could be real value tothe treasure, but it could be next to Impossible to transport it, et alone find a buyer for some of Ihzre items the dragon may have accumulated over the years ‘Another option of eliminating or reducing the dragons hoard ‘s forthe DM to say that another group of adventurers recently sobbed the dragon, The players, however, ae very likely to see ‘hic as an unfir attemp ro cheat’ them of experience and gold ‘This can prove very disruptive to your game, so consider this ‘very caeflly before implementing it 9) Halflings Are Thieves All halflings (or other small, cunning races) ate thieves crerysestoned adventurer knows this. When something of ‘ale goes ssing, blame the halfling, Ifthe party is betrayed, mised orn ny way duped, blame the halfling, A creative DM. could have one of the PCs pick-pocketed, apparently by a balding NPC. The PC will most likely assume that che halfling is atief who stole his money, when in fact the real thiefis the human in the corner or the ‘cleric” that bumped into him a couple of minutes ago. This is the time to ad an interesting twist and father dismantle the stereotype. Peshaps the halfling is amonk who takes matters of honor seriously. The character that accuses the halfling monk of rabbing him and demands his money back will definitely be surprised to receive a sound thrashing instead. Now useful and interesting NPC enters the campaign aswell as teaching the players valuable lesson about jst how dangerous their preconceptions can be 10) The Nemesis and the Archvillain Confusing 4 nemesis and an archvillain is @ common mistake that many DMs make, but in fact, there are many differences between the wo. A nemesis sa recurring villain who offen encounters the PCs ectly, somehow managing 10 escape justice each time, while an archvllain isthe evil genius ‘who lurks behind the scenes, manipulating events and people athis whim, “Te nemesis isa character that will frustrate the PCs, but ean also be very fun for chem if handled properly: There are cw important rules the DM should remember when using nemeses In his or her campaign. One, the players should never have to ‘contend with more than one nemesis ata time, and two, when the nemesis is finally brought to justice after many frustrated attempts accept it gracefully. Do not become so attached to the nemesis that you deny the PCs their rightful reward, Ofcourse, you can always give the PCs anew nemesis ro combat, ‘Once the players have finally defesed their nemesis, an enterprising DM can use their wieory against them, Peshaps| the PCs spot one oftheir old nemesis’ underlings ~ who now works for himself or for another villain who has taken over the organization. In either case, the PCs will believe that hele nemesis has returned and will prepare to fight him again. Instead, the villain they face will have unexpectedly different strengths and vulnerabilities, ‘his cliché could also bea source of paranoia forthe charac: ters, If they sly theie opponent afte: a tough battle, then discover that the body is missing, they willbe looking over their shoulders for months to come. The explanation could be as simple a5 « large catrion-eating creature making off with it when they were unaware, This sa crueltick, but one cha uses the players’ assumptions to full advantage ro create an atmos phote of suspense Think of an archvllain as a spider atthe center of his web ~ every strand isa connection (0 am illegal activity, assassin or ‘The arcbvilain thieves’ guild, diabolical plan, and so on. remains in the background, using his large sums of money and other resources against the PCs. The dest rime to create an archyllain is when you are just beginning a campaign, but you can also introduce him neat the end of the campaign as well Look back at ll ofthe adventures and problems the PCs have experienced, and see how many of them you can possibly te together. Next start introducing subie hints and seeds of information, Ferhaps the PCs leer thatthe magic item they recovered fora Peacemaker clevic was used in the assassination ‘ofa noblein another city. When they investigate, they find that the assassin also used another item the PCs were known 10 possess, but is now missing, When the players realize that someone or something has heen manipulating them, they will ‘grow paranoia. They will ikely stat imegining ll sors of plots that you had never thought of ~ be sure 10 use these against them if they imagine something even better than you had planned, Finally; be sure to make the archvillain someone unexpected. A seemingly-humble cleric with a high standing. in the community, former NPC friend or family member, oF even the ruler of the PC# homeland ate excellent choices 10 provide the players with further emotional involvement in the -KINcDOMS OF KALAMAR campaign.CHOOSING RACE AND CLASS Remember notallillins have to be human, Villains come in all shapes and sizes, from the diminutive halfling to the strongest hobgoblin. Likewise, not all villains ae fight wizards. Druids, clerics and other classes also may make suitable villi. Below are some general guidelines om the features of each and ways to use them in your Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign Villainous Races ‘Humans With a bonus feat and an extra skill point at each level humans have advantages that make them dangerous villains cover a wide range of areas. Another great feature ofthis race is that they can select their favored class. Humans are always a _g00d choice fora villain race. Dwarves Dwarves are tough and can see wel in the dark, as well as being resistant to poison. These tts enhance a dwatfs combet prowess, particularly when fighting in the dark. However