Need BBEG inspiration, a motive, and a method. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Need BBEG inspiration, a motive, and a method. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Prator_the_Legendary
03-26-07, 03:38 PM I've got a villainess here, and I'm not sure what to do with her... My necrocarnate will be an Azurin female (race from Magic of Incarnum), who is level 20, and her ultimate goal will be to become epic level.

Note that this is happening in a campaign world where even the most powerful have a cap on their power, that being level 20. When the PCs hit level 20, they will cease to gain XP. The reason for this is that the Gods fear that mortals who are given too free a reign will become powerful enough to supplant them, and so have put a massive magical check on all power.

The character herself I have basically planned out: She's evil because she takes a perverse joy in doing terrible things to people, herself included. The first encounter the PCs will have with her involves watching her kill one of her minions and then have this ecstatic, almost orgasm-like reaction when she tears his soul out and feeds it into the dark aura of the necrocarnum soulmelds she's always wearing. Every time they meet her from that point onward, she'll be doing something similar: Torture, mass murder, self-mutilation, desecration, whatever. She'll always have that same joyfully disturbing reaction.

However, while she's clearly insane, she's not stupid. She's NE, with high wisdom and a decent intelligence, and she goes about her work with all the ruthless efficiency of someone for whom death is meaningless. Although her power is derived from death, she won't go around sacrificing her own cohorts every time she wants to get high on necrocarnum. Instead, she tries to arrange things so there are just enough victims for her to feed on without messing up her other plans. She requires at least 4 victims each day to keep herself charged, and if there are no people around, just using freshly dead mice will work fine.

Here's the tricky part: I can't think of a reason for her to want to become epic. Even more difficult is figuring out HOW she intends to become epic.

So, I need a motive and a method. Any suggestions?
Lord_Iames
03-27-07, 01:53 AM Wel, I'll start by directing you to Rich Burlew's Villain Workshop (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/rTKEivnsYuZrh94H1Sn.html).

Now, my suggestions.

Motive: Family was killed by a god/outsider-type agents of a god/mortal agents of a god. Now seeks bloody vengeance on that god and must achieve epic power to challenge him.

Method: Absorbing the souls of the people and creature she slays.

Also, if I may point out a teensy weensy discrepancy...

The first encounter the PCs will have with her involves watching her kill one of her minions
and

Although her power is derived from death, she won't go around sacrificing her own cohorts every time she wants to get high on necrocarnum.
Bit of an inconsistency there.

As a further suggestion, if she absorbs the incarnum of creatures she kills as the way of acquiring her power, why not have her as a sort of rival adventurer? You could work in a bit of a moral dilemma. I mean, sure she's a crazy evil sadist *****, but on the other hand, she's going around killing powerful creatures and keeping the area safe for people. Then you can have her run out of powerful critters in the area and start going after high-leveled NPCs (or even the PCs).
TheLastEvilDrow
03-27-07, 02:22 AM There's no inconsistency, the DM is merely using that event to show that she DOES sacrifice her minions, and that she loves doing it, but he's making the point that she does more then that and won't do that ALL the time.

Motive: she gets high on this, the easiest motive is that she needs to get more power and levels (ie go epic) to keep getting the same high, she's clearly an addict to death, addicts aren't insane, just dependant. Therefore her motive is clear, get to epic so she can keep up the high.

Method: perhaps she will instigate instances where people will have a chance to better themselves or to move forward in their life experiences (level up) so that later she can kill them and absorb their essence. So she'll regularly challenge or create challenges for heroes (such as the PCs) to step up to, and then later kill them, keep a running total of the HD she absorbs or kills or whatever (I haven't the slightest clue how the incarnum magic stuff works) and say if she absorbs enough (like 1,000) she'll be able to unlock epic or something.
Prator_the_Legendary
03-27-07, 10:13 AM Bit of an inconsistency there.
Not so much. This will be a minion who's fleeing from the PCs after having seen them kill all his servants and wrecked the plans he's been carrying out for the BBEGirl. Minions who screw up ARE expendable.

And just to clarify... The way necrocarnum works is you drain the soul of ANY freshly dead creature (even a mosquito you swatted will do), and gain Essentia Points equal to half your necrocarnate level for 1 day. Then you can do stuff with the essentia. It's a little like psionics, only Incarnum magic revolves around you making magic-item-esque Soulmelds that you wear to enhance your powers, and pouring essentia into the soulmelds to increase THEIR powers.

That said, I think the idea of draining souls/levels/HD to hit epic level works well, if its used a less indirectly... Tell me how this sounds:

At the center of the Flying Island of Mutnevda is the Pillar of the Gods, an impossibly tall solid silver spire that is said to represent the power of the gods on the island. It is guarded by the most powerful nonepic monsters there are, but no one knows why, except the BBEG.

She knows all about the spire, because she plans to use it for her own ends. It will take the energy of a thousand powerful souls to do it, but she believes she can corrupt the pillar's magic, perhaps even destroy it completely. And when she does, the check on her power will be removed. Better yet, she can twist the pillar's energy and attune it to herself, stealing the power of the gods to simultaneously turn herself level 21 and gain divine rank 1.

Now, motives... Seeking Vengeance is, with all due respect, really cliched. On the other hand, doing stuff that might destroy the world was we know it just to get high... Is just crazy enough to work, especially since I don't think I've seen that one anywhere before.
Lord_Iames
03-27-07, 06:51 PM Not so much. This will be a minion who's fleeing from the PCs after having seen them kill all his servants and wrecked the plans he's been carrying out for the BBEGirl. Minions who screw up ARE expendable.

Oh, okay.

And just to clarify... The way necrocarnum works is you drain the soul of ANY freshly dead creature (even a mosquito you swatted will do), and gain Essentia Points equal to half your necrocarnate level for 1 day. Then you can do stuff with the essentia. It's a little like psionics, only Incarnum magic revolves around you making magic-item-esque Soulmelds that you wear to enhance your powers, and pouring essentia into the soulmelds to increase THEIR powers.

I have the book (even though I dislike how they did it), so I knew you wouldn't be able to do it directly via mechanics.

Now, motives... Seeking Vengeance is, with all due respect, really cliched.

True enough. However, consider for a moment why it became a cliche, hmmm? It's cliche because it works.

On the other hand, doing stuff that might destroy the world was we know it just to get high... Is just crazy enough to work, especially since I don't think I've seen that one anywhere before.

That too is a good motive. I like it.
Prator_the_Legendary
03-27-07, 07:05 PM I have the book (even though I dislike how they did it), so I knew you wouldn't be able to do it directly via mechanics.
Bah! Mechanics, what have they ever done for me? (On a totally unrelated note, what didn't you like?)

Seriously though, I don't think it should be too hard to find some kind of mechanically semi-plausible means of soul-snatching. Maybe some kind of black soul-storage orb, or an Eldritch Machine, or both.... Pour all your souls into the device, whatever it is, and then unleash the flow of pure necrocarnum essentia at whatever it is you want to FUBAR.
Lord_Iames
03-27-07, 08:47 PM Well, on the totally unrelated note, because threadjacks are fun, the main thing I didn't like was the magic-item-esque-ness.

Wielding soulstuff? Cool.

Investiture of essentia? Cool.

Chakra locations/magic item slot relationship? I can dig it.

But the thing that really turned me off was "oooh look I have a glowy blue helmet over my normal helmet!"
Prator_the_Legendary
03-27-07, 09:36 PM Meh, it could be worse. When I first read the rules over, I misunderstood how chakras worked, thinking that ALL soulmelds HAD to be bound to an appropriate chakra...

Incarnate: "Hey, look everyone! I can spontaneously generate blue glowing boots that can make me jump higher! On a related note, that's a summary of all my class abilities, and the soulmeld boots take up that item slot!"

Rogue: "Oh, yes? Well, I found a pair of boots just like those in a dungeon a little while ago. Shortly after I got Improved Evasion and 5d6 sneak attack damage, I think it was..."

Still, I know better now. The cool thing about the necrocarnate class that if you've just got enough bodies around, you have infinite power. Combine the necrocarnate class with all those feats that you can pour essentia into for AC bonuses and so forth, and you've got a seriously kickass character... Albeit one with a lot of deep-set emotional issues.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Prator_the_Legendary 03-26-07, 03:38 PM	I've got a villainess here, and I'm not sure what to do with her... My necrocarnate will be an Azurin female (race from Magic of Incarnum), who is level 20, and her ultimate goal will be to become epic level. Note that this is happening in a campaign world where even the most powerful have a cap on their power, that being level 20. When the PCs hit level 20, they will cease to gain XP. The reason for this is that the Gods fear that mortals who are given too free a reign will become powerful enough to supplant them, and so have put a massive magical check on all power. The character herself I have basically planned out: She's evil because she takes a perverse joy in doing terrible things to people, herself included. The first encounter the PCs will have with her involves watching her kill one of her minions and then have this ecstatic, almost orgasm-like reaction when she tears his soul out and feeds it into the dark aura of the necrocarnum soulmelds she's always wearing. Every time they meet her from that point onward, she'll be doing something similar: Torture, mass murder, self-mutilation, desecration, whatever. She'll always have that same joyfully disturbing reaction. However, while she's clearly insane, she's not stupid. She's NE, with high wisdom and a decent intelligence, and she goes about her work with all the ruthless efficiency of someone for whom death is meaningless. Although her power is derived from death, she won't go around sacrificing her own cohorts every time she wants to get high on necrocarnum. Instead, she tries to arrange things so there are just enough victims for her to feed on without messing up her other plans. She requires at least 4 victims each day to keep herself charged, and if there are no people around, just using freshly dead mice will work fine. Here's the tricky part: I can't think of a reason for her to want to become epic. Even more difficult is figuring out HOW she intends to become epic. So, I need a motive and a method. Any suggestions?
Lord_Iames 03-27-07, 01:53 AM	Wel, I'll start by directing you to Rich Burlew's Villain Workshop (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/rTKEivnsYuZrh94H1Sn.html). Now, my suggestions. Motive: Family was killed by a god/outsider-type agents of a god/mortal agents of a god. Now seeks bloody vengeance on that god and must achieve epic power to challenge him. Method: Absorbing the souls of the people and creature she slays. Also, if I may point out a teensy weensy discrepancy... The first encounter the PCs will have with her involves watching her kill one of her minions and Although her power is derived from death, she won't go around sacrificing her own cohorts every time she wants to get high on necrocarnum. Bit of an inconsistency there. As a further suggestion, if she absorbs the incarnum of creatures she kills as the way of acquiring her power, why not have her as a sort of rival adventurer? You could work in a bit of a moral dilemma. I mean, sure she's a crazy evil sadist *****, but on the other hand, she's going around killing powerful creatures and keeping the area safe for people. Then you can have her run out of powerful critters in the area and start going after high-leveled NPCs (or even the PCs).
TheLastEvilDrow 03-27-07, 02:22 AM	There's no inconsistency, the DM is merely using that event to show that she DOES sacrifice her minions, and that she loves doing it, but he's making the point that she does more then that and won't do that ALL the time. Motive: she gets high on this, the easiest motive is that she needs to get more power and levels (ie go epic) to keep getting the same high, she's clearly an addict to death, addicts aren't insane, just dependant. Therefore her motive is clear, get to epic so she can keep up the high. Method: perhaps she will instigate instances where people will have a chance to better themselves or to move forward in their life experiences (level up) so that later she can kill them and absorb their essence. So she'll regularly challenge or create challenges for heroes (such as the PCs) to step up to, and then later kill them, keep a running total of the HD she absorbs or kills or whatever (I haven't the slightest clue how the incarnum magic stuff works) and say if she absorbs enough (like 1,000) she'll be able to unlock epic or something.
Prator_the_Legendary 03-27-07, 10:13 AM	Bit of an inconsistency there. Not so much. This will be a minion who's fleeing from the PCs after having seen them kill all his servants and wrecked the plans he's been carrying out for the BBEGirl. Minions who screw up ARE expendable. And just to clarify... The way necrocarnum works is you drain the soul of ANY freshly dead creature (even a mosquito you swatted will do), and gain Essentia Points equal to half your necrocarnate level for 1 day. Then you can do stuff with the essentia. It's a little like psionics, only Incarnum magic revolves around you making magic-item-esque Soulmelds that you wear to enhance your powers, and pouring essentia into the soulmelds to increase THEIR powers. That said, I think the idea of draining souls/levels/HD to hit epic level works well, if its used a less indirectly... Tell me how this sounds: At the center of the Flying Island of Mutnevda is the Pillar of the Gods, an impossibly tall solid silver spire that is said to represent the power of the gods on the island. It is guarded by the most powerful nonepic monsters there are, but no one knows why, except the BBEG. She knows all about the spire, because she plans to use it for her own ends. It will take the energy of a thousand powerful souls to do it, but she believes she can corrupt the pillar's magic, perhaps even destroy it completely. And when she does, the check on her power will be removed. Better yet, she can twist the pillar's energy and attune it to herself, stealing the power of the gods to simultaneously turn herself level 21 and gain divine rank 1. Now, motives... Seeking Vengeance is, with all due respect, really cliched. On the other hand, doing stuff that might destroy the world was we know it just to get high... Is just crazy enough to work, especially since I don't think I've seen that one anywhere before.
Lord_Iames 03-27-07, 06:51 PM	Not so much. This will be a minion who's fleeing from the PCs after having seen them kill all his servants and wrecked the plans he's been carrying out for the BBEGirl. Minions who screw up ARE expendable. Oh, okay. And just to clarify... The way necrocarnum works is you drain the soul of ANY freshly dead creature (even a mosquito you swatted will do), and gain Essentia Points equal to half your necrocarnate level for 1 day. Then you can do stuff with the essentia. It's a little like psionics, only Incarnum magic revolves around you making magic-item-esque Soulmelds that you wear to enhance your powers, and pouring essentia into the soulmelds to increase THEIR powers. I have the book (even though I dislike how they did it), so I knew you wouldn't be able to do it directly via mechanics. Now, motives... Seeking Vengeance is, with all due respect, really cliched. True enough. However, consider for a moment why it became a cliche, hmmm? It's cliche because it works. On the other hand, doing stuff that might destroy the world was we know it just to get high... Is just crazy enough to work, especially since I don't think I've seen that one anywhere before. That too is a good motive. I like it.
Prator_the_Legendary 03-27-07, 07:05 PM	I have the book (even though I dislike how they did it), so I knew you wouldn't be able to do it directly via mechanics. Bah! Mechanics, what have they ever done for me? (On a totally unrelated note, what didn't you like?) Seriously though, I don't think it should be too hard to find some kind of mechanically semi-plausible means of soul-snatching. Maybe some kind of black soul-storage orb, or an Eldritch Machine, or both.... Pour all your souls into the device, whatever it is, and then unleash the flow of pure necrocarnum essentia at whatever it is you want to FUBAR.
Lord_Iames 03-27-07, 08:47 PM	Well, on the totally unrelated note, because threadjacks are fun, the main thing I didn't like was the magic-item-esque-ness. Wielding soulstuff? Cool. Investiture of essentia? Cool. Chakra locations/magic item slot relationship? I can dig it. But the thing that really turned me off was "oooh look I have a glowy blue helmet over my normal helmet!"
Prator_the_Legendary 03-27-07, 09:36 PM	Meh, it could be worse. When I first read the rules over, I misunderstood how chakras worked, thinking that ALL soulmelds HAD to be bound to an appropriate chakra... Incarnate: "Hey, look everyone! I can spontaneously generate blue glowing boots that can make me jump higher! On a related note, that's a summary of all my class abilities, and the soulmeld boots take up that item slot!" Rogue: "Oh, yes? Well, I found a pair of boots just like those in a dungeon a little while ago. Shortly after I got Improved Evasion and 5d6 sneak attack damage, I think it was..." Still, I know better now. The cool thing about the necrocarnate class that if you've just got enough bodies around, you have infinite power. Combine the necrocarnate class with all those feats that you can pour essentia into for AC bonuses and so forth, and you've got a seriously kickass character... Albeit one with a lot of deep-set emotional issues.