Machina Ratiocinatrix
We have had the technologically advanced OARD (CM6 Where Chaos Reigns) - a clone race - as a villain BBEG, and the Carniflex - a billion year old dinosaur race - as a true ancient evil - though poorly detailed and restricted to a single Adventure (TSRs M3 Twilight Calling, 1985) but what i am looking to establish is a really nasty villain that is perhaps Neutral.
Machina Ratiocinatrix means literally the 'Reasoning Machine'. A machine that can think for itself. Even logically it must see Life as a threat and an object of value on the simple grounds that it is so illogical in behaviour.
Thoughts?
I like the idea. A lot. How much have you "fleshed" out this BBEG?
Purely some pencil sketch concept art to show the players if they ever live that long. I dont know what I am going to do for where it is 'living' I have a few options
As part of the overall campaign the PCs go up against the Doomwheel driven by a lot of Kobold druids (a giant steam powered stone wheel crushing communities out in a desert).
The Adventure Backgrounds
1. THE DOOMWHEEL AT URGLIN
"By the gods what is that thing?" Blackdragon and his companions watched from murderer's hill as a mile high wheel of ironwood and granite rolled across the distant Cinderland community of Urglin crushing it.
Lillith fell to her knees in shock.
"My family..." She reached out toward the destroyer with a hand.
Blackdragon gripped her hand.
"No time. We need to get to Hester's Well."
The now stationary engine belched steam in agreement.
DM ADVISORY: The Doom-wheel is a terrible steam engine and mobile fortress of ironwood and Granite powered by some four hundred and twelve Kobold Druids (each level 13+) bent on exterminating all those who have caused damage to the environment.
2. THE WHEELQUARRY OF DUUM
Blackdragon stared at the great slot cut in the side of the mountain from which led the wheel-track of crushed and fused Glass.
"I think this is where they built the Doomwheel."
"You think?" Lillith stared at Blackdragon in anger.
Blackdragon ignored the slight. He knew she was angry because he had stopped her at Urglin and dragged her to the safety of Hester's Well.
They began their ascent toward the Wheel-quarry. With hope they would find its secrets.
DM ADVISORY: Penetrating the Wheelquarry of Duum (where the Granite wheel was quarried for the Doomwheel) is no mean feat. While some four hundred and twelve Kobold Druids (each 13+ levels) are now aboard the Doomwheel, numerous minions and creatures associated with the previous occupation by those four hundred and twelve name-level Druids dwell in the currently 'abandoned' Quarry within the mountain.
3. THE REASONING MIND
"There is nothing here." Lilith looked upward through the vast open cavern. The only thing that filled it was the three dimensional mesh of iron rods.
"The Kobold said the secret was hidden in the cavern." Black dragon looked up into the dark.
"He may have indicated up...the word he used was also capable of conveying 'up'. My Kobold isnt that good." Lilith nodded.
"We climb." Black Dragon grappled a rod handhold and pulled himself up.
DM Advisory: The lair of the mastermind behind the crafting of the Doomwheel is revealed empty. The only thing of interest is the three dimensional iron mesh in a cavern that can be climbed to an exit cave at the top of the mountain.
As you can see they will have some encounter with the 'reasoning machine' it its lair but it must be so incoceivable as to be just some oddity that they cannot comprehend as a threat. The mesh they climb - is like the early ideas on a memory storage for computers...
For me, the idea of a new BBEG... Historically it's usually either an individual wizard, or a collective group of any other class-type. I'd like to see a really fleshed-out BBEG that is, say perhaps, a straight Fighter of some sort.
The Wizard BBEG is too easily done--the groups are often too convoluted... But a strong-arm warlord: as simple of an idea as this might be, it is so rarely done. When it is done, it's usually a crappy attempt and has no depth in the character.
Naturally, all of this is IMHO,
Roger