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What are your favorite villains to appear in the PFS campaign so far? I'd love to hear about your experiences with memorable bad guys from the dozens of scenarios we've reprinted so far.
Please list the villain, the scenario from which is comes, and why you liked it so much.
This data will help me finish a PFS-related writing project in which I am currently engaged, so I am most curious about the subject.
Thanks!
There aren't a lot of BBEGs that really stand out in my memory, but some do, usually less because of their particular backstory or motivation than the memorable location of the battle, a cool relic they had, or some minion working for them.
If I had to pick my favorite enemies thus far, I'd pick:
the mist-infused apemen in Mists of Mwangi. I liked that they were regular people completely overwhelmed by this ancient, evil power. The scenario did a great job of making them threatening and foreign without making them lose the humanity that made me not want to kill them outright.
the quickling in Tide of Morning. This was a memorable battle because it was a non-standard creature and because he was REALLY hard to kill (though my PC was able to do him in with a bit of good luck, which might make it more memorable for me)
the final chamber in Hands of the Muted God was really evocative, and I was disappointed that we weren't able to utilize or further explore this demonic shrine. The actually villain wasn't incredibly memorable, but what he was guarding was.
the nightmare creature at the end of Beggar's Pearl. Few times has an NPC actually been scary for me as a player, but there was something about that encounter that gave me the willies. I haven't read this one, though, so I don't know whether the elements that worked for me were in the scenario itself or in the way it was run.
I also really like the BBEGs in both The Pallid Plague and The Darkest Vengeance, but I might be a little biased there.
I liked the giant ape at the end of Mists of Mwangi. My halfling wizardess engaged him in epic battle. Actually he picked her up and carried her around while she furiously struck at him with her quaterstaff and strength of 8.
I also liked the pirate in The Hydra's Fang Incident- Darsaille DuMoire I think his name was. The Andoren faction mission made him a real pleasure to do in.
Chad
What are your favorite villains to appear in the PFS campaign so far? ... Please list the villain, the scenario from which is comes, and why you liked it so much.
A) Joshua Frost(#7 Among the Living, #10 Blood at Dralkard Manor, #26 Lost at Bitter End, #29 & #30 The Devil We Know Parts 1 & 2)
B.) Grandmaster Torch (#1 Silent Tide, #14 The Many Fortunes of Grandmaster Torch)
C.) Pardu Pildapush (#8 Slave Pits of Absalom)
D.) Rale (#10 Blood at Dralkard Manor)
Runners-up include swarms and assassin vines.
It's not a specific villain, but the Aspis Consortium is a great thorn in the side of the Pathfinders. I really like the Indiana Jones vs. Belloq metaphor it provides.
While I didn't get to play it, I really enjoyed running #5 The Mists of Mwangi. It set a great mood and really creeped out the players with the idols ability to affect them.
It's not a specific villain, but the Aspis Consortium is a great thorn in the side of the Pathfinders. I really like the Indiana Jones vs. Belloq metaphor it provides.
I have to agree with Don here: as a new PC, I get creeped out every time I run up against the Aspis Consortium, maybe because in one of my early adventures, the Aspis henchmen almost TPKed my entire party and if I hadn't run away (I'm sorry to admit) they would have. Fortunately I was able to return and bandage up my poor party before they died, since the consortium simply left the bodies rather than hack them to pieces.
I have been skeered to death of them ever since!! It must be the trauma from the whole incident: whether that was the running or watching my party getting slaughtered in front of me, I'm not sure which.
:(
This all comes from running the adventures, but here we go:
From Murder on the Silken Caravan
From Mists of Mwangi
From Slave Pits of Absalom
From Eye of the Crocodile King
In general, a agree that the Aspis Consortium has been a fun thematic enemy, although where the PCs first got the feel for the rivalry, ironically, the Aspis Consortium were actually working with them.
That having been said, some of the more memorable sessions haven't been the sessions that had a strong villain, so much as having really memorable situations, or strong NPCs that weren't the villains.
By far the most memorable villain is the "mermaid" in #34 Encounter at the Drowning Stones.
I find it disheartening that Doug didn't agree, she did give your character (a) head afterall!
You don't strike me as a dotard (yet) Kyle ;) I think you may have me confused with another player at the table.
I played the trusting female cleric
But as for a memorable opponent she doesn't rank.
Memorable opponents are ones that were either exceptionally difficult or exceptionally satisfying to defeat. I think it is hard as an author to pull off a memorable opponent unless the GM breathes life into it. The author can give the GM the tools, but the GM has to use them properly for the result to be successful.
A lot of it also depends on the dice. I've had PCs crush the ape from Mwangi in one round before. The PRPG ape is weaker than the 3.5 ape too.
I haven't played or run a whole lot of scenarios, but my favorite villain in pathfinder society so far has to be from the first scenario I played in: #29 The Devil We Know part 1, Shipyard Rats.
Luscilla Imasco had it all. Evil monologue, bad attitude, a variety of minions, scary powers and even a relatively solid backstory and motivation.
I've run that scenario a couple times myself now and it's always fun to see how different groups of players react to her.
And I have to agree with Doug again on #10 Blood at Dralkard Manor
Rale got the same kind of treatment as Luscilla- he has a very understandable reason for fighting with the players and enough power to make him scary, not to mention his exotic pet and solid tactics.
And finally the most recent scenario I GM'd: #35 Voice in the Void
There are two key things that should make Imrizide Blakros memorable-
1) The characters are there partly to rescue her.
2) She's really weird. It's a mythos influenced scenario, so effectively communicating this weirdness is central to your success.
Solid black eyes and connected by tubes to a weird portal thing might be enough to creep some people out, but then her behavior is even more terrifying. The combination of stretching her arms to deliver touch spells and her impressive fast healing has a lot of dramatic potential.
In addition, the brain-in-a-jar can send the players telepathic messages (Curses in ancient Osiriani?), adding to the rich "dark tapestry" of weirdness (Especially if they can understand it).
BUT!
3) Under all the weirdness, she's still understandable. The players should easily relate to her globe-trotting, artefact hunting lifestyle and how it got her "in over her head."
Generally speaking, I think it's important to provide some kind of lead in before meeting a memorable villain- anticipation adds a lot to the confrontation and it's a good way to give the players details that explain their enemies motivation. The best villains are the ones players can understand or even empathize with.
Assault on the Kingdom of the Impossible spoilers