In the unlikely event that the PCs catch Loris before he can vacate his residence after he is exposed, I thought it appropriate that he give a monologue like all great villains do. (I wrote another monologue for a friend of his, Theldrick, for the temple; you can find it by searching on the Dungeon threads if so inclined.) Loris is motivated by lost glory and vanity; the death of his lady-friend is ancillary and reflected in that he doesn’t mention it.
-Loris greets with an assumption of innocence-
“The (Insert PC’s team name) of Diamond Lake – so gracious of you to stop by; I am honored. What summons you?”
-Accusations are leveled by the PCs-
“Look at you all – proud and righteous. The nerve you have to come before me to slander my reputation. Did you see the arena that borne your fame? I built that! Me alone! With these hands! I fought in the pits before your popas was wipen’ the funk from your crack-side!” “I’m the champion here – I don’t take orders, I give them. Your fame? You can thank me for that. Good day now.”
-PCs challenge Loris to battle or otherwise threaten him-
“Oh, you think this old body has had enough, heh? I’ve shed my fair share of blood, to be certain. Rest assured, yours will be among the most gratifying.”
“Ironic that none will witness your pointless deaths.”
-If Loris feels that he is besting the PCs, he will strike blows for Theldrick and for glory.-
Good stuff, as usual.
|
Interesting speech, however, if you've ever seen the film "The Gamers", you'd know what happens to "the Bandit King" just as he's about to make his speech...
*roll* Thwack!!
That's pretty much the way my players would handle it. Once you're in the enemy column with my guys, "all your rounds are numbered".
Believe me, I've got a player JUST like that. And In the middle of the bad guy speech (Theldrick), he rolls dice and yells “Initiative!”.
Now, we're real good friends (over 20 years), so when I gave him a REAL evil eye, I didn't have to say anything for him to pick up his d20 and shut the **** up.
For a newbie, I would explain that he gets to talk for free as a free action, and that this is the part of "role-playing" that most D&D munchkins fail to get (see: “Are you a munchkin thread” for further detail). I would also dismiss the player if it were to happen habitually. Fortunately I have players that appreciate the work I put into the game.
We’ve all seen the monologues in movies the bad guys give: sure its unrealistic, but without the dialogue and the drama, we never learn about who the villain is and what his motivations are. Moreover, we fail to identify with him, and thus cannot be compassionate for him.
Actually, for just this sort of thing (cutting down the villain during his speech), I use "cut-scene time". When the characters confront a villain with an inclination to monologue, the game time effectively stands still while they gloat, threaten, bicker, etc. My players are kind enough to appreciate the roleplaying opportunity, and the lack of time means that buffing spells cast by both the party and the villain don't get wasted.
Not terribly realistic, but cinematic and fun. And that's what counts, right?