Hecataeus, Master of Constructs


Round 2: Create a villain concept

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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8 aka Garnfellow

Hecataeus, Master of Constructs

Male human wizard 16

Description: In his own mind, at least, the wizard Hecataeus has no peer: he cannot listen without interrupting, speak without insulting, much less smile without sneering.

Hecataeus is so insufferable to all around him that he has been forced to create his own companions and followers. He is a master of building construct creatures -- obedient, silent, and ever-reliable servants that cannot contradict or abandon him, unlike all those frail, incompetent fools he has been forced to employ in the past.

Even in a world where wizards are real, Hecataeus' very appearance seems cliché. Tall and thin, with a jet-black goatee, he dresses in purple and gold robes festooned with pseudo-mystical symbols. Though the response he hopes to evoke is awe, in practice this tends to more reliably elicit ridicule, or perhaps puzzlement, from all but the greatest of rubes. And most of his creations are fashioned in his image.

Despite his buffoonish appearance, Hecataeus is possessed with a formidable intellect, innate arcane talent, and unquenchable determination; he quickly rose to become a formidable wizard. Unfortunately, all his gifts are undermined by impoverished judgment, a craven nature, and his imperious manner.

Hecataeus does not generally kill his enemies; he prefers to merely humiliate them.

Motivations/Goals: Hecataeus does not seek godhood or lichdom. He has no wish to release an archfiend, acquire an artifact, or usher in some new cosmic age of horror. What he wants is very, very simple: he wants respect. He wants his superior intellect and his inestimable command over arcane forces to be acknowledged, and he stews in perpetual exasperation that, despite all of his accomplishments, he remains generally unacknowledged and unappreciated by the mundane world.

Schemes/Plots/Adventure Hooks: Hecataeus seeks to amass all the secrets of construct creation that he can put his grasping hands upon, and use that knowledge to work magical wonders so mighty as to make even the most jaded adventurer look upon his works and tremble with awe. The following adventure hooks might be used to set up an encounter with Hecataeus:

  • Hecataeus has hired the local thieves guild to liberate books of arcane lore from certain rival wizards. After several successful "recovery" operations Hecataeus has stiffed the guild. Accordingly, the guild would like someone to either repossess the disputed items or else negotiate a repayment plan.
  • A clay golem that has long stood guard over a local temple has gone missing, and the priests suspect a garishly dressed figure who was seen skulking around the temple grounds.
  • Hecataeus has crafted a magic item imbued with intelligence. Unfortunately, he fashioned the item's personality after his own, and the result proved so disaterius that Hecataeus was forced to "imprison" the item in a hidden oubliette. Somehow, though, the item has gotten word out that an important prisoner is being held in durance vile by the villain Hecataeus. The item, of course, once "rescued," might prove every bit as troublesome as its maker.

Contributor

When you set up a villain as someone who looks cartoonish and is a target of ridicule, the players are going to perceive him as that. They're not going to respect him, they're not going to worry that they're up against him. Nobody this guy works with likes him, even some of his constructs find him annoying. Despite being a 16th-level character, he doesn't get any respect. And that means he's not memorable.

Rec: do not advance.

Legendary Games, Necromancer Games

I'm not going to do a full review on this one.

Basically, Seth Greene is not a villain. Well, I mean, he might be, but not in Superstar world.

When you write that he doesnt want to defeat people, he wants to humiliate them, ask yourself--how do I translate that into a D&D adventure? I mean, what is the final confrontation with that guy? He dumps slime on them from overhead buckets and a funny clown buzzer goes off and canned audience laughter is played?

For those who have kids, this guy seems like Morcubus from MySims Kingdom.

NOT recommended.

Contributor

A perfectly believable villain, but one that is inevitably going to come across as a buffoon. Even if he scares PCs momentarily because they find themselves battling multiple (construct) buffoons who just might overwhelm them through sheer firepower and numbers, and they later relish destroying said constructs and the master because they're so over-the-top sneering and insufferable, a confrontation with Hecataeus is going to wind up being a "blessed release/blow off steam" encounter, not PCs facing off against a memorable villain.
Interesting idea, but not a winning foe, in this company.
Sorry, but not recommended for advancement.

The Exchange Kobold Press

Sorry, fellow judges, but you're wrong. Seth Green *IS* a villain, and even a buffoon can very quickly become a threat. The writeup says he wants to humiliate his foes, but I think there's enough wiggle room to say that sometimes that humiliation could turn deadly.

I like this guy the same way I like the cartoonish buffoon villains in Shrek or Princess Bride. Yes, they're silly, but they are competent. Whether anyone respects them or not doesn't matter. In fact, for Hecataeus, that's the point.

He has the power to make the PCs miserable, and their buffoonishness will grate enough that it makes the players want to PUT THEM DOWN just that much more.

Beyond that, the writing is the best I've seen so far. Look at the first line of description again; it captures this NPC in very few words.

I very badly want to see what else Randy cooks up. He's got great writing chops and decided to work with a stereotype here, but he did so with clear, full knowledge that he was playing with the stereotype. That's extremely promising.

Recommendation: Talented writer working an unusual villain that players will absolutely learn to loath. Sign me up! Highly recommended to advance.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 8 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka Demiurge 1138

I'm with Wolfgang, here. He's a buffoon, but in all the right hate-worthy ways. I like 'im.

Dark Archive Bella Sara Charter Superscriber

I haven't read enough villians to say I love this one, but I do think it's best viewed as an homage to the Joker and not Cartoon Badguy #1146. I also really liked the hooks - they did a lot to cut against the image of the silly-dressing buffoon that was created earlier on.

Mostly, I'm bummed at the lack of a real review by Clark. Any chance of giving this a second read and giving some grades out? I think the author went a bit too far in casting the character in comical terms (e.g., the description of the robes), but I don't think he was intentionally dodging the question or turning in a half-assed piece of work. Even if you don't think it should advance, there's something here worth reviewing. If this villian does not rise to the level of the Joker, what causes it to fall short? Is a villian like the Joker even possible in D&D?

Is the Joker even a good villian?

Scarab Sages Marathon Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7

I like him, the name is good. Better than some, not as good as others.

I think some examples of how he humiliates others would have helped. Maybe he throttles the party, strips them and leaves them in the center of town unconscious.

I'm still viewing a few others, but this is up there for me.


This guy is a true sociopath (Hecataeus, not Randy!). He simply cannot relate to other human beings, and does not realize that they might have a valid point of view. He'd probably be the last person to realize that he's a bad guy. I like him because he's not the frothing-at-the-mouth mass murderer type. Besides, just imagine how badly the PC's will want to rip him apart after he humiliates them a few times.

On a side note, I actually thought of Gilbert Norrell from "Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange" when I first read this entry. Mr. Norrell was also NOT your typical villian, but a villian nonetheless.

I vote to keep this one in.


Actually, my first thought was "Gah, what a nerd." Basically, he's a social misfit, and I can hear him cackling madly in my head - in the style of most of my nerdy friends, who would not impress me as villains. I'm afraid I have to agree that a villain like this is dismissable in game terms.

Now, if those humiliations frequently turned deadly, then we'd have a real sociopath on our hands...

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32 aka Gamer Girrl

Interesting start, but missed on villainous tags for me. I can see where he could have become a villain, but as he is, he seems more a side plot trail than the big baddy. Sorry.


Hmm. Okay, Hecataeus certainly has character, and the indications are that he always seems to have plenty of schemes on the go.
The key here in my opinion as to whether or not he makes it as a major league villain is exactly just how does he 'humiliate' others? Does he do it in the bucket of water over the door manner, or the you-regain-consciousness-in-a-tent-full-of-orcs-and-realise-that-you're-wea ring-nothing-but-one-of-those-magical-girdles manner?
Unfortunately, the detail is lacking on this subject.

Will this villain cause the PCs grief?
Yes. But is it the exasperation and eye-rolling version, or the kind that makes them want to skin him alive and stake him out for the vultures beneath the midday sun?

Liberty's Edge Marathon Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Reckless Ratings

Concept2
(Is this villain villainous?)
Content3
(Grammar, Format,Spelling, Etc.)
Coolness2
(Would my players be impressed by this? Am I?)
Credibility3
(Does the villain’s motives make sense?)
Clarity3
(How good a sense of how to stat this villain do we get?)

Scores out of 5 and completely based on my opinion only.
Total Score13


Take another look at this one as it is one of the best I've seen. This villain might be a social misfit, however, in the hands of a crafty DM he could easily be the type of villain that drives players insane. I know my character would want to have the last laugh. Straight up villains with no character are a dime a dozen, this one is different. I also really like the plot regarding stiffing the guild, seems like this villain would like to think he is above reproach. The fact that he does not always kill his enimies sets him up as a villian who can be encountered again and again...how annoying would that be? Clark...grade it out man...its better than most.
KEEP.


Hecataeus, Hecataeus, Hec-a-taeus
Hecataeus, Hecataeus Hec-a-taeus
Hecataeus, Hecataeus,Rock me Hecataeus.....

This will get one of my votes. The author took a chance, and while not hitting a home run, this was a double off the wall.

The Exchange Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6 , Dedicated Voter Season 6

He makes robots because people can't stand him is too much of a trope for me to sign-off on this character. Decking him out in the standard wizard's gear is another mark on him - I can see viewing it as deliberately ironic, but to me it's being cliche while pretending it isn't. I suppose that puts me in the "didn't get it" crowd, but that's where I am.

For the positive: the writing is good, and with some of the other details changed, I think the idea of a villain who wants to be listened to, not just feared, has potential.


I think you took a big risk in going cliche on purpose here. This is probably going to be an entry that people either love or hate because of that. My issue is that, I as a GM know why Hecataeus dresses the way he does, but my players won't. My concern is that even if the character is then fleshed out for them in roleplay, they're not going to get past the first impression. That said, if that aspect was slightly toned down, I think he'd be a workable villain.

CR


Hecataeus: "R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Find out what it means to me!"

My Gaming Group: "We roll for initiative."

I'm with everyone that the writing was great, but honestly...have my fellow Paizoans bumped their heads? This villain is OK, but has dismal motivation and goals and is completely one-dimensional. This is not a full-throttle villain. At best, this is a villain stuck in 1st gear. Sorry.

Liberty's Edge Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8

Garnfellow wrote:

Hecataeus, Master of Constructs

Motivations/Goals: Hecataeus does not seek godhood or lichdom. He has no wish to release an archfiend, acquire an artifact, or usher in some new cosmic age of horror. What he wants is very, very simple: he wants respect. He wants his superior intellect and his inestimable command over arcane forces to be acknowledged, and he stews in perpetual exasperation that, despite all of his accomplishments, he remains generally unacknowledged and unappreciated by the mundane world.

Schemes/Plots/Adventure Hooks: Hecataeus seeks to amass all the secrets of construct creation that he can put his grasping hands upon, and use that knowledge to...

None of this implies evil, as a matter of fact you dispelled all possible hooks I tried to create in my own head. You even made him look silly? this is an exact opposite of what I would be looking for.

Even with Wolfgang's praise, eh I still don't like it. It requires to much from "me" and not enough delivered by "you."

Wolfgang made it cooler but that should have been this superstars job, not his.


GolarionMidwife wrote:

Actually, my first thought was "Gah, what a nerd." Basically, he's a social misfit, and I can hear him cackling madly in my head - in the style of most of my nerdy friends, who would not impress me as villains.

What if those geeky social misfits could polymorph you or turn you to stone would they impress you as villans then? I think this villan's resemblance to a gamer stereotype (super high intellligence + Super low Charisma)is brilliant. Let's face it we've all set across the table with someone like this at least once. Ever wonder what happened to that players character after the rest of the group stopped calling him? He became this villan.

Liberty's Edge

Sebastian wrote:
Is the Joker even a good villian?

i think you and me wouldnever talk about the same Joker... specially because its The Joker :P

Hecataeus is interesting... but still i can't see the nerdy-now-wizard as the great villain...

yes, for a comedy, yes in many senses he is reallistic...

still... no... something in him doesn't feel my need to care about him as a player... and as a DM I know he will be a pester... even if the humillation is bad...

for me if he is not traying to destroy the lifework, family and loed ones of those who doesn't give a damn about him... then he is not trying enough...

Star Voter Season 6

These Charisma-dump-stat villains always turn to villainy because 'cause they can't ask out a girl. There ought to be a girl here.


A very good description and very well written Motivations/Goals! From there, it seems to go downhill from there. The schemes/plots/hooks didn't really grab me. I guess he just doesn't seem like enough of a bastard to call a villain.

Now if his way to prove his intellectual superiority involved releasing waves of murderous, mindless, autonomaton creations to reak havoc in populated areas -- then he would be a deserving villain :)


I love the bit about this guy fashioning a construct in his own intolerable image and then imprisoning it. Such a believable and predictable result of his vanity.

I would love to have this guy in a campaign just for flavor.


3/10

Also has very little "villain" in him. And admitting he's a cliche is questionably better than not. Now, the Rodney Dangerfield angle could be
played up more with a villain who tries to stir up adventuring groups etc. against themselves so that they can feel like a supervillain... But he also lacks execution.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 16 aka amusingsn

I like the flavor and I love the flow.

This is, beyond a doubt, the best written entry out of all of them, and that alone would probably earn a vote from me.

The fact that I love the villain seals the deal.

My players would totally mock him for his over-the-topped cliche'edness, which would only earn his undying emnity, turning him into their sworn enemy. It's like a self-fulfilling prophesy.

He's be fun to roleplay as a GM, his schemes would be a challenge to enact, and my players would love to thrash his "expendable" construct minions.

Liberty's Edge

Wolfgang Baur wrote:
Seth Green *IS* a villain, and even a buffoon can very quickly become a threat.

Seth Green? Isn't that the guy that does Robot Chicken on Adult Swim and used to play a werewolf on Buffy? I'm not seeing the connection with this NPC.

Sam


I'm missing the Seth Green ref too.

Anyway. This is the kind of guy a funny DM could use to put the players in stitches. Maybe not the right flavor for a Pathfinder Module, sure.

Marathon Voter Season 9

Oh this guy is brilliant!!! I love him so much. Yes he is a 'super villain', but that is what makes his so very memorable. He will be making his way into my home games.

Slightly bumbling, unlike able on Alan partridge levels and with the funniest and coolest plot hooks I have yet seen. Oh, I am so voting for this.


I loved that last plot hook about the intelligent item. Hilarious and ingenious. That said, this guys way to lite for my games and I don't really see him as a villian as much as a pain in the butt.

Good luck!!

Dark Archive

While he doesn't jump out and grab me, I really like the idea of a social outcast who has spent his time perfecting his craft. I also read humiliation as being cruel and it doesn't say that he won't kill, it just said that he prefers not to. He's not a 'take over the world' kind of villain, but if done right, he is the kind of person who would spur the PC's to either capture him (my players would love to humiliate a guy like this) or kill him.

A lot of people have said that he wouldn't be a memorable character, but I find the idea of a vain wizard who has tons of constructs in his own image to be very memorable. I think it would amount to a lot of good imagery and dialog with the villain, allowing for a lot of role playing. Overall, I think while he wouldn't be the main bad guy, he could be a really fun encounter. With that said, I don't think it would just have to be part of a lighter campaign, it could be something to break up a very serious campaign.

Also, in his quest to be more known and respected, he may decide to take over a city or start attacking people.


Hecataeus may dress as a cliché but as a villain concept he most certainly is not cliché. To me the cliché villain is the warrior in black armor and skull helmet or the lich king with an army of zombies. Neat Ideas but I've seen it a million times. The author took a chance and hit a home run.

Everyone is getting caught up with how he dresses and his lack of murderous intent.

How many social misfits do you know that dress really cool? Of course he dresses like a dork he has no social skills! He thinks everyone else is too stupid to fathom his advanced fashion sense.

Why should a villain have to kill an entire village for the party to hate him? Sure if a villain kills a bunch of NPC's you would go after him. But what if he disintegrates your favorite magic weapon, erased your spell books or polymorphed your Barbarian into a rabbit and kept him as a pet (sorry can't just resurrect him he's in a hutch)? Trust me you would spend Levels trying pull this guy apart.

Hecataeus gets my vote!

Scarab Sages Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games

Demiurge 1138 wrote:
I'm with Wolfgang, here. He's a buffoon, but in all the right hate-worthy ways. I like 'im.

Same here. A villain need not be Dark & Sinister (TM) to be a good villain. A villain should be someone the PCs learn to hate. Sure, they'll laugh at him the first time they meet, but after he rubs their noses in his specially designed manure golem, they will want to get him... BAD! And he's buff enough of a wizard that that will be a memorable task. They will learn quickly that he is both a complete horse's back side AND a hardcore villain. This is not a clown; he is a competent and cunning foe with a chip on his shoulder the size of Jupiter.

This is well written, fun, interesting, unusual, and memorable. I still have a fair number to read, but this one is on the short list for a vote.

P.S. There was a construct mage in last year's contest, and while that one was a much more "serious" villain concept, this one shines brighter to me. That one was too much of a "lurks in his lair cranking out constructs," this one is "uses constructs to DO things." The constructs are his schtick, his calling card, but they aren't his goal. I think that works much better as a dynamic villain. Where that guy was more Evil Henry Ford, this guy seems much more like Arcade from the X-Men comics.

Marathon Voter Season 9

humiliation can be a pretty serious thing too. Like using a hostage to force a competitor to reveal a that they commited academic fraud. That is pretty humiliating and is undoubtly a villainous plan.

Scarab Sages Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games

deadly_puddingcup wrote:

While he doesn't jump out and grab me, I really like the idea of a social outcast who has spent his time perfecting his craft. I also read humiliation as being cruel and it doesn't say that he won't kill, it just said that he prefers not to. He's not a 'take over the world' kind of villain, but if done right, he is the kind of person who would spur the PC's to either capture him (my players would love to humiliate a guy like this) or kill him.

A lot of people have said that he wouldn't be a memorable character, but I find the idea of a vain wizard who has tons of constructs in his own image to be very memorable. I think it would amount to a lot of good imagery and dialog with the villain, allowing for a lot of role playing. Overall, I think while he wouldn't be the main bad guy, he could be a really fun encounter. With that said, I don't think it would just have to be part of a lighter campaign, it could be something to break up a very serious campaign.

Also, in his quest to be more known and respected, he may decide to take over a city or start attacking people.

He reminds me a lot of Vanthis Vanderboren and (even more so) Avner Merovanchi (sp?) from Savage Tide - villains you just hated and wanted to put down just because they were soooooo aggravating.


I like this villain--you don't have to boil babies or "want to destroy all life as we know it" (tm) to be a bad guy. He has 1) believable motivation, 2) blindness to what makes him a villain, and 3) the ability to logically be a recurring threat (how many times have you rolled your eyes wondering why the villain left the hero in a death trap instead of just shooting him? That's not an issue here). A DM should be the best roleplayer at the table, and this guy just begs to be played with relish!


Here is the good and the bad.

This I Like:

Garnfellow wrote:

Hecataeus, Master of Constructs

Description: In his own mind, at least, the wizard Hecataeus has no peer: he cannot listen without interrupting, speak without insulting, much less smile without sneering.

You were concise with your description of how he should be roleplayed. Good use of word space. Well Done.

Also, I like the fact that the constructs look like him. I once had a PC create a construct (just one), and he did the same thing. Why WOULDN'T you make it look like yourself? People erect statues to themselves all the time in the real world. These statues move. Thats MUCH cooler.

This I dont like:

Garnfellow wrote:


Even in a world where wizards are real, Hecataeus' very appearance seems cliché. Tall and thin, with a jet-black goatee, he dresses in purple and gold robes festooned with pseudo-mystical symbols.

"Even in a world where wizards are real" should not be part of the descrption. We know wizards are not real in THIS world, and we are all familiar that they exist in Pathfinder. You should get to the point sooner. 500 words are not very much, and you wasted some here. Also, I dont like the "pseudo-mystical symbols." If this is "a world where wizards are real..." they either ARE mystical, or they are just decoration.

I respectfully disagree with the opinion others have stated that Hecataeus would not be memorable. I think he would be very memorable. It's human nature to remember an annoyance far longer than politeness. Hecataeus is set up to be a big annoyance for the PC's. Aside from his personality, he's got the "mini-me" constructs, and all those spells at his disposal. He could be very annoying.

Unfortunately, being annoying isn't enough. My greatest criticisim is someting that I mentioned in another submission. This villan's CR does not match his goals. He wants respect. And...thats it. A 1st level Expert wants respect. Hecataeus should want more, or he's just an annoying waste of time for the PC's. I think you would have had a much better submission if you had reduced his level and gave him a long term goal...

I hope you take all that as helpful advise for the future. Congrats on advancing.


I'm glad to see that some people seem to be coming around on this submission. Although there are ways that this character could be improved he is still very memorable and annoying. I would like to see what Randy does in future rounds as I really, really enjoyed the Helm he created for round 1.


QXL99 wrote:
I like this villain--you don't have to boil babies or "want to destroy all life as we know it" (tm) to be a bad guy. He has 1) believable motivation, 2) blindness to what makes him a villain, and 3) the ability to logically be a recurring threat (how many times have you rolled your eyes wondering why the villain left the hero in a death trap instead of just shooting him? That's not an issue here). A DM should be the best roleplayer at the table, and this guy just begs to be played with relish!

Exactly!

Star Voter Season 6

If you wanted, Hecataeus could go the Mike Sorayama route in The Venture Brothers and start creating replicas of a girl from his past.


Randy:
You seem to have a very clear idea in mind, but I'm not sure that you convey it successfully to your audience.
Turns of phrase such as 'very, very simple' give exaggerated emphasis throughout the entry, which your intellectually superior villain might do to the people whom he addresses, but I don't know if it comes across so well in the context of an entry for review by the judges and the general voting public.
Spelling errors such as 'disaterius' do not help the entry either.
At the moment Hecataeus is jockeying for position with several other entries for my last three votes (Gulga Cench was the clear-cut first and only 'obvious' vote). If you had done a little more, and presented better, those others might now be jockeying for position for my last two votes.

Edit:
I liked the Helm, even though it did not make my top five items. I wish you had tightened up your presentation this round.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2013 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

I am not sure I will vote for Hecataeus. I don't like the name much and he is pretty one-dimensional. But it occurs to me some of the best gaming moments I have had have been the grabass, fun moments that lighten the darker plots of a campaign.

I would make Hacetaeus a recurring villain, someone embarrassed by the party at a lower level. Not defeated in combat, this villain would stay way over their level in the beginning. Then , he joins forces with some other villain, and his dripping sarcasm and sense of superiority would elicit the perfect groan from PCs who learned the identity of their next quarry. Climbing the ladder to a bigger fish, Hecataeus might be the perfect comedic throw-back, while still capable of providing devious plots and tough combat challenges.

Haven't talked myself into yet, but one to review before that 4th vote goes down.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32 aka Tetujin

noxumbra wrote:
Why should a villain have to kill an entire village for the party to hate him? Sure if a villain kills a bunch of NPC's you would go after him. But what if he disintegrates your favorite magic weapon, erased your spell books or polymorphed your Barbarian into a rabbit and kept him as a pet (sorry can't just resurrect him he's in a hutch)? Trust me you would spend Levels trying pull this guy apart.

QFT. Obviously I'm totally in support of this idea. If the Rust Monster has taught us anything (other than that Gygax's imagination was aberrant) it is that the only thing worse to players than loosing their character is loosing their character's pluses.


Randy Dorman wrote:
Hecataeus is possessed with a formidable intellect, innate arcane talent, and unquenchable determination; he quickly rose to become a formidable wizard. Unfortunately, all his gifts are undermined by impoverished judgment, a craven nature, and his imperious manner.

Some really interesting dialog being generated on this character. Perhaps I am taking too simplistic a view, especially with regard to the killing component, but we're talking about an RPG character. What better vehicle to put one's imagination to the test - play a powerful, highly intelligent wizard that is clearly unstable. There's no mental challenge to being the bully in the little villain school yard, but the nerd that gets beat up and humiliated every day is always scheming. One day he'll emerge from the dungeon with his newly created construct and use it to ambush the bully, pants him (or robe him?), and hang him upside down from from the nearest parapet for the world to see...maybe he'll kill him, maybe he'll turn him into dung shovel in the stables. That's the beauty of unpredictable instability, especially when role-playing...your creativity is the limit.

You get my vote Hecataeus!

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32 aka Aotrscommander

After fighting off some stiff competition from Kar-El Haris, Hectaeus gets my forth vote. I have, I must admit something of a favouritim for contructs/robots and Undead, so the fact I'd get to create a horde of new constructs is an appealing thought.

amusingsn wrote:

My players would totally mock him for his over-the-topped cliche'edness, which would only earn his undying emnity, turning him into their sworn enemy. It's like a self-fulfilling prophesy.

He's be fun to roleplay as a GM, his schemes would be a challenge to enact, and my players would love to thrash his "expendable" construct minions.

I entirely agree. The fact you could encounter him early on in a non-combat situation would mean he'd be quite a 'visible' villain (villains who aren't very visible end up as being forgetable boss monsters regardless of all other concerns, I find).

And I'm not unknown for my penchant to thrown slightly silly things at my PCs - backed up with serious muscle. (Cthulu Juju, the Demon Monkey, for example, was a blant rip-off of the Mojo Jojo (of Power Puff Gilrs fame) but he was despite his innanity, really powerful.) PCs absolutely hate having the crap kicked out of them by something that's a bit silly and humiliating...and this apparent buffon would come as, perhaps, a bit of a nasty surprise...

Good job.


I can really see myself using this villain. His cartoony nature, contrary to the judges, really suits my tastes, and I can imagine having great fun playing this guy. So he is one of the select few that are truly worthy of my vote. This is a great villain, and deserves to get further - here's hoping my vote helps swing that!


R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Or more appropriately. L.I.K.E. His personality is sufficiently flawed that no-one likes him. So he has retreated into his own world, populated by his own creations. Yet, when he creates one with a personality just like his, neither can stand the other. He really is not a likable guy. He doesn't try to change is personality (not easy to do)? Is he becoming depressed? Does the PC bard try to help him with his personality? Can the PC paladin, in good conscience, kill him? A definate keeper.


Some concerns over presentation left this entry contending for my fourth vote in a roll-off. Sadly, Hecataeus did not win that roll-off and my fourth vote will be going elsewhere.
I think that several of the judges perhaps under-rated this villain, however, and I wish you all the best with the stat blocks, if you make it through to the next round.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8 aka Garnfellow

I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read all the way through my entry and comment here. I know a lot of great villains were submitted in this round, which makes me extremely appreciative of each and every vote for Hecataeus. Thanks for your consideration!

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka JoelF847

I like wizards as villains a lot, even if they're overdone, and I really wanted to like this entry more. However, there's a big glaring flaw with him that makes him hard to use. His makes constructs, and his goal is to win respoect. So, what does he do? He sits in his lair learning. What horrible villany! Stop that education and construct making, we good crusading heroes won't stand idly by while this vile fiend learns!

Really, if he wants respect, I want plans and hooks that involve him actively sending his robot, er, construct minions out to destroy the city champion to show his superiority, or using his golems to "help" build the new city clocktower and show his workers are better than day laborers and can build it in a day, in the process killing the workers and inadvertantly destroying nearby buildings. Sitting in his lair stealing books about golems isn't all that villainous, especially with no specific plan after he learns everything about golems.

I liked last year's golem master a lot better than this entry, but neither lived up to their potential. This was a good effort, but not enough to get a vote from me.

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