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I'm starting this thread as a general brainstorming session for weird and/or unusual villains.
I was looking through the DMG and started thinking about a Hafling Blackguard as the main villain of an adventure. It'd throw the players for a loop, especially if he was lording over a force of ogres and trolls or other large monsters.
Picture it: The PCs burst into the throne room of the evil warlord. The figure is clad in black chainmail and sits astride a monstrous fiendish beast. His eyes glow red as he calls on the power of evil to smite the heroes.
He also happens to be three feet tall.
Anyone else have and idea for a villain with a twist?
Instead of a halfling or gnome, why not an actual small person?
small, but nasty, vicious and very handy with his sword...
He needs an appropriate mount as his Blackguard Fiendish Companion.
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I'm thinking that his mount should be something similar to the Fox's mount in The Labyrinth. A shaggy, happy-looking dog. It's eyes are red, you just can't see them through the hair.
Maybe the main villain should be the Blackguard's weapon. An intelligent magic item that twisted this kindly halfling into an engine of destruction (somehow). That way when they think they've defeated him and claimed his loot, The sword can either try and take over a PC or someone in the shop that they sell it to, and become a recurring villain.
unusual to say the least. I'd have to roll a will save to stop from laughing at him.
a halfing as a major villian, sorry unless it's some sort of theives guild or bardic shakedown racket I cant picture it without laughing. Their halfings for goodness sake, I.E. D&D's equvalent of comic relief.
Why not go ahead and add the half-demon template to him, maybe his mom was some demons "little" bit on the side. I'm sorry just the thought of the BBEG instead being the small sized Bad Evil Guy is just too funny.
Please understand I am not makeing fun of you or your idea and I am in no way shape or form trying to be insulting to you but the way you described the scene of the valient heroes burst through the heavy wooden iron bound door and they see some dumb mooks being controlled/"intimitated" by a 3 foot tall villian that unless he is riding on the shoulders of one of his big guys will come up to there kness is too funny.
I personally think this is the main reason why no big bad evil guy is ever any of the small races because they wouldn't be taken seriously.
I personally think this is the main reason why no big bad evil guy is ever any of the small races because they wouldn't be taken seriously.
QFT. All the game mechanics in the world still can't make the player's first impression of a little villain intimidating, unless it's something extreme and out of the ordinary.
Conversely, you can totally play this as an advantage. The players will be too busy laughing to notice the villain conjuring something powerful, moving into position for an Assassin's death strike, etc.
I once made a villain out of a Gnome, who was secretly a serial killer who took trophies of young adventurers. He joined the players as a sprite, happy-go-lucky illusionist and led them on a wild goose chase through his illusion-filled lair. They didn't realize he was the villain until the very end.
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I personally think this is the main reason why no big bad evil guy is ever any of the small races because they wouldn't be taken seriously.QFT. All the game mechanics in the world still can't make the player's first impression of a little villain intimidating, unless it's something extreme and out of the ordinary.
Totally agree, they'll stop laughing once they get cut off at the ankles. The gnome serial killer illusionist is funny, I may have to try something like that on my players.
The funny part is the latest group of characters made (for the playtest), 2 of the 3 are halflings and both are evil, one halfling has 2 skeletons minions for his bone oracle and the other has a huge pet (looking like an evil knight) for his summoner... On second thought nevermind about making evil small races as antagonists, my players are the antagonists! All that's missing is the halfling anti-paladin.
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I once made a villain out of a Gnome, who was secretly a serial killer who took trophies of young adventurers. He joined the players as a sprite, happy-go-lucky illusionist and led them on a wild goose chase through his illusion-filled lair. They didn't realize he was the villain until the very end.
Brilliant. I'm gonna steal this.
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I dunno, I tried this once and it didn't work out so well. It was back in 2nd Ed.
The Players laughed but the PC actions were appropriate. They laughed "out of game" and it did not help the session. In fact, it may have hurt the game just a bit -- we were a good group; there were no problems, but that encounter was a bust.
In the future, if I ever do this, the PCs will know long before the encounter what to expect. They will hear of the wee-NPC's vile exploits (Lord Verminaard kind of stuff) and meet some really tough baddies that, after mean fights, reveal their terror of the wee-Lord. This way there will be no shock when they finaly encounter Wee-Man.
try to picture this, I think it works.
A gnome inventor, genius but despised and manipulated by everybody, who finally has enough. He decides to take revenge on the world, and builds a lair filled with his inventions, one of which (giant construct? giant canon? magic/steam equivalent of a nuclear device or similar?) he threatens to unleash on the Big City if the authorities don't give him money/magic objects/his due. Now make the authorities of Big City a litle bit shady and a little bit corrupt,. and you've got yourself a dungeon and a noir/thriller adventure.
What you guys think?