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bug: Pages numbered correctly in books/core

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Drew Malzahn
2026-06-06 22:44:37 +00:00
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<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/book-page.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/book-page.css">
<h1>THE ART OF VILLAINS</h1>
<p>If the Player Characters represent a heroic and positive force in the world, Villains are the opposite. Being the Game Master, it is your responsibility to create, introduce, and portray these characters.</p>
<p>You already know about what differentiates a Villain from a typical Non-Player Character in terms of rules: that is to say, the access to Ultima Points. This section, on the other hand, contains advice on what you should focus on when creating and portraying an antagonist within the story.</p>
<p>So, let’s get to it: what makes a good Villain?</p>
<h2>GOALS</h2>
<p>This is the most important aspect of any antagonist: they want to accomplish something. Be it reshaping the world, exacting revenge upon those who made them suffer, or conquering a neighboring region, Villains must have goals.</p>
<p>Goals are extremely useful for you as a Game Master: when you don’t know how a Villain would act or react to a given situation, look at their goals and you will most likely find an answer.</p>
<h1>GAME MASTER</h1>
<p><strong>PRESSURE</strong></p>
<p>Your Villains should actively work towards their goals. If the Player Characters spend an extended amount of time resting or taking care of issues that are not related to an antagonist’s plans, then that antagonist will not sit idly and wait for the heroes to do something: they will get closer to their objective.</p>
<p>When a Villain’s plans advance, you must always clearly communicate it to the Players — perhaps with an appropriate Game Master scene, or through rumors and conversations the heroes have with NPCs in the game world. Don’t just surprise them with a casual “Oh yeah, did I mention this guy you didn’t know about has successfully rewritten reality?”</p>
<p>If you plan on having multiple Villains in your campaign at the same time — or if you play at very irregular intervals and it's hard to remember everything — consider using <strong>Clocks</strong> to track the progress of each Villain’s goals.</p>
<p>The more complex or dramatic objectives will require larger Clocks:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Minor Villains</strong> generally have simple or at least very personal goals, such as saving someone's life, stealing a magical artifact, or seizing control of a village.</li>
<li><strong>Major Villains</strong> should have complex goals that can affect a large number of people, such as conquering a kingdom, or destroying a divine being.</li>
<li><strong>Supreme Villains</strong> have goals that can affect the entire world and change the laws of reality: rewinding time, erasing soul energy, or even becoming a deity.</li>
<li>Minor Villains should have Clocks with 4 to 6 sections.</li>
<li>Major Villains should have Clocks with 8 to 10 sections.</li>
<li>Supreme Villains should have Clocks with 10 to 12 sections.</li>
</ul>
<p>Remember that Villains can also escalate: perhaps a young wizard (minor Villain) suddenly realizes he must steal magical energy from an entire country to revive a loved one, thus becoming a major Villain. Then, when the attempt fails — likely due to the Player Characters’ intervention — the desperate wizard seeks a way to merge with the deities of time and space, erasing reality and creating a timeline that never was... a fitting and tragic goal for a supreme Villain.</p>
<p>Having some Villains turn into allies throughout the campaign is just as important: this encourages Players to seek dialogue with their adversaries and to consider both sides of a situation, instead of simply assuming that everyone is either good or evil.</p>
<p>— Philip Forlenza (Order #)</p>
<p>If the Player Characters manage to foil the Villain’s plans, the current Clock will reset to 0 or possibly be replaced with an entirely different one, representing how the antagonist is now seeking to achieve the same end through a different method.</p>
<hr>
<h2>AN UNEXPECTED SIDE</h2>
<p>Never create one-dimensional antagonists. Villains should have a deeper layer, a tragic or at least unexpected side to them: perhaps they genuinely think they are doing the world a favor, they have their own reasons for forsaking everyone else, or they feel trapped in a path of ruin and are simply waiting for someone to stop them. Maybe an antagonist is so honorable that they will fully heal the heroes before a battle!</p>
<p>This doesn’t mean the PCs should necessarily sympathize with all Villains — a few will be beyond redemption. But even then, dark emotions must come from somewhere... and upon discovering those tragic roots, Player Characters will see that antagonist under a different light, and perhaps even find a way to help them realize that what they're doing is harmful.</p>
<p>Philip Forlenza</p>