drew/fabula-ultima-html
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull Requests Actions Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity

bug: Pages numbered correctly in books/core

Browse Source
This commit is contained in:
Drew Malzahn
2026-06-06 22:44:37 +00:00
parent 75c6ab9975
commit 1de1377033
296 changed files with 8156 additions and 8192 deletions
Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

32
books/core/256.html
View File

@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/book-page.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/book-page.css">
<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>
<h1>THE DARK MIRROR</h1>
<p>If you think about the most memorable villains in movies, comics, and games, you will soon find that many of them share a peculiar quality: in one or more ways, they are polar opposite to the hero(es) of the tale.</p>
<ul>
<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>
<li>Where the heroes are a group, the antagonist feels alone and abandoned.</li>
<li>Where the heroes fight for justice, the antagonist now believes that justice is an illusion, and that the world belongs to those strong enough to take it.</li>
<li>Where the heroes are willing to give up their life for the cause, the antagonist is frightened by death.</li>
<li>Where the heroes believe in second chances, the antagonist has been denied one.</li>
<li>Where the heroes represent hope, the antagonist represents despair.</li>
</ul>
<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>
<p>When you create a Villain, try to think about at least one aspect of their character that makes them the dark reflection of one or more Player Characters.</p>
<p>As you introduce that antagonist and whenever they are part of a scene, focus on portraying that they are a negation of what the heroes stand for, or as a grim warning to what they might become if they ever lose their way.</p>
<h2>STYLE AND MANNERISM</h2>
<p>Spend a few minutes thinking about how a Villain speaks, acts, moves and dresses. Are they dashing and refined, or do they care little for appearances? Do they wear a specific uniform? Do all of their henchmen emulate them?</p>
<p>Please note that “mannerism” has nothing to do with acting Skills or the ability to do different voices — it means that each Villain should behave in a peculiar and recognizable way, and you should describe that. Then again, if you’re good at coming up with unique accents and your group enjoys it — and provided those accents do not mirror harmful stereotypes — then feel free to take advantage of that Skill!</p>
<p>Philip Forlenza (Order #)</p>