Let's end the world, shall we? How to build your BBEG, a GM tip.

N

Natural 20

Guest
Original poster
Alrighty so we're back. Last time I talked to you guys about handling a Total Party Kill, or a TPK as it is more commonly called. So this time I'm here to talk to you about building the bastard that usually causes that scenario, the Big Bad Evil Guy. This is usually your main, overarching villain of your whole roleplay/game, who's got their hands in everything that the characters have had to deal with, from bandits robbing the highway to the evil noble corrupting and poisoning the goodly king of the realm.

First things first though, you want your BBEG to have a backstory, to the same depths the characters do or even more so. Is he or she trying to bring darkness to the world because of a pact with some fiendish or demonic figure in exchange for the souls of the ones they love? Or were they promised dark and powerful arcane secrets that corrupted their mind and twisted their souls? Could they just be a warmongering general, born under two blood moons who wishes to conquer the world and hold it under his iron fist? Could it be a Archlich attempting to ascend to godhood to drown the world in darkness and undeath? A demon lord who wishes to rain down fire and brimstone upon the earth? There are so many base options you can choose from and use, you just got to expand on them. And don't give your BBEG's lore to your players all at once, give it to them in tidbits, like when they interrogate a minion, or find small references about them in a book. Or just pull a fast one on them, have the BBEG in their midst the whole time and at the end, surprise them with their companions betrayal. ((That one is funny to watch.))

Next, figure out their main form of attack. Is it political deception, corruption and persuasion? A massive undead horde? An army of demons/devils? Or are they some sort of spell casting master, throwing fireballs and ice storms like they are nothing, having no need for an army to back them up. Figure out what they will use when it comes to turn everything into a clusterf*ck. And what about the villain themselves? Will they participate in the main combat, will they hide and strike from the shadows, killing the group one by one? Or will they watch from afar, only coming in if things get dire.

The next bit is the fun bit for most GM's, you must design the lair. Is it a castle on the top a mountain? A secret cavern under the earth? A floating city? Possibly it's a living structure, like living in a primordial earth titan. Figure out where it's based before you design it. After that, consider what your BBEG's lair would be like to suit them. Would it be constantly guarded? Does it have deadly traps that would end an unlucky adventurers life? Some sort of sleeping guard beast, like a dragon, who will rampage and attack intruders who enter their masters lair? In the end, take what you have made from your villain and base your lair around it.

Thank you all for coming to read my GM tip. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me or post them below.

Natural 20 signing off.​