Creating A NPC Villain For D&D 5E| Game Master Tips

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ความคิดเห็น • 75

  • @TimdeVisser86
    @TimdeVisser86 9 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    My only gripes with the random villain tables in the DMG is that some of the schemes and motives don't mesh with the random methods. I rolled a villain who wanted to spread a blight through famine, and one who wanted to gain immortality by raising taxes, which doesn't make a lot of sense. And all of the 'weaknesses' in the random table are magical in nature. They wouldn't make sense for tyrants or criminals. I felt really tempted to draw up a new table with more mundane weaknesses, like 'phobia' or 'pride' or 'foolhardy hatred', 'cowardice', 'addiction'.

    • @NathanRiggins
      @NathanRiggins 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      Tim de Visser I like the idea of including the mundane weaknesses. Those may be able to be found in the generic npc flaw chart

    • @JonnyC3
      @JonnyC3 9 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      +Tim de Visser I think part of the fun of random tables like that is trying to rationalize the options that you're given. Blight through famine? Maybe a necromancer has raised a gashadokuro (carry it over from pathfinder) with a massive Starvation Aura. The necromancer, disguised as a merchant, brings blighted food into towns that the starving townspeople are more than willing to buy for the inexpensive prices that he's charging. For the other option maybe a wizard is supplying a young dragon with a massive hoard of gold by letting him siphon off some of its long lifespan. As the dragon gets older it's requesting more and more money, and the wizard has to ask the commoners for more and more gold each year.

    • @zergith
      @zergith 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Tim de Visser well blight through famine? How about the famine is forcing people to use rationing and the villain is spreading the blight through the rations. So he's using the famine to cause distrust toward the group giving out the rations to create an uprising or something.

    • @toahordika6
      @toahordika6 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Now I really want to create a villian who wants to gain immortality by raising taxes.

    • @bronco5334
      @bronco5334 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's not that ludicrous, really: what if he's not a magician? You don't have to be a magician to want to be immortal. Maybe he's just some bandit, or corrupt governor. Maybe he plans to HIRE someone powerful to make him immortal, or pay off a dragon or other greedy, powerful creature or demon.

  • @ChrisTheProactiveDM
    @ChrisTheProactiveDM 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I've been a DM for twenty years, and I love the new DMG's charts as I feel my villains have become one and the same over the years. Following your tip, I rolled my own villain, and even before fleshing her out I love the result!
    She has a blue and a green eye, and squints when talking to people. When thinking, waiting, or even talking to people, she tend to pace. Her high ability is strenght, while her low ability is wisdom. Throughout her life, she's been unbelieavably lucky, seeming to always be at the right place to the right time. She appear friendly to everybody. Her ideals are domination, whimsy, and glory. Her bond is Loyal to a benefactor, patron, or employer. And, she's got a specific phobia as her flaw.
    Her scheme is to utterly destroy a bloodline, or clan, and her method to do that is through merchenaries (oooh, perhaps the PC's will be working for the villain!). And, of course, if the death of her true love is avenged, her power will be broken.
    This looks like a great villain! I can't wait fleshing her out :) Great tip, as usual guys!

  • @rowanarmstead3826
    @rowanarmstead3826 9 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I'm using a necromancer as my main bad guy at the moment, and he wants to summon a lich, pretty cliche right?
    But he wants to do this because their is this bureaucracy of vampires and daemons in a castle nearby trying to cover the world in darkness, and the necromancer wants to summon his long dead mentors mentors ancestor, who is rumored to hate vampires and the forces of hell.
    So this necromancer wants to save his home village, but in turn the adventurers want to stop him, and they might believe his back story and help him, and work for a lich, or they might have to fight vampires from hell by themselves, who knows at this point, doing session 2 on Thursday.

    • @NathanRiggins
      @NathanRiggins 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      Rowan Armstead A nice twist on a standard necromancer tactic

  • @SKfilming
    @SKfilming 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I'm in the middle of a pathfinder game I am DMing. it's my first time DMing and only 2nd experience with table top gaming like this. I am loving it. Making my own story and kind of making my own rules here and there, and everyone in the group are first timers to, so we are learning everything as we go. I made a basic story arch, but it has basically gone into their hands.... Parts i think will take hours, they finish in 5 minutes, but a 1 minute dialogue, turns into 4 of them off the boat into dangeous waters and attempting to sea dive 100 ft underwater to gain treassure with a dolphin they summoned..... yeah.... also... the npc leading them? they got rid of him and stole his boat..... I've lost all control! hahah it's wonderful!

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      welcome to DMing. It kind of goes that way from time to time.
      - Nerdarchist Dave

  • @BackwardLaser
    @BackwardLaser 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    One of my favorite villains (Minor villain) was a lawful good Paladin (3.5). His hubris had him challenge the God of trickery whom he "Defeated". As a "gift" to the paladin, for his victory, the god of trickery granted him the ability to read minds. Over time this drove him to madness as he began having trouble discerning between other peoples thoughts and reality. So if you think about killing someone, he treats you like a murderer. He learns all of your past sins, and all of the ones you are considering.
    On top of this he was around level 14 and was the self imposed ruler, judge, jury, and executioner of a small town.

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Wrong things done for the right reason is the best.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

  • @TheKJTor
    @TheKJTor 9 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Nate kicks ass again- WoC needs to get him on creative staff.

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Our greatest fear losing Nate the Nerdarch to WOTC.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

  • @lughfiregod16
    @lughfiregod16 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The newest main "villain"(good guy) I have made, is for an evil campaign. Where the PC's are going for immortality\world domination (will be up for them to decide before the campaign starts). He is basically a Gestalt character, like you could do in 3.5e, and is a fighter\cleric, and is what you see in a lot books\shows, the one main good guy that happens to be really bad ass.

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Your players are going to do horrible things to that guy.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

    • @lughfiregod16
      @lughfiregod16 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      Nerdarchy That's the idea. I'm going to try to make him just a bit to hard to defeat till the end, then make it as even as I can. :)

  • @Comrade2261
    @Comrade2261 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I'm getting ready to run a lv17 campaign, and I decided that I wasn't satisfied with the final boss. So I created my own. I created Ganondorf. Lev 20 (8 Warlock, 12 fighter) and I think it came out pretty good.

  • @tedculbertson6320
    @tedculbertson6320 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Two awesome villain videos right in a row! I had the idea that in order to maintain his immortality, this guy needs to keep stealing the essence of larger and larger creatures, so there's no way he can do this in secret anymore. That could be part of what brings him into conflict with the party, he has to keep making bigger and more dangerous plans.

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      We will have to see what Nate has in store for us. Perhaps they don't have to be bigger, but he needs more and more of them if they aren't bigger.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

  • @rgregoryii
    @rgregoryii 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I DM most of the time for my group, so normally my Big Bad Dudes are Character Concepts I would like to play as a PC but twisted or evil enough that I can make them the Villain. Currently the recurring Villain I am going to introduce is a Drow Rogue Assassin with a custom made Sentient Short Sword. The Eventual Big Bad the party will have to face is an old PC that was some what evil back when he was a PC, but is going to be resurrected and now an Oath Breaker Paladin going to make a Demonic template to add in as well.

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      These are the joys of being the DM.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

  • @jabadahut50
    @jabadahut50 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    theres an old book from i think 2e called central casting heros of legend... i use it everytime i need to give a character or npc a good backgrpund as it goes so in depth including all sorts of events and personality traits, culture and parentage they came from, legitimacy of birth etc

  • @TomMalufe
    @TomMalufe 9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This was a lot of fun. Really gets the imagination going.

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Glad you enjoyed it. I really like doing these kinds of videos.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

  • @jimseevers
    @jimseevers 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I know this is an old video, but I figured I toss this up anyway.
    I'm going to use this guy. Nearly exactly, but with a major twist: He hires the adventurer's to help him round up his released/escaped elementals. Could start out as a simple seek-and-retrieve style dungeon quest sending the party after some of the nerfed elementals by a seemingly nice, if a bit reclusive wizard. As the party succeeds (or fails) to capture and return elementals, he starts to appear more and more aged while getting more and more desperate for his 'medication'. Using dialogue to breed suspicion in the players until they realize this guy is using these bound entities as a food source to achieve immortality. Now the players get to make a morals decision, and of course reap the appropriate consequences.

  • @nighthaunter4348
    @nighthaunter4348 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    reminds me a little on the emperor of mankind in warhammer 40k, that stays "alive" being feed soles of psychers ^^

  • @coreyg3658
    @coreyg3658 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    I have 2 major villains right now thought up, one is so powerful that the player characters arent mean to fight him, they just deal with his underlings then all of a sudden he vanishes, then the adventure is to solve the mystery.
    The 2nd "bad guy" isnt a bad guy. Its a creature from the birth of time that is discovered to be the origin of necromancy, if it dies the school of magic dies.

  • @randallbaumgardt3424
    @randallbaumgardt3424 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    You could flavor his abilities or special effects with what kind of being is in the battery crystal he is using.

  • @MrDeWorde
    @MrDeWorde 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    In my current campaign my big bad is an Angel. Her obsession with defeating Asmodeus has led her to the solution of developing a magical contagion to sterilize sentient mortals, in the long run cutting off Asmodeus's ability to gain power through the acquisition of souls.

  • @Thetazord
    @Thetazord 9 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I've never played DND before, but have seriously gotten hooked on this show called critical role on geek and sundry. (Corny joke incoming) I am now "die"ing to join a group. LoL sorry. Could you give me some advice as to how to find a group in my area? Websites, comic book shops, Craigslist ect? I don't have any friends who are interested plus I'd rather be in a group with an experienced DM.

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว

      All of you suggestions are good. I recommend the Tabletop rpg one shot group on Facebook. It's noob friendly with a bunch of great people gaming via Google hangouts. - Nerdarchist Dave

    • @dpriceswag
      @dpriceswag 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      I had the same problem when I started. Ask your friends/coworkers/ or family. Find a local gamestore or hobby shop. It takes a simple Google search. I like playing in person more than online so I suggest you go out and find the d&d community at stores. It's a very welcoming community. Don't be afraid to go to your local store. Good luck and may you always role 20s

    • @smalltowngames6594
      @smalltowngames6594 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      meetup.com

  • @MindFeather
    @MindFeather 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    i'm only six minutes in, but when Dave somewhat ironically/sarcastically says, "the only way you can go any further from necromancer is being a diviner. the Ultimate Bad Guy." so of course at this point my mind went to Marvel's Agents of SHIELD -- and there's a "clear" (as clear as possible considering the curve-balls the show throws out) villainous diviner right there in the character of Raina, shaping the world to her way of seeing things. suddenly it seems a completely plausible villain to have a diviner seeking immortality.

    • @MindFeather
      @MindFeather 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      +Garth MindFeather (at the Photomaginarium) ... damn, i love Nate's starting place here. inspiring video, guys.

  • @chickenfate5235
    @chickenfate5235 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    One thing I recommend is the book of infinite horrors its basically the Demon randomizer

  • @jacobyoung1456
    @jacobyoung1456 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Im a huge D&D fan. You just got another subscriber

  • @funnyblog100
    @funnyblog100 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    If I wanted to make a good villain I would give them the personality of an internet troll. Imagine fighting your way through tons of enemies and going to confront the big bad only to find out that the villain just made an illusion of himself. Basically the villain is talking to you without ever leaving his fortress by just astral projecting himself. " I'm sorry heroes but your villain is in another castle." The illusion then just shows the big bad flipping off the party and dissappearing. He usually sends his minions after you but when he actually gets off his ass and gets directly involved it is truly terrifying. He might be scrying to spy on you and then wipe out the village you are heading towards before you can get there. Scarier still he can possess people so if you kill him everyone has to make a wisdom save and he has the chance to possess a party member. So you think you win and then you find that he is wearing your dead friends face.

  • @clericofchaos1
    @clericofchaos1 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    So wait what's a diviner? is there actually some way of becoming a deity in 5e? because that would be an awesome villain motivation...like sacrifice 1000 children and gain a divine rank of 1.

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว

      A caster that specializes in divination magic.
      - Nerdarchist Dave

    • @clericofchaos1
      @clericofchaos1 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      Nerdarchy...oh well that's not nearly as impressive a villain

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว

      clericofchaos1 perhaps, but a foe that knows everything you're going to do before you do could be challenging.
      - Nerdarchist Dave

    • @clericofchaos1
      @clericofchaos1 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      Nerdarchy maybe or maybe not depending on what and who you play as but the guy who wants to turn into a deity is so much cooler

  • @powerbrony3791
    @powerbrony3791 9 ปีที่แล้ว

    What book are you using for villain generation?

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's in the description dmg page 94.
      - Nerdarchist Dave

  • @georgerush6269
    @georgerush6269 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I am running a 5e game in a world I created called Valorn the players are now entering the underdark to travel to the center of Valorn to free Palor from the core were he is trapped any good ideas out there for the journey down?

  • @durkgordon9141
    @durkgordon9141 9 ปีที่แล้ว

    So I have a good question im fishing with an idea for my evil pcs I need good alighned enemys so I figure whos better for my super evil (probably grafted) lich and eldricht knight...... A guild of paladins I think? Im going to have dig through frs til I find a group of paladins... Or til something better comes along. Im having them fight a balor on thursday
    ? :)

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว

      Elven maiden Paladin mounted on a Unicorn with angel allies.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

    • @durkgordon9141
      @durkgordon9141 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Sounds like an enemy they might not defeat in there first run in. I was watching the dnd cartoon for laughs and saw the baby unicorn and was trying to see if I name a unicorn uni if my pcs would hate me. Lmao

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว

      Durk Gordon
      Sounds like a reason to do it to me. Oh and name the paladin Bobbi.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

    • @durkgordon9141
      @durkgordon9141 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      Lmfao. Thats a wonderful idea.

  • @azux.
    @azux. 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    can you give us the sheet please?

  • @DRdarktnt
    @DRdarktnt 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I just came up with a great idea for a villain (in the bathroom of all places haha).
    So there's an animal that has been abused by it's master/society and somehow it gains superior intelligence (perhaps from a bored god like being looking for entertainment) and it seeks to gain revenge on society as it has been abused all it's life, unbeknownst to the creature that not all humanoids are evil.
    It accomplishes this secretly by manipulating events in the world and controls a humanoid possibly via magic it has learned or gained via its new found intelligence that it uses as a disguise. So the PC's mistake the creature as a harmless pet of this villainous humanoid and defeat him but the events still happen because they didn't know at first that the pet is actually the one doing the manipulating.

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Interesting concept you could even do it was magically experimented on and that is how it gained both it's intelligence and ability dominate minds. The first villain the players think they have over come is the one that tortured and experimented on the animal. Make it something seemingly harmless like a cute house cat. Perhaps all of the torture was mental and emtional so it still looks like a cute little kitty with a collar that reads snuggles or something equally obnoxious. Great idea by the way. Perhaps in the end the players defeat the villainious Mr. Snuggles by converting it good. It may even have a lawful good mentality towards non humanoids.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

    • @DRdarktnt
      @DRdarktnt 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I love it, everyone knows cats are evil xD
      Also keep up the great work guys, the video discussions are awesome :)

    • @Test3891
      @Test3891 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Strange thing that bathroom. I get most my best ideas while on the throne.
      xD
      -Nick

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      DRdarktnt
      Glad you are enjoying them. We really are having fun with the videos.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

    • @NathanRiggins
      @NathanRiggins 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Everyone has their "seat" of inspiration. Mine is either the outdoors when it is warmer or The Chinese/ Japanese buffet when the weather is not conducive to writing. Sadly high creativity and high calorie count go together on those crumby days. -Nate the Nerdarch

  • @patrickhenry6695
    @patrickhenry6695 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    I know this is an old video but I need a lot of help, What should I be buying as a new GM to run a home brew fifth edition camp? can you list it? Id VERY much appreciate it. Thanks. (money is not an issue within reason)

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  8 ปีที่แล้ว

      the three core books, a DM screen, and some dice is it. Minis and grid if you are looking to go a bit more tactical. If you plan to buy from Amazon and want to help support us click any of our amazon links on the Nerdarchy.com website.
      - Nerdarchist Dave

    • @Vinceras
      @Vinceras 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      +Blood Tide Good luck...was so nervous on my first session but it ended up being tons of fun!

    • @patrickhenry6695
      @patrickhenry6695 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you, I actually will do that when the time comes

  • @Marcos29729
    @Marcos29729 ปีที่แล้ว

    I NEED PEOPLE IN EUROPE WHO WANTS TO PLAY DND, WE PLAY IN PORTUGUESE

  • @mrsuperchas
    @mrsuperchas 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    lol Dave really doesn't like necromancy

  • @nailz0077
    @nailz0077 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I wish old white beard would just let him share his process, instead of side railing the subject of the show.

  • @Evileex
    @Evileex 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    PHONE! BURN THE HERETIC!
    ~jk~ Dont set anyone on fire unless they TRULY deserve it.
    (Like the people who steal passwords to get on your online games and sell/steal/delete everything.)

    • @Nerdarchy
      @Nerdarchy  9 ปีที่แล้ว

      He wwas thoroughly flogged after the video.
      -Nerdarchist Dave

    • @Evileex
      @Evileex 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      flogging is ok.