QuaneriousPlumm
1390
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2
Name: Koth, Vanguard of Black Marsh
Species/race: Greenspawn sneak (D&D 3.5 MM4)
Gender: Female
Class: racial
Role: antagonist and breaker of games
Introduction: HISS!!
Role-playing mannerisms: typically limited to encounters and not dialogue
Campaign setting notes: the green spawn sneak was buried in the monster manual 4 along with their overpowered weapon, the Dragonsplit. The weapon was equivalent to a short sword, was considered a light weapon, was double sided, and had a x4/x3 critical damage on it. Not sure how that one slipped by the editors and game testers...
While running a War of the Dragons campaign, a mid-level encounter with a spellcaster guarded by several greenspawn sneaks resulted in the death of the ranger after he provoked an attack of opportunity. It was pretty shocking to see Max damage on the little guy following the critical. So the player rerolls a new character and invokes the "you killed my family member" clause and spends the next few hours chasing down this little random encounter. He was never more happy to get out of that campaign and start a new one.
Sometimes the best villains develop out of a personal grudge by one of the players. Koth is a great example of doing something on the fly and having it roll over into a later session.
Name: Shadow
Species/race: Drow
Gender: female
Class: Monk or other exotic fighter that can equip a Kusari-gama
Role: mid-level antagonist
Introduction: with the sound of swishing air like that of a helicopter the blade spun out from the drows hand. Without missing a beat the sickle came next slashing and tearing its way through. The drow was the embodiment of a living hurricane.
Role-playing mannerisms: think Snake eyes from GI Joe, use only confirmations when being spoken to.
Campaign setting notes: Shadow was a lot of fun to face off against for my players. She was a part of the underdark campaign that I ran for a while and could routinely pick fights with the best of them. Her weapon had reach so she made a point of attacking the spellcasters in the back after they would group up thinking they were protected by the meat shields up front.
Name: Huo
Species/race: fire genasi
Gender: male
Class: monk
Role: antagonist
Introduction: the flames fan around the altar and only a single creature stands between you and the shard. His skin is the color of molten lava but his soul is as dark as obsidian.
Role-playing mannerisms: always express your outward hate of your opponents, especially those who carry two-handed weapons or bows
Campaign setting notes: Huo was the guardian of a fire temple that showed up in one of the quest lines I ran. I've used him several times to guard fire related items whether they be for quests or needing to destroy an artifact.
Name: Thul (Thul'ren Mal'chul)
Species/race: mind flayer
Gender: none
Class: racial plus templates as needed
Role: campaign super villain
Introduction: behold! All that has passed has occurred to my will. All that you have done has been guided by my hand. Even your challenge here and now has been foretold by my thoughts!
Role-playing mannerisms: antagonize your opponents through dissuading them of their plans and mocking them as weak. Use a hand gesture in front of your mouth to indicate the tentacles when talking.
Campaign setting notes: Thul began as a character of mine when we ran and all evil players campaign. After I enslaved and ate all of the other players in the group I was no longer allowed to play a mind flayer. Also the players from that group got to vote if I ever played another monster class race. He was rather awful. He began from the book Savage Species and I maxed him to the extreme while adventuring.
Eventually he became one of my go-to manipulating supervillains in my campaigns. He loves to pull the strings on whatever rains of power exist in the campaign.
He almost always has dimension door and teleport on hand to get away. Gate is another popular spell to keep players from guessing where he is hiding out. What exactly the long-term plan is no one knows but he does love to interfere and play both sides against the middle.
Name: Toby the cook
Species/race: human
Gender: male
Class: any
Role: comic relief cook
Introduction: oh no not you again! I was there at the Green Sable when you started that big fight! I'm out of here!
Role-playing mannerisms: always act shocked when you encounter the party until about their latest negative exploits in town.
Campaign setting notes: Toby is the reoccurring NPC that wanders farther and farther away from the players as they travel the world. Typically he shows up at the ends and taverns as a cook but once in a while we'll go on board a vessel or as a extra hand on a caravan. He's a lot of fun torment the players with.
Name: Trinity of greystone monastery
Species/race: succubus
Gender: female demon
Class: paladin
Role: antagonist or protagonist depending on quest
Introduction: "blessed be the meek for they shall be rewarded. I submit myself to the powerful goddess and atone for all the sins I have committed."
Role-playing mannerisms: fold your hands together as if in prayer when speaking to players
Campaign setting notes: Trinity is a rather odd character. Being a succubus she is not exactly a great person but she typically worships a goddess of passion who is good. When I play as this as the DM Trinity typically hates The Bard who wants to sleep with every woman in his path.
Trinity typically shows up when a character with a vow such as a paladin violates their oath of conduct. She typically will hand out a repentance quest for them to get back into the favors of whichever power they belong to.
As a fun side note her longsword is called the circumciser.
Name: Lord Ephraim
Species/race: demon
Gender: none
Class: racial
Role: antagonist and quest giver
Introduction: "Obey. Destroy. Reward."
Role-playing mannerisms: use simple one word commands when speaking to players such as stop, submit, or obey.
Campaign setting notes: Lord Ephraim was a fun demon to play. As the DM I got to bully the players a little bit into doing kind of evil things but for a good reason. Lord Ephraim saw fit to do things his own way to establish balance in the universe meaning that when someone disturbed that balance they had to be punished. As a demon saying that evil had to be punished caught some of them off guard.
This character fits very well as a true lawful neutral or lawful evil encounter in which Lord Ephraim is a power broker seeking to rectify a wrong. Initially he has no desire to challenge the players for power but seeks to reward them for doing whatever it is they're currently going to be doing.
Name: Miranda Goldfern
Species/race: half elf
Gender: female
Class: typically any melee class
Role: captain of the watch in The Bellows, quest giver
Introduction: the smoke and soot of the ever burning furnaces and forges made life hard for so many creatures in the bellows. Yet she stood apart, a beacon of honest truth and integrity where darkness and corruption were commonplace. She pats the head of children as they run by but still keeps one hand on her trusty longsword. Her smile is contagious as she passes small market vendors nestled between the foundations of the building above.
Role-playing mannerisms: happy yet serious about resolving the issues around the encounter or quest
Campaign setting notes: in the City of Geth campaign The Bellows are a part of the underground infrastructure of the city where the forges and mines are located. No true map exists of everything and they are all interconnected. The very poor of the city and other monstrous creatures typically make their home there. Miranda has worked her way up to become a captain of the guard in her area and so can give the players quests or missions that explore this dangerous part of the city.
Name: Frell Copperfield
Species/race: dwarf
Gender: male
Class: any combat class or aristocrat
Role: financier to the Emerald Order, antagonist
Introduction: "The root of all evil is money or so it is said. I see money as doing a lot of good... Especially by me."
Role-playing mannerisms: act snooty towards players and outright hostility towards arcane magic users of all types.
Campaign setting notes: the Emerald Order from my Geth campaign is a very brutal faction whose sole purpose is to destroy all arcane magic. Frell is in charge of destroying and melting down any magical items that are turned over to him. Occasionally he takes a small cut to ensure his own prosperity but the gods will forgive him. He is also one of the public faces of the order and regularly appeals to those in power or who have the ability to help him. It is rumored that he threw a witch's coven in its entirety into a boiling vat of gold.
Name: Brother Tiberius, executor of the Emerald order
Species/race: human
Gender: male
Class: paladin or Inquisitor
Role: antagonizer and Hunter of arcane magic users
Introduction: "no demon spawn magic user will ever rest while I am here! Only by the magic of the gods shall we be free!"
Role-playing mannerisms: remain aloof when directly questioned and express disdain at any arcane magic users
Campaign setting notes: brother Tiberius is one of the leading members of the Emerald Order in my Geth campaign. They are a group who hunts down and hates arcane magic users of all types. Players may run across him as he gives one of his street sermons. Frequently he will lead a band of followers in terrorizing or torturing an arcane magic user or tiefling. Most commonly he cuts off the hands of the accused or breaks the hand bones with his heavy flail.
Villains and NPC biographies #1: http://imgur.com/gallery/ub8pjvY
Villains and NPC biographies #2: http://imgur.com/gallery/B4ZOKQ2
Villains and NPC biographies #3: http://imgur.com/gallery/dJBiFek
Villains and NPC biographies #4: http://imgur.com/gallery/wSPDPsY
Villains and NPC biographies #5: http://imgur.com/gallery/o66eNvt
Villains and NPC biographies #6: http://imgur.com/gallery/twhjbmN
Villains and NPCs biography #7: http://imgur.com/gallery/jbIYDHJ
Thank you again for reading through all of this. I hope you enjoyed some of the characters from the campaigns I've run over the years. Let me know if you're looking for something specific so I can search through my notes.