*The post is made somewhat vague as to try to stop my players from catching on if they're reading*
I have a villain which has popped up in various forms since my players have started this campaign. in 2 years they've run into this villain, in various forms, and for the most part don't even realize it. However the last visit from the villain took a bit of a strange twist and I'm kind of stuck on how to bring him back around and have some meaning to it.
The villain started out as the classic narcissistic and threatening jerk, telling the party to back off or die, all the while showing that he was immensely more powerful than them. After a number of sessions the players took actions that made him need to infiltrate their party. He did so by shape-shifting, often he'd take off to do his own dastardly things, only to return later in form to continue to try win over their trust. Using some obfuscation and tossing one of his henchmen to the wolves(players), he led the party to another item that he was looking for and helped them obtain it. Still in his animal form he managed to convince one of the party members to adorn his form with this item.
This is where things got tricky, the item is cursed, and now he's trapped in his animal form. Simultaneously, a mistake made by the party caused some creatures to invade the city they are in. The group attributed it to the animal, somehow, and had begun to distrust it. During one skirmish the opportunity for the villain to escape presented itself and he took it.
The question, what are some ways you'd all bring him back into the story?
Let him do his own NPC stuff for a few sessions. The party doesn't have to be there for him to get rid of the cursed item. How about saying that he ran into a witch after escaping from the party, the witch liked whatever trinket he got cursed with, tries to take it off, realises that its a cursed item and starts to believe that if she lifts the curse, the animal will change into her prince charming and they will live happily ever after? After some horrifying months as the witch's pet while she tries to find the materials needed to lift the curse, he finally turns to normal, then he gets rid of the witch and starts planning vengeance against the party for humiliating him like that.
You don't have to explain everything that happened to him to the party, just make him obvious that he has had some hard times since last time they met. Remember that your game world isn't centered around your players, things can still happen without the players being there.
More importantly though, does he have a theme song?
If he is a narcissist chances are he wouldn't ask for help to try and fix the curse. Depending on your campaign setting, he'd probably know of pockets of dead-magic zones that would temporarily cause the magical enchantments on the item to cease to function, which would also include the item's curse. Then it is just a matter of taking it off, and leaving it or destroying it within the zone.
This could also provide a way for the party to "defeat" the villain later on if they realize what happened and for whatever reason the item can't be destroyed. You could argue that removing the item from the Dead-Magic Zone would bring its magical properties (including the curse) back onto the villain. So the party could go on a completely different quest to try and re-find the item to stop the villain.
Remember that your game world isn't centered around your players, things can still happen without the players being there.
More importantly though, does he have a theme song?
The world does continue without my players interaction, I haven't forgotten that. There are, at the moment, 5 events progressing in the world that the players aren't even aware of at the moment. One of which I have just dropped the first bit of foreshadowing on.
Theme song: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: Brand New Day
Depending on your campaign setting, he'd probably know of pockets of dead-magic zones that would temporarily cause the magical enchantments on the item to cease to function, which would also include the item's curse.
I hadn't considered a dead magic zone, I'll have to play with this concept a bit as I'm not sure it quite fits yet.
A dead magic zone that he makes as a headquarters would be a good start. I would suggest once he gets to this zone, he finds a way to get the item destroyed. I would give your players some close calls at first with the item. Have them get a sense that the item is being targeted and trying to be destroyed, then when it finally is destroyed you can unleash the villain back into your world.
I often find myself trying to figure out the exact story of what a major npc is doing while away from the PC's - and I've found I almost never actually have to worry about it.
The players are suspicious of the animal (disguised NPC) now, but they don't know the item was cursed, or the true identity of the animal, right? There's really no reason to explain how the NPC gets rid of the cursed item if they players are never going to need/want/ask about that info, so don't worry about it - the NPC did the needful and is now ready for more shenanigans.
If the players every investigate or get some clues into the matter they will start spouting all manner of theories as to what really happened - steal your explanation from them at that time, they will be so proud they figured it out!
You could always have your players wake up and the item is gone. Maybe they find tracks and search after the bandit or maybe there aren't any tracks lol
I often find myself trying to figure out the exact story of what a major npc is doing while away from the PC's - and I've found I almost never actually have to worry about it.
I'm wasn't too concerned with the how in the first place, the conversation kind of skewed that way :) However, the how can lead to inspiration for things later down the road, I'm not complaining :)
I suppose I need to make some clarifications. The item cannot be destroyed as it is piece of a larger artifact and it also happens to be a plot device that the villain is looking for to complete his ultimate goal. This does not remove the anti-magic possibility, but it does remove the destruction/player tool approach. He won't destroy it, and when it gets removed, he will secret it away so that he may complete his goal.
With that being said, the players are in possession of a piece of the artifact as well, the villain is aware of this, hence his initial infiltration. So, the consensus is to have him remove it via an anti-magic field, what would be an interesting way to bring him back into the good graces of the party and/or give him a chance to steal their piece of the artifact?
You said he infiltrated the party by shapeshifting into an animal, right? Can't he just shapeshift into another animal? Tell your players OOC that you wanted to give them a new mascot since the previous one ran way.
If not that, how about dropping the entire infiltration and trying to simply steal it? Get one of his henchmen to sneak in on their inn room and make away with it during the night. If he has disguise self, he can take over the spot of an innkeeper and tell the players to leave their bags in their rooms due to high crime rate in the town, and then he can steal their piece when the party is out.
He could also tell his henchmen to rob the players in the back alleys of some town/on the road, and he will coincidentally at the perfect time appear in disguise to save the players from certain doom.
If your players don't know much about their piece of the artifact, he can even pretend to be an oracle who knows about their quest, tells them that this item is of great importance, and tells them to leave it with him for safekeeping. Or he can ask them to let him see it for a moment, and when they give it to him, he uses a teleport scroll to get away.
If your players don't know much about their piece of the artifact, he can even pretend to be an oracle who knows about their quest, tells them that this item is of great importance, and tells them to leave it with him for safekeeping. Or he can ask them to let him see it for a moment, and when they give it to him, he uses a teleport scroll to get away.
I could see this one playing out, I like the idea of changing up the ruse since the shape-shifting ploy has gone so awry.
*The post is made somewhat vague as to try to stop my players from catching on if they're reading*
I have a villain which has popped up in various forms since my players have started this campaign. in 2 years they've run into this villain, in various forms, and for the most part don't even realize it. However the last visit from the villain took a bit of a strange twist and I'm kind of stuck on how to bring him back around and have some meaning to it.
The villain started out as the classic narcissistic and threatening jerk, telling the party to back off or die, all the while showing that he was immensely more powerful than them. After a number of sessions the players took actions that made him need to infiltrate their party. He did so by shape-shifting, often he'd take off to do his own dastardly things, only to return later in form to continue to try win over their trust. Using some obfuscation and tossing one of his henchmen to the wolves(players), he led the party to another item that he was looking for and helped them obtain it. Still in his animal form he managed to convince one of the party members to adorn his form with this item.
This is where things got tricky, the item is cursed, and now he's trapped in his animal form. Simultaneously, a mistake made by the party caused some creatures to invade the city they are in. The group attributed it to the animal, somehow, and had begun to distrust it. During one skirmish the opportunity for the villain to escape presented itself and he took it.
The question, what are some ways you'd all bring him back into the story?
Let him do his own NPC stuff for a few sessions. The party doesn't have to be there for him to get rid of the cursed item. How about saying that he ran into a witch after escaping from the party, the witch liked whatever trinket he got cursed with, tries to take it off, realises that its a cursed item and starts to believe that if she lifts the curse, the animal will change into her prince charming and they will live happily ever after? After some horrifying months as the witch's pet while she tries to find the materials needed to lift the curse, he finally turns to normal, then he gets rid of the witch and starts planning vengeance against the party for humiliating him like that.
You don't have to explain everything that happened to him to the party, just make him obvious that he has had some hard times since last time they met. Remember that your game world isn't centered around your players, things can still happen without the players being there.
More importantly though, does he have a theme song?
If he is a narcissist chances are he wouldn't ask for help to try and fix the curse. Depending on your campaign setting, he'd probably know of pockets of dead-magic zones that would temporarily cause the magical enchantments on the item to cease to function, which would also include the item's curse. Then it is just a matter of taking it off, and leaving it or destroying it within the zone.
This could also provide a way for the party to "defeat" the villain later on if they realize what happened and for whatever reason the item can't be destroyed. You could argue that removing the item from the Dead-Magic Zone would bring its magical properties (including the curse) back onto the villain. So the party could go on a completely different quest to try and re-find the item to stop the villain.
A dead magic zone that he makes as a headquarters would be a good start. I would suggest once he gets to this zone, he finds a way to get the item destroyed. I would give your players some close calls at first with the item. Have them get a sense that the item is being targeted and trying to be destroyed, then when it finally is destroyed you can unleash the villain back into your world.
Published Subclasses
I often find myself trying to figure out the exact story of what a major npc is doing while away from the PC's - and I've found I almost never actually have to worry about it.
The players are suspicious of the animal (disguised NPC) now, but they don't know the item was cursed, or the true identity of the animal, right? There's really no reason to explain how the NPC gets rid of the cursed item if they players are never going to need/want/ask about that info, so don't worry about it - the NPC did the needful and is now ready for more shenanigans.
If the players every investigate or get some clues into the matter they will start spouting all manner of theories as to what really happened - steal your explanation from them at that time, they will be so proud they figured it out!
You could always have your players wake up and the item is gone. Maybe they find tracks and search after the bandit or maybe there aren't any tracks lol
Published Subclasses
I suppose I need to make some clarifications. The item cannot be destroyed as it is piece of a larger artifact and it also happens to be a plot device that the villain is looking for to complete his ultimate goal. This does not remove the anti-magic possibility, but it does remove the destruction/player tool approach. He won't destroy it, and when it gets removed, he will secret it away so that he may complete his goal.
With that being said, the players are in possession of a piece of the artifact as well, the villain is aware of this, hence his initial infiltration. So, the consensus is to have him remove it via an anti-magic field, what would be an interesting way to bring him back into the good graces of the party and/or give him a chance to steal their piece of the artifact?
You said he infiltrated the party by shapeshifting into an animal, right? Can't he just shapeshift into another animal? Tell your players OOC that you wanted to give them a new mascot since the previous one ran way.
If not that, how about dropping the entire infiltration and trying to simply steal it? Get one of his henchmen to sneak in on their inn room and make away with it during the night. If he has disguise self, he can take over the spot of an innkeeper and tell the players to leave their bags in their rooms due to high crime rate in the town, and then he can steal their piece when the party is out.
He could also tell his henchmen to rob the players in the back alleys of some town/on the road, and he will coincidentally at the perfect time appear in disguise to save the players from certain doom.
If your players don't know much about their piece of the artifact, he can even pretend to be an oracle who knows about their quest, tells them that this item is of great importance, and tells them to leave it with him for safekeeping. Or he can ask them to let him see it for a moment, and when they give it to him, he uses a teleport scroll to get away.