He's the main villain of the new campaign I'm working on. This guy is my first step in the planning process, so I hope to build the whole campaign around him. All that to say, I don't have any other campaign details yet.
His name is Radbertus and he is probably a human barbarian with a noble background. Hundreds of years ago (500 years), his entire clan was banished to Frostfell probably because they started dabbling in black magic. They have since lived a bitter existence in Frostfell. But prophesies have developed that someone from the clan will find a way back to the material plane in order to exact revenge and reclaim ancestral lands and titles.
In my world, the connection between the planes has been lost in recent history and the very existence of the planes has become legend. But very recently some wizards have rediscovered the connection between the planes and have made inter-planar travel possible again. This has given Radbertus and his crew their long awaited opportunity to return to the material plane, avenge his clan, and reclaim ancestral lands.
So he is motivated by both revenge and also the desire to forge a better life for his clan in the material plane.
Some questions:
1. I need to think through some details of his life in Frostfell. I'm taking a look at the old 3.5 Frostburn book, but are there other good resources for inspiration on this?
2. How does this character sound so far? What holes do you see?
So, is this guy a "villain" only because he was raised among a banished tribe and plans on conquering ancestral land upon his return? I assume there's some taint of dark magic to consider, but overall it seems like you've got a pretty standard "not a villain from his own perspective" antagonist started.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
I like how you're thinking about your villain in terms of goals and motivations.
Overall, I like him as a Villain. I certainly have no problem envisioning Radbertus as a character.
Some questions that spring to mind:
Who banished the tribe?
Who made the prophecy?
Against whom does he want to extract revenge, and why?
What is his overall goal? I'm assuming it is to lead his people back to the Prime Material Plane. This is a pretty sympathetic goal, which doesn't mean he can't be a villain, as his methods, or the things he might have to do to accomplish this, might put him in conflict with people. Still, it allows you to make him a sympathetic villain, and present some morally grey dilemmas to your Party, should you so wish.
What are his short term goals - those steps that he needs to accomplish his long term goal? With whom will these goals come in conflict ( and at least some of them should come in conflict with someone, or he's not really that Villainous )? Do his goals come in conflict with the Party? Do his goals come in conflict with someone who will hire, or recruit the Party ( or it could be someone to whom the Party owes a favor). In short, what will he try and do next, and why should the Party care?
For the people or organizations with which he will come in conflict, where are their long term - and subsequent short terms - goals?
I think if you can answer those, you've got the seed of an adventure pretty much defined: Villain goals and motivations, "good guy" goals and motivations, and Party motivation.
The plot pretty much unfolds on its own at that point.
As for Radbertus himself, you might want to flesh out some more details: what is his personality like? What are his beliefs? What are his "go to" actions that he will have a tendency to do, and what are the things he will never do? Does he have any distinctive physical characteristics? Verbal idiosyncrasies - including phrases, or gestures he'll often use? What are the relationships he maintains - friends, allies, acquaintances, and enemies? What resources does he have?
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I like how you're thinking about your villain in terms of goals and motivations.
Overall, I like him as a Villain. I certainly have no problem envisioning Radbertus as a character.
Some questions that spring to mind:
Who banished the tribe?
Who made the prophecy?
Against whom does he want to extract revenge, and why?
What is his overall goal? I'm assuming it is to lead his people back to the Prime Material Plane. This is a pretty sympathetic goal, which doesn't mean he can't be a villain, as his methods, or the things he might have to do to accomplish this, might put him in conflict with people. Still, it allows you to make him a sympathetic villain, and present some morally grey dilemmas to your Party, should you so wish.
What are his short term goals - those steps that he needs to accomplish his long term goal? With whom will these goals come in conflict ( and at least some of them should come in conflict with someone, or he's not really that Villainous )? Do his goals come in conflict with the Party? Do his goals come in conflict with someone who will hire, or recruit the Party ( or it could be someone to whom the Party owes a favor). In short, what will he try and do next, and why should the Party care?
For the people or organizations with which he will come in conflict, where are their long term - and subsequent short terms - goals?
I think if you can answer those, you've got the seed of an adventure pretty much defined: Villain goals and motivations, "good guy" goals and motivations, and Party motivation.
The plot pretty much unfolds on its own at that point.
As for Radbertus himself, you might want to flesh out some more details: what is his personality like? What are his beliefs? What are his "go to" actions that he will have a tendency to do, and what are the things he will never do? Does he have any distinctive physical characteristics? Verbal idiosyncrasies - including phrases, or gestures he'll often use? What are the relationships he maintains - friends, allies, acquaintances, and enemies? What resources does he have?
All right I'm kind of chalk boarding here, but here's what I've got so far thanks to your line of inquiry...
First a few explanatory details. The large, geographical region (now a kingdom) is Dunlond. Fisk Haven is a major city in the Kingdom of Dunlond. Dunlond was once ruled by five clans but now is ruled by one king with four vassal princes. Radbertus is part of a fallen clan called the Paschasius clan.
A note on Fisk Haven's current governance...
Fisk Haven is governed by Prince Alvin Blythe who is a vassal prince of King Cadderly Farnese who rules from Domfast in the south. Prince Alvin rules with a counsel of nobles who represent Delgado, Laine, and Farnese clans who live in the city and surrounding villages. Remnants of the Paschasius clan live in Fisk Haven, but they have no representation in the city council.
A note on what happened to cause the Paschasius clan to be banished...
Adrian Paschasius was the patriarch of the clan and was a Lord of Dunlond before Dunlond had a king. At that time Dunlond was ruled by five Lords representing five clans. Paschasius, Delgado, Laine, Farnese, and Blythe.
Chester Paschasius, son and heir of Adrian Paschasius died as a young boy. Chester was thought of as a miracle child because Florence, Adrian’s wife had trouble bearing him children. She had suffered 10 miscarriages before carrying Chester to term. Finally Chester was born but was always a sickly boy. He died before he was 5 years old.
This drove Adrian mad as he sought a way to retrieve Chester from the dead. He recruited warlocks from his clan to seek a way to open up a portal to the Astral Plane in order to retrieve the soul of the boy. But when their plan was discovered they encountered resistance from the other clans who thought it unnatural to try to turn back death.
A war between the clans ensued and the Paschasius clan was ultimately subdued. The warlocks were executed and all of the nobles and their families in the Paschasius clan were banished to Frostfell for their abominations. Remnants of the Paschasius clan remained in Dunlond, but these were peasants, farmers, and individuals of little consequence. They have remained an insignificant clan in Dunlond to this day which diminishes every century through intermarriage and other means. They have no leadership and no representative Lord.
Now to your questions...
Who made the prophecy?
Prophets on both sides have made this prophesy. Some prophets arose amongst the Paschasius clan in Frostfell who proclaimed that one day a son would arise who would open up a way for the Paschasius clan to return and would lead them to reclaim their rightful place in “The warm lands.” At the same time, prophets have arisen in Dunlond amongst the remnant of the Paschasius clan who have proclaimed that one day their nobles will return and lead them to reclaim a place of prominence and glory in Dunlond.
Against whom does he want to extract revenge, and why?
Radbertus wants to exact revenge against all the clans, but he especially wants to begin with clan Blythe. Clan Blythe was closest to the Paschasius clan and it has been understood by the Paschasius clan as being a huge betrayal that they voted with the other four to banish the Paschasius nobles.
What is his overall goal?
Radbertus’ goal is to fulfill the prophesy. He believes that he is the one who will lead his people back to the material plane and redeem the entire Paschasius clan. There are mixed motives here. Partly, Radbertus is motivated by the prospect of self-glory and being the one who fulfills the prophesy. Perhaps there are others in the Paschasius clan in Frostfell with whom Radbertus might be competing. But Radbertus also resonates with the Paschasius desire for vengeance. Furthermore, he wants to see his people escape the bitter conditions of Frostfell and return to a livable existence in the warm lands. Of course, this means subduing the other clans. Especially in view is clan Blythe. If the clans cannot be subdued, then they must be destroyed.
I still need to figure out his short term goals and how the party will end up in conflict with him. But perhaps the adventure can be more flexible. Maybe they could choose to either be in conflict with him or be in league with him. Thoughts on these developments?
I like how you're thinking about your villain in terms of goals and motivations.
Overall, I like him as a Villain. I certainly have no problem envisioning Radbertus as a character.
Some questions that spring to mind:
Who banished the tribe?
Who made the prophecy?
Against whom does he want to extract revenge, and why?
What is his overall goal? I'm assuming it is to lead his people back to the Prime Material Plane. This is a pretty sympathetic goal, which doesn't mean he can't be a villain, as his methods, or the things he might have to do to accomplish this, might put him in conflict with people. Still, it allows you to make him a sympathetic villain, and present some morally grey dilemmas to your Party, should you so wish.
What are his short term goals - those steps that he needs to accomplish his long term goal? With whom will these goals come in conflict ( and at least some of them should come in conflict with someone, or he's not really that Villainous )? Do his goals come in conflict with the Party? Do his goals come in conflict with someone who will hire, or recruit the Party ( or it could be someone to whom the Party owes a favor). In short, what will he try and do next, and why should the Party care?
For the people or organizations with which he will come in conflict, where are their long term - and subsequent short terms - goals?
I think if you can answer those, you've got the seed of an adventure pretty much defined: Villain goals and motivations, "good guy" goals and motivations, and Party motivation.
The plot pretty much unfolds on its own at that point.
As for Radbertus himself, you might want to flesh out some more details: what is his personality like? What are his beliefs? What are his "go to" actions that he will have a tendency to do, and what are the things he will never do? Does he have any distinctive physical characteristics? Verbal idiosyncrasies - including phrases, or gestures he'll often use? What are the relationships he maintains - friends, allies, acquaintances, and enemies? What resources does he have?
All right I'm kind of chalk boarding here, but here's what I've got so far thanks to your line of inquiry...
First a few explanatory details. The large, geographical region (now a kingdom) is Dunlond. Fisk Haven is a major city in the Kingdom of Dunlond. Dunlond was once ruled by five clans but now is ruled by one king with four vassal princes. Radbertus is part of a fallen clan called the Paschasius clan.
A note on Fisk Haven's current governance...
Fisk Haven is governed by Prince Alvin Blythe who is a vassal prince of King Cadderly Farnese who rules from Domfast in the south. Prince Alvin rules with a counsel of nobles who represent Delgado, Laine, and Farnese clans who live in the city and surrounding villages. Remnants of the Paschasius clan live in Fisk Haven, but they have no representation in the city council.
A note on what happened to cause the Paschasius clan to be banished...
Adrian Paschasius was the patriarch of the clan and was a Lord of Dunlond before Dunlond had a king. At that time Dunlond was ruled by five Lords representing five clans. Paschasius, Delgado, Laine, Farnese, and Blythe.
Chester Paschasius, son and heir of Adrian Paschasius died as a young boy. Chester was thought of as a miracle child because Florence, Adrian’s wife had trouble bearing him children. She had suffered 10 miscarriages before carrying Chester to term. Finally Chester was born but was always a sickly boy. He died before he was 5 years old.
This drove Adrian mad as he sought a way to retrieve Chester from the dead. He recruited warlocks from his clan to seek a way to open up a portal to the Astral Plane in order to retrieve the soul of the boy. But when their plan was discovered they encountered resistance from the other clans who thought it unnatural to try to turn back death.
A war between the clans ensued and the Paschasius clan was ultimately subdued. The warlocks were executed and all of the nobles and their families in the Paschasius clan were banished to Frostfell for their abominations. Remnants of the Paschasius clan remained in Dunlond, but these were peasants, farmers, and individuals of little consequence. They have remained an insignificant clan in Dunlond to this day which diminishes every century through intermarriage and other means. They have no leadership and no representative Lord.
Now to your questions...
Who made the prophecy?
Prophets on both sides have made this prophesy. Some prophets arose amongst the Paschasius clan in Frostfell who proclaimed that one day a son would arise who would open up a way for the Paschasius clan to return and would lead them to reclaim their rightful place in “The warm lands.” At the same time, prophets have arisen in Dunlond amongst the remnant of the Paschasius clan who have proclaimed that one day their nobles will return and lead them to reclaim a place of prominence and glory in Dunlond.
Against whom does he want to extract revenge, and why?
Radbertus wants to exact revenge against all the clans, but he especially wants to begin with clan Blythe. Clan Blythe was closest to the Paschasius clan and it has been understood by the Paschasius clan as being a huge betrayal that they voted with the other four to banish the Paschasius nobles.
What is his overall goal?
Radbertus’ goal is to fulfill the prophesy. He believes that he is the one who will lead his people back to the material plane and redeem the entire Paschasius clan. There are mixed motives here. Partly, Radbertus is motivated by the prospect of self-glory and being the one who fulfills the prophesy. Perhaps there are others in the Paschasius clan in Frostfell with whom Radbertus might be competing. But Radbertus also resonates with the Paschasius desire for vengeance. Furthermore, he wants to see his people escape the bitter conditions of Frostfell and return to a livable existence in the warm lands. Of course, this means subduing the other clans. Especially in view is clan Blythe. If the clans cannot be subdued, then they must be destroyed.
I still need to figure out his short term goals and how the party will end up in conflict with him. But perhaps the adventure can be more flexible. Maybe they could choose to either be in conflict with him or be in league with him. Thoughts on these developments?
I like the idea that he could be either the antagonist or a protagonist. As was mentioned, he does have some goals that your party could sympathize with. When you were describing him, I thought immediately of Thorin Oakenshield from the Hobbit at a high level view and he had moments on both sides of the protagonist/antagonist paradigm... and might be a good source of inspiration as you are looking for motivations and such.
I do think you've got a lot of good ideas. Just keep asking and answering the questions the others have posed and follow up questions and you'll have a better idea of who he is, why he's doing it specifically (does he have a massive ego, and that's the reason that he wants to be the fulfillment of the prophecy or is there some other reason he believes it's him?), who would he be harming and how would he be harming them if he retook his ancestral lands (could be like on WoW where the orcs invaded Azeroth using magic that was causing the world to die, could be that the reason he was banished was because his people were depleting natural resources too quickly causing them to aggressively attempt to expand their lands, or something much more benign- after all, history is often written by the victors), and whether the prophecy is even being interpreted correctly by him (think about Darth Vader's character arc for some inspiration there). If you have access to Xanathars guide to everything, it has some helpful tables that you can roll on to flesh things out better and perhaps find new questions to answer.
Finally, I'm intrigued by the choice of Barbarian Noble. While it's not exactly a class/ background combo that is mutually exclusive, it's easy to think that they could be. How much does his rage bleed over into social encounters? Does he retain a degree of civility while fighting? Could that be an exploit the party could use against him (he rages, the party parlays with him long enough to end his rage and then re-engages him)? Was that part of the reason his clan was defeated previously?
You've addressed some of these questions, at least to some degree, but revisiting them doesn't hurt.
So this is all really ancient history from the perspective of citizen's of Dunlond. To them, it would be like someone trying to extract revenge against the modern days Russian government for war crimes committed in the 1500sMuscovite–Lithuanian Wars by Ivan the Great, or an ancient Scottish Highlander trying to extract revenge against the modern British government.
I really like that you're thinking about social and political evolution here: individual rival clan territories have evolved over time into a King/Prince feudal system.
It is interesting that there are still descendants of the Paschasius clan in Fisk Haven, and in fact it seems that only the nobles and those involved in Necromancy were banished ( convenient that - a bit of a power grab going on there? "Oh no, we must banish the entire ruling class of the neighboring people who have all that rich territory and leave a power vacuum that someone will need to fill ... what ... me .... I suppose I could take over governing that territory .... in the interim only, of course .... ").
That makes me wonder how well the Paschasius clan will react to the return of their nobles - but now it makes more sense that Radbertus could be looking to fire the national or culture pride of the ethnic Paschasians . They sound like they're already politically disenfranchised, and might contain elements who - with a little nudging! - might coalesce into the beginnings of a Paschasian movement. Such a movement could become a rebellion against Dunlond, and eventually a Paschasian army to challenge Prince Alvin Blythe, and thus also extract a modicum of revenge for the Blythe Clan's perceived betrayal centuries ago.
The question is: what form will that "nudging" take, and what does Radbertus need to do to rally the remnants of the Paschasian people to a cause? This is what could be your interim story goals are, and these requirement could be the sub-adventures within the overall story arc. One stereotypical idea is that he could be looking to find the magical artifacts which comprise the lost regalia of Adrian Paschasius ( Sword, Shield, Crown, Mace, Armor, etc. - as few and as many as you want there to be sub-adventures ). It's one thing for someone showing up just claiming to be descended from ancient nobles and trying to rally an ethnic/nationalist movement - quite another for someone showing up wielding Excalibur ( or its cultural equivalent ) and doing that same!
This is such a common pattern that authors refer to these as "plot coupons"; travel around the world, collect plot coupons ( bits of the Regalia ), cash them in for admittance to "the big finale" :) Still - there's nothing wrong with the classics, either, if it would be fun for you and your Players :)
This leaves some latitude for your Players as well. They could try and oppose Radbertus ' attempts to regain the regalia. They could aid him. They could make a play for the regalia themselves, and try and become head of the Paschasian movement themselves ( especially if any of the Characters are actually of Paschasian descent )!
I feel that there's a bit of undeveloped potential here with the whole prophecy angle. I'm still not clear as to who made it. You say "on both sides", but was it made by agnostic soothsayers who were just "reading the omens", or is there an element of divine prophecy here? If the latter, what gods? Were they Clan gods? Is there a possibility of introducing a religious conflict between the followers of Gods here as well? Is that something you even want in your campaign? Could there be a separate but parallel struggle between the last followers of the suppressed religions of the "old gods" of the Paschasians against the "new gods" of an integrated Dunlond kingdom ( very Game of Thrones there )?
In any case - take my ramblings with a grain of salt, please! This is just me riffing off your chalkboard ideas. Use any of it, if it would be useful to you; ignore it if it is not :) It's your setup, and it will be your Players' who write the story :)
A side note - with both Radbertus and Adrian you're making your "villains" somewhat sympathetic - or at least relate-able - I love that :D I'd recommend checking out this video by Matt Colville on the nature of good/evil characters: On Being An Evil Character.
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Thanks for all who've participated. My next puzzle is figuring out how Radbertus got back to "The Warm Lands" (The Material Plane).
Here's what I've got so far. 500 years ago there was a gate in the mountains north of Fisk Haven called "Winter's Gate". It was a permanent portal leading to Frostfell. On Frostfell's side sat "Summer's Gate" which was a permanent portal to the Material Plane. When the Paschasian nobles were banished, the gate was somehow disabled. There are several options for disabling the gate. It could be blocked by a physical object on the side of the Material Plane, rendering the gate unusable from Frostfell. It could also have been sealed by a spell like "Gate Seal".
I'm trying to think through how the gate was disabled and, by extension, how it was reopened by Radbertus. Perhaps Radbertus found a way to open it from Frostfell. Or perhaps a Paschasian or someone sympathetic to the Paschasians opened it up on the side of the Material Plane.
The gate could have been physically sealed on the Prime Material Plane. I'm picturing a large stone slab seal. In 500 years any watch that the Dunlond forces would have maintained over the seal would likely have been abandoned. All it would take then is a natural event like an Earthquake, or erosion of the ground under the seal, to cause the seal to be split, or fall away.
Perhaps this is the event that was foretold in the Prophecy.
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The gate could have been physically sealed on the Prime Material Plane. I'm picturing a large stone slab seal. In 500 years any watch that the Dunlond forces would have maintained over the seal would likely have been abandoned. All it would take then is a natural event like an Earthquake, or erosion of the ground under the seal, to cause the seal to be split, or fall away.
Perhaps this is the event that was foretold in the Prophecy.
That's a good possibility. I think overtime the evidence for other planes has so diminished that people no longer believe in the planes. Their existence is at least very questionable. Perhaps the guard was abandoned because it was seen as a quaint tradition and no longer taken seriously.
On top of this I'm thinking that the whole Paschasian Noble thing has also faded into myth. Perhaps, in the minds of the Dunlonders, the Paschasians have never had nobles. They've always been an inferior servant family. Any "myth" of banished nobles is a bunch of old wives tales spun by the Paschasians in order to give them some hope for a brighter future that's never going to come.
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I'm thinking it would be a mix. Some are faithful and believe they had nobles in the past and also believe the prophesies that the nobles will return and they will reclaim a place of glory. But others are unfaithful and believe they've always been a lowly family. Their hopes for Paschasian glory are absent and they believe their best chances at improving their lot in life is to marry their daughters to other more prominent families.
But the appearance of Radbertus with Adrian's artifacts could change the game for believers and unbelievers alike.
All i can say is that a Good Villain is a Hero that made the wrong choice or was struck by the wrong circumstances.
A Villain can be convinced that what he does is the good thing, it is unfortunate that others don't see it the same way as he does, but his way is the correct way, he's sure of it, and anyone who's standing in his way, must be removed, one way or another.
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"Normality is but an Illusion, Whats normal to the Spider, is only madness for the Fly"
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Here's the prophecy. I think it would have to have been made before the nobles were finally banished, but after their sentencing. It survived in both Dunlond and also amongst the banished nobles.
Twelve Lords condemned to ice and rust, Beyond the Gate of Winter’s breath, Their kin condemned to plow the dust, For Adrian’s crime: awakening death.
Impexis was his deadly blade, Now lost beyond the mountain pass, From winter’s heart it once was made, Its face as smooth as icy glass.
Paschasius now clothed in shame, Will shed the mourner’s garb in time, And frozen hearts will feel a flame, A noble’s wedding bell will chime.
The seal will break, twelve Lords returning Led by one, Adrian reborn Impexis wielding, secrets learning Keep watch until the veil is torn.
"Impexis" is Latin for Icicle. It would be Adrian's sword that traveled with the banished nobles. It's a Frostbrand great sword that Radbertus carries.
Very nice! It incorporates the sealed gate being broken, mentions of an item of power which conveys Adrian's authority, possibly references the awakening identity of the ethnic Paschasians.
I'm still not sure who made the prophecy :)
I'm curious as to who the 12 returning lords are supposed to be now, and what is the "noble's wedding" that is talked about.
Some literary feedback? The first stanza scans better with "awakened death", and Paschasius has to be a 4 syllable word to fit the first line of the 3rd stanza. I don't know how to pronounce it :D But you seem to be mostly using an 8-syllable line structure. If you stick to that you might want to use "returned" & "learned" in the last stanza, and you might ( depending on the pronunciation ) add an "is" to the first line of the 3rd stanza.
But overall? I'm impressed with you composition skills! :)
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Very nice! It incorporates the sealed gate being broken, mentions of an item of power which conveys Adrian's authority, possibly references the awakening identity of the ethnic Paschasians.
I'm still not sure who made the prophecy :)
I'm curious as to who the 12 returning lords are supposed to be now, and what is the "noble's wedding" that is talked about.
Some literary feedback? The first stanza scans better with "awakened death", and Paschasius has to be a 4 syllable word to fit the first line of the 3rd stanza. I don't know how to pronounce it :D But you seem to be mostly using an 8-syllable line structure. If you stick to that you might want to use "returned" & "learned" in the last stanza, and you might ( depending on the pronunciation ) add an "is" to the first line of the 3rd stanza.
But overall? I'm impressed with you composition skills! :)
Thanks and those are good adjustments you mentioned. I'll make them! Paschasius is pronounced pah.skay.see.us.
Perhaps it's not a natural phenomena that opens the portal but actions on the prime material plane (PMP) side by the faithful Paschasians. Perhaps a possible future rival of Radbertus thinks that she is the prophesied liberator of her people (it's ok if her view on the prophecy is different than Radbertus, or that points are different, as that allows for tension between the two.) She has the respect and ears of both the believers and the non believers among the remaining Paschasians on the PMP. She can be a unifier of the people and either completely at odds with Radbertus, or a possible ally down the road possibly depending on the actions of the PCs.
Perhaps she has hired the PCs to help protect her and her clerics or whatever help she requires to perform the ritual to open the portal and the omens point to this being the proper time. Prince Blythe could have a mole with the party or even heard about this attempt and planted the entire party as effort. Whether he is secretly trying to restore the nobles of the Paschasians to their rightful place, trying to stop their return, or oblivious to the final outcome and simply gathering information could be up to you. This sets up three possible patrons for the party to align with, depending on what they believe, what omens they read, and whether any of them just have the hots for any of the three. Or they are part of the militia that Prince Blythe sends out to stop the ritual but they are held back long enough that the portal is opened and out pours the Paschasian noble army, which all but demolishes the militia aside from the PCs who were separated from the main company and now must sneak back to report the failure to interrupt the ritual and the brutality of the Noble horde.
Perhaps it's not a natural phenomena that opens the portal but actions on the prime material plane (PMP) side by the faithful Paschasians. Perhaps a possible future rival of Radbertus thinks that she is the prophesied liberator of her people (it's ok if her view on the prophecy is different than Radbertus, or that points are different, as that allows for tension between the two.) She has the respect and ears of both the believers and the non believers among the remaining Paschasians on the PMP. She can be a unifier of the people and either completely at odds with Radbertus, or a possible ally down the road possibly depending on the actions of the PCs.
Perhaps she has hired the PCs to help protect her and her clerics or whatever help she requires to perform the ritual to open the portal and the omens point to this being the proper time. Prince Blythe could have a mole with the party or even heard about this attempt and planted the entire party as effort. Whether he is secretly trying to restore the nobles of the Paschasians to their rightful place, trying to stop their return, or oblivious to the final outcome and simply gathering information could be up to you. This sets up three possible patrons for the party to align with, depending on what they believe, what omens they read, and whether any of them just have the hots for any of the three. Or they are part of the militia that Prince Blythe sends out to stop the ritual but they are held back long enough that the portal is opened and out pours the Paschasian noble army, which all but demolishes the militia aside from the PCs who were separated from the main company and now must sneak back to report the failure to interrupt the ritual and the brutality of the Noble horde.
Thanks these are also fun possibilities. My wife suggested something along these lines. My one question is why would any Paschasian rival of Radbertus want to open the portal? If I could clear that up, this route could make more sense to me.
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He's the main villain of the new campaign I'm working on. This guy is my first step in the planning process, so I hope to build the whole campaign around him. All that to say, I don't have any other campaign details yet.
His name is Radbertus and he is probably a human barbarian with a noble background. Hundreds of years ago (500 years), his entire clan was banished to Frostfell probably because they started dabbling in black magic. They have since lived a bitter existence in Frostfell. But prophesies have developed that someone from the clan will find a way back to the material plane in order to exact revenge and reclaim ancestral lands and titles.
In my world, the connection between the planes has been lost in recent history and the very existence of the planes has become legend. But very recently some wizards have rediscovered the connection between the planes and have made inter-planar travel possible again. This has given Radbertus and his crew their long awaited opportunity to return to the material plane, avenge his clan, and reclaim ancestral lands.
So he is motivated by both revenge and also the desire to forge a better life for his clan in the material plane.
Some questions:
1. I need to think through some details of his life in Frostfell. I'm taking a look at the old 3.5 Frostburn book, but are there other good resources for inspiration on this?
2. How does this character sound so far? What holes do you see?
So, is this guy a "villain" only because he was raised among a banished tribe and plans on conquering ancestral land upon his return? I assume there's some taint of dark magic to consider, but overall it seems like you've got a pretty standard "not a villain from his own perspective" antagonist started.
I like how you're thinking about your villain in terms of goals and motivations.
Overall, I like him as a Villain. I certainly have no problem envisioning Radbertus as a character.
Some questions that spring to mind:
I think if you can answer those, you've got the seed of an adventure pretty much defined: Villain goals and motivations, "good guy" goals and motivations, and Party motivation.
The plot pretty much unfolds on its own at that point.
As for Radbertus himself, you might want to flesh out some more details: what is his personality like? What are his beliefs? What are his "go to" actions that he will have a tendency to do, and what are the things he will never do? Does he have any distinctive physical characteristics? Verbal idiosyncrasies - including phrases, or gestures he'll often use? What are the relationships he maintains - friends, allies, acquaintances, and enemies? What resources does he have?
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
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Thanks Vedexent. Those are great questions to help sketch the direction of the adventure.
All right I'm kind of chalk boarding here, but here's what I've got so far thanks to your line of inquiry...
First a few explanatory details. The large, geographical region (now a kingdom) is Dunlond. Fisk Haven is a major city in the Kingdom of Dunlond. Dunlond was once ruled by five clans but now is ruled by one king with four vassal princes. Radbertus is part of a fallen clan called the Paschasius clan.
A note on Fisk Haven's current governance...
Fisk Haven is governed by Prince Alvin Blythe who is a vassal prince of King Cadderly Farnese who rules from Domfast in the south. Prince Alvin rules with a counsel of nobles who represent Delgado, Laine, and Farnese clans who live in the city and surrounding villages. Remnants of the Paschasius clan live in Fisk Haven, but they have no representation in the city council.
A note on what happened to cause the Paschasius clan to be banished...
Adrian Paschasius was the patriarch of the clan and was a Lord of Dunlond before Dunlond had a king. At that time Dunlond was ruled by five Lords representing five clans. Paschasius, Delgado, Laine, Farnese, and Blythe.
Chester Paschasius, son and heir of Adrian Paschasius died as a young boy. Chester was thought of as a miracle child because Florence, Adrian’s wife had trouble bearing him children. She had suffered 10 miscarriages before carrying Chester to term. Finally Chester was born but was always a sickly boy. He died before he was 5 years old.
This drove Adrian mad as he sought a way to retrieve Chester from the dead. He recruited warlocks from his clan to seek a way to open up a portal to the Astral Plane in order to retrieve the soul of the boy. But when their plan was discovered they encountered resistance from the other clans who thought it unnatural to try to turn back death.
A war between the clans ensued and the Paschasius clan was ultimately subdued. The warlocks were executed and all of the nobles and their families in the Paschasius clan were banished to Frostfell for their abominations. Remnants of the Paschasius clan remained in Dunlond, but these were peasants, farmers, and individuals of little consequence. They have remained an insignificant clan in Dunlond to this day which diminishes every century through intermarriage and other means. They have no leadership and no representative Lord.
Now to your questions...
Who made the prophecy?
Against whom does he want to extract revenge, and why?
What is his overall goal?
I still need to figure out his short term goals and how the party will end up in conflict with him. But perhaps the adventure can be more flexible. Maybe they could choose to either be in conflict with him or be in league with him. Thoughts on these developments?
I like the idea that he could be either the antagonist or a protagonist. As was mentioned, he does have some goals that your party could sympathize with. When you were describing him, I thought immediately of Thorin Oakenshield from the Hobbit at a high level view and he had moments on both sides of the protagonist/antagonist paradigm... and might be a good source of inspiration as you are looking for motivations and such.
I do think you've got a lot of good ideas. Just keep asking and answering the questions the others have posed and follow up questions and you'll have a better idea of who he is, why he's doing it specifically (does he have a massive ego, and that's the reason that he wants to be the fulfillment of the prophecy or is there some other reason he believes it's him?), who would he be harming and how would he be harming them if he retook his ancestral lands (could be like on WoW where the orcs invaded Azeroth using magic that was causing the world to die, could be that the reason he was banished was because his people were depleting natural resources too quickly causing them to aggressively attempt to expand their lands, or something much more benign- after all, history is often written by the victors), and whether the prophecy is even being interpreted correctly by him (think about Darth Vader's character arc for some inspiration there). If you have access to Xanathars guide to everything, it has some helpful tables that you can roll on to flesh things out better and perhaps find new questions to answer.
Finally, I'm intrigued by the choice of Barbarian Noble. While it's not exactly a class/ background combo that is mutually exclusive, it's easy to think that they could be. How much does his rage bleed over into social encounters? Does he retain a degree of civility while fighting? Could that be an exploit the party could use against him (he rages, the party parlays with him long enough to end his rage and then re-engages him)? Was that part of the reason his clan was defeated previously?
You've addressed some of these questions, at least to some degree, but revisiting them doesn't hurt.
Interesting :)
So this is all really ancient history from the perspective of citizen's of Dunlond. To them, it would be like someone trying to extract revenge against the modern days Russian government for war crimes committed in the 1500s Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars by Ivan the Great, or an ancient Scottish Highlander trying to extract revenge against the modern British government.
I really like that you're thinking about social and political evolution here: individual rival clan territories have evolved over time into a King/Prince feudal system.
It is interesting that there are still descendants of the Paschasius clan in Fisk Haven, and in fact it seems that only the nobles and those involved in Necromancy were banished ( convenient that - a bit of a power grab going on there? "Oh no, we must banish the entire ruling class of the neighboring people who have all that rich territory and leave a power vacuum that someone will need to fill ... what ... me .... I suppose I could take over governing that territory .... in the interim only, of course .... ").
That makes me wonder how well the Paschasius clan will react to the return of their nobles - but now it makes more sense that Radbertus could be looking to fire the national or culture pride of the ethnic Paschasians . They sound like they're already politically disenfranchised, and might contain elements who - with a little nudging! - might coalesce into the beginnings of a Paschasian movement. Such a movement could become a rebellion against Dunlond, and eventually a Paschasian army to challenge Prince Alvin Blythe, and thus also extract a modicum of revenge for the Blythe Clan's perceived betrayal centuries ago.
The question is: what form will that "nudging" take, and what does Radbertus need to do to rally the remnants of the Paschasian people to a cause? This is what could be your interim story goals are, and these requirement could be the sub-adventures within the overall story arc. One stereotypical idea is that he could be looking to find the magical artifacts which comprise the lost regalia of Adrian Paschasius ( Sword, Shield, Crown, Mace, Armor, etc. - as few and as many as you want there to be sub-adventures ). It's one thing for someone showing up just claiming to be descended from ancient nobles and trying to rally an ethnic/nationalist movement - quite another for someone showing up wielding Excalibur ( or its cultural equivalent ) and doing that same!
This is such a common pattern that authors refer to these as "plot coupons"; travel around the world, collect plot coupons ( bits of the Regalia ), cash them in for admittance to "the big finale" :) Still - there's nothing wrong with the classics, either, if it would be fun for you and your Players :)
This leaves some latitude for your Players as well. They could try and oppose Radbertus ' attempts to regain the regalia. They could aid him. They could make a play for the regalia themselves, and try and become head of the Paschasian movement themselves ( especially if any of the Characters are actually of Paschasian descent )!
I feel that there's a bit of undeveloped potential here with the whole prophecy angle. I'm still not clear as to who made it. You say "on both sides", but was it made by agnostic soothsayers who were just "reading the omens", or is there an element of divine prophecy here? If the latter, what gods? Were they Clan gods? Is there a possibility of introducing a religious conflict between the followers of Gods here as well? Is that something you even want in your campaign? Could there be a separate but parallel struggle between the last followers of the suppressed religions of the "old gods" of the Paschasians against the "new gods" of an integrated Dunlond kingdom ( very Game of Thrones there )?
In any case - take my ramblings with a grain of salt, please! This is just me riffing off your chalkboard ideas. Use any of it, if it would be useful to you; ignore it if it is not :) It's your setup, and it will be your Players' who write the story :)
A side note - with both Radbertus and Adrian you're making your "villains" somewhat sympathetic - or at least relate-able - I love that :D I'd recommend checking out this video by Matt Colville on the nature of good/evil characters: On Being An Evil Character.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
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Thanks for all who've participated. My next puzzle is figuring out how Radbertus got back to "The Warm Lands" (The Material Plane).
Here's what I've got so far. 500 years ago there was a gate in the mountains north of Fisk Haven called "Winter's Gate". It was a permanent portal leading to Frostfell. On Frostfell's side sat "Summer's Gate" which was a permanent portal to the Material Plane. When the Paschasian nobles were banished, the gate was somehow disabled. There are several options for disabling the gate. It could be blocked by a physical object on the side of the Material Plane, rendering the gate unusable from Frostfell. It could also have been sealed by a spell like "Gate Seal".
I'm trying to think through how the gate was disabled and, by extension, how it was reopened by Radbertus. Perhaps Radbertus found a way to open it from Frostfell. Or perhaps a Paschasian or someone sympathetic to the Paschasians opened it up on the side of the Material Plane.
Any thoughts?
500 years is a long time.
The gate could have been physically sealed on the Prime Material Plane. I'm picturing a large stone slab seal. In 500 years any watch that the Dunlond forces would have maintained over the seal would likely have been abandoned. All it would take then is a natural event like an Earthquake, or erosion of the ground under the seal, to cause the seal to be split, or fall away.
Perhaps this is the event that was foretold in the Prophecy.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
That's a good possibility. I think overtime the evidence for other planes has so diminished that people no longer believe in the planes. Their existence is at least very questionable. Perhaps the guard was abandoned because it was seen as a quaint tradition and no longer taken seriously.
On top of this I'm thinking that the whole Paschasian Noble thing has also faded into myth. Perhaps, in the minds of the Dunlonders, the Paschasians have never had nobles. They've always been an inferior servant family. Any "myth" of banished nobles is a bunch of old wives tales spun by the Paschasians in order to give them some hope for a brighter future that's never going to come.
What do the ethnic Paschasians believe?
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
I'm thinking it would be a mix. Some are faithful and believe they had nobles in the past and also believe the prophesies that the nobles will return and they will reclaim a place of glory. But others are unfaithful and believe they've always been a lowly family. Their hopes for Paschasian glory are absent and they believe their best chances at improving their lot in life is to marry their daughters to other more prominent families.
But the appearance of Radbertus with Adrian's artifacts could change the game for believers and unbelievers alike.
All i can say is that a Good Villain is a Hero that made the wrong choice or was struck by the wrong circumstances.
A Villain can be convinced that what he does is the good thing, it is unfortunate that others don't see it the same way as he does, but his way is the correct way, he's sure of it, and anyone who's standing in his way, must be removed, one way or another.
"Normality is but an Illusion, Whats normal to the Spider, is only madness for the Fly"
Kain de Frostberg- Dark Knight - (Vengeance Pal3/ Hexblade 9), Port Mourn
Kain de Draakberg-Dark Knight lvl8-Avergreen(DitA)
“Every villain is a hero in his own mind.”
― Tom Hiddleston
Which follows, by extension, that every Hero is a villain to someone else. Or phrased differently:
"History is written by the victors."
― Winston Churchill
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
Here's the prophecy. I think it would have to have been made before the nobles were finally banished, but after their sentencing. It survived in both Dunlond and also amongst the banished nobles.
Twelve Lords condemned to ice and rust,
Beyond the Gate of Winter’s breath,
Their kin condemned to plow the dust,
For Adrian’s crime: awakening death.
Impexis was his deadly blade,
Now lost beyond the mountain pass,
From winter’s heart it once was made,
Its face as smooth as icy glass.
Paschasius now clothed in shame,
Will shed the mourner’s garb in time,
And frozen hearts will feel a flame,
A noble’s wedding bell will chime.
The seal will break, twelve Lords returning
Led by one, Adrian reborn
Impexis wielding, secrets learning
Keep watch until the veil is torn.
"Impexis" is Latin for Icicle. It would be Adrian's sword that traveled with the banished nobles. It's a Frostbrand great sword that Radbertus carries.
Very nice! It incorporates the sealed gate being broken, mentions of an item of power which conveys Adrian's authority, possibly references the awakening identity of the ethnic Paschasians.
I'm still not sure who made the prophecy :)
I'm curious as to who the 12 returning lords are supposed to be now, and what is the "noble's wedding" that is talked about.
Some literary feedback? The first stanza scans better with "awakened death", and Paschasius has to be a 4 syllable word to fit the first line of the 3rd stanza. I don't know how to pronounce it :D But you seem to be mostly using an 8-syllable line structure. If you stick to that you might want to use "returned" & "learned" in the last stanza, and you might ( depending on the pronunciation ) add an "is" to the first line of the 3rd stanza.
But overall? I'm impressed with you composition skills! :)
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
Thanks and those are good adjustments you mentioned. I'll make them! Paschasius is pronounced pah.skay.see.us.
Perhaps it's not a natural phenomena that opens the portal but actions on the prime material plane (PMP) side by the faithful Paschasians. Perhaps a possible future rival of Radbertus thinks that she is the prophesied liberator of her people (it's ok if her view on the prophecy is different than Radbertus, or that points are different, as that allows for tension between the two.) She has the respect and ears of both the believers and the non believers among the remaining Paschasians on the PMP. She can be a unifier of the people and either completely at odds with Radbertus, or a possible ally down the road possibly depending on the actions of the PCs.
Perhaps she has hired the PCs to help protect her and her clerics or whatever help she requires to perform the ritual to open the portal and the omens point to this being the proper time. Prince Blythe could have a mole with the party or even heard about this attempt and planted the entire party as effort. Whether he is secretly trying to restore the nobles of the Paschasians to their rightful place, trying to stop their return, or oblivious to the final outcome and simply gathering information could be up to you. This sets up three possible patrons for the party to align with, depending on what they believe, what omens they read, and whether any of them just have the hots for any of the three. Or they are part of the militia that Prince Blythe sends out to stop the ritual but they are held back long enough that the portal is opened and out pours the Paschasian noble army, which all but demolishes the militia aside from the PCs who were separated from the main company and now must sneak back to report the failure to interrupt the ritual and the brutality of the Noble horde.
Thanks these are also fun possibilities. My wife suggested something along these lines. My one question is why would any Paschasian rival of Radbertus want to open the portal? If I could clear that up, this route could make more sense to me.