Exemplars of Evil

CHAPTER 1
GREAT
VILLAINS
18
Humble: Shy and unassuming, a humble villain feels
herself to simply be doing the best thing. She is motivated
by deep-seated beliefs and strives her utmost to contribute
to this grander goal. She might be a faithful lieutenant of a
higher villain or truly dedicated to a god or a cause.
Avaricious
Covetous and greedy, an avaricious villain plots to acquire
items that belong to others. She takes risks to steal, and her
mind is usually on what she can gain from any situation.
These villains are usually chaotic.
Generous: A generous villain steal, kills, and does horrible
things in order to acquire wealth, but then does not
hold fast to these gains. The villain’s family, friends, and
even acquaintances are showered with gifts. Servants are
paid well. Charities receive large contributions. Stolen
artwork might be donated to museums. A generous villain
glosses over murder, torture, theft, and other crimes and
thinks only of how an acquired item or money would make
a perfect gift.
Cruel
A cruel villain derives pleasure from the suffering of others.
Sadistic and merciless, she causes harm and pain merely for
the sake of doing so. As might be expected, cruel villains
are always evil.
Kind: A kind villain feels that what she’s doing is a service
for her victims. She might be an assassin who murders people
because she believes that “life is pain” and by killing them,
she’s sending them on to a better place in the afterlife or next
life. A kind thief might believe that wealth makes people
miserable because they focus only on money. By financially
devastating a rich family, the thief gives them the opportunity
to reassess their values, rely on each other, and become
better people.
Duplicitous
Duplicitous villains are liars, cheats, and traitors. They
honor no alliances or bonds of friendship and use other
people to serve their needs. Duplicitous villains are always
chaotic.
Trustworthy: A trustworthy villain’s word is her bond.
Such a villain might promise to aid someone in acquiring
a powerful weapon. She also might sell the information
about the weapon’s whereabouts to a rival organization, if
she never promised not to tell anyone else about it. Or, if
the agreement is simply to help someone get the weapon,
once that obligation is fulfilled, she then might try to take
it from that individual. Devils are the ultimate example of
this personality trait in a villain. Trustworthy villains are
always lawful.
Envious
Incensed by the success of others, envious villains belittle the
accomplishments of everyone around them, while secretly
wishing to achieve the same things for themselves. Envious
villains are often evil.
Complimentary: Generally self-confident, a complimentary
villain hands out praise when it’s deserved. She’ll
compliment the rogue who bypassed the traps she used to
protect her hideaway. She’ll exalt the fighting expertise that
took out her guardian golems. If she survives to face the PCs
again, she’ll cheerfully set up harder and harder challenges
to protect herself, while admiring the PCs’ tenacity.
Gluttonous
Gluttonous villains consume more than their share and
hoard treasures to deprive others of the chance to enjoy them.
They frequently stockpile food, drink, and wealth, but they
can also hoard resources or the attentions of a companion.
Gluttons are always evil.
Moderate: A moderate villain blends easily into society.
Without grand passions or vices, she lives a fairly ordinaryseeming
life. She doesn’t hoard wealth, get drunk, or flaunt
her talents. Her coworkers or neighbors assume her to be
a simple clerk. She is perceived as boring. Searching her
home reveals nothing unusual or exciting. She is never
the topic of gossip or bards’ tales. Only when committing
crimes does she step outside this seemingly faultless and
mundane life.
Intolerant
Intolerant villains refuse to accept the customs, values, and
beliefs of other people and choose to persecute them for their
differences. They might react to someone who is dissimilar
with malice, laughter, or violence. Intolerant villains are
always lawful.
Tolerant: A tolerant villain benefits from diverse groups
of lackeys and hirelings. She recruits folk from a variety
of races and allegiances. It is in her employ that a half-orc
warrior leads a band of gnolls supported by a human cleric
and a pixie scout. As long as the folk she uses are loyal to
her and her cause, she doesn’t care who they are or where
they come from.
Lascivious
Fueled by sexual desire, lascivious villains are driven by
bodily impulses and ardent for physical gratification. They
speak in innuendos and double entendres, and they are
aggressive in matters of the flesh. These characters are
often chaotic.
Chaste: A villain who focuses on chastity eschews sex and
physical pleasure. She avoids lewd speech and provocative
clothing. In extreme cases, she seeks to remove all potential
temptations from her world, perhaps assassinating anyone
who so much as seeks to flirt with her.
Mad
Mad villains might have any number of mental ailments,
ranging from paranoia and delusions to psychotic behavior.
Their erratic and sometimes hostile actions can repel others
quickly. Mad villains are usually chaotic.
Logical: A villain who relies on logic is consistent and
sensible. Impassionate and unemotional, she makes decisions
based on facts and information.
Manipulative
Manipulative villains exploit and use people. They let others
take risks on their behalf, coercing them with false promises
and lies. These villains are usually evil.
Direct: “Here’s what’s going to happen . . .” is the typical
approach of a direct villain. She’ll tell you exactly what she