Sentinel Comics RPG Core Rulebook

Creating Villains
Creating villains sits in between creating heroes
and creating all the other scene elements we’ve
covered so far. Like heroes, villains have powers,
qualities, a status die (though a villain’s status
often works differently than heroes), Health, and
abilities. A villain is considered “minor” if just using
their base stats, such as when making a minor
appearance, working in a team with other villains,
or not intended for prolonged combat. A full villain
has the same stats, plus one or more upgrades that
increase the villain’s effectiveness versus an entire
team of heroes.
The Process
• Come up with a concept
• Choose a villain’s approach on pages 208-219:
a villain’s core stats, plus how they enact their
villainous goals when confronting the heroes
• Assign powers using the list on page 47
• Assign qualities using the list on page 47
• Assign abilities from their approach
• Choose a villain’s archetype on pages 220-234:
the general method of how they operate as a
villain, what drives them, and what they care
about in an action scene
• Gain status dice from their archetype
• Assign abilities from their archetype
• Add upgrades on pages 235-238 (optional)
• Add a villainous mastery on page 238 (optional)
• Determine Health total on page 239 by adding
up the values from their approach, archetype,
times 5, and any upgrades
• Add finishing touches
Villain Approaches
Quick Reference
Not One True Build of a Villain
Just like the characteristics used in hero creation
(Chapter 3), there are lots of different ways to build
villains in Sentinel Comics. Just because we’ve built
villains in The Archives (Chapter 7) using certain
approaches and archetypes, doesn’t mean that
those same villains couldn’t be represented in
other ways. The approaches and archetypes aren’t
restrictions so much as guidelines to help you build
the villain you need for the story you’re telling. If you
have a recurring villain that changes what they do
over their various appearances, feel free to change
out their approach and archetype as needed.
Concept
Just who is this villain you’re making for your game?
Is she a brilliant inventor, greedy for power, with
an array of bizarre robotic followers? Or is he a
demented mind-burglar who seeks to turn the
heroes against each other? Or are they some
unknowable foe who sews chaos and destruction,
but to what end? These are the sorts of seeds that
can grow into a complete villain over this process.
Don’t be afraid to let your concept shift throughout
the creation process, altering your villain’s story to
fit the mechanics or scenes you’re building.
Villain Approaches
A villain’s approach informs how they accomplish
their goals. Villain approaches give them powers
and qualities, as well as abilities that wield those
powers and qualities in an action scene. Choose
one of the approaches on the chart for your villain.
Each villain gets a roleplaying quality, just like
heroes do! See Chapter 3, page 121 for more info.
Name Powers Qualities Health Page
Adaptive
Suggested: Power Suit, Robotics,
Shapeshifting, Size-Changing
and roleplaying quality
Suggested: Creativity, Science,
Self-Discipline, Technology
15 210
Ancient
Suggested: Cosmic, Infernal,
Presence, Vitality
and roleplaying quality
Suggested: History, Insight, Magical Lore,
Otherworldly Mythos
30 210
Bully
Suggested: Fire, Presence,
Strength, Vitality
and roleplaying quality
Suggested: Criminal Underworld Info,
Close Combat, Fitness, Imposing
25 211
208
Creating Villains