[RPG] How to add a recurring fantasy villain without frustrating the players

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I am currently running a campaign which is still in its early stages, and I plan to introduce a recurring villain. However, if the villain is always the main "big bad" behind every session and he gets away, it might be frustrating to the players.

So besides having each session to be focused on the recurring villain, what other ways can I have the PCs cross swords, butt heads and trade snarky insults at the villain without an outright fight (because if a fight breaks out, the characters are likely to lose), but not something that makes the player feels useless?

Some negative examples:

  • Kidnap the PCs and have the villain give a gloating speech while the PCs are tied up
  • Appears before the PCs while somehow invincible
  • While flanked by bodyguards who are too high level for the PCs (perhaps the first meeting – gets old and de-powering if it is always such).

Some examples of what I am looking for:

  • The villain calls the PC (but alas, it's fantasy, no callings. Maybe holograms?)
  • Appears at a distance where the PCs can't reach
  • Responsible for the plan but wasn't the one executing it

Best Answer

You need to give the players a sense of achievement and progress in their battle with the "big bad" or they will become frustrated, keys to this I've found for villains are:

  • Contact Keep contact with the big bad minimal (it'll only go wrong anyway) have them act through minions and seconds like any good overlord should. Any direct social interactions should be very carefully managed as players will do insane things to try and take them out that have no baring on their own survival.
  • Make them feel clever Give the players a chance to outsmart the BB; something where they work out what the BB is doing before their plans can get fully realised, not always last minute stuff - as that gets very cliche.
  • Active not reactive Minions are two a penny; any decent BB has a backstory and people/places/resources that they've known and trusted for years. Let the players find out about them and go out and do something that hurts the BB (freeing a dragon, killing an evil ally, etc) that isn't part of the BB's plans.
  • Progress There will be setbacks, but try and keep them minimal; if the players feel they are never getting anywhere in dealing with the BB then they will get frustrated and give up or do something crazy.

Ideal BB's I've found are the heads of large organisations; such as Kingdoms, Temples, Crime Syndicates. The latter is especially good as you can have a single encounter with the BB as usually noone actually knows who this guy is who sent them on one of their first missions, they they get a delicious "oh no, it was them!" moment later on.
Large organisations are also good because the players have something tangeable to work against, if it's a single bad entity then they can't do anything except against one guy. If it's a crime syndicate organisation then each time they uncover a higher and more important secret cell of workers they get more information, one step closer to the BB and they can feel that they are doing something

Making them hate the BB

Players have loathed enemies I've had for them. Ways I found to trigger this - don't overuse or you'll end up frustrating them and annoying them!

  • Cheat them. Players can be remarkably trusting, an early meet the the villain where he gets them to do something that is a setup (attacking a convoy of "stolen goods" so the evil guy can use the distraction) When they find out later that they were lied to they'll really not like this.
  • Kidnapping and Killing friends. allies. You don't always want to hurt players directly (it's victimization) but if the BB needs their good friend the magic shop owner to make him a MegaFlange of Doom - kidnap him!
  • Despicable acts. Heinous crimes - but make sure they have a reason. If the BB destroys an orphanage maybe it's because he really needed a load of child zombies, mindless evil is hard to relate to.

Don't: Steal stuff - especially magical items that the party has, depowering a player will only nark them off. If you -do- want to steal something from the player make it a personal item (heirloom, painting, etc) that doesn't affect their stats/skills and make sure they can get it back.

Because in the end, the BB is there to make the players feel good about what they're doing and drive them to an inevitable showdown - it just needs to take time.

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