What is a good motivator for a villain in a fantasy setting?

Discussion in 'Setting Development' started by Leleluv, Jun 22, 2021.

  1. ThunderAngel

    ThunderAngel Contributor Contributor

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    A misguided sense of good is a great motivator. A villian that sees him/herself as some kind of problem-solver, but with an "ends justifies the means" mentality.
     
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  2. Whitecrow

    Whitecrow Active Member

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    What if the villain is aware that the zombie epidemic began with a magician who just wanted to defeat death (perhaps even his fault). To make people stop dying, but everything went wrong.

    What if he now thinks that people shouldn't be doing magic. What if he believes that magic is evil that people feel like they understand and control it.

    What if he leaves everything in such a deplorable state and even worsens the situation, so that people have a reminder of the harm and danger of magic. So that subsequent generations do not go where it is not worth it. What if he believes he is saving humanity and its future.


    We both know the stories of Nobel and Einstein. What they wanted to invent for the good of mankind, but whose inventions were turned into weapons of war, death, suffering and destruction.

    This fact brought them both great suffering.
    The principle is the same here. It doesn't matter with what good intentions you want to use magic. Nothing guarantees that someone else will not use your spells for evil purposes.

    Einstein: "It is not known what they will fight in the third world war, but in the fourth they will fight with stones and sticks."
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2021
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  3. Leleluv

    Leleluv Member

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    That last idea is very similar to what I've plotted to happen. You're first paragraph is also what I'm leaning towards in terms of a motivator. I think this thread has been great in giving suggestions.
     
  4. MetalGrave

    MetalGrave Member

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    Best thing to remember a villain like this, always believes he is doing the right thing.

    My two of my favorite villain quotes are.

    "I see his hands (the hero) covered my children's blood. Why do you call this murderer a savior."

    "Why do they fear me and champion him." (the hero).
     
  5. naruzeldamaster

    naruzeldamaster Senior Member

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    I love the idea of the 'idiot' villain.

    All the power to rend reality asunder.

    But somehow his plans keep failing no matter how elaborate. Because the protagonists keep rolling nat20's on their skill checks.

    Or maybe the villain wasn't the real villain after all, and all his evil spells were just draining the real villain of their power.

    I'm doing that one for my original story. The Villain is really a good guy draining the dragon lord of his power so that when he did return he'd be weak enough that the heroes can face him.
     
  6. Keongxi

    Keongxi Member

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    Oops. I made a mistake in my original post
    What I meant to say was actually " the ends justify the (most horrible) means" but I wrote it backwards/opposite.
     
  7. Fervidor

    Fervidor Senior Member

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    Like I said, had a lot of potential.

    It's just, like, there's something inherently insecure about a story that has to make a joke out of everything. I've seen that a bit too often in real life, with deeply broken people who refuse to ever take anything seriously, because they use humor as a defense mechanism so they never have to face criticism for their actual feelings and values. It just sorta unnerves me.

    The Adventure Time setting would have kicked ass if the writers just allowed the characters to act realistically and express genuine emotions once in a while. Jokes are fun, don't get me wrong, but they need a bit of drama for contrast.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2021
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  8. Leleluv

    Leleluv Member

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    Can't argue that.
     
  9. making tracks

    making tracks Active Member

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    Maybe they start off trying to end slavery by replacing slaves with beings they perceive as inanimate? Then they could get greedy and deplete resources to dangerous levels, or get corrupted by the power they get from controlling so much of the population's labour. Or maybe the dead aren't quite as much of a shell as people think, and as this becomes apparent the villain refuses to stop treating them that way.
     
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  10. making tracks

    making tracks Active Member

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    When I was at uni our psych lecturer told us there was no difference between the two and it was just a pop culture thing, but I've also heard a lot to contradict that since and I'm never sure what answers are from researched psychology versus pop psychology.

    She did also say that sociopaths often do well in competitive businesses and can be high level managers and CEOs of companies, and people wouldn't necessarily know they are sociopaths because being a bit ruthless and good at manipulation can be a career plus in certain competitive environments.

    I'm sceptical of anything saying definitively that one is born and one made, as the nature vs nurture debate is so complex with so many unknowns I don't think they could say for sure, though there may be indications one is more than another. I am far from an expert though!
     
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  11. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    I've been accused as such but the doctor said my noodle was healthy, empathetic, and nice.
     
  12. making tracks

    making tracks Active Member

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    Ha! Just to clear up what I said - I don't mean anyone who displays any of those traits (or is a manager or CEO...) is automatically a sociopath / psychopath!
     
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  13. Mullanphy

    Mullanphy Banned

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    Whatever the Protagonist's motivation is the villain generally opposes it.

    • If the hero wants to free the slaves, the villain wants to keep them in slavery for personal economic benefit, or just because he likes seeing others suffer.
    • If the hero wants the girl, the villain wants her, too, maybe for true love, probably so the hero can't have her, or to get her millions of dollars after he kills her
    • If the good guy wants to build a business empire based on ecologically sound practices, the bad guy wants to destroy the business because he is a lumberjack
     
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  14. Le gribouilleur

    Le gribouilleur Active Member

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    Maybe the villain stops the war without realizing that one of the fighting factions is truly evil. The leader of this faction is doing evil things within his or her own territory. At the same time, the evil leader prepares for another war and waits for the villain's minions to leave. The villain thinks that the job is done and makes the minions leave. The evil leader invades during the other faction's holiday, which is when a lot of this faction's soldiers have gone to meet their families...
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2021
  15. Friedrich Kugelschreiber

    Friedrich Kugelschreiber marshmallow Contributor

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    lol, sounds like the mistrust of magic was well-founded.
     
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  16. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Magical Malpractice!
     
  17. Vanna Heller

    Vanna Heller Banned

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    Other obligations blinding good intentions?
     

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