First Example
Another GM recently was in need for a villain in Al’Anfa and asked me to help her. She eventually went with a modified version of this as she preferred to have her villain with a rather obvious demon-pact but for this exercise I will go through the initial, more subtle version.
Please note that this villain is not a combat encounter, she could die rather quickly in a direct confrontation. Her strength lies in the social manipulation of others.
I will include reasoning behind some of my choices to guide through the process. I will be using the TDE core rule book, Aventuria Compendium, Magic of Aventuria and Gods of Aventuria today.
Basic idea
Today’s villain should be manipulative person to start with, so a cat witch originating from one of the Grandes families of Al’Anfa sound like a good idea. (Grandes are incredibly wealthy and influential families in Al’Anfa)
To give her a bit more exotic touch but staying in a trope already established for the Grandes of Al’Anfa let’s make her a half elven illegitimate daughter, feeling betrayed about her inheritance, deciding to use her skills to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle and planning intrigue against her family and really anyone else (insert heroes here) in her way. Her ambitions led her to join a circle of the Cultists of Naaghot-Shaar and after a while she sacrificed her sense of pity to the Nameless One and thus became a Blessed One of her god.
Initial Character
Let’s start with the half elven cat witch Valeria Delazar from Al’Anfa to represent her life before she turned fully evil. I chose to build her initially as a masterly experienced character.
So, we have 105 Attributes to a maximum of 16 and skills and combat techniques to a maximum of 16 as well and I am using 1620 AP for her at this stage (and I will save a copy for future use without the added Nameless Cultist)
Valeria is a good looking, socially adaptable spellcaster that inspires confidence but also short tempered, vengeful and vain.
As a half elf we can pick one attribute exceeding the starting limit of 16 so Charisma at 17 sounds like a good choice, it’s the primary attribute of the Witch tradition and features often in social skills.
Her main focus is on social skills including specialisations in manipulation and subterfuge and suitable other special abilities that support social skills.
Enter the Cult
Now we spend a number of extra AP (500 AP) to add the (dis)advantages blessed one and also obligations and principles.
Also added are special abilities and liturgies and ceremonies.
As she belongs to the cult of Naaghot-Shaar she will gain as liturgical style special ability to more easily summon servants of the master by spells, rituals, ceremonies or liturgies. As she didn’t dabble into summoning while still only a witch we will take suitable liturgies to make use of this.
Use
Valeria is ideal as a villain for a socially focused campaign in Al’Anfa. She could also be inserted into a small arc in any southern Aventuria campaign: Unbeknownst to the heroes they thwart one of Valeria’s schemes, probably by accident and they might not even fully realise they are on the receiving end of her ire. It starts maybe with being a victim of arbitrary authority and the more the heroes fight against it, it will escalate until they are in mortal danger and need to find out who is after them before it’s too late.
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