Powerful Adversaries
I found some good gaming tips before, but only posted the links in the past. Now some of those links are dead. So, I'm posting the whole article this time so I don't lose it.
Powerful Adversaries (As Posted in the Palladium Boards)
As you all know, sometimes, one of the hardest things for a GM to do is create a truly frightening boss. While this job is certainly made easier if the GM is considerably cleverer than his players are, however, at times I have found one problem many GM's have, rookies especially, is coming up with genuine challenges within the confines of the rules.
Therefore, in order to help any GM's out there looking for ways to challenge the APS Metal Invulnerable Regenerating super tanks or Robot with more built-in weapons than a southern gun shop. I will post here a list of advice and tips I have learned over my years of GMing for making even Rule-based bosses powerful and dangerous for an overconfident party.
Please note this advice is specifically for making what could be called "big bosses" or recurring villains. I'm not going to list tips for good "encounters" -- These are specifically for making sure the guy behind the guy behind the guy behind the mooks are threatening, and likely to stick around for quite a while (Or, for those who play games where the villains always escape to fight another day, indefinitely)
Also, in addition, I will over the next while, Post various, specific examples of rule-valid yet highly threatening NPC's--ones enough to give even a freshly minted mega hero reason for concern.
1. Bosses are experienced--use that to your advantage! Being level 8+ means more than just an extra 8d6 HP and +40% to most skills. It means you have not only been around the block, you have explored most of the nooks and crannies and carved out a nice place for yourself. Experienced NPC's are established. They are certainly having access to more than starting equipment. Remember, "Little" bonuses add up. This largely depends on what the villain’s specialty is.
Magic-based villains are, perhaps, the easiest to use correctly. Give them spells like Talisman and Amulet (or for mystic object characters, have them have a benefactor that has further rewarded them with such). Do remember that the little bonuses added up quickly become big bonuses. Also, make sure they have talismans avaible, which will allow them rapid access to highly useful spells without needing to move outwardly. Remember, talismans can be triggered by thought alone, so even if pinned and gagged, unless they are stripped they can still have a few tricks up their sleeve! Have Mystic Armor ready to go. Flesh to Stone can be a highly effective--a singled failed save can take a PC out of the fight instantly, even invulnerable heavy hitters. Dominate is relatively low level and devastatingly useful--Not simply for turning on PC's to fight, but because you can force them to answer ANY question with total honesty. Why simply turn him to fight when you can lure him away from the shadows and learn everyone's weaknesses? In addition, let us not forget, while you cannot make them commit suicide, they do not get a save if they do not know something is going to be fatal. For example, telling them to walk in a room is always okay if they do not know about the pit trap with acid there. For speed demons, Befuddle is second level and ridiculously useful. Cut Attacks per melee in half and make them liable to forget what they're trying to do. Astral Projection can be a highly useful spying tool. If the party has no one to see the invisible, they automatically get unlimited license to know everything the party is doing. If you allow spells from other Palladium games, things like Mental Shock can be crippling in a close fight if they succeed their save and can automatically remove the party's Juggernaut from action on a failure. A good magic user doesn’t NEED to have any damaging spells to win fights against tanks. They just have to be smart.
Psionics Villains are a bit harder to work with. There are only a limited number of psionics avaible in palladium compared to spells, and many of them are "buffs" that improve your abilities moderately too greatly but relatively little that is useful on powerful opponents. Still, what there is can be devastating if used properly.
Super Telekinesis is a classic for a prepared villain. For example, any newly minted psychic can throw a car with their mind. An established villain can throw a car at with a trunk full of Nitro Glycerin at someone. In addition, throwing the party tank INTO the party ranged guy never gets old. Ever.
Bio-manipulation is probably one psionics that needs no help, but I’ll mention it anyway. If your villain isn't trying to Paralyze and/or blind every PC with a save vs. psionics less than 5 from the shadows before the battle even begins, you’re doing something wrong.
Telekinetic force field is a great defensive power. What's often overlooked is its utility in hamstringing their movements. Simply drop a TK force field around the opposing party instead of their own. Now not only do they still have to do enough damage to get though before they can damage you--they are trapped inside the shield while your villain is free to walk around and do things. Like finish his plan. Or throw the switch. Or finish making his evil speech--whatever it is he wants to do. And when the time comes to run, it's great for blocking the path to follow him.
Astral Projection is just as useful for spying for psychics as it is for mages.
Empathetic transmission is great for ending battles before they even begin. A lucky save can make some or all PC members run away in fear. Trust is perhaps the most useful; however, as they can make the PC's believe whatever sob story they can come up with to excuse their actions. Or even better, convince them an even bigger threat is nigh--from someone incontinent to them
Hypnotic suggestion is great for long term planning. A simple order to "shoot the president" won't make them immediately go out hunting--but if they ever cross paths, it's bound to tie the PC's up for quite a while dealing with the fallout. Even if they can explain innocence, it provides an opening for the villain to make a move while the entire nation is distracted...
Invention Characters are at once the easiest and hardest to make do with. On the one hand, given enough time and money (and sense we're dealing with Established big bosses, they will always either have or work for an organization with plenty of both), they make a machine to do pretty much whatever they want. On the other hand, how hard or easy these are to deal with depends more on the GM's creativity than the character themselves. Perhaps the most unlimited, being able to make an item for any situation whatsoever, it then falls on the GM to plan ahead and make things to deal with the party. However, it is possible to give an Arsenal of things, things so self respecting Genius would do without
That they should have armor goes without saying. This doesn’t necessarily have to be worn by them; however, they could easily have a Robot NPC working for them, that, also as an experienced NPC, will have a robot with a much larger budget, improved over time. Likewise, they should have either military heavy weaponry or invented equivalents. Things like high-powered armor piercing rounds on long burst can quickly deal 80-200 damage, easily, and that's per melee attack. Now if your genius has had some time, replace Automatic Rifle Turrets with hypersonic armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot depleted uranium long rod penetrators. Sure, it'll only get off three shots a round. Better dodge 'em or take 2d6*100 damage a shot. Those things take out actual tanks in one it.
All that leads to the general advice of their Base. Their base, of course, being a high tech super fortress that the Genius spends the majority of his time in. A patient party can always try to wait for the rare times they come out into the light of day, and they should be designed to make that an attractive option. As these fortresses vary so widely in design and purpose I’ll leave it to the individual GM's to come up with the exact types. However, the defenses of such places should always involve things like "Automatic Weapon Fire" "High Explosives" and "Lots of guards with Automatic weapons and high explosives". And just a few "Robots with really big automatic weapons and even bigger explosives" This ain't the dreamer tinkering in his basement and dreaming of owning the world one day, no. This is the guy who gives James Bond gear. As these guys are physically frail, their primary motive is in avoiding actually meeting the party at all costs. They rely more on minions than about any other class. The difference is their minions are significantly better armed and armored than other villains minions. They should always have at least one Bodyguard of any type Special Training type 3 levels lower than they are that is their personal bodyguard who is with them almost all the time, given a variety of high tech armor and weapons to make them much tougher. And they should always have, on them, Smoke grenade equivalents, clothing body armor with no less than 200 SDC and AR of 15, and a jet pack. Remember--paranoia isn't insane if the party really is out to get them.
Special training classes are, without exception, the hardest to use effectively against mega level heroes. They don't have many real powers, and they don't have access to the vast, advanced level of weaponry avaible to the genius classes--their equipment is special military grade at best. The answer is simple: Give them Friends. A Special Training who works for a Genius suddenly gains enough high-grade equipment to be a significant threat. One who is friends with a mage can have some magical goodies on him for a surprise. Remember, these will be guys who have been around and have picked up more than a bit along the way.
That's one option. The other option is even simpler. Fight Dirty. I don't mean the usual villain dirty--they have to be extra careful. Use the fact the hero's probably don't know their secret identity any more than he knows theirs to his advantage. Have him stake out their place, watch their movements.
Have his plans be short, swift, and brutal. He can't last in a sustained fight. His plans should be getting in and get out before the PC's can get their bearings. Some useful tips:
Gasses. Such villains should make liberal use of toxic attacks, flash-bang grenades, Tranquilizer guns, anything that gives them an Edge. They should then layer such. Drop a smoke grenade first to blind the party. Then drop a tear gas to make them loose their bearings. Then have them (in gas mask and thermal goggles), start sniping them with Tranquilizer darts and make them save each hit. They should never move in for the kill or capture until everyone has at least -8 on all actions and -50% to skills. These are, probably, the hardest ones to deal with invulnerable characters, as there's little they can do to them. This, really, has no easy solution, as characters like this are exactly what Invulnerability is designed to fight. If so, have the villain avoid direct confrontations. Why fight when they know they’re going to lose? Plan their plots around misdirection. Done properly, the party will never know his true intentions until AFTER he already got what he wanted. Congratulations on foiling the bomb at City hall, too bad for you all I wanted was to break into the vault at Mindwerks to get this new super weapon... (Which then, of course, will be something useful against the party
Robotic characters are probably the easiest to beef up. Three Words. More. Is. Better. More attributes, more armor, more guns! More more more. And more friends, too. More people in good armor and automatic weapons at my back. More gas ejectors and chemical sedatives. The exact formula for their budget really shouldn't matter, but by level 10, a robotic character, rather power armor pilot, cyborg, android, or vehicle, should have more hidden devices and weapons than a military stockpile. Like special training characters, they can do little to invulnerable characters. Unlike them, just because they can't kill them doesn’t mean they can't fight them. They should have enough armor to take a beating and still keep coming back, and just because punches don't hurt them doesn’t mean they can't knock them for a loop costing them attacks. At this point, their primary purpose is to hold off the party while their minions accomplish their plans, and then make a getaway. Remember, the goal isn't usually to KILL the party; it's to finish their evil plan. With cunning, planning, luck, and lots of firepower, they can stall things until their plans come to fruition. [b]note[/b], a robotics villain who allies himself with a genius villain is probably the most devastating combo in the game, as there really is no limit to what gear they can make or what they can accomplish. Their greatest vulnerability is, typically, another robotics character or tank super powered character, which can dish out enough damage to force them to withdraw before their plan is complete.
Last, but hardly least, are the super powered villains. Classics, they can be surprisingly difficult to make increasingly threatening at higher levels. For starters, most powers don't really improve as the villain grows in experience. A large variety of powers provides one time bonuses and modest increases in levels. Others see noticeable increases in utility, such as direct damage powers like the various EE powers, while many others provide a strongly useful benefit but little more than modest increases in range and duration as they level. Lastly, there are so many superpowers that provide so many options; there is no standard set of strengths and weaknesses for them. The best and I feel most elegant solution is to simply have them, whatever their powers, acquire...friends. Super powered villains are the most likely of all to form a "league" or alliance with other types of villains or even other super powered villains. No matter what area their strength lies, they will have dozens of things they can't do well. Don't be afraid to use Leagues in your game. Also: established super powered villains will have been successful enough to have their own Fortress's of Doom. These will be more modestly outfitted than, say, an analytical genius’s fortress, but whatever their weaknesses it will be designed to compensate for them. Also, make sure they have many minions. A bunch of guys running around with pistols may only be modest threats to powerful heroes, but sometimes a distraction is all it takes. They are also likely to devise traps that play to their strengths. Villains know what their weaknesses are, and so they work so as to not allow them to come into play. Give them Friends, and they'll be OK.
That's all for now. More advice, and of course, criticism on my advice is welcome
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