Stop Making Cartoons: How to Write Villains

"You never bothered to understand.. Just how many have you killed that only sought a better world?"

We’ve all faced "The Big Bad Evil Guy" who wants to rule the world just because they’re evil. But the villains who truly haunt a campaign, the ones players talk about years later, are different. They have vision, they have humanity, and they have agency.

In this video of Whispers From the Phylactery, we break down the anatomy of a memorable villain. It’s not about the stat block; it’s about the philosophy.

In this video, we cover the 5 pillars of great villain design:
00:00 – Intro
01:40 – 1) A Vision, Not Just a Plan (Being the hero of their own story)
05:35 – 2) Humanity in the Darkness (Why one good trait changes everything)
08:45 – 3) A Personal Connection (Moving beyond plot hooks)
12:30 – 4) Agency and Momentum (Why the world must change without the players)
15:40 – 5) Challenging Beliefs (Forcing the party to ask "What do we actually stand for?")
18:30 – Letting Them Lose with Dignity

Whether you are running D&D 5e, Pathfinder, or a homebrew system, these storytelling techniques will help you create antagonists with depth, weight, and emotional impact.

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