Who is in Your Character's Rogues' Gallery?

Folks who've been watching my social media feed have no doubt noticed that I'm moving over a lot of my old Pathfinder character conversions. From horror shows like Jason Voorhees and Ghost Rider, to Badasses of History like Harriet Tubman, my hope is to get the majority of my guides freshly updated, and secure in their new home over in my Vocal archive.

However, it's while I was updating two of the most popular Marvel favorites Captain America and Spider-Man that something occurred to me. Something that I'd never thought of before in the context of character design, but which struck me as a great way to figured out who your character is, and what they stand for.

Give them a rogues' gallery, and see who crops up.

This block... yeah, this is where they put my guys.

What Is A Rogues' Gallery, And How Can It Help You?

If you're a comic book fan the concept of the rogues' gallery is no doubt already familiar to you, but we'll lay it out for folks who may not have heard the term before. Generally speaking, the term refers to a collection of photographs of people who have been arrested as criminals. Whether it's a group of Wanted posters on the wall, a collection of mug shots, etc., the idea is that you get all your villains in one place so you can really take them all in.

As a story construct, though, a rogues' gallery helps you figure out more things about your character. Because if you've ever taken a stand for something, chances are good you've made yourself a few enemies here and there. Even if you don't wear your underwear on the outside (and if you're curious as to why so many costumed crime fighters do that, you'll find the answer in Why Do Superheroes Wear Their Underwear on The Outside?).

"Billy and me... we got what you might call a history."

 

We've all had those characters who swore vengeance on some unspecific enemy. You know, the one who said they were going to slay dragons because a dragon burned down their village, or to hunt down bandits because their father was a merchant killed on the road by an outlaw gang, and so on, and so forth. But how often has a character had specific sworn enemies, with names, histories, and lives of their own?

And, more importantly, how often have you seen a PC that had specific enemies, but whose life wasn't entirely consumed by those enemies?

That, you see, is the kicker. For while a rogues' gallery can be an important element of who your character is, it shouldn't be the entirety of their character. The character needs to stand on their own, while this adds a little spice to their story.

It's Possible To Have Too Much of a Good Thing

Think of famous characters with prominent rogues' galleries. Batman. The Flash. Spider-Man. Dick Tracy, if we want to get one of the OGs up in here. While their antagonists lent them character, and contributed to their stories, they weren't the entirety of their characters.

Rather, villains can be used to show different aspects of a character, and to give us a deeper look into who they are, and why they do what they do.

And sometimes, it gives us fun, recurring antagonists.

 

For example, putting a character like Two-Face against Batman helps show the inherent dual nature of the crime fighter/child of privilege. Darkseid is an individual for whom might makes right, and opposing him is more a battle of morals than of thews for Superman. Every time Spider-Man has clashed with Venom, it's like looking into a blackened mirror at something he could have allowed himself to become.

You get the idea.

However, you don't have to get that deep with it. Just remember that your villains should highlight something about your character, and flesh out some part of their story. Perhaps your sorcerer used their powers to smash the influence of a cult in their town, but many of the black robes escaped and have sworn vengeance on them. Maybe your fighter came from common stock, and though they're strong and skilled, they've made enemies of the Silverchaste family, who hide behind their noble births and knighthoods to cover their own shady dealings. Your barbarian might have double-crossed Red Johnny Hack, and though he didn't swing from the gallows, the bandit king has been plotting his revenge from behind the stone walls of Stillbarrow.

Because who your villains are is only part of the story. Why you oppose them, and how you defeated them (through guile and cunning, skill and strength, by refusing to compromise your ideals, etc.) is just as important.

Well, that, and they give the DM something to work with when adding important NPCs to help tie your character and your story to the campaign. Especially when you consider that your enemies are part of your reputation and history. More on that in Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend, for those who are interested.

Looking For Some Inspiration?

If you're looking for some villains to add to your character's rogues' gallery, and you find yourself coming up dry, might I suggest glancing through the following supplements by yours truly?

- 100 Random Bandits to Meet: From big-named bandit lords to small-time highwaymen, this collection's got a little bit of everything. It was also my second supplement to go Silver, if that tells you anything.

- 100 Pirates to Encounter: From seabound necromancers to cannibal buccaneers, there's all sorts of scalawags and scoundrels in this one. Bad fellows to fall afoul of, and plenty of enemies for those who've ever been through a port town.

- 100 Prisoners For a Fantasy Jail: If your rogues' gallery is currently behind bars, then there are all sorts of villains to choose from here. Illicit alchemists, crazed killers, depraved assassins, and one individual possessed by a demon. Can't go wrong, here!

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That's all for this week's Fluff post. If you've used alignment restrictions to create interesting story results, tell us how in the comments below!

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