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Everyone likes surprises, andDungeons & Dragonsplayers are no different. Sometimes, it makes sense to have an obvious antagonist who telegraphs their evil with every interaction. However, that’s not the only way to create a villain. ‘Secret Villains’ are antagonists the players don’t initially realize are the ‘bad guys.’
Cinema, TV, and books have all used this technique effectively. (OK, Scoobie Doo might be a little ham-fisted with its secrets.) Films like The Usual Suspects and The Wicker Man are famous for keeping viewers guessing and then turning their expectations on their heads. A secret villain hits hardest when it’s someone the players truly don’t suspect.
What Is A Secret Villain?
Secret villains (sometimes called “hidden villains”) are a trope film, TV, and novel writers use to subvert their audiences' expectations. The trope works by keeping the antagonist completely hidden, misdirecting the audience into believing the villain is just another low-level grunt. They might also have a trusted character turn bad at the right moment.
Secret villains also work in D&D campaigns. A skilled DM can make the players trust the wrong person or trick them into seeing only a thug where there’s really a despot. Before the campaign begins, it’s important to figure out major plot details (like who the bad guy is). The players won’t get much story satisfaction from you randomly selecting an NPC and claiming they were the bad guys all along.
A good secret villain may arouse suspicion from time to time. But before the big reveal, the players should never feel certain they’ve identified the villain. Generally speaking, secret villains fall into three categories:
How To Implement A Secret Villain
Some DMs use Dungeon Master Player Characters (DMPCs) as their secret villains.The difference between a non-playable character (NPC) and a DMPC is that the DMPC is part of the adventuring party.A secret villain like thiscanwork. But DMPCs are disliked by many players and DMs.
DMPC secret villains present several problems.One issue is that it’s hard to tread the path of both player and DM. When your DMPC is successful, you risk resentment from the other players. When your DMPC fails at a task, you risk a different kind of resentment. You don’t want your players to depend on a DMPC or resent the presence of one. Use DMPCs cautiously.
Another issue is that players have expectations of a DMPC.These DM-controlled characters are usually mercenaries or other adventurers who get bound up with the party for plot reasons.Having this kind of character turn out to be a traitor can be an excellent plot twist. But it must make sense.
The DM needs to create some prior scenarios that now force the player to think:Ah, yes. Of course, she was the bad guy all along.It can’t feel like an arbitrary “gotcha” moment. The hidden villain might disappear unexpectedly from time to time, know slightly more details about a crime than they should, or act nervous around certain topics.
Hidden Villain Ideas
There are countless ways to introduce a secret villain.The best ones have long tails of clues the player sees in a new light after the reveal.The best camouflage for a secret villain is a pre-existing evil force for the party to focus on. Most players will miss a carefully disguised bad guy NPC when there’s a glaringly obvious evil in front of them.
A skillful DM can also lay the trail of clues that initially point to either the wrong person or a lesser bad guy.
Role
Wealthy Noble Patron
The noble patron of the party can give quests, information, and guidance.Make it obvious to the party that the bad guy has massive resources.This is a subtle clue but doesn’t point directly at anyone.
As you want to reveal more, have this wealthy noble disappear at the same time as crimes or murders occur.
Local Innkeeper
The party typically grows to trust the innkeeper of the local tavern. Playing this character as an affable, simple person can be fun. Get the party to lower their guard and talk to the innkeeper openly.
Then, have the party ambushed or surprised using information only the innkeeper could possibly know.
Captain of the Guard
Like the local innkeeper, the captain of the guard oftenfeels likea trustworthy quest-giver.This is what makes them perfect as a secret villain. The captain could be a traitor to his whole militia, sending his lieutenant soldiers to die fighting those whom he’s allied with.
Clues could involve official papers, sigils, brooches, or weapons issued by the militia.
Low-Level Thug
Low-level thugs work as secret villains because the DM can include them in interactions with the apparent bad guy.The burly (and seemingly unintelligent) bodyguard makes a great hidden villain.
Especially if the party first defeats the obvious bad guy, believing their goal is achieved.
DMPC
DMPC hidden villains can work great but require some finesse.The character’s false reason for joining the party should feel compelling enough to be believable.
