Villain Design Worksheet
A compelling villain isn't just a powerful enemy — they're a force with a goal, a logic, and a plan that unfolds whether the heroes engage with it or not. This worksheet helps you build that structure before play begins.
The Core Question
What does the villain want, and why can't they just have it?
Answer this before anything else. The answer drives every other decision.
Villain Design Template
Use a copy of this template per villain or major antagonist.
Name:
Concept (one sentence — who they are and what they represent):
The Scheme
Goal (the endgame — what the world looks like if they win):
Method (how they're pursuing it — what's actively happening in the world):
Why now? (what has changed recently that set this plan in motion):
Motivation & Worldview
What do they believe? (the internal logic that makes their plan feel right to them):
What do they want that they can't admit? (the hidden need underneath the stated goal):
What would make them stop? (the condition under which they'd abandon the scheme — even villains have limits):
Lieutenants & Assets
| Name | Role | Location | What makes them dangerous |
|---|
Resources (what the villain has access to — armies, information, money, artifacts, political influence):
The Plan's Phases
Villains should be doing things whether or not the heroes intervene. Map out 3–4 phases of the plan.
| Phase | What happens | What the heroes might see | What stops it |
|---|
If the heroes do nothing, the villain advances through these phases on a rough timeline.
Relationship to the Heroes
What does the villain know about the heroes?
How do they regard the heroes? (threat / tool / irrelevance / grudging respect):
When do the heroes first encounter evidence of them?
When do they first meet face to face?
The Off-Screen Clock
Each session, decide what phase the villain is in and what they've done since last session. Even if the heroes never learn about it, it makes the world feel alive.
Example: The Empire of Isley
Name: The Emperor Isley (and his children acting as extensions of his will)
Concept: A dying empire reaching for immortality through force, dragging every nation it touches into its final, desperate expansion.
Goal: Consolidate control over the western continent before internal collapse. Specifically: bring Castanas under tribute, neutralise the Forest of Elion as a resistance base, and recover the six Imperial Artifacts currently scattered across the region.
Method: Diplomatic pressure backed by military demonstration. The Isley children each pursue a different theatre — Eris handles intelligence (Brand), Lamid handles cold coercion (Frostbite), Maedhrosaer handles contested territory (Thorn), Cecil handles elimination (Devour).
Why now? The Emperor is dying. His heirs are jockeying for position. Whoever consolidates the most territory before he dies holds the succession.
What do they believe? Order is the only thing standing between civilisation and collapse. The Empire imposes order. Therefore the Empire must survive at any cost.
What do they want that they can't admit? The Emperor wants to be remembered. He is terrified of dying and being forgotten.
What would make them stop? A demonstrated succession — if one heir clearly dominates, the scramble ends. Or: evidence that the artefacts are too dangerous to collect.
Lieutenants:
| Name | Role | Location | Dangerous because |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eris Isley | Intelligence / Brand | Castanas (covert) | Knows things before they happen |
| Lamid Isley | Northern coercion / Frostbite | Khazaraz border | Willing to do what others won't |
| Maedhrosaer Isley | Military / Thorn | Forest of Elion front | Tactically brilliant, personally terrifying |
| Cecil Isley | Deniable operations / Devour | Mobile | Untraceable, utterly ruthless |
Plan Phases:
| Phase | What happens | Heroes might see | What stops it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Economic pressure on Castanas; Eris plants agents in Council | Unusual trade disruptions; unfamiliar faces in city politics | Expose Eris's network |
| 2 | Military demonstration at Forest of Elion; demand formal tribute from Council | Refugees from Elion border towns; Council emergency session | Rally Elion + Council alliance |
| 3 | First artifact recovered (Bolt); used as leverage | Unexplained incident near Isley-controlled territory | Recover Bolt before Isley weaponises it |
| 4 | Two more artifacts recovered; formal annexation demanded | Open Imperial presence in Castanas | Confront the Emperor directly, or topple the succession |
Tips
- Give the villain at least one thing the heroes could respect or understand, even if they oppose it. Flat evil is forgettable.
- The lieutenant structure is crucial — heroes need intermediate confrontations before facing the big threat. Each lieutenant is a boss fight and a story beat.
- Track which phase you're in each session. If the heroes accomplish a lot, advance the villain's plan anyway to keep pressure on.
- Let the villain win sometimes. If heroes can never fail, stakes evaporate.
- The villain should never be a mystery box — players should understand what they want by midpoint of the campaign, even if the full picture takes longer to emerge.
Read more: For the Director