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As the GM I love adding a main villain to my campaigns since they are fun to mess with and always provide a sense of amusement for my players.

This time my group is running a pirate themed version of rogue trader and I want their main villain to be an ork pirate named Gulgoz Skulleater.

I'm trying to think of how to introduce him.... so does anyone have any suggestions?


My ideas for the rest of the campaign are as follows:

1. Trouble at a trade port
2. Ghost ship lost in the warp
3. Space hulk filled with tyranids
4. Abandoned Tau Colony: Drones are still active
5. Travelling harlequin circus
6. Arbitress Task Force
7. Imperial fleet
8. Void sharks
9. Mutiny
10. Inquisition Black Ship
11. Slaanesh invested craftworld
12. Nurgle zombie planet
13. Tzeentch excavation operations
14. Khorne raiding party
15. Warp Storms
16. Chaos battle barge (Black Legion)
17. Discover malfunctioning titan on small moon
18. Abandoned Ork Space Hulk
19. Hostage Situation
20. Dark Eldar Corsair Raid
21. Deathwatch outpost
22. Necron Tomb World
23. Mysterious Distress Call

How early on do you want him introduced? Cos I suggest having him on the abandoned Ork Space Hulk. His many years alone without anything to kill driving him mad etc etc

Depending on the back story of the main villain. If he is a twisted, torturing, crazy guy, have him something like a Dark Eldar raid, if it's a cunning trickster, who loves to play with his prey have it trouble at a trade post. It all depends on the back story of the villain and sometimes your own character. Maybe this guy killed your family and you are chasing him and you meet at your home planet as he kills your family. It all depends on what you want.

One of my favorties is having the villan an ally first, then betray them. It's simple and easy to pull off, plus it makes them really want this guy/thing dead.

Have the main villain sneak into your players camp/tavern/whatever in the middle of the night and steal the coolest item belonging to each player.

That's a guaranteed way to get your players to HATE the villain and actually chase him down, rather than get sidetracked by whatever else they come across.

Space Hulk.

PC's are checking out a Sp Hulk, looking for an important artifact or piece of ancient wargear when they come across some genestealers (Classic. Right?).
Whilst fighting the 'stealers, the Ork nips in and snatches the item.

After defeating the 'stealers, the PC's make their way the room where the item is supposed to be located, only to find it missing and a huge hole in the wall (the source of that mysterious explosion they heard during the 'stealer fight).
Following the hole, they arrive just in time to see the Ork Warboss load up into his boarding ship & take off. Maybe he salutes the party with a sarcastic tip of his hat before making his getaway.

Of course, being driven off of the ship by a new (larger) wave of Genestealers at this point would be a very nice little insult to add to the injury, and would surely seal their hatred for this NPC that much more.


Eric

The Foot wrote:One of my favorties is having the villan an ally first, then betray them. It's simple and easy to pull off, plus it makes them really want this guy/thing dead.

hmmmmm interesting... i like it.

How about, they come across an Imperial Starship being attacked by Ork Raiders and they sweep in to save the day, only to discover after boarding the stricken imperial ship that your Ork pirate was actually stealing the Imperial ship from other orks.

Then you can have the boarding tube or whatever, shear off and strand them on the ship, and they have to work together with the pirate to get out alive...Maybe he has the keys to the doors, or computer codes, or whatever...

Dang, I want to play now!

Of course, he ends up betraying them...

Jihadnik wrote:How about, they come across an Imperial Starship being attacked by Ork Raiders and they sweep in to save the day, only to discover after boarding the stricken imperial ship that your Ork pirate was actually stealing the Imperial ship from other orks.

Then you can have the boarding tube or whatever, shear off and strand them on the ship, and they have to work together with the pirate to get out alive...Maybe he has the keys to the doors, or computer codes, or whatever...

Dang, I want to play now!

Of course, he ends up betraying them...

I LOVE IT! ITS BRILLIANT!

How about this... I do what you suggested, but instead have the ork abandoned by his own crew. Stranded on the abandoned ship, the ork is only one with enough strength to fix ceratin parts of the ship that none of the players can.
Once the ship is repaired, the Ork befriends the players with witty dialogue.
The pirate will then reveal to each player secretly that this was actually a trap and that his crew is to intercept them very soon.
When asked why this must be kept secret, the Ork will reply that he would happily grant one person death to spare them from being taken prisoner
The ork had planned to have them shipped to the Dark Eldar as part of an exchange
If the players work together correctly, they will find that it was part truth, part lie
The orks will attack them, but the ork captain will kill all of them

that's what I got so far

You say that the first scenario is taking place at a space port. What type of space port is it? (Imperial? Pirate? Rogue trader?) If it is a port that would be more friendly to xenos species- read non-imperial- then you could have him appear in the background for the first scenario, but without telling the players who he is. that way, when he pops up later in the campaign, they'll think "hey, it's that guy again! What's he doing here?" Having him help the players in the first scenario, or just loose off a few rounds at the troublemakers could be a way to get the players to think he'll help them again, but then..... he does help them. Which will make the actual part where he betrays them all the more bitter.