Villain Backgrounds

Volume I

By R.J. Compton

Craft a compelling history and motivation for your adventure’s villain with numerous
roll tables, quick tips, and sinister archetypes.
 CREDITS
Lead Designer: R.J. Compton

Editors: Andrew Becker, Ian Clink, Natalie Compton, Jessie Stanley

First Printing: September 2020

Second Printing: January 2023

All original material in this work is copyright © 2023 by Richard Compton.

Special Thanks to Guy Compton for introducing me to the world of D&D, Natalie Compton for helping me see this
project through, Chris Perkins for inspiring me to write about my world, and all my friends, family, and players who
continue to create worlds and build stories in this stellar tabletop hobby of ours.

Disclaimer: RJ is not responsible for any mishaps the villains created using this book may incur on your players. Mishaps
include untimely character death, unforeseen emotional bonds to vile villains, absolute derailment of a campaign, and the
maniacal voice you are forced to use for a mad researcher. Good luck!

Visit RJD20.com for more tabletop roleplaying game content

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 1

About This Book
In most tabletop roleplaying games, player characters are the
protagonists of a campaign or adventure. They roam the world,
explore dungeons, slay monsters, and interact with diverse
characters. Driving them forward or instigating reactions from
them are villains, the antagonists of the campaign or adventure.
Most player characters are well-thought out and have interesting
personalities. Their menacing mirrors should be the same.
Villain Backgrounds Volume I is a system agnostic supplement
designed to help Game Masters build compelling villains who are
just as layered as the player characters.The heinous backgrounds
found herein include in-depth descriptions of villain archetypes,
various inspiration tables, and example villains created with them.
Whether you want to create an intriguing villain in a few
minutes or spend an evening constructing the perfect foil to your
party, you will find what you need inside this supplement for any
great tabletop roleplaying game.
What You Need
All you need is a sense of creation and a pencil and notebook or
computer and keyboard. Then, you are prepared to craft your next
great villain!
lasting impact. A villain’s personality traits need to be flamboyant
and memorable.
Ideals
Most villains need to be consistent. Ideals give them a profound
truth that they will always follow. Each of their actions should
reinforce this ideal.
Bonds
Even villains have connections that cannot be broken. Villains
might form bonds with people, places, objects, ideas, or even
themselves. Some bonds might make a villain more sympathetic;
others can drive home their abhorrence.
Flaws
All villains have flaws, of course, but some of them are more
important than others. Flaws expose weaknesses in a villain,
providing opportunities for player characters to manipulate and
counter them in interesting ways.
The Six Villain Backgrounds
d6 Background Description

1 Boorish thug Bullies minions and enemies using

Chapter 1: Backgrounds brute force.

At the least, each villain background is comprised of six parts: a 2 Elder entity Manipulates everything it can with
definition, creatures, personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws. alien methods.
Some contain extra roll tables unique to that background. This
3 Fallen angel Blazes a trail of darkness after
chapter contains six backgrounds to create riveting villains.
falling from grace.
Definition
4 Mad researcher Pursues maniacal desires in
Every villain has a foundation. These sections provide the pillars unimaginable ways.
for the potential villain, defining them and exploring their main
characteristics. 5 Misguided fool Follows direction from a false
force.
Creatures
Every villainous soul needs a body to inhabit, from the lowliest 6 Psychopath Commits inexplicable deeds.
goblin to the mightiest fiend. These roll tables inspire what type of
monster each villain might be. The Boorish Thug
You are an imbecile, a being incapable of thinking beyond a step or
Personality Traits
two ahead. Your vices are many and your ambitions are few.
Villains need bombastic personalities. Unlike the player characters,
Simple desires like wealth, pleasure, and murder drive you
they are not appearing in every session, but they need to make a
forward. Of course, you do not pursue any of them intelligently.

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 2

Most people despise you, but some tolerate you because your
stupidity makes them laugh, they think they can manipulate you,
or maybe they are even dumber than you.
Boorish thugs are simple creatures with little intellect.
Commonly bumbling foes like goblinoids and giants are good
examples, as well as primitive entities like white dragons.
d10 Creature
1 A chubby goblin boss.
2 An angry bullywug queen.
3 A renowned bandit lord.
4 A sentient girallon alpha
5 A spoiled noble.
6 A ferocious troll freak.
7 A bumbling hill giant chieftain.
8 A primitive white dragon.
9 A vile balor lord.
10 Veesgoul, Queen of the Rotting Doom
d8 Personality Trait
1 I never waste the opportunity to make a crude joke.
2 If given the chance, I’d always knock someone down
rather than help them up.
3 I constantly boast about my intelligence.
4 I make others uncomfortable when I eat.
5 I rarely wash myself, change my clothes, or get rid of
excess waste.
6 I repeat the same phrase over and over.
7 I never let my companions talk over me.
8 Any criticism toward me ends in violence.
d6 Ideal
Villain Backgrounds Volume I
1 Greed. I want as much coin and luxury as I can possibly
own.
2 Passion. I revel in my lifestyle and no one can change
that.
3 Destruction. Seeing objects and others break and
tremble before me brings a smile to my face.
4 Abuse. I was born to hurt people.
5 Jealousy. What others have that I want shall be mine, no
matter the cost.
6 Confusion. The world is a jumbled mess and I’m just
stumbling along.
d6 Bond
1 I live in my parent’s cellar; they tolerate everything I do.
2 I commissioned a painting of my first crime and I’ll
always remember it.
3 I make all my decisions after consulting my pet rat.
4 No one can enter my room.
5 I’m searching for my perfect mate, they’re out
there...somewhere.
6 Eventually, I’ll show my childhood bully that I’m a force
to be reckoned with.
d6 Flaw
1 I have a soft spot for beautiful animals.
2 I can’t resist stealing shiny objects.
3 I try to insult my enemies and end up insulting myself.
4 I consume far too much food and drink and often go
into wild “food frenzies.”
5 I take everything literally.
6 I can be manipulated by a pretty face.
3
The Elder Entity 6 I commonly allow the mistakes of the past to dictate my
Some creatures are unfathomable by common mortals, and you future.
are one of them. Your goals are mysterious, your thoughts
7 I remember everything, from the insect I quashed a
inexplicable, and you often clash with those who wish to keep century ago to my last betrayal.
their world the same or prevent outsiders from interfering with it.
Others are below you, of that you are sure. It is only a matter of 8 Some of my kind have a semblance of emotion, I have
time before all life accepts your presence. Heroic mortals die none.
eventually—you never will.
Elder entities are creatures from beyond or creatures that should d6 Ideal
not be. Aberrations from Beyond, the Realm Between Spaces, or
the Land Below are perfect candidates, as well as entirely 1 Domination. All beings that live must submit to me, by
unnatural beings like undead and monstrosities. choice or by force.

2 Arrogance. I am the greatest creature to ever exist in the

d10 Creature multiverse.

1 A ravenous wight warrior. 3 Hunger. Every living creature will meet the same fate:
they will be consumed by me.
2 An inquisitive nothic wizard.
4 Delirium. Madness spurs creativity in all things, I will
3 An alien grell. make insanity eternal.

4 A death-defying death knight.
5 A rebel mindflayer arcanist.
6 A maniacal octori.
5 Unhuman. Good and evil are rules of mortals; to me,
they are one and the same.
6 Manipulation. The puppet master need not be seen if
the show goes as planned.

7 An ancient aboleth.
d6 Bond
8 A scheming great brain.
1 I deeply enjoy a certain type of mortal flesh, and I can’t
9 A barbaric lich lord.
go a day without consuming it.
10 Muudagoop, Lord of Entropy
2 I follow the path of the elder entity that taught me but
was killed by a respected hero.
d8 Personality Trait 3 I eagerly await the day I can return to my home plane.
1 I let my minions speak for me, mortals not in my service 4 There is a single mortal I am fond of, perhaps there is
are below me. hope for them after all.
2 Every inch of my home is cleared of natural life. 5 The history of my old world matches this on. I seek to
diverge their paths.
3 I enunciate every word as if it was my last.
6 I dream the same dream every moment of every day and
4 I often phase out for long periods of time.
spread it to unknowing victims.
5 Nothing can frighten or surprise me, for I am fearless and
omniscient.

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 4

d6 Flaw 3 A corrupted coatl.

1 I constantly betray my allies, knowing they will inevitably 4 A furious flumph.

backstab me.
5 A rampaging werebear.
2 My genius is sometimes viewed as pure insanity, an
observation that’s completely correct. 6 An evil unicorn.

3 I can’t help but enslave those who wish to kill, 7 A haughty cloud giant king.
slaughtering them would be too simple.
8 A betrayed solar.
4 I’ve foreseen my doom at the hands of an unremarkable
9 A godless gold dragon.
mortal but not all dreams come to fruition.
10 Ariannis, Commander of the First Infernal Legion
5 I’m incapable of communicating with lesser beings and
am cursed to dwell alone.

6 The lore of my origin is also the path to my destruction. d8 Personality Trait

1 I will always spare the weak or innocent.

The Fallen Angel
Villainy was not your first path in life. You were a good creature
with noble intentions who succumbed to darkness for one reason
or another. You had a great life: friends, family, a respected
reputation, but all of that vanished. Friends are now enemies and
even your closest family members fear what you have become.
Your reputation is destroyed, but you are convinced the new trail
you are blazing will lead you to victory with previously impossible
to achieve goals. You might not think you are a villain on the
surface, but deep down, you know it to be true.
Fallen angels are creatures who were once good-natured but
embraced the power of evil. Many of the common races such as
humans, elves, and dwarves make great fallen angels, as well as
entities like celestials or metallic dragons.
2 I trust my allies with my life—and they trust me with
theirs.
3 I see even the slightest betrayal as a massive breach of
trust and respect.
4 I relate everything to the grand scheme of the cosmos, to
the battle between good and evil.
5 I concretely understand the tenets of morality and can
substantiate valid reasons for my actions.
6 I often masquerade as a being of light and grace to
deceive my enemies.
7 I’m a utilitarian. All that matters is the maximum
happiness for the deserved peoples of this world.

8 I often reminisce about where and when my life went

wrong.

d6 Ideal

1 Regret. I miss the days among friends and good folk.

d10 Creature
2 Faith. After I finish my necessary quest, I shall return to
the path of light.
1 A disgraced veteran.
3 Compassion. I do what I must for the sake of the
2 A traitorous priest.
destitute and disenfranchised.

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 5

 territory for professors and wizards, performing cruel experiments
4 Avarice. Coin is all I care about now.
on living subjects, constructing abominations of malice and hate,
5 Persistence. No matter the boulders in my path, I shall and analyzing the effects of new diseases on the world’s populace.
prevail in my ultimate goal. Many perceive you as evil, a blight of civilization, but you do not
see it as such. Quite the contrary: you are driving the world
6 Rage. Anger turned me to darkness, and it shall keep me
there. forward, one creation or discovery at a time.
Mad researchers are creatures whose pursuit of knowledge is
unrestricted by laws or sanity. Intelligent aberrations make
d6 Bond excellent villains of this background, as well as ambitious, evil
mortals such as drow and duergar.
1 I know my deity is displeased with me. Eventually, I will
earn back a spot in its afterlife. d10 Creature

2 History will remember me fondly, despite the crimes I 1 A pitiless mage.

have committed.
2 A raving kuo-toa shaman.
3 Whatever corrupted me guides my actions, and I look to
it as the inception of my luck or strength. 3 A blabbering deep gnome.

4 I took this undesirable path to save someone I loved. I am 4 An emotionless doomgaze.

still on it to keep them safe.
5 An arrogant storm giant.
5 I don’t know why I became villainous. I’m determined to
find out the catalyst. 6 A devilish efreeti.

6 Falling from grace gave me the insight and power to 7 A terrifying octori.
defeat a terrible entity.
8 A senseless lich queen.

9 A dastardly green dragon.

d6 Flaw
10 Jigor, the Flesh Crafter
1 I will fight to the death for what I believe in.

2 I think all creatures are inherently evil and worthy of

d8 Personality Trait
destruction.
1 I tend to go on jargon-laced rants at inopportune times.
3 I am blind to the evil actions of those I care about.
2 I blink frenetically.
4 I believe I can turn anyone to my side, no matter their
previous beliefs. 3 People who do not know what they are talking about are
the ultimate annoyance.
5 If any of my ideals are challenged, I fly into a rabid furor.
4 I think of myself as a god.
6 A true follower of my previous self might be able to
convince me to reconcile and repent. 5 I hear and see objects and persons that no one else can.

Mad Researcher 6 I constantly forget where I am and why I’m there.

You are driven to discover the unknown, to blaze new trails into 7 I need to hear compliments constantly. To not
the natural and magical world. You venture into uncharted compliment me is to invoke my wrath.

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 6

8 I know everyone is envious of my ingenuity. 3 I readily submit to creatures who know more about my
specialty than me.

d6 Ideal 4 I would willingly sacrifice the entire world to finish my

1 Insanity. The abominations I create have no true root in
reality.
2 Beauty. Everything I create is beautiful. Ugly things have
no place in this world.
life’s work.
5 I require a certain substance to inspire me. I can’t go
without it for more than a few hours.
6 Sometimes I become too attached to my specimens.

3 Determination. I am unstoppable in my pursuit of

knowledge.
4 Brilliant. I remember everything I learn.
5 Recognition. Far in the future, they will write lore
books about my contribution to society.
6 Wisdom. Once I witness a mistake, I will never make it.
d6 Bond
1 Only the perfect recreation of my lost love will quench
my thirst for knowledge.
2 My first experiment will be my last, for I build on it every
day, adding to its strength.
3 The academy that threw me out will meet its explosive
end, and it will be my doing.
4 I accidentally unleashed a plague upon a lonely village
and wiped it out. It has become my testing ground for
new ideas.
5 One day, I will converge the Material Plane with its
otherworldly reflections.
The Misguided Fool
Your mind is tainted, and your thoughts are not your own. Long
ago, you were an independent being with private thoughts, but
someone managed to corrupt your mind. Their subtle teachings
steered you to the side of darkness, and you have never been able
to return to the light. Now, your actions carry out their wants and
desires, even though you do not know that to be the case. Your
manipulator is beside you with an invisible hand, handling you
like a foolish puppet.
Misguided fools are creatures with feeble minds, gullible
personalities, or are looking for guidance from a greater power.
Weak-willed mortal creatures like humans and halflings are
candidates for this background, but you can always subvert
expectations and use a usually solitary, strong-willed monster such
as a celestial or sphinx.
d10 Manipulator
1 A cowardly priest.
2 A passionate vampire.
3 A disturbed archmage.
4 A despicable black dragon.

6 Beast and man were created to be spliced together. The 5 A weary lich.
ultimate lycanthrope will be engineered by my designs.
6 An elated arcanaloth.

d6 Flaw 7 An enchanting archfey.

1 My theories, while grand in scope, are ultimately 8 A determined archdevil.

pointless.
9 A sadistic demon lord.
2 I rely too much on others to do my bidding.
10 Ish, the Chained Oblivion.

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 7

d10 Creature 4 Imaginative. I conjure up the grandest plans, though
they rarely come to fruition.
1 A driven aarakocra.
5 Volatile. Once I’m angry, I set fire to everything I touch.
2 A disrespected gladiator.
6 Stupidity. Mistakes are something I’m accustomed to.
3 A faithful dryad.

4 A blathering ettin. d6 Bond

5 A misunderstood werewolf. 1 My manipulator and I have a close friendship. I rely on
them; they rely on me.
6 A weird myconid sovereign.
2 The day when my grand goal is met is the day I finally
7 A gluttonous androsphinx.
return to a life of normalcy.
8 A plotting death knight.
3 The cult that took me in is my chosen family. I’d do
9 A thunderous blue dragon. anything for any one of them.

10 An unstoppable marut. 4 The voice in my head is me and I am it; we are one.

5 I can’t travel more than a few miles from my home,

something strange draws me to it.
d8 Personality Trait
6 I am the chosen of my favored deity.
1 I am fervent in my beliefs.

2 Instead of outright agreeing to a plan, I always give my

two copper pieces. d6 Flaw

3 My mind wanders more and more as the day progresses. 1 I only trust one person. Everyone else is lying to me.

4 I’m not afraid to call out those greater in power than me.
5 I use my surmised aloofness as a weapon against others.
6 I tend to hide in the background during tense moments.
7 I walk with a limp. I don’t have a limp.
2 If a voice in my head tells me to do something, I readily
commit the action.
3 I always take orders to the next level.
4 I claim someone is guiding me, but it’s truly my
despicable mind.

8 I know I am being manipulated, but I don’t care. 5 Me and my manipulator’s souls are intertwined: if they
die, I die with them.

d6 Ideal 6 Hard evidence can dissuade me from my path, but it

1 Gullibility. I am quick to trust others, no matter how
outrageous their claims.
2 Impulsive. I regularly act without thinking if it feels
right!
3 Cowardice. I am the first one to flee from a battle. Blood
makes my skin cold.
must be true and unbending.
The Psychopath
Other creatures do not think or feel the way you do. You are
obsessed: over a person, an object, an action, or a place. Your
connection to it is special, a bond no one else can understand or
break. You can try to explain it, but you have learned mere words

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 8

cannot describe what you feel or think—only actions can. So
1 I repeat the same process every morning.
that’s what you’ve learned to do: repeat these actions over and
over, so many times that they’re ingrained into your brain and you 2 I can charm any living creature, man, woman, or thing.
can readily recite every sense you feel when you’re with your muse.
3 I experience no remorse for any of my actions.
Others do not understand that. They think it is strange or unholy,
as if they have a say in how to describe it. Mere words are okay 4 Everything I do is correct and there’s nothing others can
most of the time, but if they act against you, their time on this do to convince me otherwise.
world is limited.
5 I will risk my life for the smallest thrill or gain.
Psychopaths are creatures of cold, calculated passion. They tend
to obsess over one thing and are egotistical, antisocial, and 6 I manipulate people without them ever noticing.
remorseless. Members of the common races and wicked monsters
7 I break the rules just do it.
like hags, undead, and fiends can make haunting psychopathic
villains. 8 I am the victim in every situation, others are always out
to take me down.

d6 Ideal

1 Pleasure. I revel in everything I do. It makes my toes

curl.

2 Reputation. If people know and fear my name, I’m

happy.

3 Hubris. I can outwit anyone at any time.

d10 Creature
4 Perilous. Death’s door is where I live.
1 A bitter bandit.
5 Manipulation. Pitting people against each other is the
2 A crazy kenku. epitome of a good time.

3 A prickly green hag. 6 Insanity. Who am I? What am I doing? I don’t know!

4 A gorgeous succubus/incubus.
d6 Bond
5 A nasty black abishai.
1 I keep a secret chest of all my trophies.
6 A petite vampire.
2 I shield my family from my darkness. They can never find
7 An envious death tyrant. out.

8 A fierce black dragon. 3 The source of my personality is an artifact that shaped

my mind and body.
9 A repulsive marilith.
4 I am what I am out of necessity, I needed to be this way
10 Sin, the Unerring Warlord to survive my harsh life.

5 There’s a place I know down the street...it must remain

d8 Personality Trait still and untouched, frozen in time.

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 9


6 An ominous shadow follows me everywhere I go, and we
have remorseless conversations.
d6 Flaw
1 If someone wrongs me, I must take their life, instantly.
2 A certain smell irks me to no end.
3 I don’t stop tearing apart someone when their soul leaves
their body.
4 If my plan fails, I go off the rails.
5 I know the one thing I can’t force myself to kill will be
my undoing.
6 Magic terrifies me.
Chapter 2: Sample Villains
This chapter contains six ready-to-go villains created using the
villain backgrounds in this book. Each villain has a name, its
background, the rolls used to make the villain, and a description of
it designed with the results of the roll tables (in order) in mind.
Drop these villains directly into your campaigns or use them to
inspire antagonists of your own creation. Don’t be afraid to use
them as a baseline and expand; all of these villains contain
open-ended bits and pieces to them. They are ordered just like to
the book: starting with the Boorish Thug and ending with the
Psychopath.
Egigg
Background: Boorish Thug
Table Rolls: 7-7-3-3-4
The hill giant brute Egigg leads a ten-strong giant tribe in a range
of rolling hills and green forests just off a busy road. He ripped
control of the tribe from a bulky female a few years ago by
winning a screaming match, cooking her, and demanding silence
and respect from the rest of his tribe. Ever since the previous
chief’s cannibalization, Egigg has led, tearing out the tongues of
those who speak over him.
Aptly named the Tongueless tribe, feeble goblins, a few ogres,
and ten hill giants serve Egigg. He deeply enjoys watching his
Villain Backgrounds Volume I
minions battle and die in front of him, especially against wild
animals and defiant prisoners. During these battles, Egigg feasts on
any rewards found during raids, becoming frenzied; he sometimes
joins the fights. Always on his shoulder is his pet rat, Silence, who
eats Egigg’s leftovers once the giant has tumbled to the ground.
The locals would love to see Egigg killed so the land could be rid
of his gluttony. Members of the Tongueless tribe, especially
scheming goblins, might seek out help to topple the fat hill giant.
Uurskaduun
Background: Elder Entity
Table Rolls: 8-6-6-2-5
Deep below the world’s surface lurks the solitary great brain
Uurskaduun. Following the teachings of one of the greatest minds
in octori history, the great brain separated himself from its octori
holders, maneuvered into the well of a great city, and began
enacting its tale of revenge.
Uurskaduun plots alone, filling the minds of citizens of the city
with murderous and foul thoughts about their heroes and
protectors. As time goes on, their love of them turns to hate,
respect to jealousy, and thanks to fury. The elder brain does not
seek to kill—at first—it only wants to dampen the legend of the
heroes who killed its abominable master.
Strangely outcast from their home, the former heroes are
suspicious and curious why those that praised them so quickly
came to despise them. They would become stout allies of any
willing to help investigate this peculiarity.
Ilyr Nymstae
Background: Fallen Angel
Table Rolls: 1-2-5-4-6
When a band of dark elves slaughtered and pillaged an isolated
high elf enclave, the veteran Ilyr Nymstae was left for dead as
their partner was whisked away to the Land Hidden From the
Sun. Ilyr called out to the universe for a way to retrieve their love.
They were answered by an opportunistic devil, who imbued Ilyr
with unholy but dominating strength. Ilyr traveled to the Land
Hidden From the Sun, eviscerated the raiders, saved their love, and
vowed to continue hunting those who steal from the sunlit world
to keep their folk safe.
10
 They have a host of allies at their side: duergar & deep gnomes,
grimlocks & grells. Ilyr, using their infernal power, keeps hold of
them and therefore trusts them fully. Unbeknownst to Ilyr, every
dark elf they kill contributes to the ranks of the Hells. They are
building a devil army.
Ilyr’s former order of paladins discovers the truth of the high
elf’s situation. They need a band of adventurers to escort one of
their kind to the depths of the Land Hidden From the Sun and
find Ilyr, hoping to usher them to the path of redemption.
Queen Wezreta
Background: Mad Researcher
Table Rolls: 8-2-4-2-5
Rakdeppi commands powerful forces like drow and X to stand
down, only to betray and corrupt them like the others.
Rakdeppi believes it has innovated the culture of myconids.
That is not the case. In truth, an old and weary lich is influencing
Rakdeppi’s actions and corruption process. The lich’s
necromantic magic, mixed with the spores of the myconid
sovereign, causes the unprecedented carnage and construction of
undead abominations. Sadly, for the lich, he and Rakdeppi are
one, and if the lich’s phylactery is destroyed, Rakdeppi will perish
with the lich.

The lich Queen Wezreta is a longtime resident of the Shadowfell.

For centuries, she has gathered zombies, skeletons, wraiths, and
death knights to serve her and help construct her ultimate artifact:
The Cathedral of Dark Flame. Upon its construction, Wezret
believes the walls between the Material Plane and the Plane of
Shadow will shatter, allowing the Dark Flame to rampage across
any world she wishes.
Though she is powerful, her servants do not know if she is
insane or genius. She never stops blinking her cold, dead eyes,
driving visitors to her dark domain mad. In addition, she
constantly feeds on the Dark Flame like other liches feed on souls,
though this Dark Flame instantly empowers her body and inspires
her mind like a weird drug. Without it, her plan and experiment
would surely falter and collapse.
Queen Wezreta is nearing the completion of her first and final
experiment. Many have laughed off the lich queen or disregarded
her progress, but a rival undead intellectual believes her
contraption just might work. He seeks others to help him stop
Queen Wezreta, though he truly wants the Cathedral of the Dark
Flame for himself. As the myconid sovereign’s conquest continues across the Land
Below, folk of the surface fear the worst. Rakdeppi is nearing an
Rakdeppi entrance to a wondrous fey forest and he must be stopped. If his
foul corruption breaks into the overworld, it might be too
Background: Misguided Fool
infectious to defeat.
Table Rolls: 5-6-4-6-4-5
Amidst the grim glow of a massive mushroom forest, the weird
myconid sovereign Rakdeppi expands its domain. The spores it
Mother Ola
spreads are unlike any other myconid: they twist and transform Background: Psychopath
the dead in horrifying ways, causing them to seek out other dead Table Rolls: 3-1-5-2-1
and combine their rotted corpses. From cavern to cavern,

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 11

The psychotic and prickly green hag Mother Ola is a creature of
contradictions. Every morning, she begins her day peering into her
beautiful daughters’ room, slaughtering a fey prisoner in her barn,
and spreading a rumor into the nearby town by bird. She lives for
conflict between families, yet she shields her lovely daughters from
her evil and the evil of others.
If insulted by anyone besides her family, Mother Ola instantly
sends her daughters away and deals the insulter a fatal blow, then
hides their corpse in a dark place. She will preserve her children’s
innocence at all costs, but an ultimate confrontation is fast
approaching. Her daughters, on their 13th birthday, will lose their
beauty and become hags, like her. That cannot happen.
Posed as a worried mother, Mother Ola searches for wizards,
druids, or clerics to try and help prevent her daughters from
undergoing the disfiguring transformation. Her strange questions
might rouse suspicion. If she cannot find a cure, the fate of her
daughters is unclear.

Villain Backgrounds Volume I 12