The Big Bad is a Big Bard (for you). What is his goal?

>>54401835
>Big Bard Evil Guy
ugh

Really depends. Bards could have any sort of motivation, potentially something as simple as political reform. Maybe he's from the beaten underclasses and is inciting the kingdom's populace to eventually overthrow the monarch in bloody rebellion. The players would be the disposable thugs hired to keep the crown's hands clean of it all.

>>54401835
He seeks the Ultimate Chords, which together will form the Primeval Riff, which will allow him to bend the world to his will. The ancient lich-lords known only as the Metalwrights discovered them eons ago, and, fearing that they may be used against them, secreted them away beneath their mighty volcanic fortress. When at last the Metalwrights were brought low, they were flung screaming into the depths of the volcano, taking with them the knowledge of the Primeval Riff they had tried so desperately to play in those final moments. And there it has lain for these eons past.

I think I have a campaign to write.

>>54401835
To rock a hole in space and time so he can visit heaven and jam with God himself.

He is subtly religning the reigning mythology such that the people are gradually shifting worship from the gods to demons.

>>54401835
Crashing this plane (of existence)... With no shurvivors!

>>54401835
Obviously, he wants to crash this party with no survivors

Incidentally, does he wear a mask?

>>54402840
>>54402841
He said a Bard, not a Bane. That comes later.

>>54401835
Something like Xenagos from MTG
so obsessed with himself and his parties, that his goal is to become the most famous and worshipped of his kind(ascending to godhood if its a "Worship creates the gods not the other way around" setting), going lengths to excessively kill competetion

>>54402853
>Other BBEGs
Big Bane Evil Guy
Big Beautiful Ecstatic Girl
Big Bertha's Engineering Golem
Big Black Erect Girth
Big Bountiful Earthly Garden

what else?

>>54403014
Big Butter Effigy Golem

>>54401835
>big bad

Eh. Kinda cringe inducing, but not as cring inducing as BBEG. Prob why Whedon went with that for Buffy.

>>54403014
Bobby "B-tier Emperor" Guilliman

>>54403432
>People have been making fun of the BBEG troll for YEARS

>>54403467
What? You think saying "bwig bwad ebil guy" makes you cool?

>>54403479
You think that your one-man shitposting crusade will have any result other than people calling you a faggot?

>>54403479
It makes it clear what role I'm talking about in a story when I'm brainstorming with players and GM's. Shocking as it may sound people actually can have nerdy hobbies and have friends, maybe one day you will manage to make friends too.

>>54403534
I'd rather just say "the villain" and not sound like I'm brain damaged, but you keep being a cringey fuck.
You do you.

>>54403479
I think it's hilarious that BBEG anon tried to force a meme and ended up becoming the meme himself.

To be part of a pretty overrated band.

>>54403501
>>54403534
>responding to obvious bait
Don't do that. Besides, the real BBEGsperg has either left or been banned (seeing as his posts would often get deleted) a while ago. What you're seeing is a standard "ebin troll xD" taking up the legacy for kicks. He wants your attention; don't give it to him.

>>54403582
Nice try again. But, people just don't like your tvtropes jargon and think you're a fag.

> the bbeg defense force

You're the guys who made me start saying ugh.

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To make the world metal as fuck.

>>54403595
>implying anyone can be banned for more than ten seconds these days

I bet you think virtualautism can't post here either.

>>54403014
Big Boobied Empowered Girl

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>>54403613
>>54403634

>>54401835
He seeks the legendary Brown Note, so that his reign of poopy terror may begin.

>>54403613
It's not from tvtropes. It just sounds like it is.

>>54403733
That's a pretty shitty motivation.

In all seriousness, here's one:

He's heard the song of the world. The most beautiful, wonderful song that underpins all of creation. To hear even the simplest note from its melody drives a grown man to tears. But he can't hear it. There's too much background noise: Breathing, heartbeats, the simple act of being alive ruins the perfection of the symphony he seeks to hear. All life must be stopped, so that he can once more listen to perfection.

>>54403822
Only in pure silence can the melody that underpins the multiverse be heard. He shall learn its melody and use it to fashion a world of his own - a better world, free of suffering and free of hate.

>>54403595
Why do you expect people not to think BBEG sounds dumb? It's trying to sound dumb.
People are not trying to troll you anymore than you are trying to troll them. You just disagree on what sounds dumb.

>>54401966
I'd play it.

>>54401835
>tfw playing anima
Have you ever had your brain turned into mush by a death chord?

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>>54401835

Superior evil bard coming through.

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Alternatively, bard-cleric multiclass.

Not a BBEG, but I have notes of a Bard boss-of-the-week, turned Dirge Singer because his wife and children died of diseased while he was away singing to please kings. When he returned, went to the dark arts to bring her back.

The party arrives when the graveyard is full of (un)life, and a misterious song comes from a crypt.

Classic undead themed dungeon, and the last battle is the bard commanding several undeads in battle, and after that the bard fighting alongside the ghost of his love in battle. He die happy, as he can now be with her... forever.

>>54403014
Big Boobied Engorged Guy.

>>54401835
Over The Garden Wall happens

>>54403014
All of my ugh.

1) He wants to tell a story so convincing, and so widely believed across the world, that it becomes true.

2) He wants to completely and utterly discredit some important person or group. Imagine if some fuck started convincing people that Iomedae demands blood sacrifice.

3) He has some sort of "pawn," a person who appears to have great personal power but is completely loyal to him. He's trying to get this pawn into a position of leadership.

4) He's a bard. He just wants to tell stories. Unfortunately, his stories inevitably contain some kind of "basilisk," something that Must Not Be Known.

5) His only desire is to play the anthem of the army that destroys the world.

>>54404600
Why don't more Razmiran priests take levels of bard?

>>54404811
>His only desire is to play the anthem of the army that destroys the world.
I don't know why but I really enjoy this for some reason.

Some well-meaning faggot will probably try to connect this to Fury Road.

To record The Greatest Song in the World.
He had it, once, but neglected to write anything down in his amazement.
All he has are petty tributes by comparison.

>>54403863
I'd replace melody with beat, and call it The First Rhythm.
When they finally get to the core of existence, they find a small skin drum and a skeleton stretched out on Nothing, phalanx extended to hold down the Repeat button on a drum machine. The machine beats a steady tattoo upon the universe.
Are you a bad enough dude to replace him?

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>>54404963

>>54401835
Chaos, plain and simple.
The Thin Shadow exists only to cause pain, confusion, death and destruction. His twin is Em, a spirit of creation who revels in his ability to take the evil the Shadow creates and make it into something good.
Their father, the Marshall of Mics, wishes only that he had his family back.

>>54404694
Big breasted expecting gal

He's discovered an obscure, bizarre, but fascinating play (Not! King in Yellow) written by a reclusive, mad playwright, and only recently rediscovered. He's an amateur actor and wannabe playwright, seeking to pass it off as his own work for fame and profit.

Little did he know that embedded within the play itself is a summoning ritual. It was whispered into the mad playwright's mind by a being locked out of this reality long ago, which seeks a way back in. The playwright might be a devoted occultist and worshiper of this demon, or just dangerously curious, reckless, and susceptible.

As the summoning is performed, the demon/creature possesses the lead actor as its host. You could have the playwright/villain play the lead for simplicity, but there's also an angle in which the lead actor is an unwitting, tragic victim/pawn.

The players have to track a series of anomalies in seemingly unrelated places - the only thing linking them together is that the BBEG playwright's traveling acting troupe passed through. The anomalies are the demonic/otherworldy equivalent of pests, which come through thanks to incomplete rituals.

The final ingredient to complete the ritual is performance on the right date (pick your favorite solstice/equinox), which is the date of a festival in this kingdom. The royal family will be attending the festivities, and the BBEG's troupe has secured a spot to perform their play before the royal family and all the revelers in the capital.

He just wants to write a good story, to be remembered as the man who recorded the greatest epic of his time. But the world was at peace and gave him no stories to tell, therefore he uses his vast knowledge of the political landscape to send the entire world tumbling down the war path, all while having his apprentices in every hall and court recording things just as they happen. Keeping him updated by raven.

He just wants to write a good story.

>>54401909
>Bards could have any sort of motivation, potentially something as simple as political reform
Boooooooooooring

Before you go all emperor palpatine and take over the galaxy after fillibustering everyone to sleep, consider why people become rock stars in the first place:

Do cocaine.
Get laid.

The Big Bard Evil Guy is putting on the world's most rad party. He needs entertainment. Daily gladiator matches in his personal arena. Rare and exotic meats and spices from around the world. And obviously killer music.

The problem is that the party needs to keep going, so he's using magic to ensure the guests don't leave, and his henchmen are doing anything they get for more slaves and gold.

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>>54406066

>>54406066
oh man sex, drugs and rock and roll how epic and interesting no one has ever made a character with this motivation before

gimme a pied piper knockoff instead, please

>>54406197
>gimme a pied piper knockoff instead, please
Boooring

Give me drugs, sex and rock and roll please.

>>54405025
One could aspire to be. It's hardly the worst fate imaginable.

>>54402229
He wants a rock off against both Satan and God to take their place.

>>54406440
>all of Satan's songs are covers - amazing ones that make the original sound line a cover, but still a cover
>all of God's songs are originals and he encourages you to jam with him and improvise
My musician dick is so hard right now

>>54406975

God encouraging improvisation seems a little weird, but I can dig it.

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>>54401835
To kill all other bards.

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>>54401835
He's only after the Tones he needs to open a gateway to cosmic power.

>>54401835
If the primary antagonist is a Bard, I'm always gonna make him about creating stories and making heroes, because I love that concept every time.

>>54409905
>evil bard whose goal is to create false stories and false heroes, solely to increase his record sales and be eternally diamond.

>>54409905
>players discover that all the quests they were sent on, all the sufferings they've endured, all the possibly-innocent beings they've slaughtered, were all put in place just so the BBEB could write an awesome song about the campaign

>>54404398
>TFW playing SenZar
I will be doing the mush-turning.

>>54401966
I can imagine this campaign starting with an introductory "clear Ratt out of the sewers" quest. Fund it.

>>54401835
>tfw unironically still like Slipknot

>>54413198
I do too desu.

Take over the world.
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/926361/
It's not exactly a bard, but it still sort of works.

>>54413198
>>54413563

Their earlier stuff is still okay.

>>54406197
Because political reform hasn't been done at all either. If you're choosing between two outdated cliches at least go with the one that doesn't scream "GM wanted to let you know what his politcal views are, and figured your entertainment was secondary compared to this."

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>>54401835
I once played a rap themed bard who grew up with nobody giving a shit about him or how he felt. When he found that through bardic music, his lyrics could literally hold some small sway over reality itself, he was gonna speak, and the whole would was gonna hear what he had to say.
If he was a little more vengeful, he could have easily been a BBEG.

>>54401966
Metal As Fuck. 10/10, would play.

>>54401835
Unlike our cosmos, magic makes reality more subjective, rather than objective (ex. Gods being born because people believe in them).

Now what happens if somebody whose magic leans towards utility, manipulation of chance, and subliminal suggestion realizes this, and decides to make everyone believe the sky is green, and it slowly turns turnquise or full-on green? Make them believe that they're angels, and grants them flaming swords to murder the 'heretics'?

What if that person wanted to make the world believe his wife wasn't dead?.... and that she's the Empress of Men and Elves?

>>54401966
Sounds Pretty Brutal. But like an old Legend. Hmmm...

>>54401835
Reminds me of that tenacious d movie eith beelzebub

>>54413860
To be fair, "feudalism sucked" is a pretty neutral political view, heck, both communists and capitalists compare the other's preferred economic system to feudalism.

>>54414883
Bealzaboss

>>54401835
shit incoming

World was too good and peaceful with little skirmishes happening. The world needed a BBB (big bad bard) and the world was gonna get it, glitter, fake fog and all. To be the greatest evil so that the greatest heroes, worthy of song, can be made.

The greater sleeping evils, the Necrodancer, Angerfist, Beat Wizard and Lich Bitch wake up and face a toughened, veteran realm that can take down music based BBEGs.

>>54408383
God gave humanity custody of the Earth so that we could care for it and do good with it. God tends not to micromanage - miracles are miracles because they are rare compared to all the other times he lets things go as they normally do.
He wants you to add to his work with your unique contribution

>>54415998

I was thinking from an "in heaven" perspective, admittedly, since you're playing with God. My understanding of heaven is that you're just singing praises to him in one big chorus, and that doesn't seem very "improv" to me.

But I was raised Free Will Baptist, so what do I know.

>>54416126
Only description of such behavior are cherubim/seraphim can't remember which one, not humans.
Heaven isn't even a permanent state for humans. You stop there for a bit, then you go back into the physical world for Earth 2 with all cheats activated

He used to walk among the trees of the forest. But now he has a mind of METAL.

>>54405071
Ha!

>>54416334

>Earth 2

Well that's nifty. I've never even heard of that.

>>54405071

Underrated post.

>>54416592
Read end of Revelation. After the tribulation, God and the saints (the believing dead) return to Earth in perfect immortal bodies to judge everyone and everything.
After shit's all sorted out (including giving the living believers perfect immortal bodies) God demolishes Earth AND Heaven to make way for a new creation: a new earth, a new heaven, and a new Jerusalem to serve as his central city.

>>54416607
>>54416503
A sampling of their works:
>the Thin Shadow makes a big name introducing his accursed powers to the world, with more than a hint of self-loathing
>Em warns others that the path to glory is treacherous, the prize a fleeting joy, and to cherish that perfect moment for as long as you can
>Marshall complains that no one cares about him before his kids made names for themselves, but now everyone comes to him for the secrets to their power

>>54416738

It's been a long fucking time since I went to Christian school, but your description is actually ringing a bell. Can't believe I'd forgotten all this stuff.

>>54416503
>>54416607
I don't get it

>>54403727
It's almost as if all those Reddit rumors about 4chan being filled with autism is true

>>54416851
Being a Christian is a lot like being into comic books - most people who say they are make no effort to actually read the source material, just do the bare minimum events every so often, maybe do the weekly check-in on adaptations for any new developments.
And neither has gotten me laid, badumtiss

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>>54401835

>>54416868
Well maybe this will jog your memory

When the Thin Shadow first appeared, it took the world by surprise. But sure enough, he'd been here for years, operating in obscurity and waiting for just the right moment.
The tales he told were of a unprecedented level of craftsmanship. His accompaniment was none other than the Dread Doctor himself. You could find more rhymes in one sonnet than some bards managed in their entire careers.
But as always happens, there were those who had no creative spark of their own, and instead latched onto anything they saw that worked. There was a time when you couldn't walk into a tavern without hearing some twopenny troubadour attempt to plagiarize him, some going so far has to copy his garments.
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but the Thin Shadow made sure everyone knew who truly held the reins of music. In the end, only the genuine article was left standing.

>>54417006
I got it as soon as I read Thin Shadow and actually thought about the name for a second. Excuse me for being drunk. Thank you for explaining it anyway.

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>>54401966
I REMEMBER EVERYTHING

>>54414669
Sound like a pretty DevastatingEpic

>>54416891

That just makes me want to read the Bible again (haven't read it since the aforementioned school). I'm an atheist now, but I still have a weird soft-spot for Christianity and faith in general. I blame the American South.

>>54417094
Something something Ruler Red

>>54417063
That's another good backstory for such a BBEG:
He'll do anything for love. Even going to hell and back again.

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to shake the world with his thunder. to make the earth itself rock, make the mountains above roll. and at the last he shall command the world to split open, and to spew forth women, wine, and song--everlasting, everlasting, that this world may drown in revelry yet unseen. all shall be merry and die.

let no man judge the Saint of Four Strings, let no man silence his thunder. his is holy work.

>>54418325
But he wouldn't do That.

>>54418325
>>54418455
>>54417063

THE ORIGIN STORY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L035HzJJm3E

>>54401835
He is on a quest to chronicle the heros' tale, and every good adventure tale needs a villain.

>>54401835
He seeks to tell the most exciting stories. He is constantly vexing the party in an attempt to get them to preform amazing feats so he can sing about them later.

>>54401835
Stealing pieces of people's souls with his music to pay off his debt to the devil. You know how some songs/compositions make you feel complete and how after they end you feel like you've lost something and you try to listen to it again and it's never the same? That's another piece gone -- you'll never feel happy or sad with the same intensity again -- and his debt is closer to being paid.

I need more real musicians turned into fantasy bards

>>54401835
To finish the first song. The first song was created by the old ones when the realms were created, purely as just a byproduct of the event. Few have ever heard the tune, but those who have are often driven mad and end up dead. But not him, he's been driven to the brink. He's determined to finish and compose the first song at all costs. But finishing it could undo the work of the old ones themselves.

First thing to come to my head, might be neat.

>>54413198
Vol3 is an objectively great album

>>54420101
This is the best one.