Creating a Compelling RPG Villain

“Don’t talk like you’re one of them! You’re not… even if you’d like to be. To them you’re just a freak, like me. They need you right now, but when they don’t, they’ll cast you out. Like a leper. See, their morals, their “code”… it’s a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They’re only as good as the world allows them to be. I’ll show you. When the chips are down, these “civilized people?” They’ll eat each other. See, I’m not a monster. I’m just ahead of the curve.”

– Joker, “The Dark Knight”

It’s said that no one ever sees themselves as the villain, merely the hero of their own story. In the world of tabletop gaming, however, the heroes and villains tend to be rather distinguishable. Heroes wearing shining armor and stand for honor and virtue, while villains wear black and are covered in blood…