Experienced Dungeon Masters often structure their campaigns around a "big
story," an epic quest in which each adventure is a chapter in an unfolding
saga. In the big story, the player characters are heroes with an important
mission in life, and they work toward this goal level by level, across
months or years of regular gaming sessions-though they're not the only
recurring characters. Many big stories also have a standing villain, a
menace who terrifies the heroes from chapter to chapter, and opposes them in 
their quest at every opportunity. The villain is part of the big story, and
his effectiveness and believability are essential for the story to work.
Unfortunately, however, sustaining such a villain is extremely difficult-a
result of the nature of the AD&Dr campaign.
  The problem is the growth potential of the PCs. Heroes in AD&D games
evolve significantly in the course of the campaign, much more than do their
counterparts in mythology or fantasy novels. This leaves the DM with the
problem of creating a villain who will not squash novice heroes, but who
will also stay frightening many chapters later when the PCs have grown much
more powerful.
  Indexing the villain's level to the PCs' is an attractive solution, but
this rarely works. First, it cheapens the players' accomplishments to have
the villain advance in levels with the heroes, without having to risk his
life constantly as they do.
  Second, even when the villain does keep pace, power differences dwindle as 
levels grow. A 5th-level mage may be terrifying to a group of 1st-level
novices, but when the PCs become a crack squad of 7th-level veterans,
they'll know they have their 11th-level opponent's number.
  Instead, what a big story needs is a big villain. For the big story-or any 
important, long-term villain role-the DM needs an Enemy.
Enter the Enemy
The Enemy is a villain who is both immensely and consistently powerful-a
Dark Overlord. The Enemy is bigger than the PCs at the outset of the story,
and he will continue to be bigger throughout the campaign, to the final
confrontation a dozen or more adventures later.
  The PCs don't immediately have to face the Enemy. In fact, an Enemy who
can remain behind the scenes is more fearsome-e.g. Sauron in The Lord of the 
Rings.
  Making the Enemy frightening and keeping him that way is no problem, but
his power leaves the DM with one important question: If the heroes are
working against the Enemy, and the heroes are so much less powerful, why
doesn't the Enemy destroy them the instant they become annoying?
  In the absence of a believable answer to this question, the logic and
credibility of the campaign could crumble. To make an effective Enemy, and
therefore an effective big story, the DM must find a way to limit the
Enemy's ability to destroy the PCs. However, it has to be subtle. If the PCs 
decide they're in no danger from the Enemy, he'll lose his power to strike
terror in their hearts.
  In other words, the DM must "tame" his Enemy, but he can't let the players 
know the villain is on a leash.
  Listed below are eight ways to tame an evil overlord-eight devices the DM
can employ, all of which have been used before in heroic stories of one form 
or another. Just one of these devices may be ideal for the particular Enemy
a DM has in mind. However, a better strategy is to consider all eight as
cards in hand, using two or more of them simultaneously, as warranted, and
possibly switching between them as the campaign evolves. Out of eight
scenarios, the DM should be able to find some combination even experienced
players have never seen before, to create an Enemy who remains terrifying
all the way to the final chapter.

1. Ignorance
The Enemy simply doesn't know the heroes are out there. Though the heroes
are working to defeat him, the Enemy's attention is consumed by his
scheming, so he is unaware that the PCs have him in their sights.
  This is the most straightforward device, but also the most fragile. If the 
villain is truly worthy of Enemy status, then he will discover the PCs and
deduce their intentions well before they confront him-so the DM should have
another device ready to use later in the campaign. When the heroes are found 
out, for example, the Enemy may decide they are beneath his concern (device
#5), or he may force them to flee his wrath, to continue their mission as
best they can while they are hiding (device #3).

2. Infamy
The PCs aren't the only ones fighting the Enemy. In fact, the Enemy is
widely despised-by other adventurers who have launched their own crusades
against him, and possibly by other villains, who enviously plot his downfall 
so they can take his place.
  This device makes the PCs part of the crowd. For as the long as the heroes 
fail to distinguish themselves, the DM will have a ready excuse for their
surviving to the next adventure: The Enemy's forces and attention can be
spread only so thin, and at the moment he has bigger fish to fry. The DM can 
reinforce this by letting the players meet fellow adventurers who had to
face the Enemy or his henchmen, while the PCs were once again spared.
  Inevitably, however, as the protagonists of the big story, the PCs must
distinguish themselves-either by advancing to a higher level than any of the 
other heroes, or by making progress against the Enemy unmatched by their
peers (e.g., obtaining the one weapon that can defeat him). When this
happens, device #2 effectively disappears, as the Enemy attempts to correct
his oversight by making the destruction of the PCs his top priority. Again,
the DM should have another device ready if this one fails.

3. Covertness
This is similar to #1: the Enemy knows the PCs' actions and goals, but he
doesn't know where the heroes are and can only guess where they will strike
next. The PCs are guerrillas, simultaneously aiming to defeat the Enemy and
to avoid his detection.
  This device depends largely on the availability of magical items in the
campaign. While any scrying spell short of a wish is risky-the Enemy may be
loath to cast a vision spell, for example-a crystal ball in the Enemy's
hands makes it effectively impossible for the PCs to remain hidden for long. 
However, if the Enemy has no means of obtaining a crystal ball or similar
item-or the PCs have a dependable way to frustrate scrying-then the Enemy
must rely on spies and hearsay, and this gives the PCs a fighting chance.
  A big story where covertness alone protects the heroes can be particularly 
exciting, because the PCs must always remain hidden. Any journey home
becomes too hazardous to risk, because the Enemy surely has the families and 
friends of his adversaries closely watched. Similarly, the heroes may
require disguises when they journey into a town for supplies or healing,
because the Enemy has spread their descriptions far and wide, along with the 
promise of a generous reward for their capture.
  Under device #3, the PCs forsake any place in society for of their quest,
leading secret lives for years, until at last the Enemy is defeated. The DM, 
in turn, watches the actions of the PCs with the Enemy's eyes, always alert
to any trail that might allow the Enemy to find the heroes.
  In an alternate version of this device, the PCs use the town as their
cover, blending in with the townspeople to remain inconspicuous. They
pretend not to know each other in their day-to-day lives, and they pretend
to be less capable than they truly are. To preserve this anonymity, they
strike against the Enemy under cover. They hide their identities behind
disguises or costumes, and they may even use noms de guerre that are spoken
in awed whispers throughout the land.

4. The Master Plan
Using this story device, the Enemy has a quest of his own-as well as a broad 
and far-reaching plan to finish it, which may bring him godlike power, world 
domination, immortality, or what have you. Like the PCs' quest to defeat
him, the Enemy's quest involves many sequential steps, each of which brings
him incrementally closer to his goal.
  Like #2, this device gives the DM a convenient excuse for the Enemy's
failure to flatten the heroes: The master plan is more important, and the
Enemy can't afford to waste valuable resources on his adversaries right now.
  However, the PCs must pay for this reprieve by watching the Enemy advance
toward his goal, growing more powerful along the way. Whenever the PCs fail
in one of their missions, or are slow to move against the Enemy, the DM
should let them learn of yet another of the Enemy's victories-thereby making 
it clear to the heroes that they are in a race to finish their quest before
the Enemy finishes his.
  To make this device even more believable, the DM should have the Enemy's
plan mapped out in advance. If the plan is a logical one, clever PCs may be
able to predict the Enemy's next move and come up with a plan to frustrate
the Enemy and buy themselves time. Conversely, the Enemy may mask his
intentions through diversions, sending his minions on useless errands
serving only to confuse the PCs.


5. Overconfidence
This is the classic Enemy downfall: an ego so big that it gives him a blind
spot that helps the PCs. Because the Enemy can't believe that a group of
puny adventurers could ever be a threat to him, he misses important
opportunities to destroy them, or he sends minions to dispose of them
instead of soiling his own hands.
  Though effective, this device can render the Enemy and the big story
absurd if it is overused. Eventually, the heroes will advance far enough in
their quest to be dangerously close to victory, and the Enemy will have sent 
even his high-level minions against them to no avail. At this point, even
the most arrogant Enemy must see the truth. If he can, he may then move
against the PCs directly, but by then it might be too late.

6. Limited Mobility
The Enemy simply can't reach the PCs. In all likelihood, he is also unable
to carry out his own schemes. Under this device, the Enemy relies on minions 
who are free to roam the world to be his "arms," putting his plans in effect 
and striking against the heroes.
  This weakness is the PCs' salvation. Because the minions are neither as
powerful nor as cunning as the Enemy, the PCs can defeat them. In addition,
because the Enemy is so dependent on them, he will be reluctant to send his
trusted, most powerful minions to face the PCs until many others have failed 
before them. This delay gives the PCs a chance to advance in levels before
facing their toughest foes.
  There are many reasons why an Enemy's mobility might be constrained:
  * No legs. The most obvious possibility. Here, the Enemy is not an
ambulatory creature, but instead a stationary, sentient-and evil-being.
Maybe the Enemy is an ancient statue, tree, mountain, or building, that has
acquired some cruel, inhuman intelligence over time. Similarly, the Enemy
could be an old and supremely powerful living wall, who has his minions
bring him powerful creatures to absorb, thereby growing more powerful all
the time (See MM, page 224).
  * Curse. An ancient and powerful adversary-now departed from this
world-trapped the Enemy long ago, using a powerful curse that forbids him
from leaving the Dungeon of Hopelessness, the Orcblood Mountains, etc. If
the DM is also using device #4, the Enemy may have discovered a way to free
himself, which he is putting into effect via his master plan.
  The Enemy may also be trapped on another plane. This gives him access to
outer planar minions but it also constrains his ability to act on the Prime
Material plane.
  * Vulnerability. The Enemy refuses to travel because he is vulnerable
outside his lair. This explanation can be applied to nearly all
undead-particularly those averse to sunlight-as well as enormous or
extremely rare creatures that are incapable of traveling inconspicuously,
like any dragon older than two centuries.
  This explanation also applies to creatures who are not adapted to the
central environment of the campaign. The Enemy could be a creature of the
far north or deep seas, or a native of the very deepest reaches of the
Underdark.

7. Magical Protection
Some powerful magic force-a blessing on the heroes and a curse on the
Enemy-prevents the Enemy from directly harming the PCs. Perhaps one of the
PCs read an ancient and unique scroll granting permanent protection from the 
Enemy to everyone present. Alternately, the party may own a magical item
which provides the same defense.
  Though it is a tempting device, magical protection has many logical
pitfalls which make it difficult to apply. For example, if the protection is 
the result of a blessing or scroll, what happens to PCs who come to the
group later, arriving with new players or replacing heroes who are slain?
Because the newcomers won't share the protection, they'll be sitting ducks
for the Enemy.
  On the other hand, if the protection comes from a portable item-say, a
staff of protection from the Dark Overlord, 158 radius-how do the PCs
justify their ownership of this item in a world with more powerful heroes?
If the heroes truly wish the Enemy defeated, they should give the item to a
band of 12th-level paladins who have a better chance of accomplishing this.
  More importantly, however, the existence of such a spell or item strains
the credibility of the Enemy who allows it to exist. Even the most
overconfident Enemy would see a threat in something that neutralizes his
power. If he knew it existed, he would have it destroyed before the PCs
found it. If he found out about it only when he was forced to flee from
invulnerable PCs, he would send his most powerful minions to squash the PCs
before they could find him again.
  The DM should use such a device iby using it in a more understated way.
Perhaps the item is good for only one use, with a very short duration. Such
an item would be useless to the PCs throughout most of their quest, but it
will serve them well if they can hold on to it until the final battle.

8. Capture
This device offers a last chance to PCs who are defeated prematurely by the
Enemy or his forces. Instead of killing the PCs, the Enemy takes them
prisoner. Perhaps he hopes to extract information from them using
divination, psionics, or torture, or maybe he simply admires their physical
prowess and believes they will make useful slaves in his mines, or in the
construction of the latest addition to his obsidian fortress.
  If this device is used in conjunction with #5, the Enemy may take the PCs
back with him to his lair, believing they cannot rise against him when
placed under guard and deprived of weapons, armor, and spell books.
  Patient PCs will likely see a chance to overpower their guards. How well
they fare after that is largely a matter of their own resourcefulness. They
may try to escape, or they may seek out the Enemy then and there-in spite of 
their missing equipment-out of fear that they may never again come so close
to him. Whatever the case, one thing should be clear: Their actions will
prove conclusively that they are too dangerous to be kept as prisoners. This 
time, the heroes must succeed, because the Enemy will never allow them
another chance.