Worldbuilding: bandits and villains

1. Copper Blades

Tactically efficient bandits known for carrying distinctive copper-plated daggers. They use their uncommon combat coordination to attack larger merchant convoys. Led by Copper Bobby, who supposedly wields a solid copper sword.

BIG FIVE - There Were Times Of Courage, by Sebastian Gromann

2. The Drove

Grotesque brigands who wear raw, leathery pig skins, including masks and hoof-decorated boots. Rumored to be cannibalistic. They loosely take command from the Hog, a huge warrior who was once a renowned knight named Sir Hopper, until he abandoned that life seeking easier pleasures.

3. Men of Polis

A well-dressed gang who prefer to take victims out of sight and brutalize or kill in secret. The city guard are in their pocket just enough to leave their hidden crimes without investigation. The leader is Father Bizzie, who fronts as a moderately successful innkeeper.

4. Heatrazers

Zealous marauder cultists who set their weapons aflame and ritually scar themselves with burns. The high priestess Pyela fights alongside her men, fighting with gauntlets that somehow burn without crippling her hands.

5. Finest Ones

White-robed assassins who wear masks and always kill in ways that leaves no stain upon themselves. They take contracts about as often as they kill for their own inscrutable ends. Led by a mysterious figure known only as Lord Law, who works alone and kills without leaving any visible wound.

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Notes: shorter post this time, but I like the characters and unique bandit groups. They may seem a bit familiar in some ways.

Villain generator and respectful necromancy

Some assembly required, but this generator will give you all the necessary touchstones to create a weird, non-problematic, memorable villain for your campaign.

Evil Knights, by Juan Pablo Roldan

Necromancy doesn't have to be evil and reviled. There are respectful ways to commune with the dead, with one's ancestors and forefathers. It's certainly possible to re-frame any necromancy spell in a way that's amicable and honoring to the dead, but these are some examples that are kind of inherently that way already.

Anito x Shaman, by Tuntun Dizon

1. Speak with dead: you recall the spirit of the dead and ask them questions. Sometimes this is posed as a torturous process, but there's no reason it has to be.
   
2. Gentle repose: certainly protective, and infinitely less degrading than embalming. Seriously look into it, don't get embalmed.
   
3. Spirit guardians: bring back the great warriors of the past to fight again! Especially if they aren't forced to fight for you, and will only join if you convince them to.
   
4. Soothe souls: calm their anger, lessen their pain, allow them to communicate or pass on more easily.
   
5. Medium possession: allow the dead to inhabit your body and control your actions for a time, giving them one chance to complete any unfinished business.
6. Detect dead: especially if it can only sense the undead or those who have no received their proper final rites, to be laid to rest.

Obviously I would encourage other writers to design even undead in a way that's not exploitative or evil, such as making an agreement to benefit the souls of the dead, or giving them temporary life for their own use (such as the possession one). Any practice can be of particular virtue or vice, depending on the attitude it is approached with and the goals held in mind. In Tajira, illusionists are seen as evil, duplicitous, and cowardly for manipulating perception and invading dreams.

 

Many thanks to Kali, creator of Fight With Feelings for helping me out on the villain generator!