Episode 209
Why Your Villain Falls Flat (And How to Fix It with Show, Don’t Tell) | Part 1 of the Show Don't Tell Mini Series
Most villains fail not because they're weak—but because your players aren’t emotionally invested. In this episode, we kick off a powerful new storytelling series with a focus on “Show, Don’t Tell”—starting with the most misunderstood piece of storytelling in D&D: the villain.
You’ll learn:
- Why simply saying “he’s the bad guy” never works
- How to build villains that evoke real fear, anger, or awe
- A concrete method for triggering emotional investment
- Real-world villain examples (and mistakes to avoid)
Ready to turn your villains from forgettable into unforgettable? Let’s roll.
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Special thanks to:
Benj Weyland for our Graphic Design
Techsenpai, Juka and TJ Max for being great moderators!
Foxy Beard for being a patron.
Mentioned in this episode:
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