R AKDOS VILLAINS
Rakdos villains range in power from demented cultists
to sadistic demons. Most of them are driven by a desire
for unfettered mayhem. A hunger for a certain form of
immortality (being an artist who is remembered forever)
often feeds that desire, and insofar as Rakdos can be
considered the "god" of his cult, objectives related to
magic-carrying out his wishes, offering him sacrifices,
and rousing him into action- are also significant ob-
jectives for some cult ists. Driven as they are by selfish
impulse and emotion, Rakdos villains also sometimes
pursue schemes related to passion, power, or revenge.
Specific examples appear on the Rakdos Villains table.RAKDOS V ILLAINS
d8 Villain234A coven of blood witches (see chapter 6 for the stat
block), seeking Rakdos's favor, uses magic to turn
members of other guilds against their own allies.
Word spreads that a retiring performer wants to go
out with a bang, and their final performance prom·
ises to be explosive.
Mocking the absence of the Guildpact, a Rakdos
troupe takes over the Chamber of the Guildpact
and performs its satire before a captive audience.
A demon captures people and makes a game of
thwarting their efforts to escape.152 Cl!t\PTl::R I 1 CR~o\llNl. AUHNIURIS
d8
5678Villain
A skilled puppeteer uses skeletal marionettes
to recreate historical acts of violence between
guilds-which are inexplicably repeated in the real
world within the next few days.
A ringmaster has discovered magic that fills the
whole audience with blood lust and sends them
rampaging through the streets.
A hypnotist is programming audience members to
go into a murderous rage when a triggering event
occurs.
A crazed blood witch (see chapter 6 for the stat
block) hopes to rouse Rakdos by driving captured
sacrificial victims into his lair.RAKDOS AS CAMPAIGN VILLAINS
You could build a campaign around the Cult ofRakdos's
efforts to stir its demonic patron into action against the
other guilds. The campaign might unfold amid steadily
increasing violence, escalating to episodes of wide-
spread rioting and rampaging demons.
At lower levels, the adventurers might encounter
incidental violence spilling over from Rakdos venues:
a brawl outside a nightclub, overenthusiastic devils
spreading fires around a street stage, or the "acciden-
tal" death of a few performers at the climax of their act.
As the campaign progresses, the characters might be
drawn into combating the efforts of blood witches who
are trying to exterminate the cult's most active enemies.