u/List100 posted this 5 years ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/s7uqf1/lets_build_100_reasons_why_the_villain_is_hated/

Since then, there have been lots more comments, and we're in reach!

OOPS! Actually, we're not "in reach", we're way over. So maybe what we need is to split these 162 out into a 100 serious reasons, plus a 62-reason silly supplemental?

Because "[serious]" was specified, I edited some to make them, well, more serious.

1. Treats "lesser folk" (commoners, maids/butlers, etc.) like scum/tools. (u/List100)
2. Uses servants/minions as foot/leg rests, stepping stools, tables, etc. (u/List100)
3. Steals people's pets. (u/List100)
4. Incarcerates people under false/made up charges because they can. (u/List100)
5. Adopts orphans only to incarcerate them. (u/List100)
6. Kidnaps children from underprivileged homes just to sell them to families who can't have their own children. (u/Durien9)
7. Makes use of revolutionaries and insurgent movements while playing all sides and undermining both sides for profit. (u/Th3R3493r)
8. Dogmatically Philistinish. They don't care about any form of culture, aesthetics or sentimental cost and only cares about the intrinsic worth of any action or item. (u/Th3R3493r)
9. Edit: inspiration from a memory of a player's actions at my table. They slaughtered a field hospital and killed a friendly cleric that healed a opponent who appealed to their humanity. deleted one that was on the list already. (u/Th3R3493r)
10. Ruthless Heal Denier. Counter-spells healing actions and revive spells or targets downed enemies with magic missile or cheap attacks. A defenseless enemy who can not attack is still an enemy to them. (u/Th3R3493r)
11. Confidently Incorrect. They will confidently state false information as the truth and not back down from their understanding of their "truth". (u/Th3R3493r)
12. Wasteful. Will overorder from any establishment that serves food or drink then after they and their company at the time take their fill, poison the rest of it quietly, and instruct staff to toss it. They may even demand to be compensated for not eating more than a quarter of what was ordered. (u/Th3R3493r)
13. Does not care about names. Everyone is called by a nickname as they truthfully don't care about learning their real name. (u/Th3R3493r)
14. Cowardly and connected. They never fight and will always have several escape plans for when things go south. They will actively avoid being in the presence of anyone who would harm them and has money to use proxies for almost everything. (u/Th3R3493r)
15. Completely clueless as a public speaker. Will always spew inflammatory, scandalous statements/make horrible faux-pas. (u/[gelöscht])
16. Their unsavory activities are known far and wide, but the locals live in misery and depend on them as a benefactor. (u/[gelöscht])
17. Has an out-of-wedlock child they adamantly refuse to acknowledge, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. (u/[gelöscht])
18. Grossly incompetent for their position, they only got it through nepotism or intrigue. (u/[gelöscht])
19. They are from common birth, and are seen as "greedy social climbers" in a deeply-aristocratic society. (u/[gelöscht])
20. Is a paranoid tyrant who sees sedition in every corner. (u/[gelöscht])
21. Uses the word 'absatively'. (u/[gelöscht])
22. Is a foreign conqueror. (u/[gelöscht])
23. Is seen as weak-willed, relying on advisors to make any decisions for them. (u/[gelöscht])
24. Is known to be wrapped around their lover's finger, indulging their every whim. (u/[gelöscht])
25. Slandered for a crime they never committed. (u/[gelöscht])
26. Their once praised tough-but-fair stance increasingly emphasizes the "tough" part to the near exclusion of the "fair" part. (u/[gelöscht])
27. Clings parasitically to a figure of authority. (u/[gelöscht])
28. Threw a close ally under the bus to save themselves following a huge blunder. (u/[gelöscht])
29. Taken a step further: dependent on setting/villain's background, children born of certain features (gender/attributes/etc) are automatically slain in front of parents or left to die in woods. (u/nadabethyname)
30. Makes sure they are the best looking of their gender, and anyone else who might be more attractive has to disfigure themselves. (u/axcrms)
31. Makes everyone dress the same color as them which not everyone can afford and are put into stockade. (u/axcrms)
32. Diverts town water source to fill a pool. (u/axcrms)
33. Owns the stores in town and upcharges everything. (u/axcrms)
34. Creates rumors and conspiracies against good people so they are mistrusted. (u/axcrms)
35. Lies about what goes on in outside world. Ie saying it's a war torn world and no one can leave and all traders go through him. (u/axcrms)
36. Is tired of the color green and makes it a faux pas so all green is removed plants are dyed or painted possibly killing all crops and the town. (u/axcrms)
37. Immortal that does not eat, steals livestock from nearby villages causing starvation because he doesn’t understand why they’re killing animals. (u/JohnJack19)
38. Commissions heros to slay terrible monsters. As the deed is done the villain appears with a large entourage of knights, magic users and a bard (to make a ballad about the occasion) before ceremonially sticking a sword into the corpse and taking credit for the deed. (u/Obviously-Lies)
39. They pay 1/20 of the agreed reward “for the small assistance” rendered by the hero. (u/Obviously-Lies)
40. Later they hear a popular ballad about how great the villain is and how they saved a bunch of “stupid weaklings that thought they were adventurers ” from the beast. (u/Obviously-Lies)
41. Local play writers and bards must have their works approved by his censorship bureau. (u/[gelöscht])
42. Opens a shop and Starts rumors about other shops that drive their business away. (u/kmisterk)
43. Initially an ally and higher status then the party. Will only reluctantly help them out of duty, completely ignore their advice or input, and will constantly show a disregard for their subordinates lives. (u/[gelöscht])
44. Commissions the frequent performance of a song honoring him. The song sucks. (u/gnurdette)
45. Forbid town festivals, except a new one to their evil god (u/CthuluSuarus)
46. Conscripts children to work in the villains mine, keeps them there as slaves (u/CthuluSuarus)
47. For mythos reasons like drought or famine and generally being cursed by God's and for things they had no control over. (u/Ajaxiss)
48. Is mad, like actually insane (u/Ajaxiss)
49. Destroys a priceless artifact/cultural icon because the owner wouldn't sell it to them (u/CharlesDickensABox)
50. Belittles others to make themself look better (u/CharlesDickensABox)
51. Embezzles/steals money meant for charity (u/CharlesDickensABox)
52. Hides behind someone else's power/authority to protect them from consequences (u/CharlesDickensABox)
53. Flatters and supplicates to anyone who seems more powerful in order to raise their social standing (u/CharlesDickensABox)
54. edit: Playing up power dynamics is a really good way to make players hate a character. Feckless bootlicking up, cruel indifference down, and make the players utterly powerless to do anything about it until the final confrontation. Really build up that rage for maximum catharsis at the denouement. (u/CharlesDickensABox)
55. Sends out violent monsters at night to maintain curfew (u/SirCoalBear)
56. Has terrible, horrible children and defends them no matter the crime they commit. (u/Clovis69)
57. Their parent was a tyrant, and they can’t escape that legacy no matter how hard they try (u/Reddit-Guess)
58. They are prophesized to destroy the world or do some other Big Evil Thing (u/Reddit-Guess)
59. Is a warmongering wizard who only uses excessively painful or brutal spells Ie heat metal, power word pain, any acid spell etc (u/DemonFire75)
60. Uses their magic as a bard/ warlock and a position of nobility to manipulate those around them ie casting friends, glibness, suggestion etc (u/DemonFire75)
61. Requires everyone under their rule to sign away the rights to their corpse so it can be experimented on or raised as an undead (u/DemonFire75)
62. A changeling, doppleganger or illusion wizard who enjoys causing chaos through transforming into others and committing crimes (u/DemonFire75)
63. Wants to end all suffering by ending all life. No life, no suffering. (u/Beneficial_Cloud5481)
64. Is stealing people's souls to stay alive. (u/Beneficial_Cloud5481)
65. His Air Force of Hippogriffs constantly "releases droppings" on villages they patrol over, pigeon style. (u/ZachPruckowski)
66. As above, but it's a Griffon Taxi Service. (u/ZachPruckowski)
67. Built a colossal 250' high Tower that literally overshadows (whatever). (u/ZachPruckowski)
68. His servants just sort of throw his chamberpot out the window of his Tower, and it keeps hitting people. (u/ZachPruckowski)
69. Runs the Firefighters Brigade, and extorts people whose houses catch on fire. (u/ZachPruckowski)
70. Runs the Firefighters Brigade, and also is rumored to be the guy setting the fires. (u/ZachPruckowski)
71. Uses his position as abbot or bishop to give sanctuary to some other villain. (u/ZachPruckowski)
72. Constantly appoints incompetent friends/relatives to important jobs. (u/ZachPruckowski)
73. Local populace also knows his family extensively hires out mercenaries to do dirty work through various guilds. Essentially runs a shadow government through bribery etc and is even more totalitarian indirectly than most other nobles. Gets away with it due to being on an important border with hostiles near by and has a steady stream of support due to holding other forces at bay. (u/JaceJarak)
74. Doesn’t like bards. (u/OldChairmanMiao)
75. Is an elitist a-hole. (u/OldChairmanMiao)
76. Makes themselves king, queen, lord protector, etc. (u/OldChairmanMiao)
77. Eliminates political rivals. (u/OldChairmanMiao)
78. Has own police force. (u/OldChairmanMiao)
79. Erects monuments honoring fictional events in order to glorify their properties on or near those monuments (u/SeattleWilliam)
80. Opposes construction of public works, civic buildings, religious temples, and other desirable buildings on the basis that they are “eye sores.” (u/SeattleWilliam)
81. Consumes far too much. Whether it be food, drink, or luxuries. (u/snakebite262)
82. Becomes very destructive to their surrounding environment. (u/snakebite262)
83. Is a terrible flirt. Sleeps with the husband/wives of their vassals. (u/snakebite262)
84. Is a bored slob. They hardly getup before noon on a good day, and expect everyone else to do the heavy lifting. (u/snakebite262)
85. Is known to over-react to the slightest insult. (u/snakebite262)
86. They hire thieves and assassins to collect things they desire. (u/snakebite262)
87. They mope around in a constant depression. (u/snakebite262)
88. They hoard a valuable resources, despite not needing it. (u/snakebite262)
89. Attempts to adjust people to their own liking. Physically. Mentally. Spiritually. (u/snakebite262)
90. They are of a nationality/ethnicity/race not common to the area, and constantly flaunt the superiority of their aspect. (u/snakebite262)
91. They covert with devils/monsters/otherworldly creatures. (u/snakebite262)
92. They practice dark arts, which corrupt the surrounding area. (u/snakebite262)
93. They practice mad experiments which harm the surrounding populous. (u/snakebite262)
94. Disgusting food habits. (Was: Demands cilantro on everything he eats.) (u/glindabunny)
95. Including the food in random inns he visits in a secret disguise to make sure they’re all using the evil herb in every dish. As a result, nobody is safe from the cilantro. (u/glindabunny)
96. Polymorphs people who cross them, and true polymorphs their rivals. (u/RuneLFox)
97. Gained a use of Wish and used it to become a tyrant ruler (u/RuneLFox)
98. Their magical inventions cause untold ecological havok. (u/RuneLFox)
99. They just have a really evil aura, even if they've done nothing wrong. (u/RuneLFox)
100. Rounds up the destitute and forces them into prisons they own for free labour. (u/RuneLFox)
101. Owns the courts, and always rules in their own favour. (u/RuneLFox)
102. Banned a popular delicacy. (u/RuneLFox)
103. Imposes their extremely weird personal views on the majority. (u/RuneLFox)
104. Is a known conspirator behind the forces of evil. (u/RuneLFox)
105. Cooks up strange potions and spikes drinks with them, only to watch the hilarity that ensues. (u/RuneLFox)
106. Rumour has it that they're secretly a draconic shapeshifter. (u/RuneLFox)
107. Believes all humanoid races to be beneath him, often referring to them as 'timber' or 'logs' to be cut and stacked. (u/atomicDaikaiju)
108. Is both incredibly wealthy and deeply solipsistic; they believe they are the only truly conscious entity in existence and treat all others like curious playthings. When called out on this behavior, they react with confusion or frustration. (u/atomicDaikaiju)
109. Practices poor hygeine, has no respect for personal boundaries and has an army of enablers along for the amusement of it all. (u/atomicDaikaiju)
110. Is an albino with telekinesis who uses his power to harass and bully people. (u/[gelöscht])
111. Runs a parchment business that takes sex workers and the shelterless off the streets to skin them for scrolls. (u/atomicDaikaiju)
112. Flooded half a town because he wanted a waterside house without moving his house. They can't prove it was him. (u/Sarctoth)
113. He refuses to wear clothes. It's not a pretty sight. (u/Sarctoth)
114. Destroys knowledge and the pursuit thereof by burning books and or libraries to subjugate, being very narrow-minded and single-focused about their own teachings (u/ottersintuxedos)
115. They own almost all rental properties in the city and have an agreement with the other landlords to keep rent high so renters have nowhere else to go when they hike up the prices. (u/sanorace)
116. They pay off the guards to look away from their human rights violations. (u/sanorace)
117. Charges high rent for wretched conditions (despite protections in the law) (u/boredgenz)
118. Bribes the justice system to avoid persecution and intimidate enemies (u/boredgenz)
119. Scapegoating a group for society's ills, especially if the villain is the real reason behind these issues (u/boredgenz)
120. Enforces high taxes on the poor but little on the wealthy (u/boredgenz)
121. Manipulates the laws to seize assets from others (u/boredgenz)
122. Loan shark (u/boredgenz)
123. Runs a private prison (u/boredgenz)
124. Demands to be hosted and bankrupts hosts. Ex: demanding food host can't afford, being demanding and taking up time, stabling animals in people's homes and expecting them to be fed and cared for. (u/boredgenz)
125. Hunts in excess to get trophies and throws out the meat. Meanwhile, villagers starve, either not allowed to hunt or not able to find animals with their meager resources. (u/boredgenz)
126. Demands the utmost attention from others and takes advantage of others' generosity/fear. (u/boredgenz)
127. The trophy hunting one is a perfect edition. I cannot stand when people just hunt for the trophy, it really gets on my nerves. (u/List100)
128. Buys all of the nice clothes in town and keeps them in storage, just so no one else can have them. (u/Evadson)
129. Walks out onto a balcony with a bow and shoots at random passers-by for target practice. (u/Evadson)
130. Refuses to allow any sporting event to be held unless he is guaranteed to win. (u/Evadson)
131. Constantly claims to be a shrewd businessman but really just evades taxes and never pays his bills. (u/Evadson)
132. The villain has the stinkiest farts of the village/town/city that smell like rotten eggs and corpses (u/applepiehobbit)
133. Forcefully eliminates rivals by assassination (u/HitlersPenisPump)
134. Invaded a peaceful kingdom (u/HitlersPenisPump)
135. Kidnaps villagers to experiment on them (u/HitlersPenisPump)
136. Unleashes dangerous magical creatures into the wild (u/HitlersPenisPump)
137. Consumes supplies meant for starving villages (u/HitlersPenisPump)
138. Encourages wanton murder (u/HitlersPenisPump)
139. Racketeering. Makes business owners pay for protection against other criminals (u/Best-friend-Brad)
140. Has a team of smugglers to get contraband into the city. (u/Best-friend-Brad)
141. Quelled a workers union that was advocating for fair pay. (u/Best-friend-Brad)
142. Doesnt give pets to dogs or cats (u/ImmaRaptor)
143. He foreclosed on an old lady for being a few pennies short. (u/Custard_Tart_Addict)
144. Gifts money/favours to desperate people as an act of generosity, only to later demand repayment with interest. (u/Drosslemeyer)
145. Clear cuts an ancient forest for its timber. (u/Drosslemeyer)
146. Refused to use their power/resources to help people in danger (u/Pipkp)
147. Holds (a) certain god(s) in higher honor than another (e.g. minor or evil god above a major benevolent god) (u/Elunerazim)
148. Disgusting personal habits. (was: Shaves in public restroom sinks and doesn’t clean them out.) (u/EdZeppelin94)
149. Holds a monopoly over a key supply, and exploits it ruthlessly. (u/gnurdette)
150. Subjects everyone to omnipresent scrying/surveillance (u/gnurdette)
151. Provides sanctuary for ruthless bandits (u/gnurdette)
152. Took possession of a key community resource like a well or spring (u/gnurdette)
153. Slew a beloved hero (u/gnurdette)
154. Blasphemously claims divine origin (u/gnurdette)
155. Carelessly tramples fields and gardens (u/gnurdette)
156. Confiscates domestic animals (u/gnurdette)
157. Fills the land with statues and monuments to themselves (u/gnurdette)
158. Took over and desecrated the local temple (stabled animals inside) (u/gnurdette)
159. Conscripts local youth for their army (u/gnurdette)
160. Blocks an important travel route (u/gnurdette)
161. Wrote a book expressing contempt for the locals (u/gnurdette)
162. Demands labor on sacred holiday (u/gnurdette)