Villainous Breakdown

"I'm tired of being an intellectual criminal!!!"

— Professor Moriarity from Sherlock Hound/Great Detective Holmes; (usually just before he pulls out a big honkin' gun and goes berserk)

Basic Information

A Villainous Breakdown is what happens when an otherwise apparently sane and rational villain has been pushed over the edge due to some major setback or other event which they Didn't See Coming. Due to this, they will now act irrationally and out of all proportion to provocations - which might not make them any less dangerous, and even make them much more terrifying than when they were calm.

See Also

• Creepy Monotone
• Feed Me
• Dissonant Serenity
• No Holds Barred Beatdown
• This Cannot Be
• Villainous BSOD
  • Heroic BSOD - the hero counterpart

Sources

Bibliography

1. TV Tropes Wiki entry

Game and Story Use

• Have one of your villains go through one of those if the PCs have been a constant thorn in his side, and when they have finally stopped a plot that was too important for him. Then they will have a nasty surprise when they see just what the villain is willing to do to get them.
  • Though setting one off might be just the opening they need, as the villain's raving drives away allies and drives them to personally fight instead of hiding behind minions.