[FATE] The Super Villain Handbook Basic Edition

(NOTE: If you were a Kickstarter backer - you received a download link for this if you pledged at the $10 level or higher. If you didn't receive this - please PM us on Kickstarter and we'll get it to you. The Deluxe Edition is being developed now and will be out later this year. )

Note: This is the Fate Core version.

It's true, super villains are a secretive lot. Other than the occasional slip of megalomania during world domination broadcasts, most super villains keep the essence of who they are and what they do under tight wraps. Dr. Comics (That would be Dr Tondro... Shh. It's a secret) has tapped every informant, minion, and ex-villainous love interest he could get his hooks into to divulge the secrets of what makes a super villain tick. 

The Super Villain Handbook covers forty archetypes for various super villains that one might encounter throughout comics. While the book was created with ICONS in mind, there are many reasons that this is an essential resource for GMs of any superhero game. 

The book classifies super villains not by what they can do (for example, "control magnetism") but by their role in the story ("I must make the world safe for my people!"). In such roles, we see everything from the lowly Crime Boss to the Cosmic Menace. This allows villains of all types and power sets to fill different roles at the table without coming across as poorly re-skinned clones.

Recommendations for the SVH

From Steve Kenson (of Green Ronin and Ad Infinitum Adventures): Villains are a mainstay of superhero games: Who is going to challenge the heroes from week-to-week if not a reliable rogues gallery of villains? The Supervillain Handbook gives you enough ideas and archetypes for endless game-play and its discussion of classic villain archetypes is useful for all superhero games, beyond just Icons Superpowered Roleplaying. If superhero roleplaying games are your thing, then you want this book!

From Chuck Rice of Mayfair Games (and previously of Vigilance Press and RPGObjects)Jason Tondro continues his amazing work of mixing a scholar's look at comics with great, ready-made NPCs for your ICONs games. This is his best work to date, focusing on the villains that oppose your plucky heroes. Every page is full of plot hooks and character ideas. This book will serve as a tremendous Game Master's reference through countless campaigns.

Here's an episode of the BAMF Podcast where we discussed the SVH and Jason gave some background on his process. (SVH discussion starts at about the 33:45 mark)