So recently with my crew I decided to spice things up by creating a rival RT with his band of misfits. Acting as a kind of "Nega-Crew," I made them in hopes to create a bit of discord and competition. After introducing the cast to their new sworn enemies, I recieved a lot of eagarness with potential interactions and fights.

I suppose I wish to ask: What have other GMs who have created a Nemesis Crew done to use them effectively? I'm planning on having them collide every so often and duke it out with no clear winner until a final confrontation. What would you say worked or didn't work well with your villains?

I've had several different re-appearing Nemesis. In order to implement them best though, I had to decide on what "I" wanted the outcome in the end to of each encounter to be, in-conjunction with what the players would most be hyped/out-raged about.

Meaning, I had a dashing chauvinistic Nemesis that merely arrived at bad/good/impractical times to steal the spot light. He was able to flee quickly with a teleporter, or things would happen that would allow him to escape, or he thought ahead and had an escape plan. Also I made it clear that the ramifications of killing him early would have been severe (as he was backed by a powerful Inquisitor until the end). (DH)

I had an intelligent schemer that kept getting thwarted by the PC’s. She had a myriad of henchman that would get in the way or confront/stall the PC’s until she was able to flee. (SR)

Then there was my diabolical killer who was after the PC’s for a past transgression. I had logical reasons with scars/wounds/cybernetic implants that were present as to how/why he survived the last encounters with the PC’s. (SR)

My favorite was a RT of way more prestige and influence (PF) that was after the same thing as the PC’s. He had lieutenants that were just as powerful as the PC’s, or slightly more so, which lead off to the final climax to where they perceived the RT to be all powerful. He wasn’t, but it was a good prelude to the climax. (RT)

Take that back. My favorite was a NPC the players saved, they accepted him into their group, and who continued to tag along with them for several sessions and even assisted them (though never intentionally saved their lives, which they didn’t notice until the end). He then backstabbed them during a mission to save a city, and almost killed 2 of the 4 PC’s (because the party split up, which was a prime opportunity). They quickly found out he was one of the Four Horseman, and they merely found him at his weakest point early in the game. There were even little clues which I left that said his identity; however, the players dismissed these and continued on oblivious until the end. (Rifts)

The catch for me was to make it personal for the players. Either the Nemesis hurts or destroys something dear to them, like showing off how all powerful and “better” he is than them, or betrays their trust in some fashion (like the funny, cute, witty concubine is actually a spy/assassin working for X).

I havent used a big nemesis RT yet, but im excited to see this thread as im brainstorming the return of a rich RT with a bigger fleet and connections to the IG. I plan to start stealing glory and muscling in on contracts with him and this thread is perfectly timed.