Serial Killer (Vigilante Archetype)
The vigilante class, at its core, is a stealthy figure whom is able to dissociate their social and vigilante identities in order to carry out their goals, for good or ill.
Today, we are looking at the very depths of the ill side of things.
By definition, a serial killer is a mass murderer that kills their victims in repeatable, ritualistic ways, which may or may not include calling cards and taunting messages to the authorities.
In the context of the Pathfinder system, however, serial killers also gain the benefits of being able to fully disguise their own demeanor and designs until the time comes to take off the mask and kill.
While it is tempting to make blanket statements about the status of serial killer mental states, doing so does more to harm those with actual mental illnesses than it does help identify would-be killers.
Indeed, while some are indeed unstable, others are uncannily sane, their wickedness stemming from an absolute lack of morality. This makes them all the more disturbing when the veneer of civility drops away and reveals the monster they truly are.
Given the nature of their work, serial killers are universally evil, and specialize in the stealthier side of being a vigilante.
Constantly paranoid of being discovered, these murderers almost casually work to minimize the amount of information that is available about them, both socially, as well as obscuring their tracks to avoid being followed.
Just as they obsess over their next victim, they also meticulously study foes in combat, taking advantage of every weakness.
They also put their best foot forward when hiding their true selves, making them seem genuinely likable and worthy of respect and aid to the unsuspecting.
Mirroring the deadly precision of assassins, these killers can, after reading a target, end a life in an instant.
As part of their obsession, these brutal figures have a modus operandi which makes their handiwork instantly recognizable. It may be a specific method of defiling the corpse afterwards, or a particular type trinket they leave behind, but once a kill is so marked, their infamy spreads as everyone instantly knows who was responsible.
Additionally, their kills are often so gruesome as to disturb those who not only witness it first-hand, but also examine the scene later, haunting their sleep.
Finally, serial killers also learn the assassin arts of quiet killings, and later, of killing even faster.
This is the very picture of an NPC villain archetype, one that likely does not have a place even in most villain campaigns, as the character would have little motivation beyond fulfilling their obsession with murder. That being said, this archetype works well with distinctive builds, such as specializing in a particular weapon type, as well as building with deception and information gathering in mind.
While rarely if ever suitable for players, a serial killer might be a compelling foe for the party, either the final encounter of a murder mystery, or a lesser minion in a greater scheme. Like all horror-based aspects of roleplay, make an effort to understand your player’s limits beforehand, working within them to describe the visceral evil and cruelty behind every body they discover.
Even after the death of the Joyful Slasher, their dark work continues, leading to the discrediting of the ones who apprehended her. This is because a group of caulborn, including one of their crestomath cousins, attempted to preserve the murderer’s memories for posterity, but got more than what they bargained for, an imprint of her deviant personality infecting the cadre, compelling them to continue her work.
The Knife Collector always leaves a unique masterwork blade embedded in the heart of their victims. Such exotic blades would surely make tracking down such a murderer an easy task, but so far no leads have turned up. Therefore, either the killer orders them through black markets from afar, or they themselves are a master blacksmith.
Someone has been targeting wyvarans in the city of Sandspire, brutally carving their wings from their bodies and leaving them to bleed out. However, as an extreme minority race, the local guard haven’t even opened up a case file on the matter, leaving the wyvarans remaining in the city to turn to others for aid.