aramis erak
Legend
I see three kinds of Major Antagonist who have relatively reasonable motivations to do the "send the minions and run" (set that to "go on, take the money and run")...
Type 1: send the minions, capture the heroes, gloat, leave and hope the minions succeed.
Type 2: send the minions and run because they don't want to risk themself. Ever.
Type 3: send the minions to see if they're a worthy enough foe to deal with them personally.
Type 1 includes such classics as Killer Kane (BR Comics), Ming the Merciless (FG), Princess Ardala (BR TV 79-81 show), David Dastmachian's recurring characters in several series (MacGuyver, CSI {original}, CSI: NY)...
Type 2 includes Kane (Michael Ansara and Henry Silva in the BR TV show), Baltar (oBSG), a largish number of DC and Marvel villains. The archetype is sometimes called the "Bully" - they only fight when they know they can win. And most of Star Wars' Hutts.
Type 3 includes most fantasy dragons, M Bison in the Street Fighter Movies, a number of CSI villains, the cannibal in Bones... once the protagonists have proven their worth (or threat). Heck, there's even one in Kentucky Fried Movie's skit, A fist full of yen. In some ways, Moriarity from several different film/TV franchises is this type (I can't speak to the novels).
Oh and type 4: the minions deal with the threat because the BBEG simply didn't notice they even existed.
All four, to low level PCs, look the same.
And not all villains in literature are averse to meeting the PCs...
nor in games... Hoard of the Dragon Queen chapter bosses run the gamut. Including a couple that just directly attack the PCs on sight. But those are chapter BBEGs, not the BBEGoddess behind the whole shebang.
If you're finding it an annoying trope, talk to your GM. If you are the GM, try a proactive one of suitable level...
Type 1: send the minions, capture the heroes, gloat, leave and hope the minions succeed.
Type 2: send the minions and run because they don't want to risk themself. Ever.
Type 3: send the minions to see if they're a worthy enough foe to deal with them personally.
Type 1 includes such classics as Killer Kane (BR Comics), Ming the Merciless (FG), Princess Ardala (BR TV 79-81 show), David Dastmachian's recurring characters in several series (MacGuyver, CSI {original}, CSI: NY)...
Type 2 includes Kane (Michael Ansara and Henry Silva in the BR TV show), Baltar (oBSG), a largish number of DC and Marvel villains. The archetype is sometimes called the "Bully" - they only fight when they know they can win. And most of Star Wars' Hutts.
Type 3 includes most fantasy dragons, M Bison in the Street Fighter Movies, a number of CSI villains, the cannibal in Bones... once the protagonists have proven their worth (or threat). Heck, there's even one in Kentucky Fried Movie's skit, A fist full of yen. In some ways, Moriarity from several different film/TV franchises is this type (I can't speak to the novels).
Oh and type 4: the minions deal with the threat because the BBEG simply didn't notice they even existed.
All four, to low level PCs, look the same.
And not all villains in literature are averse to meeting the PCs...
nor in games... Hoard of the Dragon Queen chapter bosses run the gamut. Including a couple that just directly attack the PCs on sight. But those are chapter BBEGs, not the BBEGoddess behind the whole shebang.
If you're finding it an annoying trope, talk to your GM. If you are the GM, try a proactive one of suitable level...
