21 people have played Moriarty on TV. Twenty One. Add up all the movies and stage shows and audio productions and we’re closing in on 100 variations. The Professor’s shown up in at least five different video games too.
It’s not simply because Sherlock Holmes is a compelling character/story. There are many storylines that do not include the Professor. He’s been seen and heard in so many times because he is a great villain. A Big Bag Evil Guy that enjoys begin mean and intelligent and better than everyone else. He is so successful that he will often bully Sherlock out of sheer boredom.
So a Table Top RPG villain based on Moriarty is a good idea. I would argue that, with clear evidence to prove it, that the rat crime lord based on Moriarty is an even better inspiration for your BBEG.
Presence – 5 out of 5
Personal bias aside – I grew up with this movie on VHS and wore that thing out – Ratigan has everything you want for a D&D villain, or any RPG for that matter.
Sneering, condescending, justified in his absolute confidence. Powerful in build and character. Laughing and joking on his terms. Even in conversation he is a potential danger to PCs and NPCs alike, and to his own henchmen.
What sets him apart from Moriarty, is that other side of him. Moriarty is often shown as having a temper, snapping when he realises he is beaten. He may even engage in swordplay and fisticuffs at the end. Yet Ratigan has a much greater turn. A Jekyll-and-Hyde-like turn that will leave no doubt in even the cockiest player that ‘maybe they went too far this time’.
Atmosphere – 2 out of 5
The world isn’t changed by him, but the mood of the room definitely does. For your Players, being amongst his entourage or at the same public event as him requires a careful balance of charm, sophistication and an investigative approach to gleam the truth without alerting him or drawing out that wrath.
Omniscience – 4 out of 5
A big plan doesn’t mean a good one. Ratigan definitely has a good handle on things but his machinations have some loose ends for Basil/your players to pull on.
Most importantly, when he has lost control, or the heroes solve his plan, it doesn’t mean they’ve won. His lack of omniscience in the third act doesn’t matter when all that matters is getting away from his rage.
Henchmen – 3 out of 5
Having a cat in a world/movie/TTRPG is akin to having a dragon in… well… any situation. Ratigan stops short of charging into battle on the back of Felicia, but there’s no doubt that she adds to his threat level.
His goons are many, but there’s not a lot we can credit them with.
Threat Level – 4 out of 5
If you can, as GM/DM, try and underplay your BBEG villains temper. Let them see he can be riled up, but hold the reveal of the full extent of the anger until the very end. The transformation scene in Basil: The Great Mouse Detective is one that truly unnerved me as a youngster, and took Ratigan from ‘a pretty good villain’ into greatness.
To me, it doesn’t feel like he hulks out. It’s more like he’s holding everything in. Like a rotund man may suck in the gut at the beach, Ratigan is straining to keep everything tamped down and secured beneath his cummerbund. As if the suit is the seal on an awful evil, struggling to hold back the chaos.
In any case, he is fast, strong, and thoroughly brutal. What’s more, he doesn’t fully lose himself; his cruelty and penchant for showmanship are still intact.
Finale – 4 out of 5
Another chase sequence, but this one is on a another level. Several levels, all moving and winding and springing around one another. The main problem is how to present this to your players in map form. Perhaps have separate stages and set pieces?
However you do it, having the last encounter on giant cogs that revolve and threaten the possibility of being crushed in the mechanics is truly exciting. Fighting your way through a gargantuan clocktower as the mad uber-rat tries to throttle the life out of you is the basis of a good TTRPG finale.
Final Score = 3.66
He’s another melee-only BBEG, but the speed at which he operates makes this a more dangerous scenario.
On his own, Ratigan puts a lot of pressure on your front lines. With a few goons or a giant cat steed, you’re players are in a lot of trouble.
He almost took the top spot. It’s going to be hard to beat the magical villains in any case, but as soon as Jafar turned into the ‘Most Powerful Sorcerer’ he really did make it hard for others to beat him.
Nevertheless, Ratigan makes a definitive impression, and puts on a heck of a show.
| Disney Villain | Score |
| Jafar | 3.83 👑 |
| Professor Ratican | 3.66 |
| Lyle Tiberius Rourke | 3.66 |
| Elsa of Arendelle | 3.16 |
| Hopper | 3.16 |
| Robert Callaghan | 3.00 |
| The Horned King | 3.00 |
| Gaston LeGume | 2.66 |
| Yzma | 2.66 |
| Prince Hans | 2.00 |
Thank You For Reading
The other Disney BBEG contenders are right here.
Gamer Peak 