We have another magic villain. It’s very common in D&D for the villain to be of the arcane persuasion. Archmages and liches make good baddies because they can throw out spells your party haven’t seen before. Magic makes a villain larger than life, sometimes literally. Human villains that simply wield weapons can be extraordinary Big Bad Evil Guys, but fixing them up with magical attacks is a sure-fire way to ensure they are impressive enough.
Unfortunately for Dr. Facilier, his magicks make him more of a tickster than a destroyer, which is fun, but might not improve the final showdown.
Presence – 3 out of 5
It’s always good to see a villain with a dash of desperation. Facilier is a suave fellow, exuding confidence. But panic sits beneath the surface. He might sing knowingly about his ‘friends’ on the other side, but he is fully aware that he is their friend the way the zookeeper is the lion’s friend. As long as he provides, the so-called friend won’t take his hand off.
So aside from the charm and clever patter he is an interesting villain with a very invested interest in the story.
He loses a point for being a surprisingly small part of the story. He causes the main issue of the adventure, and turns up for the finale, but the heroes have numerous adventure and sing along
Atmosphere – 1 out of 5
Other than the finale, which is largely shaped by those on the other side, Dr Facilier barely makes a ripple. That’s largely his M.O. He keeps himself to himself so he can make his deals without drawing attention. A good NPC or side-villain the party might have to track down, but hardly a Big Bad.
Omniscience – 2 out of 5
He clearly understands aspects of the world that others don’t, but here’s rarely in control, and his initial plan falls apart fast without him realising. Tracking down his amulet proves immensely difficult for him, and he seems oblivious to other magic users.
Henchmen – 2 out of 5
We’re not doing great here. Lawrence is feckless, and only technically a henchmen for as long as his deal is advantageous. Facilier’s Shadow technically helps him out, working as a sort-of separate entity.
Those on the Other Side are not his minions, or doing anything to help him out. That is, until he makes a big promise and then send him a horde of shadow minions… who all fail to capture two frogs…
Threat Level – 2 out of 5
We’re handy with a cane, and our self-propelled shadow gives us a sneaky edge, but if we’re piloting this villain as the Games Master, we’ve not go a lot to draw on. If the player characters make a deal with him, we can turn them into animals and play real fast-and-lose with their requests. We have illusion magic, but if we’re in a game of D&D that’s only going to get so far.
And a frog manages to take a talisman off him with their tongue. A talisman that is his power supply, which not only disables his spellcasting when destroyed, but gets rid of the problem that is Dr Facilier…
Finale – 2 out of 5
It’s a very cool ending to watch. Great vibes, cool comeuppance, some mild peril. Yet a low of that atmosphere and tension isn’t something Facilier can claim. It’s the Other Side residents that are really making this finale magical.
Final Score = 1.83
A bit wordy for a CR 1 creature, but when you’re dealing with vague, wish-like spells it is hard to pen things succinctly.
A very very cool villain, to be sure. But he’s not much of a mastermind. He’s not propping up Princess and the Frog, and he’s certainly not going to be a strong cornerstone of up your campaign.
| Disney Villain | Score |
| Ursula | 4.16 👑 |
| Hades | 4.00 |
| Jafar | 3.83 |
| Shan Yu | 3.66 |
| Professor Ratican | 3.66 |
| Lyle Tiberius Rourke | 3.66 |
| Billy Pine, a.k.a Syndrome | 3.33 |
| Elsa of Arendelle | 3.16 |
| Hopper | 3.16 |
| Robert Callaghan | 3.00 |
Thank You For Reading
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