Fault: Unabating Overconfidence

[The following was intended to be part of an ongoing series of articles on the adaptation of the cliffhanger genre to role-playing. All of those articles, which originally appeared in Fudgerylog, are lost. This previously unpublished article is all that remains.]

Unabating Overconfidence

In bosses and archvillains, the fault of Unabating Overconfidence leads them to hatch overly ambitious plots, dismiss any question of the success of their plans, and have excessive faith in their ability to delegate tasks to appropriately qualified henchmen (who are usually incompetant in reality). This tends to be the Achilles Heel of most diabolical masterminds.

In henchmen, lackeys, and goons, Unabating Overconfidence takes the form of a steadfast refusal to believe that any meddlesome do-gooder could possibly be a persistent threat (despite evidence to the contrary), which leads them into careless confrontations. Any temporary victory is considered a total victory, and precludes the necessity of any further measures.

In heroes, Unabating Overconfidence leads them to tackle enemies without waiting for backup, with the usual result of needing to be rescued by a comrade at the last second before being run over by a locomotive, thrown over a cliff, handcuffed to a bomb, or left in a burning building.