RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Anyone ever have a major NPC, usually a villain or other antagonist, who does something to tick the PCs off and they decide to just up and attack him? Even if you build up the reputation of the NPC as someone not to be messed with (perhaps numerous levels higher than the party), occassionally someone in the party will do something phenomenally stupid and try to attack them. I'd like to hear what others have done in the past because, well, my players are currently plotting to take on something that is way over their heads (and they know it).
Do you have the NPC ridicule them and toy with them until they stop trying? Obliterate them and TPK the game? Do you intentionally power down the NPC so that they can survive? Have the NPC run away, despite being able to smite the PCs with relative ease?
I've noticed that players do this when they feel you're railroading them or taking away their freedom of action within the game world. If there's such a conflict the players are either a) really stupid (unlikely) or b) ticked off at the all-powerfulness of yours NPC(s). Time to retire the NPC and let the heroes be heroes.
Unless this is the villain we're talking about, then whoop their asses 'cause they deserve it.
Depends on the villain and his/her/its personal inclinations. Does he need our heroes to thwart his rivals/competition ? He can certainly whallop the snot out of them and let 'em (barely) crawl away.
Does she have a body part fetish ? She clobbers them into the negatives, lops off an ear (or whatever), leaving our maimed heroes stabilized but really, really motivated to take the bad guy down while she whistles contentendly making her newest necklace.
Does it simply destroy all who cross its path ? Then you may well have TPK, depending heavily on its particular quirks and especially its intelligence.
Our, if the antagonist is someone like say ... Vathus Vanderboren, he may have a new (forcibly transmuted) harem at his disposal ...
It all boils down to the antagonist in question.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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I've noticed that players do this when they feel you're railroading them or taking away their freedom of action within the game world. If there's such a conflict the players are either a) really stupid (unlikely) or b) ticked off at the all-powerfulness of yours NPC(s). Time to retire the NPC and let the heroes be heroes.
Unless this is the villain we're talking about, then whoop their asses 'cause they deserve it.
In my particular case, yes, it's the villain.
Here's a summary of the situation:
PCs allies are at war with a rival faction in the same city. Their allies have told them "we need to weaken their holdings before we can take them down." However, one of the PCs did some investigating and found the head honcho of this rival faction and went in to have a chat with him. I played the villain as supremely confident and made his relative power level obvious. This was not someone they were supposed to take head-on. Despite my warnings, however, the players are currently scheming to take him down directly instead of going after the enemy's holdings (and leveling up on all the mooks guarding them).
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Depends on the villain and his/her/its personal inclinations. Does he need our heroes to thwart his rivals/competition ? He can certainly whallop the snot out of them and let 'em (barely) crawl away...
...It all boils down to the antagonist in question.
In this particular case, it's the leader of a thieves' guild. He might try to win the PCs over to his side, but if they refuse (which most of them will), he has no reason not to kill them.
Anyone ever have a major NPC, usually a villain or other antagonist, who does something to tick the PCs off and they decide to just up and attack him? Even if you build up the reputation of the NPC as someone not to be messed with (perhaps numerous levels higher than the party), occassionally someone in the party will do something phenomenally stupid and try to attack them. I'd like to hear what others have done in the past because, well, my players are currently plotting to take on something that is way over their heads (and they know it).
Do you have the NPC ridicule them and toy with them until they stop trying? Obliterate them and TPK the game? Do you intentionally power down the NPC so that they can survive? Have the NPC run away, despite being able to smite the PCs with relative ease?
The encounter with the Beholder (and his henchwoman) in the first shackled city adventure handles this well. If the group attacks, the beholder limits itself to non-lethal eye rays like charm and sleep, taking the party out without killing them. As to why your NPC would choose to pull punches like this - ego, capriciousness, some sort of master plan - is another matter. Meta-game wise, it is a great way to tell PCs "Not yet! You're not ready!" The best solution I've found for the single-reckless-player-spoiling-it-for-everyone problem is FLESH TO STONE (from an item that later became the guy's signature), followed by a quick glance around at the rest of the group to see if that's it, and then continuing on as if nothing happened. The group had to lug their heavy friend to a temple for a costly STONE TO FLESH. That only has to happen once before everybody calms down significantly.
That said, and I'm sure you know this, I wouldn't have the PCs encountering villians they can't best all the time. Once or twice is a nifty foreshadowing encounter. Three or more, and the players are out of the spotlight. Even if they don't want to attack every villian, the fact that so many are "way over their heads" gets old fast.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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Well...I see it like this Fatey - if they want to make a suicide run, let them. You can only warn them so many times.
If they want to take on the Godfather before taking out his henchmen and weakening his power base, let them. (Preventing them would be railroading them.) If they get all shot up in the process, they should have planned better.
If you are really concerned, maybe have an out of game talk with them, or with the player who is leading this foolish charge. See why they're planning on doing this - might be enlightening. Might also be that they're just poor planners. You know your players best.
If the guy is really that much more powerful he can probably just charm and dominate the crap out of them. Teach them a lesson. Have them become his dominated patsies for a while and do some damage to their own allies.
In short, have fun with their stupidity.
In this particular case, it's the leader of a thieves' guild. He might try to win the PCs over to his side, but if they refuse (which most of them will), he has no reason not to kill them.Depends on the villain and his/her/its personal inclinations. Does he need our heroes to thwart his rivals/competition ? He can certainly whallop the snot out of them and let 'em (barely) crawl away...
...It all boils down to the antagonist in question.
Sure he does - he can sell them into slavery (not to mention cherry-picking from thier swag and selling off the rest or distributing it amongst his minions) just for a start.
He can pull a KoDT bit, strip them (after kicking thier kiesters all over the place) to thier skivvies, brand them with 'runes of shame' and arrange for them to be sedated and effectively exiled elsewhere, at the least a day or two's ride away from town.
I'm sure he'll have a few dozen low-level mooks to get flanking bonuses off of that can come swarming in to the showdown chamber. Let's see the fireballs fly when the bad guys are mixing it up close and personal with the mage's own buddies...
Despite my warnings, however, the players are currently scheming to take him down directly instead of going after the enemy's holdings (and leveling up on all the mooks guarding them).
Now that your group is out of the immediate encounter, there are all sorts of ways you can make a direct attack impossible. The best is that they simply can't find him easily, and other things (the rest of the adventure) are either immediately more important (raise the stakes) or, better yet, the best way to attack their new enemy. Or both. The best thing about non-computer games is you can alter things without the players knowing. If they insist on an attack, make them go through the campaign as planned to get there.
You could also have said bad guy - if he is able to acquire the information of thier intended attack somehow - perform a pre-emptive strike...
Contributor
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I say go with it. Let them gather information. Set up his base and security, and let them plan an attack. This is the style of adventure I tried to create with the Aundairian Job. Let them get a crapload of information and see what plans they come up with to deal with it, then act out their plan. If they plan and equip themselves appropriately, a clever party can take out a much higher level challenge, if they know what to expect.
That said, throw in one or two twists that they aren't expecting; like the villain has a secret mistress that they don't know about, and she's with him when they bust in, and she's pretty bad ass too. Or, you know, one of the PC's mother.
Have their npc friend steer them gently in the right direction. "Okay, how are you going to get past his guards? Uh huh. And what about the magic wards? Do you even know what wards he has? If you find out who set them up, you can find out how to bypass them.
Think of stuff like Ocean's Eleven and the Italian Job. It could be an awesome fun adventure.
Great points Rambling Scribe - if they properly prepare for Mr Gawdfather, they can do an awful lot of damage in short order, and it should make for a blast of a game session - not to mention prove extremely gratifying for your players.
Kudos RS !
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Great points Rambling Scribe - if they properly prepare for Mr Gawdfather, they can do an awful lot of damage in short order, and it should make for a blast of a game session - not to mention prove extremely gratifying for your players.
Kudos RS !
Hmmm... well... the PCs are currently level 3 and the BBEG is level 10. Should I retcon the BBEG to power him down, or leave it as-is and make the players count on a miracle?
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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I'd leave him at level 10
Rambling Scribe has some really good points - maybe, just maybe, if the pcs really plan well, they can succeed.
That's a huge power differential, but...hey, they asked for it. You gave them fair warning.
Okay, that's fair. If they plan well, maybe I'll let them fight him by himself instead of him and 2d6 mooks. The BBEG is a rogue 10 with the Skill Mastery special ability (Bluff, Tumble, Hide, and Move Silently are the mastered skills). He's currently statted with a +1 frost rapier and some boots of speed, in addition to a few other things. His gear isn't too powerful, but if they bring him down and take his stuff, it'll upset the wealth table a bit. That's okay, though, if they manage to bring him down, they will have earned it.
I've noticed that players do this when they feel you're railroading them or taking away their freedom of action within the game world. If there's such a conflict the players are either a) really stupid (unlikely) or b) ticked off at the all-powerfulness of yours NPC(s). Time to retire the NPC and let the heroes be heroes.
I don't think railroading is a necessary precondition here. My experience is often that the NPC dissed them. Once dissed the PCs desire for revenge can glow white hot. Nothing worse, from a players point of view, then being insulted by a figment of the DMs imagination. That figment becomes marked for death in a most brutal manner.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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I don't think railroading is a necessary precondition here. My experience is often that the NPC dissed them. Once dissed the PCs desire for revenge can glow white hot. Nothing worse, from a players point of view, then being insulted by a figment of the DMs imagination. That figment becomes marked for death in a most brutal manner.
Yeah, that is likely the issue. The BBEG currently has one of the PCs' mentor captive and has issued an ultimatum that, if the party (and the guild they are allied with) does not cede the territory he wants, he will kill the mentor. The guild wants the PCs to find out where he's hiding the mentor and free him while the PCs just want to kill the BBEG directly to prevent him from carrying out his threat.
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RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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Yeah, that is likely the issue. The BBEG currently has one of the PCs' mentor captive and has issued an ultimatum that, if the party (and the guild they are allied with) does not cede the territory he wants, he will kill the mentor. The guild wants the PCs to find out where he's hiding the mentor and free him while the PCs just want to kill the BBEG directly to prevent him from carrying out his threat.
Perfect! If they act against him, have him carry out the threat.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Perfect! If they act against him, have him carry out the threat.
Actually, I've got a better idea:
He doesn't really WANT to kill the mentor since, if he does, he will have lost his bargaining chip.
If the PCs act against him directly, he will probably stomp the crap out of them. Then, instead of a TPK, he takes them hostage too and restates his ultimatum to the guild, adding "and these guys" to the death threat. Then I can do one of two things: Run a breakout scene for the PCs or have the players make new characters (members of the guild) to break their other characters out! Genius!
Director of Sales
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Let'em do it.
Then, once they've defeated the bad guy, they find that one of the items on his dead body is a Ring of Alter Self with one charge left, or somesuch. And, of course, when they pull it off, they find that the person they thought was the BBEG was some level 6 mook that the BBEG was just testing.
And then they have to find out where the BBEG is now, how they could have been deceived by the situation so completely and who tipped the BBEG off about their planned attack.
...and, of course, now they're really pissed. Especially after they find out what the real BBEG was up to while they were chasing the diversion.
>Evil Laugh<
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Let'em do it.
Then, once they've defeated the bad guy, they find that one of the items on his dead body is a Ring of Alter Self with one charge left, or somesuch. And, of course, when they pull it off, they find that the person they thought was the BBEG was some level 6 mook that the BBEG was just testing.
And then they have to find out where the BBEG is now, how they could have been deceived by the situation so completely and who tipped the BBEG off about their planned attack.
...and, of course, now they're really pissed. Especially after they find out what the real BBEG was up to while they were chasing the diversion.
>Evil Laugh<
I love that idea! I was thinking that the BBEG would have a back up plan, and that one seems pretty darn good.
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Perfect! If they act against him, have him carry out the threat.Actually, I've got a better idea:
He doesn't really WANT to kill the mentor since, if he does, he will have lost his bargaining chip.
If the PCs act against him directly, he will probably stomp the crap out of them. Then, instead of a TPK, he takes them hostage too and restates his ultimatum to the guild, adding "and these guys" to the death threat. Then I can do one of two things: Run a breakout scene for the PCs or have the players make new characters (members of the guild) to break their other characters out! Genius!
If this Dude is as evil or intelligent as you say he is, he will have other "Chips" to play.
If your going to capture the PCs I would let them figure out an escape plan. Having other npcs do it will cheapen the experiance for them. Even if the plan they come up with to escape sucks I would let them roll with it.
Don't forget Geas / Quest for the PCs if they get captured. Make them have to go do the BBEG's bidding for a few missions. The challenge is to remove the Geas / Quest without having the "failsafe" go off.
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Lots of great advice so far and it sounds like you've a good handle on the situation. There's two things I'd comment on if you wanna think it through a bit.
One, a lot of the suggestions sound like railroading whether you let them attack and force an outcome or you don't let them attack because you force a preventative -- thus hooking the PCs on the fishing line and fighting them into the boat. I guess the question is, if they know he's out of their league for now, why do they want to attack him in his own lair on his own terms? I loved the Vhalantru situation earlier mentioned. When he poped in my campaign a while back the PCs were not ABOUT to attack him. But if your PCs insist you can't really stop them -- that's not your job.
Which leads me to two, think about the long term repercussions to the campaign if they attack. Now, if your group plays completely open-ended adventures so that long term NPC goals or campaign conflicts aren't at all important then there's no big deal. It sounds, however, that your group enjoys detailed campaigns in which the DM plans NPC goals, resources, encounter settings, etc. This could derail the game. Metagame decisions by the PCs are a good thing if they know the pitfalls of their actions. And it goes both ways; you can give out metagame knowledge that the PCs will get their chance to waste this crime boss eventually. It's more fun for everyone in the long run.
-W. E. Ray
Of course, the bigger question about this BBEG is "Does he work for someone else?" If he does, then that offers some opportunities. Also, he may have a Brother / Sister / Cousin / ect. that wants revenge.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Metagame decisions by the PCs are a good thing if they know the pitfalls of their actions. And it goes both ways; you can give out metagame knowledge that the PCs will get their chance to waste this crime boss eventually. It's more fun for everyone in the long run.
My players know me pretty well. They know they'll get their shot at him eventually. They're torn between what the characters honestly would do and what the logical course of action is. They're erring on the side of character motivations and (I think) counting on the fact that I won't just destroy them (I've smoked my fair share of PCs before, so their wager is not 100% confident). The PC whose mentor is captured is a chaotic good fighter/rogue with a nasty mean streak and an overconfident ego. The other characters are all too willing to follow this character because he's the one with the strongest guild connections (and he's basically the party 'leader,' we all know how gaming politics work).
There's also not a single lawful character in the whole group (understandable since they knew this was going to be an urban campaign closely tied to the underworld). The 'chaotic' angle says 'don't give into his demands and nip this in the bud.' That's my take on it, anyway.
What I see here are two questions that need to be answered.
1. What happens if they do not beat the BBEG.
2. What happens if the DO beat the BBEG.
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I just noticed I gave advice without really giving conclusions.
If they go for it despite knowledge that it could derail the game when they fail and they have 0.01% of success, it's okay; let them.
Does it make sense that your Rog/10 will have DC 31 locks to pick on every door of the stronghold? Check. How about traps on most doors that deal xd6 Fireballs? Check. Does it make sense that his 2d6 Monks are stationed there and ready? (BTW, I assume this means he has 12 Monks but some of them are sometimes away from the lair -- I'd take 5 minutes of prep to write out what time of day 4 are there, what time of day 8 are there, etc. Then ask the PCs when they try to enter.) Check. Does it make sense that he has an Wiz/8 and a Clr/6 (or whatever) Check.
Map out his stronghold and let them try to enter. My guess is that after 1 or 2 PCs die and/or are way down on resources (including HP) and they're not near the End Guy, they'll retreat -- listening as he sends a magic mouth after them laughing and taunting them all the way!
This will make it all the sweeter for them (and you) when they slaughter him 4 levels from now.
-W. E. Ray
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Does it make sense that your Rog/10 will have DC 31 locks to pick on every door of the stronghold? Check. How about traps on most doors that deal xd6 Fireballs? Check. Does it make sense that his 2d6 Monks are stationed there and ready? (BTW, I assume this means he has 12 Monks but some of them are sometimes away from the lair -- I'd take 5 minutes of prep to write out what time of day 4 are there, what time of day 8 are there, etc. Then ask the PCs when they try to enter.) Check. Does it make sense that he has an Wiz/8 and a Clr/6 (or whatever) Check.
Map out his stronghold and let them try to enter. My guess is that after 1 or 2 PCs die and/or are way down on resources (including HP) and they're not near the End Guy, they'll retreat -- listening as he sends a magic mouth after them laughing and taunting them all the way!
This will make it all the sweeter for them (and you) when they slaughter him 4 levels from now.
This is a very good point. (FWIW, the word I was using was 'mooks' not 'monks' but I catch your meaning. Most of the BBEG's thugs are fighters and rogues. His 'elite guards' are rog 3/ftr 2 and the PCs have had one run-in with them already. :D )
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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1. What happens if they do not beat the BBEG.
Well, as outlined before, I plan to have the PCs taken hostage and used as part of the BBEG's bargain with the guild. From there, they can breakout and try again some other time. Perhaps the guild has a mole in the BBEG's clan who releases them?
2. What happens if the DO beat the BBEG.
If this happens by some miraculous stroke of luck, then the PCs have thwarted the leader of the clan and secured themselves some fairly high-powered swag. Cleaning up the rest of the BBEG's minions could be done in short order and the campaign could then progress to the 'non-urban' portion of the game where the PCs seek out the BBEG's master in a land far, far away.
well, when it happens in my game it really depends upon the villian or protagonist, most of the time I use the little fish model and have the villian throw the little fish back in the pond to get a little bigger; sometimes the npc magically moves the pc's into an area where they have to fight hard to sink or swim; like deep into a dungeon or dangerous area, but not quite over their heads; then he stops by once in a while to lend aid or taunt or bring some more baddies if they keep giving him a hard time. NE and CE npc dont usually do this; they enslave or kill or maim or curse or some long lasting unpleasant thing that has nothing positive in the eyes of the pc's. Something like maroon them naked in the desert a long way from anything with no food or water or something equally dangerous like capturing them and selling them to a beholder or dragon or something; something very scarey and life threatening, but something they can play there way out of if they change their attitude; I hate characters that think they are invulnerable and take it as an affront to gm's everywhere, but I try to be fair and make it a fun and memorable playing experience.
Simulacrum, anyone? Or maybe you would prefer a clone? Let 'em fight Sneaky McNasty... or at least, what appears to be Sneaky McNasty.
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Wow, that's what I did with Kazmojen but for a different reason. See, I had too little prep time before that session and had to wing a few things, most notably Kazmojen's stat block. I've learned that PCs torch NPCs when I don't have time to plan out the encounter but have a good fight when I'm able to. They walked through Kazmojen and I didn't like him going like that (not after the build up he got) so when the Umberhulk smashes through Cauldron a couple sessions later they see Kazmojen again and learn all about simulacrums.
But, will it work in your campaign situation?? Does your Rog/10 have a Wiz/13 (minimum) lackey? Now, he could certainly afford to pay someone to cast it for him; that's just a 7th Lvl scroll cost. So now ask, does the crime boss want to lose his simulacrum to the PCs in this situation?
The simulacrum may well be the very thing the party's been talking to all along. And maybe the Wiz13 isn't the lackey- I'd have an easier time seeing the Rog10 as the lackey. Or perhaps the Rog10 did some favors/work/whatever for the Wiz13, and the simulacrum was payment. No matter.
Throw in the aforementioned clones, plus good old ressurection/raise dead from a cleric lackey/ally (for when the clone dies), and you've got a bad guy that can get his head cut off a few times and keep kicking! Killing someone in D&D is easy; getting them to stay that way is hard. >:)
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The simulacrum may well be the very thing the party's been talking to all along. And maybe the Wiz13 isn't the lackey- I'd have an easier time seeing the Rog10 as the lackey. Or perhaps the Rog10 did some favors/work/whatever for the Wiz13, and the simulacrum was payment. No matter.
Didn't Fate mention that there's a BgerBEG somewhere else that's backing the BBEG?
Surely such an individual could supply a needed simulacrum...
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RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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Maybe the BBEG sets up an elaborate ruse, whereby the PCs bust in on him all tied up and badly beaten.
He blames the simulacrum for everything, saying it developed a mind of its own and turned against him. PCs are manipulated into attacking and killing the simulacrum.
He takes the party into the fold, thanks them....shows them what they need to be shown....it's all an elaborate lie. Maybe they start to collaborate, and during a crucial time, the BBEG uses some crucial part of their plan to screw them.
Or...maybe this is taking the whole clone thing too far. :D
Okay, that's fair. If they plan well, maybe I'll let them fight him by himself instead of him and 2d6 mooks. The BBEG is a rogue 10 with the Skill Mastery special ability (Bluff, Tumble, Hide, and Move Silently are the mastered skills). He's currently statted with a +1 frost rapier and some boots of speed, in addition to a few other things. His gear isn't too powerful, but if they bring him down and take his stuff, it'll upset the wealth table a bit. That's okay, though, if they manage to bring him down, they will have earned it.I'd leave him at level 10
Rambling Scribe has some really good points - maybe, just maybe, if the pcs really plan well, they can succeed.
That's a huge power differential, but...hey, they asked for it. You gave them fair warning.
My feeling is this is pandering just a tad to much to the players. Personally I'd run it as it was supposed to have been run as opposed to making so that the BBEG is actually wandering around foolishly unprotected because it just so happens that the current attempt on his life is being made by a lower level group.
If it was supposed to be an adventure for a 10th level party then design it for a 10th level party. If your players are well organized they still won't be able to handle it but they'll know know a bit about what their up against for later. The real adventure here will be in getting out alive.
Admittedly this is really a DM style issue - I'm of the opinion that if a Great Wyrm Red lives in the cave then thats the case no matter what level the players decide to investigate the cave. Obviously this means your players have to be careful in your world to a certain extent as its threats don't morph to meet their level but there are side benefits to this. One is some adventures are in fact more about escaping then winning. Another is that players become very interested in information about the places they are considering exploring giving you all sorts of opportunities to add rumours, local legends and epic ballads when the players start investigating the adventure leads. This adds to the world itself by giving it more history etc.
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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The simulacrum may well be the very thing the party's been talking to all along. And maybe the Wiz13 isn't the lackey- I'd have an easier time seeing the Rog10 as the lackey. Or perhaps the Rog10 did some favors/work/whatever for the Wiz13, and the simulacrum was payment. No matter.Didn't Fate mention that there's a BgerBEG somewhere else that's backing the BBEG?
Surely such an individual could supply a needed simulacrum...
Yes, there is indeed a BgerBEG. It's a red dragon whose hoard was recently stolen by another group of adventurers and is seeking to replace it by funneling all of the proceeds from this thieves' guild's operations to himself. The rogue 10 has been promised all sorts of glory and wealth once the dragon rebuilds his hoard. Naturally, being a red dragon, the dragon has no real intention on keeping this promise and will simply add the rogue's swag to his own collection after he kills him (once he's outlived his usefulness, of course).
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Yes, there is indeed a BgerBEG. It's a red dragon whose hoard was recently stolen by another group of adventurers and is seeking to replace it by funneling all of the proceeds from this thieves' guild's operations to himself. The rogue 10 has been promised all sorts of glory and wealth once the dragon rebuilds his hoard. Naturally, being a red dragon, the dragon has no real intention on keeping this promise and will simply add the rogue's swag to his own collection after he kills him (once he's outlived his usefulness, of course).The simulacrum may well be the very thing the party's been talking to all along. And maybe the Wiz13 isn't the lackey- I'd have an easier time seeing the Rog10 as the lackey. Or perhaps the Rog10 did some favors/work/whatever for the Wiz13, and the simulacrum was payment. No matter.Didn't Fate mention that there's a BgerBEG somewhere else that's backing the BBEG?
Surely such an individual could supply a needed simulacrum...
So if this dragon has had his hoard raided, why not attempt to redirect the PCs from attacking the BBEG temporarily.This dragon likes pawns why not use some punk adventurers that are attempting to take out his new source of treasure. Its in this dragons best interests to keep this thieve's guild around for a while. So what you could do is suggest through a ally of the PCs who also happens to be a agent of the dragon that in order to take out this Thieves Guild leader they need to liberate some items from this other adventuring group. Once there the PCs may or may not discover that the adventuring group is a wild goose chase, and at the same time level up, gain a little knowledge and then be ready to finally take out the BBEG. This adresses the dragons needs taking out two birds with one stone, possibly preserves your PCs from an untimly death, and possibly pushes the story forward by allowing the players to learn of the next threat if not of the dragon itself.
Of course I wouldnt force them down that path, but dangle a proactive option infront of them.This has the benifit of providing the feeling of a real world with other things going on around them.
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Ok, I had another thought on the redirecting the PCs attentions. Again I wouldnt force them down this way but another idea anyway.
So the PCs decide that they want to take out BBEG. Presumably they talk about it word gets out that this is what they plan on doing. At this point a NPC contact shows up and mentions that he's heard the PCs want to assassinate the BBEG. Great, he can help them out and provide all sorts of great info on the BBEG lair, traps, weaknesses ect., but first he needs somthing taken care of that the PCs can do.
They level up and go kick some BBEG ass!
Just have the BBEG beat them to a pulp and yell "You ain't earned the right to die by my hand." Also call him Bill Cutting.
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If the PCs can gather info on this guy, and he's the leader of a thieves guild, then the BBEG can gather info on them, gathering info on him. And then he can use his influence to send one of his past victims, formerly WAAY more powerful than the PCs are currently, to dissuade them from attacking, but put it in a "you cant do this YET" kind of way. It gives you an interesting NPC (i'd use a fallen paladin tricked into a no-win that cost him his paladinhood, personally), yet another reason for the PCs to hate the BBEG, and hopefully another adventure hook to get them on a different track.