I'm currently involved a bunch of BBEG battles while simultaneously prepping to run an 8-player lvl 20 adventure at GenCon, and so I'm thinking about the ever-popular "kill the boss" type of fight. Wanted to collect any ideas others may have and share my own. I know this is a perennial topic and thread, but eh.
TIP: BBEGs always get killed faster than you think. It's obvious if you think about it; the BBEG always appears bigger, faster, meaner, etc. (hence the BB part of their name) than any other enemy, or just as often they're the only enemy, so the PCs don't hesitate to unload dailies, pull out that potion they've been saving, try crazy stunts (and inevitably roll a nat 20), etc. It's the main reason I never mind OPing a boss.
TIP: Minions, minions, minions.
Have lots of "interference" around to make the PCs think twice about blowing their Big Magic or super-duper stunt move on the BBEG. For example, does the group's mage really wanna blow her last big AoE bomb on the boss when there's that group of crabby magma elementals earth gliding her way? Prolly not.
TIP: Grapple is your friend.
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a mighty warrior is reduced to uselessness simply by being grappled. Whether it's the minions or the BBEG, get a critter with a badass CMD and start grappling people. The party will crumble. So few PCs can deal with a fierce grappler, it's amazing.
Of COURSE there are exceptions, but when four party members are grappled and/or helpless and about to be executed and the one monk (or whatever) who's actually a CMB tough guy has to choose, well, fun times ensue.
>:-D
TIP: BBEG fake-out.
The BBEG is NOT actually the BBEG! That'll teach you to meta-game. What you thought was the BBEG is really just his brother/assistant/life coach. What's that? You're out of spells? Bummer. Here come the minions!
(I'm not for a second proposing that any of these tips are especially insightful or original, I'm just hoping to share and collect a bunch of cool ideas in one place.)
Tips I've always liked for BBEG fights
1) Prep them to really hate the BBEG.
1A) Have him encountered and get away several times. But do it through legitimate planning/strategy, not GM fiat "Doesn't matter what you do he gets away."
Ex: BBEG followed the party invisibly (later etherially). When they were in tough fight totally unrelated to the BBEG, he would throw a spell or 2 (like slow or stone spikes) then run away while they are busy with the other enemy.
1B) Let the group catch people that were hired to spy on them to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
1C) Group finds they were actually hired by the BBEG for an impossible mission hoping they would die or at least lose reputation.
2) Make it difficult to tell who is the BBEG.
2A) The power behind the thrown. One of the confidential advisors is really a mantis assassin and is much more dangerous than the the king they easily eliminated.
2B) Identical appearing enemies. Clones, devout followers with alter self, vampire and spawn with identical looking gear, dopplegangers, etc...
2C) Multiple illusory throne rooms.
3) Give the BBEG defenses. For one thing it just makes sense. If you are Evil Baron Blackheart, don't you think you would spend part of your effort to stop all the people trying to kill you? Use something better than mooks but less than the BBEG. Ex: the wife is a CR-2 sorc who mostly counterspells whatever the party casts, a fighter that stands in front of the evil wizard with a tower shield, an evil monk bodyguard that trips and disarms all the tanks, evil bard that spends the fight buffing the heck out of the BBEG, etc... Also give him items and especially feats that improve defenses and saving throws.
4) Terrain advantages. Again he has had time to set this up. The BBEG is at the top of a stepped and sloped chamber. The floor is polished marble. Mooks dump a couple barrels of oil down the marble steps. When the party is almost up the slipery slope another mook lights the oil.
5) More preparation. Since he has had spies learning about the party, he had his evil wizard make some specifics just to deal with them. Party has a pyro sorc - wizard makes a scroll of mass pro fire. Party - has a master summoner - wizard makes a couple scrolls of control summons. Or maybe since the party has 2 heavily armored tanks he has a few rust monsters with illusions of dogs on them.
6) Hostages. Classic plot. Each of the mooks has a slave chained to them, there is a victim slowley lowering to a acid pit, several of the mooks are actually dominated good guys, etc...
|
One of my favorites is to make the BBEG an NPC that is originally helpful. As in, that patron whose been giving you plot hooks and pointed you like a battering ram at the big scary guy in demonic armor is the actual BBEG, while the PCs and said scary guy are just his pawns. That way, when they finally discover whose been pulling the strings, they'll be much more surprised. Plus, it gives the added bonus that their motivation is now more complex than mere anger or even righteous fury (if a good-aligned party). Now they want answers as to the how and why as well, and that makes the encounter with him oh-so-more satisfying.
Bbegs should never, ever, be solo. Guards, minions, their protective chaplain...
It can be surprising to the party to have an evil adventuring party be the core ofthe opposition. They can be the same level as the party and be a horrific threat... Particularly if they're clever and have prepared.