By the time a part of PCs has reached the end of a 6 book AP, there's literally nothing a BBEG can say that will sway their opinion or stay their swords. That late in a story, the PCs will be begging, grovelling, and demanding to roll for initiative.
Wait. I'm wrong. There is maybe something that might stop them.
"Help! I'm the cleaning lady. Bad guy's downstairs."
But that's about it. Any sort of pontificating will just confirm identity and seal the deal.
By the time a part of PCs has reached the end of a 6 book AP, there's literally nothing a BBEG can say that will sway their opinion or stay their swords. That late in a story, the PCs will be begging, grovelling, and demanding to roll for initiative.
Wait. I'm wrong. There is maybe something that might stop them.
"Help! I'm the cleaning lady. Bad guy's downstairs."
But that's about it. Any sort of pontificating will just confirm identity and seal the deal.
Which makes a certain 20th level wizard's time stop all the more dastardly. Talking is a free action, after all. Watch those players squirm!
|
I usually have to contrive reasons for the PCs to encounter BBEGs long before their final showdown. Often before the PCs know the BBEG is a villain.
I don't usually have the villains monologue, but they do take part in repartee. I usually prepare a few lines, and if my players come up with something witty when they roll they get a +1 circumstance bonus to hit or the DC of their spells (Insult Sword Fighting Lives!)
Naw, monologues are tough. A string of one liners- pure gold.
One liners are awesome. They should be a bit less than 6 seconds, so a warrior-type character can use one per round. And they'll be a lot cooler than the gibberish the spellcasters spew.
Capstone class ability - 20 levels of warrior class
Appropriate warrior gear - 880kgil
Humiliating the pansy in robes - priceless
By the time a part of PCs has reached the end of a 6 book AP, there's literally nothing a BBEG can say that will sway their opinion or stay their swords. That late in a story, the PCs will be begging, grovelling, and demanding to roll for initiative.
The BBEG could pull a Watchmen.
The BBEG could pull a Watchmen.
That's hysterical.
You've just reminded me I'm sort of wrong. I posted that yesterday. Two days earlier I was DM for a session wherein the PCs finally got to the cave where this "king" of orcs has been uniting the tribes to send the horde down South for much carnage.
"Yeah, that's my fault. It's a cull."
"You heard me. A cull. Of the orcs."
"Well, see, one more generation and the orc nation would be double its current number. They'd exhaust the resources of the northern lands and come down to fight you regardless, only the numbers would be too vast for you to stop."
"Sure, a lot of humans and elves and stuff die this way, but otherwise more would die."
"Yes, it will work. It worked before, 50 years ago, the last time I did it."
"Yes, I've done this several times."
Now, that wasn't an actual BBEG... just an intermediate challenge, but the players did stall and suddenly roleplay instead of spew arrows and spells. I was really proud of them.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I removed some posts. PG-13, folks. Also, flag it and move on.
Aww yeah! Totally called it!
Hmm... I suppose this would be the wrong place to steer this thread towards coming up with speeches/dialogue for the individual APs... right?
I'll kick something up on the Runelords forums tommorow when you foreigners are awake. :)
Which makes a certain 20th level wizard's time stop all the more dastardly. Talking is a free action, after all. Watch those players squirm!
This might be me, but I can't see how a BBEG can't deliver a speech during a Time Stop. Yeah, he can talk, but he's so speeded up that no-one will hear it.
For a PC, the BBEG will just disappear/appear in the place he's moved to with buffs, traps and spells all set to go off.
This might be me, but I can't see how a BBEG can't deliver a speech during a Time Stop. Yeah, he can talk, but he's so speeded up that no-one will hear it.
I agree; being heard during a time stop is essentially impossible and yet for this very reason it may in fact be the most bearable villainous monologue ever.