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I am running a Stargate style campaign using Pathfinder rules and I have 4 PC that are currently 7th level. They are on another world and they recently ran across a young red dragon that actually started out as a random encounter and they lost some of their possessions. They decided to pay its tribute instead of fighting it. After learning more about the dragon they have learned that it has a bigger sister that is tougher and meaner than he is. Since it was a random encounter I grabbed the young red dragon and adult red dragon entries in the bestiary. So its a CR 10 and a CR 14 monster respectively. They have decided to take them both out. Starting with the young dragon and then track down his sister to the lair and kill her. I warned them a few times that this may result in the deaths of their characters, but they are still making the plans to go through with it. I decided to give them a hand by having a powerful wizard give them a few items on loan with a stake in the dragons loot. I am pretty confident that they could kill the CR 10 dragon and not lose anyone, but I am afraid that when they go to take on the CR 14 dragon in her lair, they will be on fighting on the dragons terms and will get slaughtered. They do have very legitimate in-character reasons to go after them.
So I have come up with a few ideas for if they fail and would like some input or suggestions.
Option 1. One of more of them survive and happen to slay the dragon. Hooray! they get the loot and prestige of killing them.
Option 2. They all die. If it does come to a TPK and they all die, then they just simply roll new characters.
Option 3. They all die. The dragon doesn't finish them off but instead decided to capture and imprison them. I like this idea but I dont know why a red dragon would want to keep adventurers that killed her brother alive.
Option 4. Weaken them by lowering their HD or having them be wounded or something that would make them easier to defeat. I am sort of against this because not everything in the world can be defeated and the creatures around you don't ascend at the same rate with you. There are bigger, meaner, and tougher creatures no matter what level you are and I think that if I dumb them down, I might shoot myself in the foot with that philosophy and have the players think they can take anything on with little or no consequences.
I would love to have any other suggestions or options that anyone else may have.
Option 3 - She didn't like her brother, and was actually meaning to get rid of him herself, but the PCs did it for her. More over she is confused as to how they came into possession of items (those lent by the wizard; dragonbane weapons?) which could slay a dragon (a feat she previously considered impossible). With that, she takes said weapons and imprisons the PCs while she flies off to nab her brother's hoard of goodies (to add to her own collection of course). When she returns (if the PCs haven't found a way to escape), she decides to extract the information from them (learning of the wizard). Then she decides to deal with him. Perhaps she lets all but one of the PCs return to the wizard, keeping one as hostage. Her plan is that the PCs tell the wizard that the younger dragon is slain, that he might enter its lair in hopes of collecting whatever items he wanted. Once there, she will ambush him, and free the PCs who are no longer a threat to her (without the help of the wizard and his toys). Now, she may or may not live up to the deal and she might slay them (and they might not want to go through with all of this anyhow), so the PCs might decide to inform the wizard and come up with a plan to defeat the dragoness and free their buddy.
Redirect the storyline by a series of events that doesn't allow them to TPK.
Option 3.....there was a really old Judge's Guild module that started out with the characters at the mercy of a big red dragon they couldn't hope to defeat; it sent them on a mission into some tunnels next to its lair filled with thieving wererats that it couldn't get to due to the narrowness of said tunnels.
Not every situation can be overcome with combat. They should be able to overcome most challenges you through at them or have it presented in such a way that they know they can't win. If you gave them fair warning and they ignore it what happens from there on is on them. If they've "earned" getting their characters killed and you're soft on them they'll realize they can get away with anything. Choices will loose their meaning as no matter what they know something will swoop in to save them. Actions need to have consequences to have meaning.
If you want to avoid a full party wipe you might arrange to have some of them survive. Just don't be afraid to thin the herd a bit. Maybe the dragon takes the survivors as prisoners to toy with for awhile and gets killed or drawn away before finishing them off. Maybe she sells them to some other monsters as slaves and they have to try to escape from there. Maybe they all die and a hundred years latter someone brings them back from the dead for whatever reason and now they have to deal with a world that's passed them by.
PS. Just had another idea.
I take it there's travel between worlds (apparently through gates) in your setting? How about just as the dragon is about to rolfstomp them a huge gate opens up and something even worse comes out? When the big bad scary thing, that was about to pwn you, flees in terror you know it's time to be worried. Run for your lives!!!
Sorry Goauld the Ori are here now. :p
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I definately agree with you Arikiel, I feel I gave them fair and ample warning and they are still proceeding with the dragon hunt. I like the advice that you all have provided and have narrowed it down to a few options.
The dragon keeps them alive and sells them to a night hag to be used as souls in the soul trade. The main foe of the campaign are Daemons and the four horseman, so that would be a great way to introduce them. The daemons are more or less the Goauld.
I also like the idea that the dragon feels that his race is undefeatable and when she learnes of her brothers death, she captures them to learn what she can about their weapons, might throw in a dragonbane weapon for that and sets plans to kill the wizard and use the gates for her own purposes.
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You have warned them, now don't hold back. Seriously, play it like old school D&D and let them do stupid things. If they have had several warnings, it is their fault if they don't listen and die.
How to handle the TPK if it happens? I like the idea of the dragon keeping them alive and as slaves. Perhaps the dragon has a more refined taste and doesn't like to soil it's pallet with the fleash of human, elf, or whatever is in the party. She wants them to go and get what she really wants, and to go find more treasure. Have a geas on them, with a powerful condition that if they begin to betray her they are hit with a hardcore curse.
However, just having the entire party killed off and asking the PCs to roll new characters is justifiable. If the players complain, told them you warned them, and didn't want to lessen the challenge in case they really were victorious.
How can you prevent the TPK? Help them level up a bit more. Both dragons could have minions the party will have to fight through. Figure out what the party needs in XP for two or three levels and then start planning out encounters by splitting up that pool. Keep in mind you can be a little generous if you add in traps, dangerous terrain, and other challenges. Add in roleplay encounters, and non-combat encounters that award xp, and you should be good.
You, the GM know what the PCs want to do, now set it up and make them work for it. It shouldn't be as easy as walking into a cave, killing the dragon and then looking for the next to repeat the process. The real prize for the PCs will be killing the dragons, make that the adventure!
The dragon keeps them alive and sells them to a night hag to be used as souls in the soul trade. The main foe of the campaign are Daemons and the four horseman, so that would be a great way to introduce them. The daemons are more or less the Goauld.
I also like the idea that the dragon feels that his race is undefeatable and when she learnes of her brothers death, she captures them to learn what she can about their weapons, might throw in a dragonbane weapon for that and sets plans to kill the wizard and use the gates for her own purposes.
You're welcome!
Oh and if you really want to get them worried start rolling dice for no apparent reason and scribbling down notes. If/when they ask what's up act distracted before dodging their questions. ;)Bwahahahaha (evil GM laugh).
+1 for option 3 keep them alive and write the next adventure as them as dragon thralls.
Another way you could go is for the dragon to let them live but take all their gear. Perhaps maim them a bit to "Set an example" before sending them back through the gate.
Sets up your dragon as a longer term villain that they can come back and kill once they are appropriate level.
Note that a level 7 party has allot of resources at their disposal buffs, magic items from their tok'ra wizard friend, + clever tactics. If they go in knowing they are up against a high CR dragon and the dragon doesn't see it coming I would give them even odds of pulling it off.